Des Teufels General

Des Teufels General
Directed by	Helmut Käutner
Produced by	Walter Koppel Richard Gordon
Written by	Carl Zuckmayer Gyula Trebitsch Helmut Käutner George Hurdalek
Starring	Curd Jürgens Marianne Koch Viktor de Kowa Karl John Eva Ingeborg Scholz Harry Meyen
Cinematography	Albert Benitz
Editing by	Klaus Dudenhöfer
Distributed by	Europa-Filmverleih AG
Release date(s)	23 February 1955 (1955-02-23)
Running time	117 minutes
Country	West Germany
Language	German

Des Teufels General is a 1946 play written by German author and playwright Carl Zuckmayer, translated as The Devil's General.^[1] The title character of the play, General Harras, is based on the ace Ernst Udet. The play is based upon his struggles during the war, simultaneously working under and openly being against the Nazi Party. Despite the serious scenario of it, a comical and satirical tone is often used throughout the play.

Characters

Harras, whose character is based upon actual German Luftwaffe General Ernst Udet.
Lüttjohann, Harras' adjutant.
Korrianke, Harras' Chauffeur.
Friedrich Eilers, Colonel & leader of the war front and military.
Hartmann, aviation officer.
Writzky, aviation officer.
Hastenteuffel, aviation officer.
Pfundtmayer, aviation officer.
Sigbert von Mohrungen, President of purchasing for crude metals.
Baron Pflungk, Attaché for the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Schmidt-Lausitz, cultural leader.
Der Maler Schlick, the painter Schlick.
Oberbruch, Engineer in the Air-Travel Ministry.
Anne Eilers, wife of Friedrich Eilers.
Waltraut von Mohrungen, who goes by the alias Pützchen. Anne's sister.
Olivia Geiss, diva.
Diddo Geiss, Olivia's niece; love interest of General Harras, despite how much younger than him she is.
Lyra Schoeppke, named "die Tankstelle," which means "The Gas Station."
Otto, restaurant manager.
Francois, French speaking restaurant waiter.
Herr Detlev, restaurant waiter.
Buddy Lawrence, an American journalist.
Zwei Arbeiter, two workers.
Ein Polizeikomissar, a police commissionar.^[2]

Film adaptation

In 1955 in West Germany, "Des Teufels General" was adapted into a black and white film of the same title. The film features Curd Jürgens as Harras, Marianne Koch as Dorothea 'Diddo' Geiss, Viktor de Kowa as SS-Gruppenführer Schmidt-Lausitz, Eva Ingeborg Scholz as Waltraut 'Pützchen' Mohrungen, and Harry Meyen as Leutnant Hartmann. At the German Film Awards of 1955 Marianne Koch won the Film Award in Silver for Outstanding Individual Achievement: Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.

References

1. ^ For The German Library in Zuckmeyer's abridgment .
2. ^ Zuckmayer, Carl. "Des Teufels General." ISBN 978-3-596-27019-4

¹Zuckmayer, Carl. "Des Teufels General." ISBN 978-3-596-27019-4

External links

• Des Teufels General at the Internet Movie Database

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Teufels_General"