The Rats (play)
Encyclopedia
"The rats" is a stage drama in five acts by Gerhart Hauptmann
(1862-1946), which premiered in 1911, one year before the author won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Unlike other Hauptmann plays, such as The Weavers (play)
(1892) and The Assumption of Hannele
(1893), this one does not seem ever to have been performed on Broadway.
MRS. HARRO HASSENREUTER
WALBURGA, their daughter
PASTOR SPITTA
ERICH SPITTA, postulant for Holy Orders, his son
ALICE RUeTTERBUSCH, actress
NATHANAEL JETTEL, court actor
KAeFERSTEIN, DR. KEGEL, pupils of HASSENREUTER
JOHN, foreman mason
MRS. JOHN, charwoman to HASSENREUTER
BRUNO MECHELKE, her brother
PAULINE PIPERCARCKA, a servant girl
MRS. SIDONIE KNOBBE
SELMA, her daughter
QUAQUARO, house-steward
MRS. KIELBACKE
POLICEMAN SCHIERKE
TWO INFANTS
Time: late 19th or early 20th century
Scene: Berlin
In the Johns' home, Mr John says his wife went with the baby out to his married sister's in Hangelsberg. He learns that Sidonie Knobbe's baby has died. Quaquaro, the house-steward, reveals that the police know that Bruno, brother to Mrs John, was seen in company of Pauline and now both have disappeared. Meantime, Spitta has quarreled with his father and they part company. Mrs John arrives from her supposed trip, followed by Bruno, at which point Mr John, hating him, leaves. Bruno describes his night with Pauline and how he murdered her. Later, Spitta looks over Mrs John sleeping on her couch: "Great drops of sweat are standing on her forehead." Mrs Hassenreuter comes to intervene in the young couple's favor against her husband, together with news that he has been appointed as manager of a theatre. He reveals to Mrs John that Mrs Knobbe's baby is dead, as well as the news that the police have discovered she never went in Hangelsberg, having been seen by the park near the river. Mr John decides to bring the baby over to his sister, whereupon Mrs John says that the child is not his. Mrs Knobbe's daughter arrives, refusing to go with Mr John as hired help, because the police have concluded that she brought down Pauline's baby from Hassenreuter's loft to her. Mr John accuses his wife: "So you bargained for that there kid someway an' when its mother wanted it back you got Bruno to kill her?" She counters with: "You ain't no husband o' mine! How could that be! You been bought by the police!" In a fit of rage and despair, Mrs John takes the baby, but is prevented. She blindly rushes out and kills herself in the street.
1921, directed by Hanns Kobe, with Eugen Klöpfer, Blandine Ebinger
, Gertrude Hoffman
, and Lucie Höflich
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012611/
1955, directed by Robert Siodmak
, with Maria Schell
, Curd Jürgens
, and Heidemarie Hatheyer
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048542/
1959, directed by John Olden http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403443/
1969, directed by Peter Beauvais, with Peter Mosbacher http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249908/
1977, directed by Rudolf Noelte, with Cordula Trantow
, Günter Lamprecht, and Gottfried John
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186481/
Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.-Life and work:...
(1862-1946), which premiered in 1911, one year before the author won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Unlike other Hauptmann plays, such as The Weavers (play)
The Weavers (play)
The Weavers is a play written by the German playwright Gerhart Hauptmann in 1892.-Plot summary:Most of the characters are proletarians struggling for their rights. Unlike most plays of any period, as pointed out many times in literature criticism and introductions, the play has no true central...
(1892) and The Assumption of Hannele
The Assumption of Hannele
The Assumption of Hannele , also known simply as Hannele, is an 1893 play by the German playwright Gerhart Hauptmann. In contrast to Hauptmann's naturalistic dramas, The Assumption of Hannele adopts a more symbolist dramaturgy and includes a dream sequence. The play is the first in world literature...
(1893), this one does not seem ever to have been performed on Broadway.
Dramatic characters, place, and time
HARRO HASSENREUTER, former theatrical managerMRS. HARRO HASSENREUTER
WALBURGA, their daughter
PASTOR SPITTA
ERICH SPITTA, postulant for Holy Orders, his son
ALICE RUeTTERBUSCH, actress
NATHANAEL JETTEL, court actor
KAeFERSTEIN, DR. KEGEL, pupils of HASSENREUTER
JOHN, foreman mason
MRS. JOHN, charwoman to HASSENREUTER
BRUNO MECHELKE, her brother
PAULINE PIPERCARCKA, a servant girl
MRS. SIDONIE KNOBBE
SELMA, her daughter
QUAQUARO, house-steward
MRS. KIELBACKE
POLICEMAN SCHIERKE
TWO INFANTS
Time: late 19th or early 20th century
Scene: Berlin
Plot
In "The rats", Mrs John, Hassenreuter's charwoman, offers to take the unborn baby of Pauline, abandoned by her lover, away from her. Hassenreuter, a former theatrical manager, brings to his housekeeper a milk-boiler. Walpurga, Hassenreuter's daughter, arrives, who loves Erich Spitta. When Pauline comes to look at her baby, Mrs John casts looks of hatred at her. Pauline informed the registrar's office of the birth and now a man from the guardian office will come over. The next day, Hassenreuter receives the visit of Pastor Spitta, Erich's father, who finds a photograph of Walpura in his son's room. Hassenreuter warns his daughter to repudiate him, or else he'll do so to her. Pauline comes in carrying a baby, neglected, according to her, by Mrs. John, which Hassenreuter refuses to believe. Sidonie Knobbe arrives and asserts she has lost her boy, too. On seeing the baby, she claims it as hers. But it is found to be dead.In the Johns' home, Mr John says his wife went with the baby out to his married sister's in Hangelsberg. He learns that Sidonie Knobbe's baby has died. Quaquaro, the house-steward, reveals that the police know that Bruno, brother to Mrs John, was seen in company of Pauline and now both have disappeared. Meantime, Spitta has quarreled with his father and they part company. Mrs John arrives from her supposed trip, followed by Bruno, at which point Mr John, hating him, leaves. Bruno describes his night with Pauline and how he murdered her. Later, Spitta looks over Mrs John sleeping on her couch: "Great drops of sweat are standing on her forehead." Mrs Hassenreuter comes to intervene in the young couple's favor against her husband, together with news that he has been appointed as manager of a theatre. He reveals to Mrs John that Mrs Knobbe's baby is dead, as well as the news that the police have discovered she never went in Hangelsberg, having been seen by the park near the river. Mr John decides to bring the baby over to his sister, whereupon Mrs John says that the child is not his. Mrs Knobbe's daughter arrives, refusing to go with Mr John as hired help, because the police have concluded that she brought down Pauline's baby from Hassenreuter's loft to her. Mr John accuses his wife: "So you bargained for that there kid someway an' when its mother wanted it back you got Bruno to kill her?" She counters with: "You ain't no husband o' mine! How could that be! You been bought by the police!" In a fit of rage and despair, Mrs John takes the baby, but is prevented. She blindly rushes out and kills herself in the street.
Text
An English translation can be found at http://www.archive.org/details/thedramaticworks09972gutFilm adaptations
Five German films based on the Hauptmann play, all entiled "Die Ratten":1921, directed by Hanns Kobe, with Eugen Klöpfer, Blandine Ebinger
Blandine Ebinger
Blandine Ebinger was a German actress and chansonniere, the daughter of the pianist Gustav Loeser and the actress Margarete Wezel...
, Gertrude Hoffman
Gertrude Hoffman
Gertrude W. Hoffmann was a German-born American character actress who began her Hollywood career as she was entering her sunset years.-Family:...
, and Lucie Höflich
Lucie Höflich
Lucie Höflich was a German actor, teacher and head of the Staatliche Schauspielschule in Berlin. She was born Helene Lucie von Holwede on 20 February 1883 in Hannover and died in 9 October 1956 in Berlin...
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012611/
1955, directed by Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak was a German born American film director. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for the series of Hollywood film noirs he made in the 1940s.-Early life:...
, with Maria Schell
Maria Schell
Maria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian/Swiss actress, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 1956 for Gervaise....
, Curd Jürgens
Curd Jürgens
Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
, and Heidemarie Hatheyer
Heidemarie Hatheyer
Heidemarie Hatheyer was an Austrian film actress. She appeared in 43 films between 1938 and 1988.-Selected filmography:* Dr. Holl * Desires * Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben...
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048542/
1959, directed by John Olden http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403443/
1969, directed by Peter Beauvais, with Peter Mosbacher http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249908/
1977, directed by Rudolf Noelte, with Cordula Trantow
Cordula Trantow
Cordula Trantow is a German actress and director. For her performance as Geli Raubal in the 1962 film, Hitler, she was nominated for a 1962 Golden Globe in the category: Most Promising Newcomer -Female....
, Günter Lamprecht, and Gottfried John
Gottfried John
-Life and work:During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gottfried John played various roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, notably that of Reinhold in the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz . He is internationally known for his portrayals of General Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius...
. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186481/