Richthofen (film)

Richthofen
Richthofen
	Richthofen funeral featured in the film
Directed by	Desider Kertesz; Peter Joseph;
Written by	Willy Rath
Produced by	Paul Michael Bünger
Cinematography	Albert Schattmann; Arthur Schwertführer;
Production; company	FPG Film Production Association mbH (Berlin)
Release dates	3 November 1927; (Germany) 1 September 1929; (revised film, United States)
Countries	Germany; United States (Revised version);
Languages	Silent (German intertitles); Sound (1929 version has added music and sound);

Richthofen (aka Richthofen, The Red Knight of the Air and Richthofen, The Red Ace of Germany) is a 1927 German silent war film directed by Desider Kertesz and Peter Joseph. The film was subsequently re-mastered with sound and music effects and re-released in the United States in 1929. The film stars Georg Burghardt, Sybil Moore and Arne Molander. Richthofen was the first film to portray the life of the First World War fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen.^[1]

Plot

The life of Baron Manfred von Richthofen is chronicled. Aerial battles are recreated with the film culminating in his death. In 1925, the German Government requested that von Richthofen's body should be interred at the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin, where many German military heroes and past leaders were buried. Richthofen's body received a state funeral, which is featured in the film.

Cast

Carl Walther Meyer as Manfred von Richthofen
Georg Burghardt as de Val
Sybil Moore as Ivonne de Val (wife)
Arne Molander as Chsrles de Val (son)
Helga Thomas as Suzanne de Val (daughter)
Angelo Ferrari as Ximenes
Egon von Jordan as Werner Dewall
Hugo Döblin as administrator
Gert Eitel Langner as Young aviation officer
Fred Cassner as Dewall's adjutant

Production

Although most of Richthofen was recreated, the actual newsreel footage of his state funeral was included.^[2] A number of aircraft were used in the production: Fokker Dr.1, Nieuport 17, Albatros D.V and Airco DH.9.^[3]

After its initial release, producer Bud Pollard acquired the rights to Richthofen, and subsequently re-mastered the film with sound and music. Capitalizing on the legend of Germany's "Ace of aces", Pollard renamed the film, Richthofen, The Red Knight of the Air. Later in distribution in the United States, the film was renamed, Richthofen, The Red Ace of Germany.^[4]

Reception

Aviation film historian James Farmer considered Richthofen one of the first films to depict the aerial conflicts of World War I.^[1]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b Farmer 1984, p. 28.
^ Paris 1995, p. 43.
^ Pendo 1985, p. 83.
^ Soister and Nicolella 2016, p. 156.

Bibliography

Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. ISBN 978-0-83062-374-7.
Paris, Michael. From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0-7190-4073-3.
Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 978-0-8108-1746-3.
Soister, John T. and Henry Nicolella. Down from the Attic: Rare Thrillers of the Silent Era through the 1950s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9831-4.

External links

[Farmer-1] Farmer 1984, p. 28.

[2] Paris 1995, p. 43.

[3] Pendo 1985, p. 83.

[4] Soister and Nicolella 2016, p. 156.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]