German-Austrian Heimatfilm / homeland film with Joachim Hansen and Sabine Bethmann
This film by Hans Schott-Schöbinger, released in 1962, is also known as "Der Pastor mit der Jazztrompete / The Pastor with the Jazz Trumpet". The film was shot in St. Veit an der Glan in the state of Carinthia.
The story is quickly told. The young pastor Johannes Röll (Joachim Hansen, 1930-2007) comes to the community and turns everything around using modern methods. At least he tries. Of course there is resistance, especially from the evil mayor (Oskar Sima), with whom the pastor also gets into an argument because of his ward Hanna Osterwald (Sabine Bethmann, 1929-2021). The pastor actually manages to get some of the village youth excited about a jazz oratorio (with Claus Wilcke as trumpeter Peter). When this is performed after some difficulties, the strict superintendent (Viktor Staal, 1909-1982) is also satisfied. Luckily, the pastor in deeply Catholic Austria is Protestant, so his love for Hanna can also work out.
All's well that ends well! The constellation with the open-minded clergyman and the narrow-minded mayor is of course very reminiscent of Don Camillo and Peppone. This pattern is still used today by the makers of the ARD TV series "Um Himmels Willen / For Heaven's Sake". From a contemporary perspective, it is interesting that back then it was still possible to make the question of how to get young people into church the focus of a movie. Now, almost 60 years later, the de-churching of societies in German-speaking countries has progressed to such an extent that the entire project seems out of the world. Times are changing!
But the actors definitely know how to please. Joachim Hansen once again gets to play the good, if somewhat boring, German-speaking guy.
Sabine Bethmann, who died recently, had just lost the female lead in the classic "Spartacus" to Jean Simmons. As a result, Bethmann's international career came to nothing.
The broad-shouldered Viktor Staal was the robust lover of Zarah Leander (Zu neuen Ufern (To New Shores) / Die große Liebe (The Great Love) during the UFA era; in this film he shone in the second row.
