Raid in St. Pauli (German: Razzia in St. Pauli) is a 1932 German drama film directed by Werner Hochbaum and starring Gina Falckenberg, Friedrich Gnaß and Wolfgang Zilzer. The film's sets were designed by the art director Willy Schiller.
It was made at the end of the Weimar Republic era. It illustrates both the powerlessness of the ordinary worker as well as an intimate portrait of the joys and sorrows of a small group of people in the harbor section of Hamburg.
Synopsis
A social drama plays out in the harbor area of Hamburg: Ballhaus-Else, a prostitute, lives together with her boyfriend Leo, a peaceful bar musician, in St. Pauli. One day, Matrosen-Karl, a thief on the run, finds a hideout at Else's. She is fascinated by the man, who promises her a more exciting and better life. Together they want to leave Hamburg. Leo – who feels inferior to Karl – lets them go with a heavy heart. But then Karl gets arrested after a fight between the underworld and the police in the Kongo-Bar, and Else returns to Leo – and her hopeless everyday life.
The most important characteristic of this film is the use of local people, including those of somewhat gritty character, as extras playing parts that they actually lived at that time.
Production
Orbis-Film GmbH, Berlin. Producer: Justin Rosenfeld Director: Werner Hochbaum Camera: A. O. Weitzenberg Set: Willy Schiller Editor: Carl Behr Sound: Franz Schröder Music: Kurt Levaal Musical treatment and direction: Giuseppe Becce Song texts: Carl Behr, Hedy Knorr Singer: Charly Wittong, Ernst Busch Music Titles: Drive me once rover, drive me once rover (orig title German), In our home town, one always comes back (orig title German) (Behr), Song of the harbor workmen (orig title German) (Knorr), What use is the crown to the emperor? (orig title German).
Cast
Gina Falckenberg as Ballhaus-Else
Friedrich Gnaß as Matrosen-Karl
Wolfgang Zilzer as Musiker-Leo
Charly Wittong as Volkssänger
Max Zilzer as Kneipenwirt
Ernst Busch as Sänger
Kurt Appel
Käte Hüter
Friedrich Rittmeyer
Film Studio
Vera-Filmatelier Hamburg. Exterior location: Hamburg. Runtime and film length: 74 min, 2016 m. Format: 35mm, s/w, 1:1.33, Celluloid sound film. Official Certification: 11 April 1932, B.31364, Jv. / DP: 7 December 1933, O.31364, First Official showing: 20 May 1932, Berlin (U.T. Kurfürstendamm). Banned on 7 December 1933 by the Nazi Film Review Office.