Des Teufels General
Encyclopedia
Des Teufels General is a 1946 play written by German author and playwright Carl Zuckmayer
, translated as The Devil's General. The title character of the play, General Harras, is based on the ace Ernst Udet
. The play is based upon his struggles during the war, simultaneously working under and openly being against the Nazi Party. Despite the serious scenario of it, a comical and satirical tone is often used throughout the play.
.
Lüttjohann, Harras' adjutant.
Korrianke, Harras' Chauffeur.
Friedrich Eilers, Colonel & leader of the war front and military.
Hartmann, aviation officer.
Writzky, aviation officer.
Hastenteuffel, aviation officer.
Pfundtmayer, aviation officer.
Sigbert von Mohrungen, President of purchasing for crude metals.
Baron Pflungk, Attaché for the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Schmidt-Lausitz, cultural leader.
Der Maler Schlick, the painter Schlick.
Oberbruch, Engineer in the Air-Travel Ministry.
Anne Eilers, wife of Friedrich Eilers.
Waltraut von Mohrungen, who goes by the alias Pützchen. Anne's sister.
Olivia Geiss, diva.
Diddo Geiss, Olivia's niece; love interest of General Harras, despite how much younger than him she is.
Lyra Schoeppke, named "die Tankstelle," which means "The Gas Station."
Otto, restaurant manager.
Francois, French speaking restaurant waiter.
Herr Detlev, restaurant waiter.
Buddy Lawrence, an American journalist.
Zwei Arbeiter, two workers.
Ein Polizeikomissar, a police commissionar.
as Harras, Marianne Koch
as Dorothea 'Diddo' Geiss, Viktor de Kowa
as SS-Gruppenführer Schmidt-Lausitz, Eva Ingeborg Scholz as Waltraut 'Pützchen' Mohrungen, and Harry Meyen
as Leutnant Hartmann.
At the German Film Awards of 1955 Marianne Koch won the Film Award in Silver for Outstanding Individual Achievement: Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.
Carl Zuckmayer
Carl Zuckmayer was a German writer and playwright.-Biography:Born in Nackenheim in Rheinhessen, he was four years old when his family moved to Mainz. With the outbreak of World War I, he finished school with a facilitated "emergency"-Abitur and volunteered for military service...
, translated as The Devil's General. The title character of the play, General Harras, is based on the ace Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
. The play is based upon his struggles during the war, simultaneously working under and openly being against the Nazi Party. Despite the serious scenario of it, a comical and satirical tone is often used throughout the play.
Characters
Harras, whose character is based upon actual German Luftwaffe General Ernst UdetErnst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
.
Lüttjohann, Harras' adjutant.
Korrianke, Harras' Chauffeur.
Friedrich Eilers, Colonel & leader of the war front and military.
Hartmann, aviation officer.
Writzky, aviation officer.
Hastenteuffel, aviation officer.
Pfundtmayer, aviation officer.
Sigbert von Mohrungen, President of purchasing for crude metals.
Baron Pflungk, Attaché for the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Schmidt-Lausitz, cultural leader.
Der Maler Schlick, the painter Schlick.
Oberbruch, Engineer in the Air-Travel Ministry.
Anne Eilers, wife of Friedrich Eilers.
Waltraut von Mohrungen, who goes by the alias Pützchen. Anne's sister.
Olivia Geiss, diva.
Diddo Geiss, Olivia's niece; love interest of General Harras, despite how much younger than him she is.
Lyra Schoeppke, named "die Tankstelle," which means "The Gas Station."
Otto, restaurant manager.
Francois, French speaking restaurant waiter.
Herr Detlev, restaurant waiter.
Buddy Lawrence, an American journalist.
Zwei Arbeiter, two workers.
Ein Polizeikomissar, a police commissionar.
Film adaptation
In 1955 in West Germany, "Des Teufels General" was adapted into a black and white film of the same title. The film features Curd JürgensCurd Jürgens
Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
as Harras, Marianne Koch
Marianne Koch
Marianne Koch is a retired German actress of the 1950s and 1960s, best known for her appearances in spaghetti westerns and adventure films of the 1960s. She later worked as a television host and as a physician....
as Dorothea 'Diddo' Geiss, Viktor de Kowa
Viktor de Kowa
Viktor de Kowa was a German stage and film actor, chanson singer, director, narrator and comic poet....
as SS-Gruppenführer Schmidt-Lausitz, Eva Ingeborg Scholz as Waltraut 'Pützchen' Mohrungen, and Harry Meyen
Harry Meyen
Harry Meyen was a German film actor. He appeared in over 40 films and television productions between 1948 and 1975. In the 1960s he worked as a successful theatre director in West Germany....
as Leutnant Hartmann.
At the German Film Awards of 1955 Marianne Koch won the Film Award in Silver for Outstanding Individual Achievement: Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.