West German war drama with O. E. Hasse and Eva Bartok
In the 1980s, Heinz G. Konsalik (1921-1999), alongside Johannes Mario Simmel, was a very successful writer who regularly celebrated bestseller success with his rather trivial novels. His most popular book, based on an actual model, had already been made into a film in 1958 by successful director Geza von Radvanyi (1907-1986, MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM / DAS RIESENRAD). "The Doctor from Stalingrad" was produced by the omnipresent Ilse Kubaschewski (1907-2001), who also released the film through her Gloria film distributor.
It tells the story of an upright doctor (O. E. Hasse, 1903-1978) from Würzburg who, after the defeat in Stalingrad, devoted himself to caring for his fellow prisoners in the Soviet prisoner of war camp. Together with the loyal medic Pelz (Mario Adorf), he not only fights against illness and dirt, but also against the harassment of the Soviet system. The attractive Soviet doctor Kosalinskaya (Eva Bartok, 1927-1998) is definitely an opponent of the doctor with integrity. First the love for the young doctor Dr. Sellnow (Walther Reyer, 1922-1999) causes the principled communist to thaw slightly, which of course doesn't suit the first lieutenant (Hannes Messemer, once again cast as a spurned lover) who fawns over her.
Ah yes, you can see how badly constructed the events are! But for free, the film definitely knows how to entertain and brings an uncomfortable topic (the fate of German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union) to the big screen. It doesn't matter that there are another couple in love (Vera Tschechowa and Paul Bösiger), a Soviet boy (Michael ANDE) saved by the doctor and a German Soviet spy (Siegfried Lowitz, 1914-1999). So variety is ensured. Eddi Arent (1925-2013) is also there in a more dramatic role as a desperate camp inmate from East Prussia.
Walther Reyer, who appeared as Jedermann / Everyman at the Salzburg Festival in the 1960s, is known as the villain from the "Tiger of Eschnapur" (1958). The enchanting Eva Bartok caused a sensation not only with her remarkable film successes (DER ROTE KORSAR (1952) with Burt Lancaster and the proto-giallo BLUTIGE SEIDE (1964) by Mario Bava) but also with her turbulent private life. For a whole year she was in a stormy marriage with the German-speaking world star Curd Jürgens (1915-1982). The great Hitchcock star O. E. Hasse (I CONFESS, 1953) is also known as Lilli Palmer's nasty husband in DER GLÄSERNE TURM / THE GLASS TOWER (1957). Shortly before his death, O. E. Hasse appeared in a notable role in the crime series DER ALTE (with Siegfried Lowitz). In "Konkurs" (1977) he is the very rich father of the attractive Christiane Krüger, who is suddenly kidnapped. A great actor!
