Besatzung Dora (Air Crew Dora, Karl Ritter 1943) DVD

The first commercial release of a highly sought after Third Reich Film... never seen by Third Reich audiences!

Filmed on location in Paris, Dieppe, the Leningrad front, and in Rome between July and December 1942, Besatzung Dora (Air Crew Dora) is the story of a survey plane in 1942 and its aircrew. Considered a sequel to Stukas, with many of the same young actors cast. Led by Lt. Cranes (Hannes Stelzer), the Air Crew " Dora" suffers a crash landing, and after the rescue, its four crew travel to Berlin to take charge of their replacement aircraft. But the new plane will not be ready for eight days and in the meantime, the men have official leave in Berlin with their girlfriends. Director Karl Ritter, who also wrote the script, wanted through frontline combat footage and a human interest story, to bind the war front and the home front together towards final victory. Filmed on location in Paris, Dieppe, the Leningrad front, and in Rome between July and December 1942, Besatzung Dora was never seen by Third Reich audiences. Despite Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels finding the film " very attractive," the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad in late January 1943 meant Besatzung Dora could not fulfill its propaganda purpose. The Russian front, North Africa, and the western front were by then no longer places of continuing German victory. Besatzung Dora was only shown to an invited Luftwaffe audience on 2 February 1945, shortly before the war's end. This IHF DVD marks the first commercial release of this highly sought-after film.

Directed by Karl Ritter, Music by Herbert Windt. Starring Hannes Stelzer, Hubert Kiurina, Ernst v. Klipstein, Georg Thomalla, Carsta Löck, Susi Graf, Charlotte Daudert.

Germany, 1943, B&W, 91 Minutes, German dialogue with English subtitles.

Digitally remastered from 35mm print.

About the director:
Directed by Karl Ritter who's contemporary WWII propaganda feature filmmaking employed stunning actual battlefront footage and brought to Third Reich cinemas fast-paced, action-filled storylines championing ideological themes and military successes against all enemies of the Reich. (See also Ritter book)

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Historical Background Slide Show:
  The Fate of Karl Ritter’s “Besatzung Dora” (1942/43)
• Original Promotional Materials with English Translations
• Interactive Scene Selections
• English Subtitles

See also Karl Ritter 9 DVD Bundle Special Savings Offer!

NTSC Region 0 encoding (Entire World)

Libraries and Institutions Please Note: Educational Editions with PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RIGHTS and DIGITAL SITE LICENSES are available.

See also "Air Crew Dora" DVD & "Making of" Book Combo Set

See also The Making of the Crew of the Dora (Book)