Elsa Wagner

Acting

Elsa Wagner

Born — Died

1881-01-24 — 1975-08-17

Place of birth

Reval, Harrien County, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire [now Tallinn, Harju County, Estonia]

Known for

Acting

Credits

60 titles

Elsa Wagner (January 24, 1881 – August 17, 1975) was a German actress who appeared in numerous theatrical productions and feature films during the 20th century, including 1920's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Born as Elisabeth Karoline Auguste Wagner on 24 January 1881 in Reval, in what is now Tallinn, Estonia, Elsa Wagner pursued training with Maria Spettini in Saint Petersburg, Russia prior to making her acting debut in Berlin, Germany in 1901. In addition to her performances on tour with multiple theater productions, including Faust and Peer Gynt, she went on to secure roles in more than 140 feature films, including Robert Wiene's Das Cabinet Des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) …

Known for

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari poster
7.9

Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

1920

Emil and the Detectives poster
6.2

When Emil travels by bus to Berlin to visit his family, his money is stolen by a crook who specializes in digging tunnels. While following the thief, Emil runs into Gustav, a young boy who gathers up all his friends to help Emil find the money. However, they get into more trouble than they bargained for when Emil's pickpocket turns out to be mixed up with a couple of notorious bank robbers.

Emil and the Detectives

1964

The Haunted Castle poster
6.8

The ghosts of thieves help a beautiful young countess save her inherited castle from modern developers in this comic horror/musical.

The Haunted Castle

1960

From Morning to Midnight poster
6.1

A cashier in a bank in a small German town is alerted to the power of money by the visit of a rich Italian lady. He embezzles 60,000 Marks and leaves for the capital city, where he attempts to find satisfaction in politics, sport, love and religion.

From Morning to Midnight

1920

The March to the Führer poster
7.0

During the colorful ceremonies of the Nuremberg rallies, Hitler Youth parade before their Fuehrer and are addressed by Nazi youth leader Baldur von Schirach, Rudolf Hess, and Hitler himself.

The March to the Führer

1940

The Monster of London City poster
5.4

Then the spirit of Jack the Ripper seems to be very much alive in 1960s London as a series of brutal slayings by the Monster of London City has Scotland Yard baffled. In a macabre coincidence, a new play about the famous murderer is about to become a major West End hit... and the leading man is rapidly becoming the prime suspect!

The Monster of London City

1964

Film credits

1960s · 4 titles

1940s · 9 titles

The March to the Führer poster
7.0

During the colorful ceremonies of the Nuremberg rallies, Hitler Youth parade before their Fuehrer and are addressed by Nazi youth leader Baldur von Schirach, Rudolf Hess, and Hitler himself.

The March to the Führer

1940

Dream Music poster
10.0

The young opera singer Carla is in love with the talented young composer Michele, who wants to make it big with classical music and writes his first opera, "The Return of Odysseus," for Carla. But Carla is more successful than he is and gets a gig at La Scala in Milan. Through her connections, she manages to find a publisher for Michele's opera. But when Michele learns what the publisher really thinks of his work, he leaves and abandons Carla. A year later, Carla finds Michele again. He has since become a sought-after composer, but is embittered because he is only successful with pop songs. His new revue "Dream Music," a reworking of his opera, is about to premiere. Carla then arranges for Michele's original opera to premiere in Budapest with her in the lead role.

Dream Music

1940

Was wird hier gespielt? poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Was wird hier gespielt?

1940

The Night of the Twelfth poster
9.0

A dozen ladies expect marriage impostor Lanski to keep his promises. But he needs more money and decides to kill Mrs. von Droste who has changed her will in his favor. He covers his tracks but is seen by a neighbor who soon blackmails him.

The Night of the Twelfth

1949

No artwork available
8.0

After a bad losing streak, Lisa Freyberg wants to sell her inherited horse stall. Trainer Roberts, however, is successful in making the stall profitable again. Lisa's new passion for horses, however, is proving to be a losing streak for her engagement to her estate neighbor Thermalen. She's hoping for a new victory with her horse Arabella and has the apprentice Otto bring the horse to the competition in Dresden. Otto, however, takes the train to Dresden with his first love, Ossi la Planta and leaves the job to the grooms. But neither the horse nor the grooms show up in Dresden!

The Man in the Saddle

1945

Tell the Truth poster
7.0

Peter's fiancee Maria is chronically lying and hides her little affairs. To change this, Peter bets that he is going to tell everyone the truth for 24 hours. The consequences are catastrophic.

Tell the Truth

1946

I'll Carry You in My Arms poster
6.2

After five years, the marriage of chemist Dr. Herbert has become so routine, that his wife Karin sees no other choice but to leave her husband, even if she still loves him. She retreats to her parents’ place and takes a job in her father’s factory, while Herbert begins a battle with the adversities of everyday life. Karin gets to know the charming Viktor at work, a boyhood friend of her husband, who falls in love with her at first sight. He knows full well, that she’s just come from a failed marriage, but doesn’t know with whom she was married.

I'll Carry You in My Arms

1943

No artwork available
5.7

For a long time, Paul Warkentin had heard nothing from his father. The rift had occurred when Paul, despite passing his exams at agricultural school, decided not to take over his father's farm in West Prussia, but instead to go to Berlin to work for a publishing house. Now Paul has received news of his father's death, and he must return to his hometown to take possession of the farm as his heir.

Life Calls

1944

Die unvollkommene Liebe poster
8.0

In Bremen, a ship is launched, which was built by Thomas Holk. That evening, he gets to know the middle-aged widow Ada Rasmus, who flirts heavily with him. The next day, Thomas travels to Hallbad on vacation and the two lose sign of each other. In this rural idyll, he gets to know Krist and falls in love with her. He takes her back with him to Bremen and his aunt introduces her into society. Her natural charms enchants everyone and the beautiful widow Ada swears revenge. She finds a way to bring Ada into a painful situation with Dr. von Cremona, and, to top it all off, a man’s coat is found in her room.

Die unvollkommene Liebe

1940

1930s · 23 titles

Joan of Arc poster
6.2

France in the 15th Century: The country is marked by the wars with England and internal power struggles. King Charles sees himself powerless against the state. As emerges from the people suddenly a young woman named Johanna, who claimed that the Archangel Gabriel to be appointed, to save France. First of all doubt the king in their words, but he remembers that the people through this "help of God" is gaining new courage. With the slogan "God and the Virgin!" pulls the revivified victorious army into battle against the English-Burgundian alliance. After Johanna King Charles is crowned at Reims, there breaks the plague over the country in. Now Johanna all the blame on the disaster: God would punish believe in the country for that a heretic; if Johanna were actual a holy, she would deal also with the plague. The waning faith weakens France, England is again on the rise. But Johanna is executed as a witch. Only years later annulled the verdict of the Holy and Johanna explained.

Joan of Arc

1935

Annemarie. Die Geschichte einer jungen Liebe poster
9.0

In Annemarie Brinkmann's small German village all the young men are recruited to the front in WWI. When her boyfriend Klaus Renken gets the call they spend their last romantic night together. Time goes by but one day when the pastor announces the names of the fallen villagers: Klaus is among them. Annemarie collapses while the congregation sings a funeral song.

Annemarie. Die Geschichte einer jungen Liebe

1936

Anna Favetti poster
10.0

The daughter of a reclusive couple in the St. Moritz mountains tends to her brother, disabled from the Great War, though a handsome young architect who has just arrived waits for her attentions.

Anna Favetti

1938

The Trunks of Mr. O.F. poster
8.0

In the very old-fashioned town of Ostend suddenly 13 suitcases are delivered to the Grand Hotel, with a note, that O.F. will be here soon and needs 6 rooms. This event, probably the biggest in 300 years, starts a small wave of modernisation, yet everybody is wondering who O.F. is.

The Trunks of Mr. O.F.

1931

No artwork available
6.2

A love story between officer von Warp coming from a wealthy family and salesgirl Therese. When the social rules of the time would force the officer to resign from service in order to marry Therese the situation becomes tense.

Die Geliebte

1939

Gasparone poster
5.6

In the fantasy state of Olivia, the robber chief Gasparone is up to all sorts of mischief. But Prefect Nasoni is not only worried about him, his son Sindulfo is also causing him headaches. He is supposed to marry Countess Ambrat, but loves Ita, the niece of Massaccio, a somewhat obscure existence. Then the elegant Erminio appears, and the countess makes eyes at him. Confusion after confusion until Massaccio is unmasked as Gasparone. Erminio turns out to be a civil servant who was set on Gasparone and now gets his beautiful countess. Sindulfo is the last to embrace his Ita.

Gasparone

1937

Moscow Shanghai poster
8.0

Spanning the years between the Bolshevik Revolution and 1930, this Negri vehicle focuses on an exiled Russian noblewoman who has lost track of her daughter and of a young officer she pined for.Until she finds them both again and together.

Moscow Shanghai

1936

The Student of Prague poster
6.4

Prague in the 1860s: Balduin is a popular, handsome student, the best fencer in town, in amicable rivalry with his friend Dahl for the affections of Lydia, the innkeeper's niece. While the students are celebrating Lydia's birthday, the opera singer Julia Stella arrives at the inn - and Balduin's life begins to unravel. He is immediately infatuated with the glamorous singer - but she is already kept by an admirer, the wealthy and foppish Baron Waldis. How can a poor student hope to compete? The mysterious Dr. Carpis, who also has ties to Julia and is jealous of the Baron, intervenes. But the price will be higher than Balduin can ever imagine. He risks his sanity and his life - perhaps his very soul - haunted by his own reflection.

The Student of Prague

1935

No artwork available
10.0

Dance star Maria Arni is in love with Achim, the ballet répétiteur at the Municipal Opera. He, however, only has eyes for shy Else, a new girl at Maria's dance school. The girls are to accompany Maria on her new tour. The day before it begins, Else meets the English diplomat Bentley at a party. He courts her and nicknames her Daphne. Daphne believes she has found the man of her dreams. But then Bentley stops contacting her and eventually leaves. When Maria falls and injures herself during a performance in Geneva, Daphne steps in for her. In the audience, she sees Bentley and Achim sitting together. She then realizes that only Achim, who truly loves her, deserves her love.

Daphne and the Diplomat

1937

Tanz auf dem Vulkan poster
6.3

Paris, 1830: Jean-Gaspard Debureau performs on the stage and delights his audience with song, wit and charm. He is, however, very unpopular with King Charles X, who is the target of much of Debureau's scornful jests. That would be a somewhat tolerable situation if it weren't for the fact that Debureau has fallen for a countess, who happens to be the King's mistress.

Tanz auf dem Vulkan

1938

Die göttliche Jette poster
6.0

Cheeky Jette is a typical Berlin girl. Together with her mother, she performs couplets in a Berlin suburb theatre every night. Then, a young Austrian baron, who is worshipping Jette, enables her to audition for Königstädtisches Theater. Although she at first fails with an aria from an opera, Jette wins over the hearts of the board members with her fresh style when she performs a cheeky couplet that was written by Barsch, the stage manager of the suburb theater.

Die göttliche Jette

1937

The Gambler poster
8.0

A gambling-drama based on Dostoevsky’s works: The retired General Kirileff is addicted to gambling and also has a costly affair. He takes out a loan from the greedy imposter Vincent, for which he is to pay an exorbitant interest rate. Vincent, for his part, wants to get closer to Kirileff’s daughter Nina, who is to inherit her grandmother’s fortune one day. Nina tries to help her father and goes to the gambling tables, only to lose a lot of money. She asks Alexej, her father’s secretary, to play for her. Alexej is in love with Nina and would do anything for her. He plays; at first loses; then asks Nina to get Vincent out of there. Once that happens, he wins a large amount of money, becomes overbearing and treats Nina like a prostitute.

The Gambler

1938

Barcarole poster
8.0

A young reckless womaniser is trapped one night at his club into a bet with a Mexican that he will win his wife before morning. There will be a duel in any case: if he loses his bet the Mexican will fire first.

Barcarole

1935

No artwork available
5.8

No synopsis available yet.

Der Etappenhase

1937

No artwork available
7.0

Sabine Heitmann, the young boss for the shipping company Heitmann, has become friends with Michael, the First Officer and Helmsman of the ship, the "Sabine Heitmann". He only knows Sabine by her first name and doesn't know that she's the boss. When he discovers the fact, however, he gets pissed and refuses to accept his promotion to Captain. Then the shipping company gets a lucrative offer: In a competition with another shipping company, they need to reach Baltimore in 18 days and pick up some freight. Whoever can move their rear ends faster, gets the very profitable contract from an American firm (correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't this sort of thing sink the Titanic?). Together with Michael, Sabine comes up with a plan, which should have them win the contest. The upshot? She wins back his heart and he becomes Captain.

Freight from Baltimore

1938

Hans in Luck poster
8.0

Brothers Grimm adaptation. The story follows Hans, who, after seven years of service, is rewarded with a large lump of gold. As he travels home, he trades the gold for a horse, the horse for a cow, then a pig, a goose, and finally a grindstone. Despite losing the immense value of his initial payment, Hans feels increasingly free and happy, ultimately dropping the heavy stone into a well and rejoicing in having no burdens.

Hans in Luck

1936

No artwork available
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Three from the stamp office

1932

The Song of Life poster
9.0

This Brechtian musical about a young woman who flees from her decrepit, noble fiancé and marries a sailor is an interesting, although not a completely successful attempt to translate the sort of stage show to film. It has some good points, including the complete abandonment of the sort of surrealistic stage design that had enlivened the silent cinema. Instead, this tries for a purely cinematic technique, including multiple exposures, undercranking and distorting camera angles and lenses.

The Song of Life

1931

No artwork available
6.8

The underage Rosemarie is still too young to run her inherited farm by herself; but she's more than aware that her foster father and the farm's administrator, the farmer Schlieker, is constantly skimming from the farm's finances to line his own pocket. To put an end to Schlieker's scheme, Rosemarie asks her godfather, Professor Kittgus, for help. But when Kittgus confronts Schlieker, the farmer not only proves to be unreasonable but also violent...

Altes Herz geht auf die Reise

1938

You and I poster
10.0

Melodrama about an entrepreneur and his family.

You and I

1938

Music in the Blood poster
7.0

In Dresden's classical music world, female students learn from an opinionated conductor and a pompous dance instructor.When their work isn't appreciated, a teacher consoles them, saying Bruckner, Schubert and Wagner were also criticized.

Music in the Blood

1934

Dawn poster
5.8

Released three days after Adolf Hitler became Reichskanzler, it was the first film to have its screening in Nazi Germany. It became a symbol of the new times touted by the Nazi regime. The title (literally "morning-red") is the German term for the reddish coloring of the east sky about a half hour before the sunrise. On patrol Captain Liers and his submarine crew sink an important British ship, but while returning to harbour, they're lured into a trap by a British vessel disguised as a neutral Danish one. They sink it after it attacks them without warning, but while they prepare to rescue survivors, a British destroyer sinks the sub. On the sea bed 60 feet down, with all but the bridge flooded, the 10 surviving crew have only 8 rescue devices. Liers orders the crew to use them, but they disobey - either all escape or nobody does.

Dawn

1933

Gold poster
7.5

Using an atomic reactor, two scientists try to create gold.

Gold

1934

1920s · 17 titles

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari poster
7.9

Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

1920

From Morning to Midnight poster
6.1

A cashier in a bank in a small German town is alerted to the power of money by the visit of a rich Italian lady. He embezzles 60,000 Marks and leaves for the capital city, where he attempts to find satisfaction in politics, sport, love and religion.

From Morning to Midnight

1920

The Loves of Pharaoh poster
6.5

The Ethiopian King offers his daughter to a powerful Pharaoh to secure peace between the two countries.

The Loves of Pharaoh

1922

People Among Us poster
7.3

Gerhard Lamprecht sketches a cross-section of Germany's new post-war society, with its winners, social climbers, and losers, represented by the social microcosm of an apartment building. The gossip-mad Frau Mierig from the rear building gives the newly-arrived Frau Kaminski, the janitor's wife, a lively initiation into the tenants and their peculiarities.

People Among Us

1926

I.N.R.I. – A Film of Humanity poster
5.6

From the director of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, this is the Passion embedded in a contemporary story. An anarchist jailed for an attempted assassination is told the Passion story by the prison chaplain.

I.N.R.I. – A Film of Humanity

1923

Wandering Souls poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Wandering Souls

1921

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Frühlingsrauschen - Tränen, die ich dir geweint

1929

No artwork available
NR

A police chief raids a gambling den, and arrests the elderly mother of the young Assunta. Though she pleads with him, he will not release her mother. Years later, Assunta plots her revenge.

Die Marchesa d'Arminiani

1920

Children of No Importance poster
6.1

If watching a fellow facing indifference/rejection in the slums of Berlin didn't convey enough pathos, Gerhard Lamprecht gathered much of the same crew from Die Verrufenen and turned his attention to the city's population of unwanted children for the heart-tugging Die Unehelichen, released the following year. The trio of foster children at the center of Die Verrufenen are survivors who use their own resourcefulness to get by when the kids' guardians and the system itself let them down.

Children of No Importance

1926

Atlantik poster
7.3

German-language version. "Atlantic" is a drama film based on the sinking of the RMS "Titanic" and set aboard a fictional ship, called the "Atlantic". The main plotline revolves around a man who has a shipboard affair with a fellow passenger, which is eventually discovered by his wife. The ship also has aboard an elderly couple, Heinrich and Anna Thomas, who are on their anniversary cruise. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean, the "Atlantic" strikes an iceberg and is damaged to the point where it is sinking into the Atlantic. The German version was filmed at the same time as the British version, with each scene first being filmed in English for the British version, then the same scene being filmed in German by a German cast, using the same sets.

Atlantik

1929

Mad Love poster
7.4

Richard de la Croix's brother, Andreas, has been driven insane by a notorious vamp and socialite named Sappho. A friend takes Richard to the Odeon to meet her, but when Sappho actually meets him, he is unaware that she is the woman who drove Andreas to be institutionalised. Sappho genuinely falls in love with Richard, and decides to leave her vampy ways and her older lover behind her so that she can have him.

Mad Love

1921

The Old Fritz II poster
6.5

Silent epic on the final years of Frederick II.

The Old Fritz II

1928

No artwork available
8.0

The film depicts the marriage between the mad Charles VI of France and his wife Queen Isabeau.

The Night of Queen Isabeau

1920

The Old Fritz poster
5.8

Silent epic on the final years of Frederick II.

The Old Fritz

1928

The Buddenbrooks poster
6.0

Four-generation story-saga dealing with the decline of a middle-class Lübeck family. The first adaptation of a Thomas Mann book was also Gerhard Lamprecht’s first major film.

The Buddenbrooks

1923

Manolescu, the Prince of Swindlers poster
9.0

George Manolescu (Ivan Mosjoukine) plays a confidence man who works his way from Paris to New York. Along the way, during a train ride to Monte Carlo, he meets the voluptuous Cleo (Brigitte Helm). They have a whirlwind romance that ends suddenly after she flees from him.

Manolescu, the Prince of Swindlers

1929

No artwork available
6.6

No synopsis available yet.

Das Mädchen mit den fünf Nullen

1927