Little Man, What Now? (1933 film)
Little Man, What Now? (German: Kleiner Mann – was nun?) is a 1933 German drama film directed by Fritz Wendhausen and starring Hermann Thimig, Hertha Thiele and Viktor de Kowa.
Little Man, What Now? | |
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Directed by | Fritz Wendhausen |
Produced by | Robert Neppach |
Written by |
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Starring | |
Music by | Harald Böhmelt |
Cinematography | Ewald Daub |
Edited by | Herbert Selpin |
Production company | R.N.-Filmproduktion |
Distributed by | Europa-Filmverleih |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Hans Fallada. The original concept for the film was to take a naturalistic approach, the same way the novel did, with Kurt Weill composing the music. Fallada had already remarked in 1932, after falling out with the producers and script writers, that the film had little to do with his novel, and that the script writers "would take a different approach,"[1] which they did. The Nazi Film Review Office insisted on extensive cuts, including all scenes featuring the Comedian Harmonists.
The film's sets were designed by the art directors Willy Schiller and Otto Guelstorff. Location shooting took place around Swinemünde.
It was well received by contemporary critics, many of whom considered it the best German film of 1933. A separate American film adaptation of Fallada's novel, Little Man, What Now?, was released in 1934.[2]
Cast
- Hermann Thimig as Pinneberg
- Hertha Thiele as Emma 'Lämmchen' Mörchel
- Viktor de Kowa as Heilbutt
- Ida Wüst as Pinnebergs Mutter
- Fritz Kampers as Jachmann
- Paul Henckels as Lehmann
- Theo Lingen as Der Verkäufer
- Jakob Tiedtke as Kleinholz
- Hugo Flink as Jaenicke
- Aenne Goerling as Frau Kleinholz
- Blandine Ebinger as Kleinholz' Tochter
- Günther Vogdt as Lauterbach
- Albert Hörrmann as Schulz
- Carl Auen as Kriminalbeamter
- Willi Tholen as Kriminalbeamter
- Comedian Harmonists as Themselves (scenes deleted)
References
- Illustrierter Film-Kurier, 29. September 1932, Vereinigte Verlagsgesellschaften Franke & Co., Berlin 1932.
- Sadoul & Morris p. 195
Bibliography
- Sadoul, Georges (1972). Morris, Peter (ed.). Dictionary of Films. Translated by Morris, Peter. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-02152-5.