Special: Surviving Images

Familientag im Hause Prellstein

Hans Steinhoff
DEU 1927
73 min
V'18

FAMILIENTAG IM HAUSE PRELLSTEIN brings together Jewish comedians in a grotesque film that is set in Berlin’s Jewish milieu and is in a class of its own. The film tells the story of the passionate card player Sami Bambus, who stages his own death in order to wipe out his debts. Out of revenge, he names his wife’s cousin, whom he hates, as sole heir. The greedy family refuses to accept the will and insists on its share of the estate. This inspires conspiratorial meetings, haggling and reckless negotiating ... The film was based on the eponymous stage play by the Herrnfeld Brothers (premiere in 1905) and was highly controversial. Jewish organizations regarded the exaggerated stereotypical depiction of the Jewish characters as mockery and thus likely to stir up anti-Semitic feelings. (Armin Loacker)

Live music: Gischt (Ursula Winterauer)
Last minute format change: DCP instead of 35mm.

Credits
  • Paul Morgan - Putnam
  • Szöke Szakall
  • Erika Glässner
  • Siegfried Arno
  • Anton Herrnfeld
  • Fritz Spira
  • Ilka Grüning
  • Max Ehrlich
  • Karl Ettlinger
  • Oskar Sima - Charles Leblanc
  • Viktor Klein based on a play by Anton und Donat Herrnfeld
  • Curt Courant
Rex-Film AG, Berlin
DCP
bw
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