''Inquest'' () is a 1931 German

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

and starring

Albert Bassermann Albert Bassermann (7 September 1867 – 15 May 1952) was a German stage and screen actor. He was considered to be one of the greatest German-speaking actors of his generation and received the famous Iffland-Ring. He was married to Elsa Schiff w ...

Gustav Fröhlich Gustav Friedrich Fröhlich (21 March 1902 – 22 December 1987) was a German actor and film director. He landed secondary roles in a number of films and plays before landing his breakthrough role of Freder Fredersen in Fritz Lang's 1927 in fil ...

and

Hans Brausewetter Hans Brausewetter (27 May 1899 – 29 April 1945) was a German stage and film actor of the silent film, silent era. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1922 and 1945. He appeared in the 1923 film ''The Treasure (1923 film), The Treasu ...

. Along with another film that Siodmak made the same year ''

Storms of Passion ''Storms of Passion'' (German: ''Stürme der Leidenschaft'') is a 1932 German crime film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Emil Jannings, Anna Sten and Trude Hesterberg. It is regarded as a precursor of film noir. The film was produced ...

'', it anticipates the later development of

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

. It was made by German's largest studio

Universum Film Leonine Holding GmbH, also known as LEONINE Studios and formerly known Tele München Group, LLC (German: Tele München Gruppe; TMG), is a German media production and distribution company that is based in Munich and since 2024 its owned by French ...

, with sets designed by

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Erich Kettelhut Erich Karl Heinrich Kettelhut (1 November 1893 – 13 March 1979) was a German production designer, art director and set decorator. Kettelhut is considered one of the most important artists in the history of early German cinema, mainly for his s ...

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...

, who soon after emerged as a leading director, was

assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...

to Siodmak on the film. It was based on a 1927 play of the same title by Max Alsberg and Ernst Hesse. A separate French-language version '' About an Inquest'' was also produced.

Synopsis

When a

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

is murdered in a cheap

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

boarding house A boarding house is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodging, lodgers renting, rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and ...

, an investigating judge suspects that the killer is her boyfriend, unaware that his own son and daughter are also mixed up in the case.

Background

The film was shot from February 18 to March 1931 in Berlin-Tiergarten and in the Ufa studio in Neubabelsberg. The buildings were created by Erich Kettelhut. The street signs and house numbers in the picture indicate Mittelstraße 63 as the location of the action.

Cast

as Dr. Konrad Bienert, Landgerichtsrat *

as Fritz Bernt, Student *

as Walter Bienert, Beinerts Sohn, Student *

Charlotte Ander Charlotte Ander (born Charlotte Andersch, 14 August 1902 – 5 August 1969) was a German actress. She was born in Berlin, the daughter of German stage/film couple and . Ander was trained at the Berliner Staatstheater. Ander was a star in the ...

as Gerda Bienert - Bienerts Tochter * Anni Markart as Erna Kabisch *

Edith Meinhard Edith Meinhard (22. November 1908 as ''Herma Ruth Edith Kötteritzsch'' in Berlin - 26. June 1968 in West-Berlin) was a German actress who appeared in more than fifty films during her career, including the 1929 film ''Diary of a Lost Girl''. Lif ...

as Mella Ziehr *

Oskar Sima Oskar Sima (31 July 1896 – 24 June 1969) was an Austrian actor who is best remembered for appearing in supporting roles in countless comedy films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Born in Hohenau an der March, Lower Austria, Sima attended high sc ...

as Karl Zülke, Portier *

Julius Falkenstein Julius Falkenstein (25 February 1879 – 9 December 1933) was a German stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1914 and 1933. Falkenstein was Jewish, but secured a special permit to continue making ...

as Anatol Scherr, ein Hausbewohner *

Heinrich Gretler Heinrich Gretler (1897–1977) was a Swiss film and television actor, who also starred on stage at the Bernhard-Theater in Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton ...

as Kurt Brann, sein Untermieter *

Hermann Speelmans Hermann Speelmans (14 August 1906 – 9 February 1960) was a German stage and film actor.Capua p. 120 Selected filmography * '' Her Dark Secret'' (1929) - Emil * ''Diana'' (1930) * ''There Is a Woman Who Never Forgets You'' (1930) * '' Danton'' ...

as Bruno Klatte, Artist *

Jakob Tiedtke Jakob Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Tiedtke (23 June 1875 – 30 June 1960) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1914 and 1955. Selected filmography * '' The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' (1918) * '' The Doll'' (1919) * ' ...

as Ein genierter Herr *

Gerhard Bienert Gerhard Max Richard Bienert (8 January 1898 – 23 December 1986) was a German stage and film actor. Gerhard Bienert was born in Berlin, Germany and died in the same city in 1986 at age 88. Selected filmography * '' Duke Ferrante's End'' (1922) ...

as Baumann, Kriminalkommissar *

Heinz Berghaus The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869 ...

as Schneider, Kriminalbeamter * Carl Lambertin as Kriebel, Kiminalbeamter * Emilia Unda *

Erwin Splettstößer Erwin may refer to: People Given name * Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist * Erwin Chemerinsky (born 1953), American legal scholar * Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2 * Erwin Hauer (1926 ...

References

Bibliography

External links

*
''Voruntersuchung''
Full movie at the Deutsche Filmothek 1931 films Banned films in Nazi Germany Films of the Weimar Republic German crime films 1931 crime films 1930s German-language films Films directed by Robert Siodmak Films set in Berlin Films shot in Berlin German films based on plays German multilingual films UFA GmbH films Films shot at Babelsberg Studios German black-and-white films Films produced by Erich Pommer 1931 multilingual films 1930s German films German-language crime films {{1930s-Germany-film-stub