Karl May film adaptations

Karl May film adaptations are films based on stories and characters by German author Karl May. The characters Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Kara Ben Nemsi are very famous in Central Europe.
In most of the film versions the novels were reworked to a great extent, some movies using only the names of characters invented by Karl May. For example, in the book Der Schatz im Silbersee the main character was called "Old Firehand" – in the movie he was renamed "Old Shatterhand" after the more famous character. The movies Old Shatterhand, Winnetou and Old Firehand and Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi are not based on any of May's works, but were completely invented by the screenwriters. Several TV productions, such as Das Buschgespenst and Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi, were much closer to the novels.
In foreign distribution, most of the movie titles were not translated directly into the target language, but new movie titles were made up. For American distribution the makers of the movie posters also invented some new color formats such as Flaming Arrow Color for the movie Der Schatz im Silbersee and Apache Color for Winnetou 1. Teil.
The silent movies of the 1920s are now probably lost.
For 10 movies in the 1960s, German composer Martin Böttcher wrote landmark film scores, whose success also helped the movies' international success and influenced the Italian movie industry to make Western movies of their own and create a whole new genre, the Spaghetti Western.
Michael Herbig's 2001 film Der Schuh des Manitu satirized the Karl May films of the 1960s to great commercial success in Germany.

Theatrical films

On [the Brink of Paradise|Auf den Trümmern des Paradieses] , dir.: Josef Stein Die Todeskarawane , dir.: Josef Stein Die Teufelsanbeter , dir.: Ertugrul Moussin-Bey Durch die Wüste , dir.: Johannes Alexander Hübler-Kahla ' , dir.: Georg Marischka / Ramón Torrado

' , dir.: Johannes Kai / Ramón TorradoDer Schatz im Silbersee , dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlWinnetou 1. Teil , dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlOld Shatterhand , dir.: Hugo Fregonese' , dir.: Robert SiodmakWinnetou – 2. Teil , dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlUnter Geiern , dir.: Alfred VohrerDer Schatz der Azteken , dir.: Robert SiodmakDie Pyramide des Sonnengottes , dir.: Robert SiodmakDer Ölprinz , dir.: Harald Philipp
' , dir.: Franz Joseph GottliebWinnetou – 3. Teil , dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlOld Surehand 1. Teil , dir.: Alfred Vohrer' , dir.: Franz Joseph GottliebDas Vermächtnis des Inka , dir.: Georg MarischkaWinnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi , dir.: Harald PhilippWinnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand , dir: Alfred VohrerThe [Valley of Death (film)|Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten] , dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlDer Schuh des Manitu , dir.: Michael HerbigBullyparade – Der Film , dir.: Michael Herbig
', dir.: Mike Marzuk

Television

Mit Karl May im Orient – 1963, 6 episodesKara Ben Nemsi Effendi – 1973/75, 26 episodesMein Freund Winnetou – 1980, 14 episodes' – 1986, 2 episodes

' – 1988, 2 episodes – 1998, 2 episodesWinneToons – 26 episodesWinnetou – Der Mythos lebt – 2016, 3 episodes

Discography

"Wilder Westen – Heißer Orient" – Karl-May-Filmmusik 1936–1968
"Winnetou Melodie – Martin Böttcher dirigiert seine großen Karl-May-Erfolge"

Literature

Michael Petzel: Karl May Filmbuch, Karl-May-Verlag, Bamberg,