Sepp Allgeier

Camera

Sepp Allgeier

Born February 6, 1895 · Freiburg, Germany

Died March 11, 1968 · aged 73

Josef "Sepp" Allgeier (6 February 1895 – 11 March 1968) was a German cinematographer who worked on around fifty features, documentaries and short films. He began his career as a cameraman in 1911 for the Expreß Film Co. of Freiburg im Breisgau. In 1913, he filmed newsreels in the Balkans. He then became an assistant to Arnold Fanck, a leading director of Mountain films. He worked frequently with L…

Known For

Triumph of the WillTriumph of the Will · 1935
Triumph of the Will
★ 6.91935
MovieDocumentary
A showcase of German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Nuremberg Rally.
The Fight for the MatterhornThe Fight for the Matterhorn · 1934
The Fight for the Matterhorn
1934
MovieDrama
Sounded version of the 1928 film 'Der Kampf ums Matterhorn'. The added sound track included music composed by Schmidt-Boelckeb and dubbed dialogs by different actors. This version is slightly shorter than the silent film due to the disappearance of the movie titles. The story, based on the novel by Carl Haensel recreates the struggle between Edward Whymper and Jean-Antoine Carrel for the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. In 1938 two new versions of the movie were filmed under the direction of Luis Trenker, who acted again in the role of Carrel. One version was shot in German (Der Berg ruft) and the other in English (The Challenge).
Storm Over Mont BlancStorm Over Mont Blanc · 1930
Storm Over Mont Blanc
★ 6.61930
MovieAdventureDrama
Hannes is employed at the Mont Blanc Observatory; the only outside connection is a pilot and Hella over the radio. Hella ascends the mountain but her father dies along the way.
The West WallThe West Wall · 1939
The West Wall
★ 9.01939
MovieDocumentaryWar
A Nazi documentary extolling Germany’s Siegfried Line (“West Wall”) just before WWII, compiled from newsreel units under Fritz Hippler to showcase the fortifications’ construction and defensive purpose.
The Victory of FaithThe Victory of Faith · 1933
The Victory of Faith
★ 5.41933
MovieDocumentary
Follows the Fifth Nazi Party Rally (Nuremberg, 30 August–3 September 1933) and shows the then close relationship between Adolf Hitler and Ernest Rõhm.
The White Hell of Pitz PaluThe White Hell of Pitz Palu · 1929
The White Hell of Pitz Palu
★ 7.01929
MovieDramaAdventure
Dr. Johannes Krafft climbs a 12,000-foot mountain over and over again to search for his wife, who was lost on their honeymoon. Another couple makes the dangerous climb with him.
The Mountain CallsThe Mountain Calls · 1938
The Mountain Calls
★ 7.11938
MovieDrama
During an early, unsuccessful attempt at climbing the Matterhorn, Edward Whymper finds himself rescued by an italian guide, Jean Antoine Carrel. The two men quickly build a friendship and agree to reach the peak together. However, local villagers ploto to divide the alliance of Whymper and Carrel and both men join rival teams as they set out in a race to conquer the mountain. A mountaineering drama based on the novel by Carl Haensel and inspired in the dramatic true story of Edward Whymper, who led the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. There is another version of the film titled The Challenge, shot the same year in English.
Diary of a Lost GirlDiary of a Lost Girl · 1929
Diary of a Lost Girl
★ 7.31929
MovieDrama
Thymian Henning, an innocent young girl, is raped by the clerk of her father's pharmacy. She becomes pregnant, is rejected by her family, and must fend for herself in a harsh, cruel world.

Filmography

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Mountains on FireMountains on Fire · 1931
Mountains on Fire
★ 6.51931
MovieDramaWar
Two of Germany's best and busiest directors collaborated on Berge in Flammen (Mountain in Flames). The storyline should be of interest to pro-ecologists, inasmuch as the directors take to task the warmongers of the world for despoiling the natural beauties of the European mountain ranges with their shell-fire. The final outrage occurs during a battle between the Austrians and the Italians in the Dolomites, culminating with the destruction of an entire mountain (hence the film's title). The harrowing images on screen were complemented perfectly by the musical score of Giuseppe Beece. Also known as The Doomed Batallion, Berge in Flammen was filmed in three different languages -- German, English, French -- for a total cost of $150,000.

Director of Photography

Im Kampf mit dem BergeIm Kampf mit dem Berge · 1921
Im Kampf mit dem Berge
★ 6.51921
MovieDocumentaryAdventure
The film follows two mountain enthusiasts, battling through a glacier area in the Swiss mountains. The mountaineers are two very prominent skiers at the time, Hannes Schneider and Ilse Rohde, who climb the Lyskamm. The sublime beauty of the film is effectively staged. It pays attention both to the observation of nature and to capture the action and technical difficulty of mountaineering. This is a symphony that celebrates in images the beauty of the mountains with their majestic cloud formations and mountain vistas. It is the second film of the mountain film pioneer Arnold Fanck after his 'Das Wunder des Schneeschuhs' both filmed with the collaboration of Sepp Allgeiger. In 2013 the film was restored by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation and released in DVD.

Director of Photography