Die Toten leben (1914)

Great happiness reigns in the home of portrait painter Schrader. His pride and joy is his young, pretty daughter, Elma. Many young men are interested in her, but Elma has long since given her heart to someone else: Dr. Krüger, who serves a duke as his personal physician. One day, the doctor asks for Elma’s hand in marriage. At the same time, the Schrader household is expecting the return of their son Heinz, who serves as a naval lieutenant and is now on leave at home. A letter arrives for his parents. It says that his return will be delayed by two days because Heinz wants to visit his friend Baron Feldau in Berlin and have a good time with him. Over champagne and a fine meal at a restaurant, the men watch the women and flirt with them. A waiter brings Feldau a brief note from a restaurant guest sitting a little way off, a certain Baron Liebenau. He invites the two men to a birthday party. During the party, several men join their table and begin gambling. At first, Lady Luck is on Heinz’s side, but the young officer soon starts losing more and more often, until finally all his ready cash is gone. Days later, painter Schrader gives his returning son a warm welcome. His pride in the son who has become a smart-looking officer is boundless. Then the duke’s Lord Chamberlain suddenly calls and asks Professor Schrader if he may view his latest creation, “The Lorelei,” as his high-ranking master wishes to buy the painting. While the two men inspect the painting, Heinz confesses to his mother that he has run up enormous gambling debts. Father Schrader comes in and can hardly believe his ears when he hears the amount: 5,000 marks! The father is stunned, reproaches his son severely, and snaps at him, “See how you get out of this!” The Lord Chamberlain has meanwhile left, and Professor Schrader turns to the money from the sale of “The Lorelei.” But it has suddenly disappeared! The amount is exactly 5,000 marks. Naturally, the son, who insists he is innocent, comes under suspicion. Father Schrader does not believe a word he says and throws him out of the house. Heinz not only leaves his parents’ home behind; he even leaves the country and, from then on, leads a dreary life abroad. Painter Schrader cannot shake the nagging thought that his son is a common thief. Over time, it drives him mad. A year later, when the gardener at the Schrader home is on his deathbed, Mrs. Schrader is summoned to him. As he lies dying, he confesses that he took the banknotes back then. With his last strength, he retrieves the bundle of money from a hiding place and hands it to the lady of the house. She excitedly tells her husband the new findings. By now, the old man believes that their son Heinz must be dead. Neither the sight of the banknotes nor confirmation that the son had always been innocent makes any impression on the deranged painter. Meanwhile, Heinz has been through a hard time and has had to get by on odd jobs. Most recently, he worked as a waiter in Naples. One day, he is terrified to discover the duke and his Lord Chamberlain among the guests at the Neapolitan restaurant. With trembling hands, he serves the gentlemen, who naturally recognize him and learn of the hardships he has endured. Together, they decide to return home as quickly as possible, also to help the deranged Father Schrader. As soon as they arrive home, Elma’s fiancé, Dr. Krüger, tries to restore Schrader to health. The doctor decides that the only way to bring the old man back to the living is with shock therapy that will stir his emotions. Night after night, the old man slips out of the bedroom and takes up position in front of a life-size portrait of his lost son. Krüger comes up with the idea of cutting out the portrait and putting the real Heinz in its place, wearing his splendid uniform. Schrader comes to Heinz’s portrait again, but this time it moves. Heinz waves to him and even comes toward the old man. The dead are alive! The shock therapy works, and father and son embrace, overjoyed at their reunion. The tremendous emotional excitement restores Professor Schrader’s reason, and the family can make a fresh start.