AustLit
Alternative title:
Captain of Kopenick;
Passport to Heaven;
Great Awakening
Adaptation of
Der Hauptmann von Köpenick
1931
single work
film/TV
Issue Details:
First known date:
1945...
1945
I Was A Criminal
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Based on the "Captain of Kopenick" incident of 1906, when an unemployed cobbler, in order to get a passport, dresses as a staff officer and takes over the town hall only to find it has no passport office. Because he is taken for a military officer everybody obeys him without question. His cheek ultimately gets him a passport.'
Source: British Film Institute (http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/248560). (Sighted: 17/9/2013)
Notes
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Based on an actual incident: in Germany, Wilhelm Voigt is more a folk-hero figure than a criminal figure.
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The British Film Institute notes that there's some confusion over the actual title under which this film was released, but the most commonly used title appears to be I Was A Criminal.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Last amended 9 Dec 2013 16:40:30
Settings:
-
cGermany,cWestern Europe, Europe,
- 1906
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