Ellen Richter

The Mystery of Johann Orth

A Hapsburg archduke in the 1880s gives up his title, changes his name, marries a Viennese actress, and then disappears with her on a South American ocean voyage.

Strafsache van Geldern

Paulus van Geldern is a lawyer who has made a name for himself as a criminal defense attorney, but is notoriously short of funds due to his unbridled passion for gambling. His gambling causes problems with his marriage to Martha who is thriving.

Police Spy 77

An elderly survivor of World War 1 is fed up with the situation in Germany so he tries to take it down. But he can't do it alone.

Moral

When a travelling troupe threatens to unleash a saucy Berlin revue on the provincial town of Emilsburg, the local Morality Society, a band of sanctimonious middle-aged men, stages a protest. Meanwhile, the reigning monarch is concerned that his son and heir is not living his life to the full. Ninon d’Hauteville, a showgirl and the revue’s star attraction, takes a job as piano teacher to the young prince after her engagement at the local theatre was brought to a premature end, a result of the Morality Society’s interference. It doesn’t take long for those hypocrites to get wind of this. While on the outside they appear to be concerned with running the immoral woman out of their town, behind closed doors they rank among the new piano teacher’s most ardent pupils. However, Ninon, out to right the wrong done against her, secretly keeps a “diary” of their visits, recording each encounter on film with a hidden camera.

Heads Up, Charley

Heads Up, Charley is a 1927 German silent comedy film directed by Willi Wolff and starring Ellen Richter, Anton Pointner, and Michael Bohnen. Marlene Dietrich appears in a supporting role.

Flight Around the World

A spectacular action-adventure travelogue with stages in Genoa, Suez, Colombo, Singapore, Canton, Yokohama, Honolulu, San Francisco, New York and Brest.

The Woman Worth Millions

Here Richter plays an Armenian princess whose father is being held prisoner by a despotic and corrupt pasha. A confrontation at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Paris Opera leads to the princess being wrongly suspected of attempted assassination against the pasha. With the help of an English diplomat, she manages to flee Paris, but the pasha and his henchmen are hot on her heels. This marks the start of an extended, action-driven cat-and-mouse game that stretches to the outer regions of the Bosporus – and back again.

Lola Montez, the King’s Dancer

Deviating from the historical facts, Lola is introduced as a young Spanish “Gypsy” who becomes involuntarily embroiled in an attempt to poison the Infante of Spain (a short but splendid cameo by Heinrich George). As a result, she has to flee the country, arriving first in Italy, where she is taught how to act like a lady. Later, in Paris, she is invited to dance at the city’s prestigious opera house, becoming a worldwide sensation. She then becomes secretly involved in a revolutionary plot by Louis Napoléon, the future emperor of France. When the plot fails, Lola is once again forced to flee, this time to Munich, where she captures the attention of Ludwig I. Their ensuing affair arouses a great deal of hatred among the people and the establishment, however. In the end, Lola has no choice but to leave again, and vanishes into the night mist.

Maria Tudor

Silent Film Drama by Adolf Gärtner. Starring Ellen Richter

Der rote Henker

France in the first half of the 17th century, at the time of the Duke and all-powerful Cardinal Richelieu. The courtesan Marion Delorme falls in love with the nobleman Didier de Lassigny, although she is still with another nobleman at the time, the Marquis de Saverny. Marion then leaves the Marquis. This leads to a duel between the two aristocratic gentlemen, although duels were strictly forbidden in these circles by Richelieu. When this becomes known, Didier is put in chains and sentenced to death. Marion sacrifices herself for the sake of her new love, but the sacrifice is in vain. Didier, who refused to flee, is finally beheaded by order of the "red executioner" Richelieu.

Superstition

In a circus, visitor who has just fallen for the “gypsy” dancer Militza is stabbed by a jealous clown, Bajazzo. Militza escapes to the country village of Marienhagen, finding shelter in the house of a local Catholic priest. The priest also falls for Militza. When he is subsequently struck dead by a bolt of lightning one evening during Mass, his mother blames Militza and has her cast out of the village. Militza joins a theatrical troupe whose married leader is disappointed with the general lack of artistic talent and begs Militza to leave with him. Militza refuses, and instead flees on her own. Onboard a ship, she is surprised to encounter the leader of the troupe again. The ship sinks, he dies. She is rescued by a nobleman who takes her to his country estate. Here she finds peace and true love. When the dead priest’s vengeful mother learns that Militza is alive, she kindles fear and superstition among the villagers, who stone Militza to death.

Die Tochter des Mehemed

An enslaved girl, Leila, is bought by Vaco Juan Riberda as a gift for his friend, Dr. Jan van Zuylen. van Zuylen is outraged, and refuses. Years later, van Zuylen meets Riberda and Leila again, and finds that they have married. Leila and van Zylen acquaint themselves and fall in love.

Der Spion

An Italian spy infiltrates a weapons factory in Germany.

Das Bacchanal des Todes

A tinted silent film about a murder plot.

Life Upon Life

Leben um Leben is the sequel to the 1915 murder mystery Das Tagebuch Collins (Collin’s Diary). Leben um Leben resumes the story with the honeymoon of Peter Tomson and Ellen, who earlier had played the key role in discovering Collin’s diary and clearing the name of her future husband. During their stay, they again cross paths with Carmen Metschersky, who has managed to survive her suicide attempt and was acquitted of the murder charge due to lack of sufficient evidence. Her accomplice Peppo Pastia was convicted, but later released thanks to her help. When Carmen learns that she will inherit nothing from her deceased husband’s estate, she and Peppo (posing as her uncle Pedro Costa) hatch an elaborate scheme to seduce and murder Tomson’s business partner, Kurt Frederich. However, Ellen Tomson manages to foil their machinations yet again, and the villainous pair suffer a chilling end (in the truest sense).

Das Gesetz der Mine

A black African avenges his father by murdering the inspector of a diamond mine.

Schlemihl

A family's newfound wealth causes problem after problem.