Die Schuld des Dr. Homma (1951)

Doctor Dr. Magnus Homma is accused of murdering his wife. A sensational trial follows, and overwhelming circumstantial evidence, together with testimony given under oath by Homma’s stepdaughter Beate, leads to his conviction. Dr. Ilse Kersten, the daughter of his defense attorney Kersten and a lawyer in her own right, is unable to save Dr. Homma despite her great efforts, and he is sentenced to death. During the trial, Magnus and Ilse have fallen in love, so the lawyer continues to fight tenaciously for the doctor, whose innocence she is convinced of. Homma’s son Gerhard also stands by his father. On the last night before the execution, all three do everything they can to prevent Dr. Homma’s execution. The weak link is his stepdaughter, whom everyone is convinced committed perjury in court. And indeed, after she has been “worked on” long enough, she admits that her testimony was false. It turns out that Dr. Homma’s wife had taken her own life. But Dr. Homma sees himself as partly to blame for things having come to this: Magnus Homma had once married his wife solely for her money, and accordingly their marriage was loveless. This neglect ultimately led Mrs. Homma to end her life.