We continue our irregular series of film specials. Today, we chose for a silent melodrama of one of the three great German divas of the silent cinema, Henny Porten. The sturdy and blond actress is the star of Die Sieger/The Victors (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918) produced by the Messter Film studio. Rotophot made a beautiful series of postcards with sepia photos for the film.
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/1. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Rudolf Biebrach in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/2. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Bruno Decarli in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/3. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/4. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Rudolf Biebrach, and in the background Paul Biensfeldt, Bruno Decarli and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
Die Sieger/The Victors (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918) was based on a novel by Felix Philippi, who also wrote the script. Cinematographer was Karl Freund and the set designer was Jack Winter.
Director Rudolf Biebrach himself played the part of musical professor Richard Assing, who has completed his masterpiece, the opera Die Sieger (The Victors). Sadly, before he can perform it, he has a heart attack.
On his deathbed he urges his favourite pupil Camille Düpaty (Arthur Bergen) to have the opera performed. Camille loves Assing's daughter Konstanze (Henny Porten), who has promised to marry him if he can compose a substantial work, equal to her father's work. Camille then plots to release Assing's opera under another title as his work.
The opera becomes a giant success. However, Sigmund Freystetter (Bruno Decarli), music critic and an old friend of Konstanze, discovers the fraud. Konstanze now knows who she really loves and leaves Camille for Sigmund.
Die Sieger/The Victors premiered at the Berlin Mozartsaal cinema on 27 September 1918. For the premiere, Giuseppe Becce had composed a musical score.
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/5. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten, Arthur Bergen and in the background Bruno Decarli in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/6. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/7. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Paul Biensfeldt in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
![Henny Porten in Die Sieger]()
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/8. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
Source: Filmportal.de (German), Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/1. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Rudolf Biebrach in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/2. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Bruno Decarli in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/3. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/4. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Rudolf Biebrach, and in the background Paul Biensfeldt, Bruno Decarli and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
Opera Fraud
Die Sieger/The Victors (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918) was based on a novel by Felix Philippi, who also wrote the script. Cinematographer was Karl Freund and the set designer was Jack Winter.
Director Rudolf Biebrach himself played the part of musical professor Richard Assing, who has completed his masterpiece, the opera Die Sieger (The Victors). Sadly, before he can perform it, he has a heart attack.
On his deathbed he urges his favourite pupil Camille Düpaty (Arthur Bergen) to have the opera performed. Camille loves Assing's daughter Konstanze (Henny Porten), who has promised to marry him if he can compose a substantial work, equal to her father's work. Camille then plots to release Assing's opera under another title as his work.
The opera becomes a giant success. However, Sigmund Freystetter (Bruno Decarli), music critic and an old friend of Konstanze, discovers the fraud. Konstanze now knows who she really loves and leaves Camille for Sigmund.
Die Sieger/The Victors premiered at the Berlin Mozartsaal cinema on 27 September 1918. For the premiere, Giuseppe Becce had composed a musical score.
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/5. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten, Arthur Bergen and in the background Bruno Decarli in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/6. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/7. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Paul Biensfeldt in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
German postcard by Rotophot in the Film-Sterne series, no. 552/8. Photo: Messter Film. Publicity still of Henny Porten and Arthur Bergen in Die Sieger (Rudolf Biebrach, 1918).
Source: Filmportal.de (German), Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.