Hildegard Knef under the spell of a manipulator
The films we know from the young Hildegard KNEF are mostly in black and white. Things are different in this film from the United Kingdom: Hilde can be admired in color, with radiant blonde hair and sparkling green eyes!
Based on the novel "Trilby" by George du MAURIER, which borrows from "The Sandman" by E. T. A. HOFFMANN, the KNEF presents the girl of the same name who works as a painter's model in Paris at the turn of the century. Trilby quickly becomes the center of a circle of artists. The talented painter Billy (Terence MORGAN, known from HAMLET and CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER) in particular has his eye on the beautiful girl. But Trilby falls under the hypnotic spell of the sinister Svengali (Donald WOLFIT), who turns her into a talented singer (vocals: Elisabeth SCHWARZKOPF). At the same time, Trilby also becomes something like a sleepwalking doll. This can't last forever...
The history of the trilby is very well known in the Anglo-Saxon world, but hardly in the German-speaking world. Hilde's last film before her Broadway engagement with SILK STOCKINGS was never released in West German cinemas. What a shame! The KNEF has rarely been seen more beautiful and colorful! Hilde herself also listed this film as one of her five favorite screen appearances. The other four are DIE MÖRDER SIND UNTER UNS / THE MURDERERS ARE AMONG US, FILM OHNE TITEL / FILM WITHOUT TITLE, DAS MÄDCHEN AUS HAMBURG / LA FILLE DE HAMBOURG / THE GIRL FROM HAMBURG and JEDER STIRBT FÜR SICH ALLEIN / EVERYONE DIES ALONE.
One shortcoming of the film is Donald WOLFIT, who sets up his Svengali as an anti-Semitic caricature. You probably couldn't show something like that in West Germany in the mid-1950s. It's nice that the young Jeremy BRETT (WAR AND PEACE, MY FAIR LADY) can also be seen in a small role.
In order to honor the German world star Hilde, a viewing is still recommended. German TV station KABEL1CLASSICS will certainly repeat the film, which is extremely rarely seen, again.
The films we know from the young Hildegard KNEF are mostly in black and white. Things are different in this film from the United Kingdom: Hilde can be admired in color, with radiant blonde hair and sparkling green eyes!
Based on the novel "Trilby" by George du MAURIER, which borrows from "The Sandman" by E. T. A. HOFFMANN, the KNEF presents the girl of the same name who works as a painter's model in Paris at the turn of the century. Trilby quickly becomes the center of a circle of artists. The talented painter Billy (Terence MORGAN, known from HAMLET and CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER) in particular has his eye on the beautiful girl. But Trilby falls under the hypnotic spell of the sinister Svengali (Donald WOLFIT), who turns her into a talented singer (vocals: Elisabeth SCHWARZKOPF). At the same time, Trilby also becomes something like a sleepwalking doll. This can't last forever...
The history of the trilby is very well known in the Anglo-Saxon world, but hardly in the German-speaking world. Hilde's last film before her Broadway engagement with SILK STOCKINGS was never released in West German cinemas. What a shame! The KNEF has rarely been seen more beautiful and colorful! Hilde herself also listed this film as one of her five favorite screen appearances. The other four are DIE MÖRDER SIND UNTER UNS / THE MURDERERS ARE AMONG US, FILM OHNE TITEL / FILM WITHOUT TITLE, DAS MÄDCHEN AUS HAMBURG / LA FILLE DE HAMBOURG / THE GIRL FROM HAMBURG and JEDER STIRBT FÜR SICH ALLEIN / EVERYONE DIES ALONE.
One shortcoming of the film is Donald WOLFIT, who sets up his Svengali as an anti-Semitic caricature. You probably couldn't show something like that in West Germany in the mid-1950s. It's nice that the young Jeremy BRETT (WAR AND PEACE, MY FAIR LADY) can also be seen in a small role.
In order to honor the German world star Hilde, a viewing is still recommended. German TV station KABEL1CLASSICS will certainly repeat the film, which is extremely rarely seen, again.