Freispurch fur Old Shatterhand (TV)

Freispruch für Old Shatterhand - German title

Svoboda pro Old Shatterhanda – Yugoslavian title

(Acquittal of Old Shatterhand – English translated title)

A 1965 German television production [C.C.C. Film (Berlin)]

Producer: Artur Brauner

Director: Hans Heinrich

Story: Karl May

Teleplay: Hellmut Kotschenreuther

Photography: Gunther Knuth [black & white]

Music: H.F. Heddenhausen (Heinz-Friedel Heddenhausen), Martin Bottcher, Riz Ortolani

(Riziero Ortolani)

Running time: 61 minutes

Cast:

Karl May - Friedrich G. Beckhaus (Friedrich Georg Beckhaus)

Rudolf Lebius - Toni Herbert (Anton Herbert)

Lawyer - Gerhard Schinschke

Mays - Günter Hanke

Richter - Walter Janssen

Louis Krugel - Peter Schiff

Bauer Reimann - Bruno W. Pantel (Bruno Walter Pantel)

Gendarms - Manfred Meurer, Willi Hollfers

Handwerksburche - Karl J. Kramer (Karl-Josef Kramer)

Franz - Günter Glaser

Hannes - Arthur Binder

Bandit - Hans Nitschke

Farmers’ wives - Agathe Winkler, Ursula Gerstel

Assessors - Fritz Ritterfeld, Walter Fein

Gefangnisbeamter - Adolf Wiegand

Waitress - Michela Pfeiffer

Kraus - Werner Stock

Winnetou – Pierre Brice [archive footage]

Shatterhand – Lex Barker [archive footage]

This TV film covers the trial of Karl May who was sued by a rival named Rudolf Lebius for liable. The trial was held before the Schöffengericht Berlin-Charlottenburg on 12th  April 1910. Lebius brings to the trial evidence of Mays previous convictions.  In flashbacks May recalls his time in labor while in the penitentiary and recounts various crimes with his sidekick Priegel. Mays lawyer and May even try to show the "other side"; to clarify the causes and psychological reasons that made him a criminal. The lawyers prove that May has been reformed. Involved are Mays fantasies in the form of film clips from the Karl-May-movies with Lex Barker and Pierre Brice.

A 1965 German television production by C.C.C. shows Karl May's life from his perspective, punctuated with scenes of the CCC films that represent a sign of Mays dream world. In the end Karl May has been legally convicted of past crimes he is now morally right and reformed.