“History is not about the facts. It is about the context and who is telling the story.” —Prof. Milton Fine.
"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." –– George Orwell in his novel "1984."
"Whoever doubts the exclusive guilt of Germany for the Second World War destroys the foundation of post–war politics." –– Prof. Theodor Eschenberg, Rector, the University of Tübingen.
"If we have our own why in life, we shall get along with almost any how." – Friedrich Nietzsche
POSTER GALLERY --view
over 500 German film
original posters between
1927–1954 from
Germany and from
many Axis and Neutral countries
across Europe!
Note! Posters in the Poster Gallery are PERMANENT
acquisitions which are NOT FOR SALE!! ONLY the
posters listed in our POSTER STORE are for sale.
(They have a price and order button to use.)
Herbert Selpin's name banned after his slander
of the Wehrmacht during the filming of
"Titanic" in 1942
Our Collection has no less than eight original 1943 film posters for the Selpin film from Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, and the Protektorat (former Czechoslovakia). We also own the original French press–book for the film's world premiere in 1943 after it was banned from being shown in Germany, and we also own 13 lobby cards and press photographs and one Italian Fotobusta. The 7 film posters can be seen in our POSTER GALLERY on this website.
SELPIN'S BAN AS A DIRECTOR AND HIS NAME BEING EXPUNGED FROM ALL PUBLICITY, OFF ALL HIS OLD AND NEW FILM POSTERS, AND EVEN FILM CREDITS:
The August 5th 1942 issue of the trade newspaper the Film Kurier Tageszeitung on its front page printed a notice which read:
The Reich Film Intendant announces:
The film director Herbert Selpin, by means of scurrilous slander and insults, has gravely offended the morale of the war. He is therefore taken in half to be handed over to the court."
Selpin's misconduct was all the more despicable because he did not participate in the World War nor in this war, on the contrary, he was assigned to carry out important tasks in the German film. Selpin, during the court remand in the night of August 1, put an end to his life by hanging.
The handbill translates thus:
Dear Mr. Theater Owner|
According to a communication from the Herr Reichsfilm-Intendant, the name of the film director Herbert Selpin is no longer to be mentioned during the screening of films in which he has worked. (See also "Filmkurier" No. 181 of 6. 8. 42 on page 1.)
*The title credits of the films in question have been changed accordingly, and the posters are supplied with over-stickers. Insofar as over-stickers could not previously be applied to individual posters, the name Selpin is to be covered with a cover strip.
Due to time constraints, the necessary erasure of the name cannot be carried out in the advertising flyers, which is why it is expressly pointed out here that the name "Herbert Selpin" may no longer appear anywhere in public.
Old playbills are to be destroyed immediately; newly printed ones, without Selpin's name, will be supplied.
We ask you, Mr. Theater Owner, to take all necessary precautions to ensure that the name of Herbert Selpin does not appear in any publication or advertisement - (e.g., in showcases, on easels or house fronts, in any advertisement or other notices) - not even by accident or inadvertence. Because the casual handling of this matter can have unpleasant consequences for all those responsible.
Deutsche Filmvertriebs-Gesellschaft m. b. H.
The handbill:
A very rare German language handbill from our Collection advertising the new film, which was printed before Dr. Goebbels banned it's premiere in Nazi Germany at the last minute but allowed Titanic to have it's world premiere in Occupied Paris instead.
