Under false flag
Encyclopedia
Under false flag is a German cloak-and-dagger film directed by Johannes Meyer set in World War I
, that was produced in Berlin from the end of November 1931 to the beginning of 1932. The producers were the German UFA (Universum Film AG
) and the so called Tonbild-Syndikat AG or Tobis. The script to the film was written by Johannes Brandt, Josef Than and Max W. Kimmich
after a film novel the latter had written earlier.
Meanwhile, the Russian secret service has got wind of a coming-up German attack and is eager to get hold of the German attack plans. Frank and his two assistants, Captain Weber and Commissioner Schulz soon find out that the most dangerous agent at the Russian side is a certain Sulkin, whom nobody seems to know. After a short time, Schulz and Weber begin throwing their suspicion on Maria. But as they do not want to destroy their boss's marriage, they begin to observe her secretly. One day, they follow her to the Marabou-Bar, where Maria's brother is acting as a singer. Here they get final evidence that Maria and the mysterious Sulkin are identical. But Maria manages to escape, while her brother, whom she had informed about her work for the secret service, gets killed by the Russian counterespionage. When Frank learns that his wife had been an enemy agent, he nearly collapses. Later on, he asks for being sent to the front with a suicide squad.
Meanwhile, Maria has returned to Russia. She feels sorry for the abuse of confidence she offended at her husband, and wants to make up for it again. But when she tries to withdraw her giving-in to working as a secret agent, her bosses pretend that Frank had killed her brother, so that she begins to hate him. Some time later, she and Frank meet each other at a big ball in Russia by accident. First she wants to tell him on and leads his fingerprints to the Russian secret service, but in the end he is able to convince her of his innocence at her brother's death. Now that she is convinced of his innocence, she helps him to escape, but gets killed at this occasion.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, that was produced in Berlin from the end of November 1931 to the beginning of 1932. The producers were the German UFA (Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
) and the so called Tonbild-Syndikat AG or Tobis. The script to the film was written by Johannes Brandt, Josef Than and Max W. Kimmich
Max W. Kimmich
Max Wilhelm Kimmich was a German film director and screenwriter during the first half of the 20th century...
after a film novel the latter had written earlier.
Plot
Captain Herbert Frank, a German intelligence officer, fights in World War I and gets severely wounded in 1916. While in hospital, he is cared for devotional by a nurse called Maria Horn. Later on, he asks her to become his wife, and she gives in to him. But just a few days after their wartime wedding, her husband is commanded to Berlin, where he is appointed to the chief of the counterintelligence service against Russia.Meanwhile, the Russian secret service has got wind of a coming-up German attack and is eager to get hold of the German attack plans. Frank and his two assistants, Captain Weber and Commissioner Schulz soon find out that the most dangerous agent at the Russian side is a certain Sulkin, whom nobody seems to know. After a short time, Schulz and Weber begin throwing their suspicion on Maria. But as they do not want to destroy their boss's marriage, they begin to observe her secretly. One day, they follow her to the Marabou-Bar, where Maria's brother is acting as a singer. Here they get final evidence that Maria and the mysterious Sulkin are identical. But Maria manages to escape, while her brother, whom she had informed about her work for the secret service, gets killed by the Russian counterespionage. When Frank learns that his wife had been an enemy agent, he nearly collapses. Later on, he asks for being sent to the front with a suicide squad.
Meanwhile, Maria has returned to Russia. She feels sorry for the abuse of confidence she offended at her husband, and wants to make up for it again. But when she tries to withdraw her giving-in to working as a secret agent, her bosses pretend that Frank had killed her brother, so that she begins to hate him. Some time later, she and Frank meet each other at a big ball in Russia by accident. First she wants to tell him on and leads his fingerprints to the Russian secret service, but in the end he is able to convince her of his innocence at her brother's death. Now that she is convinced of his innocence, she helps him to escape, but gets killed at this occasion.