Great Freedom No. 7

Great Freedom No. 7 Große Freiheit Nr. 7 Movie Poster Country Germany Directed by Helmut Käutner Release Date December 15, 1944 Language German Studio Terra-Filmkunst Distributor Deutsche Filmvertriebs (DFV) (1945) Main Cast Character Actor Hannes Kröger Hans Albers Gisa Häuptlein Ilse Werner Georg Wilhelm Scholz Hans Söhnker Anita Hilde Hildebrand Fiete Gustav Knuth Jens Günther Lüders

Great Freedom No. 7, or also known as Port of Freedom in the United Kingdom, is a 1944 German film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hans Albers. It was filmed during the Second World War from May to November 1943 in the German Reich and the then Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and is Terra Film's first Agfa color film. It is one of the Terra Film classics with many songs that were well-known at the time. Sailors Jens, Fiete, and Karl go ashore in Hamburg to visit comrade Hannes Kröger. He is a popular singer and attraction at the Hippodrom on the Große Freiheit. He would rather go to sea today than tomorrow. But there is Gisa, whom Hannes promised to look after when his twin brother died. He brings Gisa to the Hanseatic city, falls in love with "the young thing" and hides his feelings.

The film title refers to the street of the same name, Große Freiheit (Great Freedom), in Hamburg's St. Pauli district. The film was originally planned and approved by the Ministry of Propaganda as a tribute to the German merchant navy. It was criticized that the film did not show any "German naval heroes". Goebbels suspected that Käutner, who had already had several conflicts with the Nazi rulers, had ulterior motives because of the originally planned title Große Freiheit. The film was then renamed Große Freiheit Nr. 7. Its actors (drunk, smoking, fighting, having extramarital affairs) did not correspond to the official ideal image of German women and sailors. Goebbels had previously insisted that the main character should be called "Hannes" and not "Johnny". He also thought that the film was too melancholy, underlined by the music, or could even contain political allusions. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz even considered the film to be "destructive to military power". Therefore, it was not allowed to be shown in Germany after the censorship of December 1944 and was only released by the Allies in 1945.

The following weapons were used in the film Great Freedom No. 7:

Oriental Flintlock Pistol

Two Oriental Flintlock pistols are seen hanging on a wall of Hannes Kröger's (Hans Albers) apartment.

Turkish Flintlock Pistol

The pistols behind Gisa Häuptlein (Ilse Werner).

Another view of one pistol.

Trivia

Bayonet

All German police officers are equipped with Polizei Seitengewehr bayonets.

An Oberwachtmeister (Technical Sergeant) on patrol.

Holster

Several police officers can be seen with Luger holsters.

Three policemen walk past the crowd.

The Hauptwachtmeister (Master Sergeant) stops Hannes from fighting.