The Punch Bowl (1944)

Classic Heinz Rühmann vehicle with Rühmann very good and funny as Hans Pfeiffer. This is an entertaining film to be sure, but it can not begin to compete with the 1st adaptation of the material (So ein Flegel,. 1934, q.v.); by staying more closely to the original set-up of the story than the first version, the film is also a bit stuffy at moments and hardly more than a series of comic situations. Helmut Weiss' direction is good routine, but misses the talent to make into great comedy.

The biggest disappointment may be the main supporting cast with good actors like Erich Ponto and Paul Henckels. I can not know what assignment the director gave them, but they act like hams thereby killing off any humour in their parts; Hans Richter as one of the other pupils did a much better same job in "Unser Fräulein Doktor" (1940, q.v.).

Also watch for some latent (though by now innocent) Nazi-propaganda here. In a conversation between two teachers, one of the old guard and the other of the new, there is talk of the arrival of new times ("Die neue Zeit") when the older one says to the younger that now his time has come with introducing new teaching methods. Too far fetched? In a couple of scenes before this talk we see a disciplined class with the younger teacher saying to Rühmann: Bei mir nicht - Not with me, with the old guard you may do what you want, but not with me, in my class is order (not verbatim).

Again remade into a terrible film in 1970 by Helmut Käutner.

Fmovies: Die Feuerzangenbowle is a classic german cult movie. It is often shown in universities in the time before christmas. A succesful author, who was home schooled, goes back to school as part of a bet, to experience what it feels like to be a normal student and handle with ordenary youth problems, playing pranks to the teachers, falling in love, .... It's hilarious, entertaining and a timeless classic.

"Die Feuerzangenbowle" is an adaption of a novel by Heinrich Spoehrl. And it is perhaps the best comedy which ever was made in Germany. There are many jokes and funny scenes in this movie. For example "Pfeiffer" with three "f" one before the "ei" (or in English "egg") and two after the "ei". The entire cast is top notch. Heinz Ruehmann is one of my favorite actors. And one of his films "The Captain of Koepenick" received an Oscar nomination.

The Punch Bowl fmovies. "Die Feuerzangenbowle" is absolutly one of the Best Movies ever and the Best German Movie at all. In my personal Ranking the "Feuerzangenbowle" is under my TOP 8 Movies. Between "The Life of Brian" it's the funniest Movie. It's made during the II. World War near Berlin. At one Time the British and US-Bomber came and at the other Time this Movie was made. Such a funny Movie in such a Dark Time. In the Beginning the Movie was forbidden by the Nazis but the they need every Laugh for the poor German Humans.

The Cast of this Movie it outstanding in the German History. There are not only Stars, no - but every Character is perfect casted. The leading Man Heinz Rühmann is the Best Actor in the History of German Movies. And here he has his Best Part before his Character-Time from the End of the 50s to the End of the 60s. He played the leading Role in the Oscar nominated Movie "The Captain of Koepenick" and a supporting Role - his only Hollywood Movie (he was too old this Time and don't wanted to leave Germany for longer Time) - Stanley Kramer's "The Ship of Fools". The "Halliwell's" means, he is Great in this Movie. It's truly sad for non-German speaking Persons that they can't see his Movies (you can but at the most important Countries like USA, UK, Canada, France, Japan and Australia are non-English or non-Motherlanguage not often shown and seen)

sorry for my bad English (I learn and try - learning by doing)

Even though filmed as the second world war came to a close my home country managed to sedate people not on the front yet with this humorous masterpiece that is still astonishing 56 years after its release. if it wasn`t for the nazis, this movie with Heinz Rühmann in his genuine role would have been celebrated world wide right away. it has all the wit of the 'good side' of German culture and somehow manages to leave out anything 'political' by a far cry. just a plain great amusing movie that features infantile friendship and adventure and all the fun of being young while never getting rid of the stains of being a movie people were meant to view to forget the crazy war out there.

Germany was losing the war, its cities were being bombed to smithereens, so it's easy to see why Goebbels felt the need for quality escapist entertainment like this gentle, funny school comedy.

Heinz Ruhmann plays a successful writer who was educated by tutors and never attended school, and who decides to return to his hometown disguised as a pupil to find out what he missed. What ensues is a lot of sweet-natured tomfoolery, with lots of tricks played on the teachers - something which nearly got the film banned because of its supposedly 'anti-authoritarian' tendencies.

There's no real message except that 'schooldays are the best days of your lives', and perhaps that's its secret - for it remains among the most popular of all film comedies in Germany and is cult viewing around Christmas time. Ruhmann is in his element in this film, but particular mention should go to the wonderful Erich Ponto as the eccentric chemistry teacher, who is quite best thing in the film.