The Tinder Box
Cast & Crew
Siegfried Hartmann
Rolf Ludwig
Bella Waldritter
Hannes Fischer
Anna-maria Besendahl
Detlev Heinze
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
A young soldier returns from war and meets a witch who promises him all the money he can carry if he will bring her a tinderbox from an underground cave. Following the witch's instructions, he comes to a passageway that leads to three rooms, each guarded by a giant dog. Keeping the dogs at bay, the soldier fills his pockets with coins of copper, silver, and gold and returns to the witch with the tinderbox. When the witch refuses to tell him why she wanted the box, he kills her and takes the box. In the city, the young soldier leads a life of luxury until his money runs out. Then he learns that the city's beautiful princess is locked up in a tower because it has been prophesied that she will marry a common soldier. He rubs the tinderbox, and the dogs reappear. The soldier orders one of the dogs to fetch the princess, and she arrives, asleep on the dog's back. He kisses her, and the dog returns her to the palace. The next day the princess tells her parents the strange story, and the queen, suspecting the truth, ties a bag of grain to her. Following another of the dog's errands, the trail of grain leads the king and queen to the soldier, who is subsequently imprisoned and condemned to death. Before he is to be executed, however, the soldier rubs the box, and the dogs appear and attack the king's men. The young soldier and the princess are declared the new king and queen, and the dogs are the guests of honor at the wedding.
Director
Siegfried Hartmann
Cast
Rolf Ludwig
Bella Waldritter
Hannes Fischer
Anna-maria Besendahl
Detlev Heinze
Barbara Mehlan
Rolf Defrank
Heinz Schubert
Hans Fiebrandt
Senta Bonacker
Fritz Schlegel
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Released in East Germany in April 1959 as Das Feuerzeug. May also be known as Tinderbox.
