Walther Suessenguth

East Germany's contribution to the 1957 Cannes Film Festival was the wartime melodrama Betrogen bis zum Juengsten Tag. Had the film been released in the U.S., the title would probably have translated to Duped Till the Last. The film condemns the Nazi mindset by concentrating on a particularly odious cover-up. When his son is involved in the accidental killing of a girl, a Gestapo general pulls strings to save the boy from prosecution. The general manages to pin the blame for the killing on a group of Russians, whereupon he gives the men under his command carte blanche to round up and execute as many innocent Russians as they wish. This act of brutality is contrasted with the pangs of guilt suffered by the son and his co-conspirators.

For three difficult orphans living by her aunt the former employee of the family searches a new premouth; he releases with it a result of tumultuous involvements. - Humble-entertaining mistake farce, completely fitted on Hans Moser.

There's a great deal of excitement on a small North Sea island: A millionairess has arrived, accompanied by her elderly secretary. No one knows why the lady is vacationing here of all places. It's particularly strange that Ellinor, as the sophisticated city woman is called, is snooping around everywhere. She's being watched suspiciously by all the islanders. But it's all just a game! In reality, the elderly secretary is a millionaire – his name is Jan Remmers, and he left his home island many years ago to pursue a career overseas. Now he's returned, but he doesn't want to reveal his identity until he's found out whether the community would welcome him warmly even without his millions. Unfortunately, Remmers discovers that no one is expecting him in his old home: His former fiancée, Berta, has married the fisherman Hinnerk, and his son, Peter, is a very independent engineer. Proud of his son, Remmers is secretly supporting a major construction project Peter is working on.

In the Dutch town of Saardam, Tsar Peter the Great has disguised himself in order to learn the art of ship-building. Another Russian named Peter also works at the wharf, causing a comical case of mistaken identities. Emissaries sent from France and England have difficulty locating the man they are looking for, and the lovely Marie is courted by both Peters. An adaptation of Albert Lortzing's eponymous comic opera (1837).

German chancellor Otto von Bismarck promises the dying emperor Wilhelm I. to be loyal to his grandson. But the gap between young Kaiser Wilhelm II. and old Bismarck is rapidly widening. It soon appears that an era is coming to an end.

Already a famous painter, Rembrandt van Rijn is commissioned to paint the Amsterdam Archers' Guild. But upon completion of the picture, the men of the guild feel duped, because they don't consider themselves flatteringly depicted in the painting. They therefore decline to pay for the work. During this dispute, the painter finds out his wife is close to death. He finds himself terribly lonely after her passing and suffers from depression until he decides once more to marry.

As the title "The Queen's Heart" suggests, this early German black and white version of Mary Queen of Scott's eventful reign and death focuses on her emotional perception rather lyrically, with some songs, mainly by her.

An industrial plant gets into difficulties. The factory owner then decides to sell the company and makes all the employees redundant. How do the dismissed employees deal with the new situation?