The Four Companions (film)

The Four Companions
DVD cover
Directed by	Carl Froelich
Written by	Jochen Huth (play and screenplay)
Produced by	Carl Froelich
Starring	Ingrid Bergman Sabine Peters Carsta Löck Ursula Herking
Cinematography	Reimar Kuntze
Edited by	Gustav Lohse
Music by	Hanson Milde-Meissner
Production company	Tonfilmstudio Carl Froelich
Distributed by	UFA
Release date	1 October 1938 (1938-10-01)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Germany
Language	German

The Four Companions (German: Die vier Gesellen) is a 1938 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Ingrid Bergman, Sabine Peters and Carsta Löck. Jochen Huth adapted the script from his own play. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin with sets designed by the art director Franz Schroedter. The film was intended as a star vehicle to launch Bergman's career in Germany following her success in several Swedish films.

Synopsis

After graduation, four female art students attempt to set up their own advertising agency. At first, they fail to achieve their goal in a male dominated field. But, after trying once more, they succeed. However, they also have different views and wishes in life, from wanting to be an artist to being a homemaker, which makes running the company increasingly difficult.

Cast

• Ingrid Bergman as Marianne Kruge
• Sabine Peters as Käthe Winter
• Carsta Löck as Lotte Waag
• Ursula Herking as Franziska
• Hans Söhnker as Stefan Kohlund
• Leo Slezak as Professor Lange
• Erich Ponto as Regierungsrat Alfred Hintze
• Heinz Welzel as Feinmechaniker Martin Bachmann
• Rudolf Klicks as Direktor der graphischen Berufsschule
• Karl Haubenreißer as Direktor der Seidenstrumpffabrik
• Lotte Braun as Sekretärin des Fabrikdirektors
• Wilhelm P. Krüger as Maurermeister am Neubau
• Willi Rose as Straßenbahnschaffner
• Max Rosenhauer as Hauswart
• Ernst G. Schiffner as Geschäftsmann, der keinen Auftrag erteilt
• Hans Juergen Weidlich as Berliner Jüngling an der Litfaßsäule
• Kurt Mikulski as Ausstellungsdiener
• Fritz Lafontaine as 1. Grafikschüler
• Gustaf Dennert as 2. Grafikschüler
• Zarah Leander as Singer
• Traute Bengen
• Hugo Froelich

Bibliography

• Ascheid, Antje (2010) [2003]. Hitler's Heroines: Stardom and Womanhood in Nazi Cinema. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-59213-843-2.
• Chandler, Charlotte (2007). Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, A Personal Biography. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-3914-8.
• Lunde, Arne (2010). Nordic Exposures: Scandinavian Identities in Classical Hollywood Cinema. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-295-99045-3.

External links

• The Four Companions at IMDb