Hans Albers Erinnerungen 1931-44

Hans Albers

German film before 1945 produced two male stars who were also an institution in Germany: Heinz Rühmann and Hans Albers. Their attitudes towards the Nazi system were as different as their outward appearance. Both actors were on the so-called God-given list of the Propaganda Ministry, which made them unassailable. But unlike Rühmann, Hans Albers has always managed to keep a certain distance from the fascists and still continue making films - to Höchstgagen. Blond Hans' had earned himself an indisputable position as the darling of the public in Nazi Germany. The German writer Carl Zuckmayer described him as the'national hero of film-loving youth' in his'Secret Report', which he wrote for the US secret service OSS in 1944. Zuckmayer portrayed German personalities for the American government with whom the victorious power could work together after the war. Albers, who was born on 22 September 1891 as the son of a Hamburg butcher, could only think of words of praise: "excellent attitude", "clean character", "decent, excellent guy", who "proved more character than many others".

He could have become "the Naziheros of film and the German stage", but Hans Albers did not care about the brown rulers. This was not unproblematic for him, for he lived with a'non-Aryan' woman until she escaped and had refused to leave her. After'Bombs on Monte Carlo' (1931) and'The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes' (1937),'On the Reeperbahn at half past twelve' from 1954 was his third film, which he shot together with Rühmann. The story and the Albers role strongly reminded of'Great Freedom No. 7', in which he had sung his immortal version of La Paloma in 1944. Even then, despite many other theatrical and film roles, he was already committed to the type of lonely sea bear that many people, not only in Hamburg, still consider him to be today: "I'm slowly strolling all alone up the Reeperbahn to freedom".

He recorded La Paloma again for the Teldec in 1953, and this version appeared as the back of Auf der Reeperbahn at half past twelve at night, which in its discography has an even longer history than "the white dove". The first recording of'der Reeperbahn' was made as early as 1936, and both songs are a fine example of the unpolished performance of'blond Hans', which singer Achim Reichel characterized as follows: "His faltering, faltering singing has something touchingly soulful. And Evelyn Künneke described how women of his time saw him: "Yes, he was a master and his singing was wonderful. "There's no such thing as you, there's no such thing as a guy, there's no such thing." Already in his time was unique, as he sings "Diddelidit" into the microphone at half past twelve in Auf der Reeperbahn by the way - imitating the ship's bell. The movies of the 50's offered Hans Albers only a challenge in exceptions like'Der Griifer', which he had already impersonated in 1930. Otherwise they didn't know what to do with him anymore and used him for example in trivialities like'Ten on each finger' (see Bibi Johns). It looked similar on the hit market for him.

His alcohol problem was also not conducive to a continued successful career as an artist. On 23 June 1960 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. One month later, on 24 July 1960, he died on Lake Starnberg. Film director Helmut Käutner gave the eulogy on'Hanne' at the Ohlsdorf cemetery in Hamburg on 29 July. After the pastor's prayer, La Paloma sounded there. The people of Hamburg commemorate him with a monument on Hans-Albers-Platz in St. Pauli, created by the artist Jörg Immendorff in 1986.

Hans Albers Biographie (3-CD) gelesen von Ulrich Tukur
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