Ride to Freedom
Ride to Freedom (German: Ritt in die Freiheit) is a 1937 German historical war film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Willy Birgel, Viktor Staal and Hansi Knoteck. The film is set in the 1830s during Poland's November Uprising against the Russian Empire. It portrays the rehabilitation of a Polish cavalry officer whose initial reluctance to engage the enemy leads to the death of his comrades, but later dies fighting bravely.
| Ride to Freedom | |
|---|---|
![]() German film poster | |
| German | Ritt in die Freiheit |
| Directed by | Karl Hartl |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Alfred Greven |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Otto Baecker Günther Rittau |
| Edited by | Gertrud Hinz-Nischwitz |
| Music by | Wolfgang Zeller |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | UFA |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
The film was made by German's leading studio UFA, with interiors shot at the Babelsberg Studios. UFA received co-operation from the Polish War Ministry who supplied 5th Regiment of Zaslaw Uhlans for the filming of battles scenes that took place around Ostroleka in Poland. The Polish ambassador to Germany Józef Lipski attended the film's premiere at the Palast-am-Zoo in Berlin on 14 January 1937. Around the same time Germany and Poland, future enemies in the Second World War, co-produced two films together Augustus the Strong and Adventure in Warsaw.[1]
Cast
- Willy Birgel as Julek Staniewski
- Viktor Staal as Jan Wolski
- Hansi Knoteck as Janka Koslowska
- Ursula Grabley as Katerina Tschernikoff
- Heinz von Cleve as Saganoff
- Berthold Ebbecke as Malinowski
- Werner Schott as Bobrikov
- Edwin Jürgensen as Prince Tschernikoff
- Hermann Braun as Milewski - Polish insignia
- Hans Reinhard Knitsch as Smirnov - Soviet insignia
- Rudolf Schündler as Polish student
- Aribert Grimmer as Polish guard
- Clemens Hasse as drunk ferryman
- Peter Elsholtz as Adjutant to the Governor
- Horst Birr as Krupka
- Charly Kracker as Ugly Ulan
- Lidija Daurdina as Governess
- Werner Bernhardy as Major
- Curt Cappi as Diener des Rittmeisters Staniewski
- Hermann Hardy as Prince's educator
- Gustav Mahncke as Unparteiischer beim Duell
- Dagmar Muthardt as young girl at the ball
- Siegmar Schneider as Grand duke
- Louise von Krogh as Governess's companion at the ball
- Michael von Newlinsky as Russian officer at the ball
- Kurt Daehn
References
- Kreimeier, Klaus (1999). The Ufa Story: A History of Germany's Greatest Film Company, 1918-1945. Translated by Kimber, Robert; Kimber, Rita. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 283. ISBN 0520220692.
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