The Last of the Mohicans

Lederstrumpf 2 Teil: Der letzte der Mohikaner – German title

The Last of the Mohicans – English title

A 1920 German production [Luna Film (Berlin)]

Producer: Arthur Wellin

Director: Arthur Wellin

Story: James Fenimore Cooper (James Kent Cooper)

Screenplay: Robert Haymann

Cinematography: Ernest Plhak [black & white]

Running time: 95 minutes

Cast:

Deerlsayer – Emil Mamelok

Chingachgook – Bela Lugosi (Bela Blasko)

Worley – Edward Eyseneck (Eduard Eyseneck)

Judith Hutter – Herta Heden

Colonel Munro – Egon Söhnlein

Alice Munro – Frau Wenkhaus

Mrs. Munro – Frau Rehberger

Tom Hutter – Gottfried Krause

Heddy Hutter – Erna Rehberger

Wahtawah – Margot Sokolowska (Margaretha Essinger)

Hartherz – Willy Schröder

Cora Munro – Heddy Sven

Harry – Charles Barley

Magua – Kurt Rehberger

Set in the 1740s, the story concerns the settlement of upstate New York. The Iroquois have aligned themselves with the French, and the Delaware with the English. The man known as Deerslayer is a trapper, and his best friend is Chingachgook, son of the Delaware chief.

Although Chingachgook is introduced by name early on, he doesn’t actually appear until much later. A convoluted tale of adventure, deception, romance and treachery thus unravels. The Deerslayer is on his way to meet Chingachgook, whose betrothed, Watawah, has been kidnapped by the Iroquois. En route, Deerslayer meets up with Harry Hurry, who is in love with Judith Hutter, daughter of the man who claims ownership of the area known as Glimmerglass Lake. Hutter, having had to fight off several Indian attacks already, has built “the castle,” a small cabin on a raft floating on the river.

Warned that the Iroquois have joined leagues with the French, Hutter asks Deerslayer and Hurry to help him deliver his daughters to safety at the English camp. The English camp, however, is captured by the French and the Iroquois before they arrive. Hutter and Hurry, as a part of a different ambush, have been captured by Iroquois Chief Rivenoak. All this leaves Deerslayer with the castle and the charge of Hutter’s two daughters, Judith and Hetty who, in her turn, goes to save her father. Just before Hetty leaves, Chingachgook mysteriously shows up on a raft.

Through a variety of contrivances, Hutter dies, as does Hetty. The English are reinstated in their fort, Deerslayer continues to live off the land, and Watawah and Chingachgook are united in love and matrimony.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsO92uOLN4k