Gräfin Donelli (1924)
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Directors
Cast
Henny Porten, Paul Hansen, Friedrich Kayßler, Eberhard Leithoff, Ferdinand von Alten
A financially troubled widow is caught between her much older uncle and the man she loves when a theft accusation threatens their relationship.
The story
Widowed young and facing financial difficulties, Countess Mathilde Donelli attracts the interest of her much older uncle, Count Bergheim, but she is more interested in his dashing secretary, Hellwig. Seeking to help her, Hellwig sends Mathilde a substantial sum of money. Bergheim accuses his secretary of theft, hoping to drive the young couple apart, and says he will refrain from filing a criminal complaint if Hellwig stays away from Mathilde. The accusation and this condition place their relationship under pressure.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Countess Mathilde Donelli was widowed at a young age; her unfaithful husband had killed himself. Now she is in financial difficulties. Her uncle, the much older Count Bergheim, takes an interest in Mathilde, but she is far more interested in Bergheim’s dashing secretary, Hellwig. To help Mathilde, Hellwig sends Countess Donelli a substantial sum of money. The count then accuses his secretary of theft because he wants to drive the young couple apart. Count Bergheim is willing to refrain from filing a criminal complaint if Hellwig stays away from Mathilde from then on. Countess Donelli is driven to an act of desperation and shoots him. The doctors manage to save the wounded man. After he recovers, Countess Donelli marries the love of her life. Years later, Count Bergheim realizes that he never stood a chance with Mathilde and admits that he staged the embezzlement. Hellwig is finally fully exonerated.
Genres
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