Vom Werden deutscher Filmkunst, Part 1

Recently, we acquired at eBay a package with collectors cards by Ross Verlag called Vom Werden deutscher Filmkunst. The title translates as From the becoming of German film art. Some of the cards are smaller than postcards, others bigger. On the collectors cards of this series (no. 10) are pictures of the German silent cinema. Collectors could glue them in an album called 'Der Stumme Film' (The Silent Film) written by Dr. Oskar Kalbus. Another volume treats the German sound film. This series includes star portraits and film scenes, but also pictures of film sets and curiosities like for instance a bust of Asta Nielsen in her famous and controversial role as Hamlet.


Asta Nielsen in Der Tod von Sevilla (1913). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, no. 6, group 43. Photo: publicity still for Der Tod von Sevilla/The death of Seville (Urban Gad, 1913).


Asta Nielsen and Mary Scheller in Das Feuer (1914). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 7, group 43. Photo: publicity still for Das Feuer/The Fire (Urban Gad, 1914).


Asta Nielsen. German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 8. Photo: Bust of Asta Nielsen as Hamlet.


Paul Wegener and Lyda Salmonova in Der Student von Prag (1913). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 9. Photo: Sokal-Film. Publicity still for Der Student von Prag/The Student of Prague (Paul Wegener, Stellan Rye, 1913).


Pola Negriin Vendetta (1919). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 10, group 40. Photo: Ufa. Publicity still with Pola Negri as nurse in Vendetta (Georg Jacoby, 1919).


Emil Jannings and Henny Porten in Die Ehe der Luise Rohrbach (1917). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 12, group 40. Photo: Ufa. Publicity still for Die Ehe der Luise Rohrbach/The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach (Rudolf Biebrach, 1917).


Henny Porten and Rudolf Biebrach in Das Geschlecht derer von Ringwall (1918). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 13, group 43. Photo: Messter-Film. Publicity still for Das Geschlecht derer von Ringwall/The Ringwall family (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).


Viggo Larsen. German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 16, group 43. Photo: Karl Schenker.


Hanni Weisse. German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 18, group 43. Photo: Balázs.


Wanda Treumann. German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 20, group 43. Photo: Karl Schenker. Caption: "Wanda Treumann, for years the partner of Viggo Larsen".


Maria Carmi and Carl de Vogt in Der Weg des Todes (1916). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 23, group 43. Photo: Ufa. Publicity still for Der Weg des Todes/The Road of Death (Robert Reinert, 1916).


Emil Jannings in Fromont Junior, Risler Senior a.k.a. Frau Eva (1915-1916). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no, 29, group 43. Photo: publicity still for Arme Eva (Robert Wiene, 1914). Caption: Emil Jannings, young and handsome, in his first film Fromont junior, Risler senior. According to other sources Arme Eva (Robert Wiene, 1914) featuring Erna Morena, was his first film. IMDb mentions two Eva-films, both by Wiene and both starring Morena and Jannings: Arme Eva (1914) and Frau Eva (1916) - a sequel, a remake or just the same film? However, IMDb mentions that the second was based on a play by Alphonse Daudet! And yes, Revolvy confirms: "It was based on the 1874 novel Fromont and Risler by Alphonse Daudet." And at the German Early Film Database and Filmportal.de, there is no mention of Arme Eva, just Frau Eva (1915-1916). At Filmportal.de this picture illustrates the film page...


Bruno Decarli, Carmen Mara and Harry Liedtke in Rebellenliebe (1919). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 30, group 40. Photo: Frankfurter Film-Co. Publicity still for Rebellenliebe/Rebel Love (Karl Heiland, 1919).


Pola Negri and Fritz Schulz in Die Marchesa d'Armiani (1920). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 34, group 43. Photo: Union-Film. Publicity still for Die Marchesa d'Armiani (Alfred Halm, 1920).


Pola Negriand Emil Jannings in Vendetta (1919). German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series Vom Werden Deutscher Filmkunst - Der Stumme Film, picture no. 10, group 40. Photo: Ufa. Publicity still for Vendetta (Georg Jacoby, 1919).

To be continued next Saturday!