The Captain from Kopenick (1956): Cast & Plot
The Captain from Kopenick is a 1956 comedy drama directed by Helmut Käutner, starring Heinz Rühmann as Wilhelm Voigt, Reinhard Kolldehoff and Walter Giller. It runs 1 hour 33 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 33m (93 min)
- Director
- Helmut Käutner
- Original language
-
German - Studio
- Real Film
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Captain from Kopenick About?
The premise of The Captain from Kopenick without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a fifteen‑year prison term for stealing a tiny sum, a young shoemaker seeks a work permit, only to discover he needs a job to obtain one and a job to get a permit. Trapped in the Kafkaesque Prussian bureaucracy, he finds a solution when a thrift‑shop uniform of a Prussian officer fits him perfectly, allowing him to masquerade as an authority.
The Captain from Kopenick Themes & Keywords
· 23 tags- militarism
- prussian culture
- toilet
- army uniform
- military uniform
- man in uniform
- man wears a uniform
- uniform
- impersonation
- prussian soldier
- tailor
- satire comedy
+11 more Show fewer
- bureaucracy
- ex convict
- 1910s
- passport
- place name in title
- satire
- folk hero
- based on play
- soldier
- cobbler the shoemaker
- local blockbuster
The Captain from Kopenick Cast & Characters
Heinz Rühmann leads the cast as Wilhelm Voigt, with Reinhard Kolldehoff as Soldat and Walter Giller as Willy Wormser. Directed by Helmut Käutner; 21 actors are credited in all.
- Director Helmut Käutner
- Heinz Rühmann as Wilhelm Voigt
- Reinhard Kolldehoff as Soldat
- Walter Giller as Willy Wormser
- Wolfgang Neuss as Zuchthäusler Kallenberg
Also Starring in The Captain from Kopenick
· 17 more- Wolfgang Müller Zuchthäusler Puhlke
- Siegfried Lowitz Kassierer Rosenkranz
- Balduin Baas ostpreußischer Grenadier
- Joseph Offenbach Wabschke
- Bum Krüger Schutzmann Kilian
- Edith Hancke Lieschen, das kranke Mädchen
- Maria Sebaldt Auguste Viktoria Wormser
- Willi Rose Polizist
- Friedrich Domin Zuchthausdirektor
- Martin Held Dr. Obermüller
- Hannelore Schroth Mathilde Obermüller
- Willy Maertens Prokurist Knell
- Ilse Fürstenberg Marie Hoprecht, Voigts sister
- Ethel Reschke Pleureusenmieze
- Leonard Steckel Adolph Wormser
- Willy A. Kleinau Friedrich Hoprecht
Show all 21 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Erich Schellow Capt. von Schlettow
More from Helmut Käutner
More films directed by Helmut Käutner: Die Feuerzangenbowle, The House in Montevideo, Redhead and Operation Caviar.
The Captain from Kopenick Plot Summary
What happens in The Captain from Kopenick from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Wilhelm Voigt is the central figure in this story, a young mechanic whose life spirals through a series of forgery offenses and evasive moves. He is first jailed for forging low-value postal orders and sentenced to 15 years, a harsh beginning that sets the tone for a man who keeps testing the edges of the law. After managing to work abroad, he returns to Germany, driven by a sense of homesickness, only to face a new, longer consequence: a 10-year sentence for forging false identity documents in an attempt to escape his past. The cycle tightens around him as his lack of a stable job makes securing a residence permit impossible, and without a permit, he cannot find work.
Full summary
The whole story of The Captain from Kopenick, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Captain from Kopenick?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the film's central figure?
The Captain from Kopenick Also Known As
9 alternative titles, including “The Captain from Köpenick” and “The Captain of Köpenick”.
- Also known as
-
- The Captain from Köpenick
- The Captain of Köpenick
- The Captain from Koepenick
- Il capitano di Köpenick
- Le Capitaine de Köpenick
- 科佩尼克上尉
- El capitán Kopenick
- Сила мундира
- Der Hauptmann von Köpenick
Seen The Captain from Kopenick?
Movies Like The Captain from Kopenick
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Captain from Köpenick, The Captain and The Berliner.
The Captain from Kopenick FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Captain from Kopenick, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Captain from Kopenick?
The Captain from Kopenick runs 1 hour 33 minutes (93 minutes).
When was The Captain from Kopenick released?
The Captain from Kopenick was released on August 15, 1956.
Who directed The Captain from Kopenick?
The Captain from Kopenick was directed by Helmut Käutner.
More films by Helmut Käutner Who is in the cast of The Captain from Kopenick?
The Captain from Kopenick stars Heinz Rühmann as Wilhelm Voigt, Reinhard Kolldehoff as Soldat and Walter Giller as Willy Wormser, among 21 credited actors.
Does The Captain from Kopenick have a post-credit scene?
No. The Captain from Kopenick has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Captain from Kopenick in?
The original language of The Captain from Kopenick is German.
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