- Source: Ripening Youth (1933 film)
Ripening Youth (German: Reifende Jugend) is a 1933 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Heinrich George, Peter Voß and Hertha Thiele.
The film's sets were designed by the art directors Karl Machus, Otto Moldenhauer and Franz Schroedter. Location shooting took place at Stralsund on the Baltic coast. It was well-received by the Nazi press on its release, and drew inspiration from the earlier Madchen in Uniform which was admired by film journalists of the Third Reich.
Synopsis
When three girls transfer to an elite school in Lübeck so they can sit their upcoming university entrance examinations, this causes disruptions amongst the male students and teachers. One of the girls, Elfriede, becomes the subject of romantic interest from both a classmate and her strict teacher, ultimately opting for the latter. At the end all three girls pass their exams with full marks.
Cast
Heinrich George as Brodersen, Studiendirektor
Peter Voß as Studienassesor Dr. Kerner
Hertha Thiele as Elfriede Albing, Abiturientin
Marieluise Claudius as Christa von Borck, Abiturientin
Albert Lieven as Knud Sengebusch, Abiturient
Paul Henckels as Dr. Hepp, Lehrer
Albert Florath as Nehring, Musiklehrer
Sabine Peters as Annelore Winkel, Abiturientin
Rolf Kästner as Bert Fredereksen, Abiturient
Carsta Löck as Stine Nockelmann, Tochter des Hausmeister
Herbert Hübner as Dr. Albing
Paul Mederow as Dr. Stahnke, Lehrer
Julius E. Herrmann as Dr. Steffenhagen, Lehrer
Hermann Noack as Fritz Hannemann, Abiturient
Jochen Kuhlmey as Walter Mettke, Klassen-Primus
Horst Beck as Karl Maier, Abiturient
Hans Engelhardt as Willi Holzhüter, Abiturient
Dieter Horn as Franz Möller, Abiturient
Friedrich Karl as Erwin Pape, Quintaner
Hugo Froelich as Nockelmann, Hausmeister
Anneliese Würtz as Frau Nockelmann
Else Bötticher as Frau Albing
Fritz Reiff as Herr Sengebusch
Nany Mangelsdorf as Frau Mettke
Ellen Geyer as Dienstmädchen bei Dr. Kerner
Jochen Blume as Andreas Bolz, Abiturient
H.J. Wieland as Otto Ohlerich, Abiturient
Herbert Stockder as Herrmann Puttbrese, Abiturient
Andree Hanfmann as Ernst Rauch, Abiturient
Reception
Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene described the film as entertaining and praised the film's charmingly realistic characterization of both German school masters and their pupils. Greene highlighted the "light lyrical treatment of some of the scenes", adding that while "unsentimental, [the film is] not unkindly [in its depiction] of emotional awkwardness."
References
Bibliography
Heins, Laura. Nazi Film Melodrama. University of Illinois Press, 2013.
External links
Ripening Youth at IMDb