Who Drove the Grey Ford?

Wer fuhr den grauen Ford?

Director: Otto Wernicke, Max Diekhout
Country: Germany

1950 | 90 min. | German
Subtitles: English
FSK 12

Cast_ Otto Wernicke, Ruth Hambrock, Erich Scholz, Ursula Herking, Til Kiwe Screenplay_ Kurt Joachim Fischer Camera_ Paul Pfeiffer Producer_ Paul Pfeiffer Rights_ Heiner Hessenland Lizenzen

Mannheim and Heidelberg are featured in a gripping crime film that doubles as a historical portrait of our region in the immediate aftermath of World War II.

Penny, Heiner, and “Chef” make their money as thieves and fences. The three men, who first met in the Wehrmacht, have a long criminal history. Penny, however, is increasingly troubled by his conscience. Once he meets the bookseller Renate, he decides to leave his criminal life behind for good. But the others force him to act as getaway driver in one last big job: the hold-up of a postal money truck.

A superb crime film, brilliantly written by Kurt Joachim Fischer, the founding father of our festival. With remarkable ease, it reveals much about our region, its culture and customs, and about the psychological and social consequences of World War II. A powerful plea for humanity and mutual understanding.

Director

Otto Wernicke (1893–1965) excelled both as director – alongside Max Dieckhout – and in the role of the police inspector in ›Who Drove the Gray Ford?‹. He achieved fame as Inspector Lohmann in Fritz Lang’s films ›M‹ and ›The Testament of Dr. Mabuse‹, creating a new kind of detective through these roles. He had previously performed at Berlin’s State Theatre, acting for such greats as Gustaf Gründgens.

Screenings