The Kaiser's Lackey
7.3
Diederich Heßling is scared of everything and everyone. But as he grows up, he comes to realize that he has to offer his services to the powers-that-be if he wants to wield power himself. His life motto now runs: bow to those at the top and tread on those below. In this way, he always succeeds: as a student in a duel-fighting student fraternity and as a businessman in a paper factory. He cajoles the obese district administrative president Von Wulkow and wins his favor. He slanders his financial rivals and hatches a plot with the social democrats in the town council. On his honeymoon with his rich wife Guste, he finally finds a chance to do his beloved Kaiser a favor. And when a memorial to the Kaiser is unveiled in the town where Diederich lives and works, he delivers the address. He stands behind the lectern in the pouring rain, saluting his Kaiser. The crowd is dispersed. Everything is laid in ruins...
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Cast
31 people
Werner Peters
Diederich Heßling
Known for
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
Paul Esser
Regierungspräsident von Wulckow
Known for
Pippi Longstocking
Daughters of Darkness
Blandine Ebinger
Frau von Wulckow
Known for
Girls in Uniform
Renate Fischer
Guste Daimchen
Also in
The Goose Girl
Cinderella
Carola Braunbock
Emmi Heßling
Known for
Three Wishes for Cinderella
Emmy Burg
Magda Heßling
Also in
Ship of the Dead
Mylord weiß sich zu helfen
Sabine Thalbach
Agnes Göppel
Also in
Kleiner Mann – was nun?
The Witches of Salem
Friedel Nowack
Mrs. Göpel
Also in
New Year’s Eve Punch
Wolf Among Wolves
Friedrich Maurer
Göpel
Also in
In Lemgo 89
Abendstunde im Spätherbst
Erich Nadler
Father Heßling
Also in
Lissy
Port Arthur
Gertrud Bergmann
Mother Heßling
Also in
Die Nacht an der Autobahn
Rivals Behind the Wheel
Ernst Legal
Zillich
Known for
Waxworks
Wolfgang Staudte Director · Fritz Staudte Screenplay Heinrich Mann Author
First release August 31, 1951 · Produced in XG, Germany · Original title Der Untertan
Production
DEFA
Production
XG · Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Der Untertan
Original language
German
Spoken on screen
German
Release dates
Germany · August 31, 1951
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
Belgium
April 1, 1955 · Theatrical
Finland
September 30, 1955 · Theatrical
France
October 3, 1956 · Theatrical
Russia
April 2, 1952 · Theatrical
Sweden
February 28, 1955 · Theatrical
XC
February 15, 1952 · Theatrical
XG
August 31, 1951 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.