H A Quick Guide to the Masterpiece h
WINNEtou by
Karl May Created by Elisabeth Ruhland
Foreword This booklet was designed to give the lecturers a quick insight to my dissertation topic. Within these pages is an overview of the story of the three films, as well as profiles of the most important characters. Due to the films amazing scenery, a double page has been dedicated to the Yugoslavian locations, which provided the backgrund for the films. The booklet also looks at one of the most successful German films, a spoof of the original “Manitu’s Shoe” as well as giving a biography for the author of the tales of Winnetou - Karl May. The texts within the booklet have been taken from webpages and are not my own work, this is merely what it could look like if I did a guide, and therefore attention should really only be paid to the design. I hope you find my work pleasing to the eye. Elisabeth Ruhland
Table of Contents
4.............................Winnetou 6.........................Characters 8.....................Pierre Brice 9.......................Lex Barker 10...........................Locations 12................Manitu’s Shoe 13.........................Karl May
Winnetou According to Karl May’s story, first-person narrator Old Shatterhand encounters Winnetou and after initial dramatic events, a true friendship between Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings. It portrays a belief in an innate “goodness” of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies. Non-dogmatic Christian feelings and values play an important role, and May’s heroes are often described as German Americans. Winnetou became the chief of the tribe of the Mescalero Apaches (and of the Apaches in general, with the Navajo included) after his father Intschu-tschuna and his sister Nscho-tschi were slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi (“Wind”) and had a famous rifle called “Silberbüchse” (“The Silver Gun”, a double-barrel rifle whose stock and butt were decorated with silver studs). Old Shatterhand became the blood brother of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla (“Lightning”).
4
winnetou Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written by Karl May (1842-1912, with about 200 million copies worldwide one of the best selling German writers of all time) in German, including the sequels Winnetou I through Winnetou IV.
Karl May’s “Winnetou” novels symbolize, to some extent, a romantic desire for a simpler life in close contact with nature. In fact, the popularity of the series is due in large part to the ability of the stories to tantalize fantasies many Europeans had and have for this more untamed environment. The stories, indeed, were so popular that Nazi Germany did not ban them despite the heroic treatment of “colored” races; instead, the argument was made that the stories demonstrated the fall of the Red Indians was caused by a lack of racial consciousness. May’s heroes drew on archetypes of Germanic culture and had little to do with actual Native American cultures. “Winnetou is noble because he combines the highest aspects of otherwise “decadent” Indian cultures with the natural adoption of the romantic and Christian traits of Karl May’s own vision of German civilization. As he is dying, the Apache Winnetou asks some settlers to sing an Ave Maria for him, and his death is sanctified by his quiet conversion to Christianity.” -
5
Characters
6
pierre brice winnetu
lex barker old shatterhand
karin dor ribanna
anthony steel bud forrester
Characters
marie versini nscho tschi
mario adorf Santer
eddi arent lord castepool
rik battaglia rollins
7
Pierre brice Date of Birth 6 February 1929, Brest, France Birth Name Pierre Louis Baron de Bris Height 5' 11Âź" (1.81 m)
0 Pierre Brice was born on 6 February 1929 in Brest, France. After enlisting as volunteer to the French Army and fighting in Indochina, he attended acting lessons and got a first small role in Ça va barder (1955). In 1962, the German producer Horst Wendlandt searched for an actor who should play the Native American chief Winnetou on a Western movie adapted from novels by Karl May and got to know Brice at the Berlin Film Festival. He got the role and portrayed "Winnetou" in ten more movies with his co-star Lex Barker as "Old Shatterhand". These very successful productions made him a superstar in Germany, winning several awards such as Bambi or the Golden Otto of teenager magazine "Bravo". Although appearing on countless other movies and TV shows, he will always be best remembered as "Winnetou", whom he also played at the Bad Segeberg open air theater.
8
Lex Barker Date of Birth 8 May 1919, Rye, New York, USA Date of Death 11 May 1973, New York City, New York, USA (heart attack) Birth Name Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. Height 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Barker was a direct descendant of the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, and of Sir ‘William Henry Crichlow’, historical governor-general of Barbados.He went to Princeton but left to become an actor. A year later he was spotted in summer stock and received a contract offer from 20th Century-Fox. World War II intervened; he enlisted an Infantry Private and rose to Major. Though later signed by Fox and then Warner, he was too tall for supporting parts and too unknown for leads. Tarzan’s Magic Fountain (1949) (RKO) provided his first starring role. After five Tarzans he went into other adventure films. After 16 non-Tarzan films, mostly westerns, he went to Europe in 1957 (he spoke French, Spanish, Italian and German). He went on to make more than 50 more films all over the world: Brazil, Germany, Spain, Yugoslavia, Italy, Lebanon, France. He became very popular in Germany because of his role as “Old Shatterhand”, “Kara Ben Nemsi” and “Dr. Karl Sternau” in the movies based on books written by Karl May. He won Germany’s Bambi Award as Best Foreign Actor of 1966.
9
Locations
0
Thanks to the novels of Karl May, many Germans hold a special place in their hearts for the Indians of North America. The writer himself has never actually been to the United States, but heavily relied on the travel journeys of Friedrich Gerstäcker. The California for Karl May films lay in the former Yugoslavia. In the 1950s many italian producers shot their costume-films there, as well films containing German pop-songs, without giving any kind of recognition to the area. Starting in 1962 almost all of the Karl May films were produced here; only two were made in Spain, as well as most other films falling into the genre of the “EuroWestern”. The locations for Karl May films were mainly in Croatia, but also in Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia. The yugoslavian co-production companies were the
10
croatian Jadran-Film, with its base in Zagreb, and the serbian Avala-Film, based in Belgrad. Fans of the films often travelled to the locations, and in the 1970s there was even a brochure “Die Drehorte der Karl-MayFilme” (“The Locations of the Karl-May-Films”). It became so popular, that there were bus tours planned, which were to offer round-trips. This however was never done in the end due to the war in Yugoslavia (19911995 ), as no one could be sure which areas where safe for tourists. Many film locations lay on former military and paramilitary bases and were used as shooting and training ranges. So munition found there these days, most likely will not be from Winnetou's gun but from military exercises. Many of the locations, particularly the area of Krajina, were still mine-infested with the turn of the century. The areas of the Plitvicer lakes, where a major part of the fighting took place, were completely cleared and are now a national park. This is where “” was shot, 16 turquoise lakes, connected through cascades and waterfalls. Scenes
Locations for “Winnetou” I and II were filmed here as well, for example the chase of Winnetou along the “Bear River”. Another breathtaking location are the Krka-Waterfalls. On it's way to the Adria the Krka runs through a gorge, where the water collects itself in little lakes and then falls down in eight different waterfalls. Vellika Paklenica is a massive gorge in the Paklenica Nationalpark, parts of Winnetou I and III were produced here. 15 kilometres south, near Obrovac, lies the Zrmanja Canyon. On the plateau high above the river, one of the camps of the Apache camps was erected, and Old Shatterhand and tribal chief Intschutschuna fought their fight in “”. The 1100 meter high mountain Tulove Grede is the location where Winnetou's sister Nscho-tschi dies in the arms of Old Shatterhand, a little bit later, evil Santer falls into the Kapljuv Crate onto the Apache's spears. Of course the trilogy comes to its end here, Winnetou's death was filmed in the high cliffs of the Tulove grede, with the Zrmanja Canyon visible in the distance.
11
ManituŠs Shoe Abahachi and his blood brother Ranger are an inseparable pair since Ranger saved Abahachi from a speeding train on an unguarded railroad crossing. When they aim to buy a pub with the monetary help of Shoshone chief Stinking Lizard through real estate agent Santa Maria, the deal (and pub) collapse, and Stinking Lizard's son, who has delivered the loan, is killed by Santa himself. Upon their return to their Shoshone tribe, they find themselves set up by Santa Maria and are unjustly charged with murder.
Once they free themselves, they set about to recover a secret treasure kept inside a large, shoeshaped rock called Manitou's Shoe (a reference to "Der Schatz im Silbersee"/"Treasure of Silver Lake", another Winnetou novel and movie), in order to reimburse Stinking Lizard. Finding the treasure map includes finding Abahachi's effeminate gay twin brother Winnetouch, Abahachi's Greek friend Dimitri, and Abahachi's former "hough school" honey - and Ranger's fledging love interest - Ursula. Unfortunately, Santa and his right hand Hombre have overheard the blood brothers' plans and decide to get the treasure for themselves. In their quest, Abahachi and Ranger are pursued by Stinking Lizard and his braves, but are eventually captured by Santa who retrieves the treasure, a golden necklace with a giant blue diamond. Abahachi, Winnetouch & Co. win back the necklace, only to lose it again in subsequent
12
Manitu©s Shoe mishaps. Hombre, however, who has in the meantime bonded with Winnetouch, returns the embezzled gold to Stinking Lizard, ending the hostilities, and Santa ends his life in a mudtrap. Uschi, while pregnant by Ranger, urges him to set off with Abahachi, and both heroes ride into the sunset for new adventures.
The movies humor consists largely of blatant anachronisms, scenes such as the character Ranger getting stopped by a sheriff for “fast riding” and being asked for his “riding license”, or Santa Maria connecting the dots on a map by using a feather with a marker-tip. Greek character Dimitri owns a mule named Apollo 13 (his twelve brothers - and subsequently, he as well - were killed by speeding trains), and for lack of a hatchet the Shoshones, a Native American tribe, dig out a folding-chair they had buried. The movie has several references to the Karl May movies of the 1960s and to Herbig’s own TV show. It features many puns that are difficult to translate into English. In the German version, Abahachi, Ranger and Winnetouch all speak with a rather strong Bavarian accent that is predominant in the Bullyparade-Show, which is mentioned by the barkeeper at the saloon by “You must be Ranger, the man with the Southern States accent”.
13
Karl MaY He never saw the American West. And yet his tales are the most breathtaking ever written of Good fighting Evil between the Missouri River and San Francisco. He created Winnetou - the noblest of all Red Indian warriors. The concept which Europeans - predominantly Germans, Austrians, Czechs, Dutch - have formed of American Indians, and their struggle and their doom is based on the colorful and compassionate writings of Kar May. He advocated the equality of men and peace among nations, in the face of colonialism (which he abhorred). His first-person hero embodies all the ideals every true American has ever stood for since 4 July 1776. And yet he never captured the attention of the wide American reading public. Attempts at introducing translations of his 'Winnetou' novels, or other tales set in the West, have singularly failed. Of course, there is no denying that the majority of situations, no less than the personnel described by this writer, clash with reality: Life, and fights, and problems as he depicted them as characterizing the Western half of the US in the 1860's and 1870's, are strangely anachronistic. That in itself, though, does not make any book unmarketable. (Otherwise, science fiction, as an example, would never have had a chance to flourish.) And whatever his deficiencies in any lopsided presentation of situations with their regard to historical probability, Karl May thoroughly compensates this by
14
Karl May a startling accuracy in the topographical details in his stories (which he saw through the mind's eye only and visualized correctly) and by his gripping atmosphere of verisimilitude. Above all, it is the timeless, mythical lore he calls to life, masterly but unobtrusively, an enigmatical quality that has kept his works alive for over a century by now, in his home country and elsewhere. And precisely this is the overall feature that appeals to Americans as it does to Europeans. T 0 1842 - Karl Friedrich May, born on the 25th of February in Ernstthal, Kingdom of Saxony. He was the best selling German writer of all time, noted chiefly for wild west books set in the American West and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East; in addition, he also wrote stories set in his native Germany. 1863 - His short career as a teacher ended abruptly due to a false accusation by his flatmate. 1875 - He published his first story. 1892 - With Winnetou I appearing in a book edition, did he achieve success with his writing, eventually becoming very popular. 1908 - He certainly visited North America, long after writing the books set there, never travelling west of Buffalo, New York. 1912 - Died on the 30th of March in Radebeul, Germany.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
‡ ‡ ‡
'XUFK :Â VWH XQG +DUHP VLQFH HQWLWOHG DV 'XUFK GLH :Â VWH 'XUFKV ZLOGH .XUGLVWDQ (1892) 9RQ %DJGDG QDFK 6WDPEXO (1892) ,Q GHQ 6FKOXFKWHQ GHV %DONDQ
'XUFK GDV /DQG GHU 6NLS-Â HWDUHQ
'HU 6FKXW
:LQQHWRX ,
:LQQHWRX ,,
:LQQHWRX ,,,
2UDQJHQ XQG 'DWWHOQ DQ DQWKRORJ\
$P 6WLOOHQ 2FHDQ DQ DQWKRORJ\
$P 5LR GH OD 3ODWD
,Q GHQ &RUGLOOHUHQ
2OG 6XUHKDQG ,
2OG 6XUHKDQG ,,
,P /DQGH GHV 0DKGL , (1896) ,P /DQGH GHV 0DKGL ,, (1896) ,P /DQGH GHV 0DKGL ,,, (1896) 2OG 6XUHKDQG ,,,
6DWDQ XQG ,VFKDULRW , (1896) 6DWDQ XQG ,VFKDULRW ,,
6DWDQ XQG ,VFKDULRW ,,,
$XI IUHPGHQ 3IDGHQ DQ DQWKRORJ\
Ă„:HLKQDFKW Âł
,P 5HLFKH GHV VLO-Â EHUQHQ /|ZHQ ,
,P 5HLFKH GHV VLO-Â EHUQHQ /|ZHQ ,,
$P -HQVHLWV
15
If you liked Winnetou, you will love this!
Another Adventure with Old Shatterhand and Winnetou