Frau Holle

Short Summary (English)

A widow has two daughters, both called Mary - one is ugly and idle and the other; a stepdaughter; is pretty and hard-working. While the first lolls about in bed all day, the stepdaughter has to do all the work. One day, the kindhearted young woman drops her spindle into the well. Fear-stricken, she sees no other way out but to throw herself into the well after the spindle, sinking to the bottom. Instead of drowning in the cold water; she finds herself - safe and sound - in a beautiful meadow, Mother Holle's realm. An apple tree asks her to shake it for rosy-cheeked fruit and a baking oven asks her to pull out the new fresh loaves. She arrives at Mother Holle's house where she is willing to help the old lady and to work diligently. Every morning, she shakes the bedding well to make it snow on earth. When she becomes sorrowful because intense homesickness overpowers her;

Mother Holle rewards her; by having gold shower on her.

The stepsister - filled with envy - insists on having as many riches and flings herself into the well, too. But, unkind and lazy, she is not suited to be serving in Mother Holle's magic meadows. As a punishment, dirty pitch is showered on her.

Source: Progress Film-Verleih

Film Crew

Director

• Gottfried Kolditz

Script

• Günter Kaltofen
• Gottfried Kolditz

Camera

• Erich Gusko

Film Editing

• Hildegard Tegener

Cast

• Mathilde Danegger (Frau Holle)
• Karin Ugowski (Goldmarie)
• Katharina Lind (Pechmarie)
• Elfriede Florin (Witwe)
• Herbert Graedtke (Mathias)
• Rudi Pfaff (Hannes)
• Jürgen Pörschmann (Klaus)
• Rolf Dietrich Zienau (Kind)
• Wolfgang Vermeiren (Kind)
• Gudrun Lüth (Kind)

Assistant Camera

• Peter Dietrich

Production Design

• Werner Pieske
• Erich Krüllke

Script Editing

• Margot Beichler
• Gudrun Deubener (geb. Rammler)

Music

• Joachim-Dietrich Link

Sound

• Horst Mathuschek

Musical Performance

• Kinderchor des Deutschlandsenders

Costume Design

• Gerhard Kaddatz

Make-Up

• Klaus Becker
• Waltraud Becker

Props

• Günter Zaleike

Production Management

• Erich Kühne

Unit Production Management

• Christel Kruse

DEFA Photography

• Horst Blümel

Short Summary (German)

Eine Witwe hat eine hässliche, faule Tochter und eine fleißige, schöne Stieftochter. Während erstere sich in ihrer Faulheit sonnt, muss die Stieftochter alle Arbeit verrichten. Als ihr eine Spule in den Brunnen fällt, muß sie hineinspringen, um sie wieder herauszuholen. Marie landet auf einer schönen Wiese. Auf der wandert sie fort und kommt zu Frau Holle, wo sie jeden Morgen die Betten kräftig schüttelt, damit es auf der Erde schneit. Als sie wieder nach Hause möchte, wird sie für ihre fleißige Arbeit reich mit Gold gesegnet. Die neidische Stiefschwester will es ihr gleichtun und springt ebenfalls in den Brunnen. Da sie aber unfreundlich und faul ist, wird sie zur Strafe mit Pech überschüttet.

(Quelle: Das zweite Leben der Filmstadt Babelsberg. DEFA-Spielfilme 1946-1992)

Short Summary (Other Languages)

Una vedova ha due figlie, una brutta e pigra, l'altra bella e laboriosa. Mentre la prima si sollazza nella pigrizia, l'altra è costretta a sgobbare. Per recuperare un fuso, sfuggitole di mano, la ragazza salta in un pozzo, atterrando su un bel prato. Incamminandosi incontra la signora Holle, che la prende con sé per aiutarla nelle faccende domestiche. Tutte le mattine la fanciulla deve rifare bene il suo letto e scuotere via tutte le piume, affinché sulla Terra possa nevicare. Per ricompensare la sua laboriosità, la signora Holle ricopre la ragazza con una pioggia d'oro. La sorella, invidiosa, salta anche lei nel pozzo. Ma la signora Holle ricompenserà la sua scortesia e pigrizia con una pioggia di pece. (Italienisch)