Hauptmann von Köpenick

[Klaus O.]

Just a different question:

Who has seen the 1997's remake of the "Hauptmann von Köpekin" with Harald Juhnke acting as the Hauptmann?

It's really a nice story about a former convict and "junkie" who bought a Prussian uniform in a flea market and afterwords was able to fool all the authorities of a municipality out of Berlin, called Köpenick.

I red somewhere that the story was true!

This story was already filmed in the 50s with another famous German actor (I forgot his name, but he died a couple of years ago, aged more than 90).

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Frank Heukemes]

Hi Claudio,

The first version of that movie was with Heinz Rühmann in the main role of Hauptmann von Köpenick. Funny movie indeed! Yes, the story is supposed to be true in its basics.
Is your German that good or have you seen a subtitled or dubbed version?

Cheers, Frank

[Klaus O.]

Lieber Frank,

Eigentlich bin ich italienischer Muttersprache aber verstehe doch Deutsch. Auf jeden Fall gefallen mir am besten Filmen auf Originalversion. Leider habe ich nur die auf italienische übersetzte Version des Films gesehen. In Italien und im Tessin (Südschweiz, woher ich komme) sind leider alle ausländischen Filmen (wie auch in Spanien) übersetzt. Trotzdem war der Film sehr amüsant und unterhaltsam. Heinz Rühmann habe ich in der Rolle des preussichen Offiziers besonders gemocht. War ein guter und bekannter Schauspieler in Deutschland.

I am looking forward to see the remake, obviously in German... Poor Juhnke; he ended up pretty bad with his alcohol problem!

mit freundlichem Gruss,

Claudio

[Rick Research]

I saw the old version (I'm an "old" guy), and particularly enjoyed the moment at the fancy dress ball when the harried orchestra was obliged to play in consecutive order the Imperial German anthem ("Heil Dir im Siegenkranz"), British "God Save the Queen," and American "My Country 'Tis of Thee"--all having the SAME tune!!!

The story in general (if not in details) is true, and the Kaiser (not usually noted for his sense of humor!) did pardon the "Captain" for his amusing audacity.

[McCulloh]

I have a great article on this chap from a British collecting magazine in 1975. I'll xerox it and send it to anyone who asks-its' well beyond the 25 year limit now for copyright.
Great film. Great story.
Cheers.,
JeMc
p.s. The real Captain was a bit younger too.

[Frank Heukemes]

Lieber Claudio,

immer wieder bewundere ich die schönen Stücke Deiner Sammlung. Durch Deine Graf Klenau-Anmerkung an anderer Stelle weiß ich, dass Du wohl hin und wieder in München bist. Wäre schön, wenn wir uns bei Deinem nächsten Besuch treffen könnten!
Schade, dass nicht mehr deutschsprachige Sammler an diesem Forum teilnehmen, sie wissen gar nicht, was sie verpassen. Wahrscheinlich ist die Sprachbarriere daran Schuld. Ich bin froh, nun endlich darauf gestoßen zu sein, hätte ich nur eine solch tolle internationale Sammlergemeinde schon früher nutzen können!

Viele Grüße und Frohe Weihnachten,

Frank

[ 17 December 2001: Message edited by: Munich ]

[Rick Research]

Ich kann ja deutsch (doch andere) natu"rlich sprechen und verstehen aber es ist leider unmo"glich fu"r mich diese verdammte Umlaute usw. zu machen! Rick Lundstro"m

BTW With the nit-pickiness of a True Collector--may I point out that in BOTH movies, the incorrect cap cockade is used--having bought the cast off RESERVE officer's uniform at a flea market--there should be a Landwehr cross in the Prussian cockade! Ha!

[ 17 December 2001: Message edited by: Rick Lundstrom ]

[Klaus O.]

Frank,

Vielen Dank für Deine schöne Wörter über meine Sammlungsstücke. Leider, Dank diesem Forum, konnte ich auch ein paar sehr gute Fälschungen in meiner Sammlung feststellen. Sie waren auf jeden Fall bereits auf meiner schwarzen Liste. Deswegen manchmal habe ich angst sie auf diesem Forum zu zeigen, besonders die Medaillen aus meinem III- Reich Sammlung kommen.

München gefällt mir sehr als Metropole, besonders das Bier und die bayrische Gemütlichkeit (ganz anderes als die sogenannten "Sau" Preussen!, no offense given naturally!!). Ich bin bereits mehrere male dort gewesen. Gerne akzepiere ich Deine höfliche Einladung! Als ich in den USA war, kannte ich eine sehr sympatische bayrische Dame; es war so lustig ihr typisches Akzent zu hören. Ein bisschen ähnlich wie das Schwyzerdüütsch der deutschsprachigen Kantonen... nur doch ein bisschen zivilisierter!!! (nur ein Scherz).

Rick,

It was already quite a while back that I saw the movie. At that time my Imperial German Uniforms' knowledge was more limited. Anyway in every movie I have seen until now with German uniforms, I notice always a lot of flaws... Actually I did like very much the uniforms in this movie. You cannot beat the beautiful and elegant deep Prussian blue tunics with high and severe collars: just great! They should re-introduce this uniforms in the Bundeswehr for using them during the changing of the guard in Berlin. I would choose two Guard units to do it: 1. Battalion Garde zu Fuss and Garde-Schützen-Battalion (Jäger)! Can you imagine that? I am daydreaming naturally...

Ciao,

Claudio

[Frank Heukemes]

Claudio & Rick,

Uniform flaws in movies are bad enough but what really makes me whine in pain in most (also and especially WWII) movies are the German tanks. "Saving Private Ryan" did this in a decent way, but the German tanks in "One Bridge Too Far" e.g. are ridiculous! Apart from looking utterly "ungerman", their "Panzerplatten" look like cardboard boxes. Well, they probably are.

Cheers, Frank

[Klaus O.]

Frank,

I could tell you dozen of movies whose German uniforms sucked... pratically all! Especially in the fifties up to the seventies the film makers didn't really pay too much attention to portray accurate uniforms. I remember particularly movies like the one with Henry Fonda (the Battle of the Bulge) with German soldiers who had terrible breast eagles on their tunics(looked like fat chicken!) or some European film productions of the seventies about Partisan's war in Yugoslavia. The worst German uniforms are in Indiana Jones' movies: the bad guy always with a black SS-uniform (which was only thought to be worn in Parades or during formal events). But anyway I wouldn't care too much about accuracy in these movies. I have seen good uniform in one of the last WWII movies "Captain's Corelli mandolin", although the use of a Tank "Hetzer" was completely wrong in that theatre of war and during 43. I liked also uniforms in classical movies like "The longest Day" and "The great escape" (also the music was quite cool). I think in the German movies like "Die Brücke", "08/15" and the "Devils' General" with Curd Jürgens they actually used original stuff or the impressions were still put together by German tailors who used to make uniforms.

This would be also an interesting argument to discuss perhaps in the forum "die Kneipe": The movie with the best German uniforms.

Ciao,

Claudio

[JensF.]

Hallo,

Ihr seid nicht die einzigen in diesem Forum, die deutsch können ;-)

Viele Grüß

majorpayne

[paddywhack]

one of my favourite movie flaws is in the guns of navero,look at the "german" hafl tracks/trucks they all say dodge on the bumbers,someone wasnt bothering me thinks