Film Screening

Abenteuer in Wien (Adventure in Vienna)

Nov 25 — Nov 25, 2024

A forgotten masterpiece of Austrian Film Noir about a taxi driver in Vienna without papers who is assuming the identity of another man.

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Directed by Emil Edwin Reinert (1952)
In German; English subtitles. 90 min.

This largely unknown example of film noir set in the seedy underbelly of postwar Vienna has all the tension and atmosphere of its more famous counterpart, The Third Man. The film is based on the 1933 thriller novel Ich war Jack Mortimer (I Was Jack Mortimer) by Alexander Lernet-Holenia.

The scene is postwar Vienna. Displaced person Toni Sponer, employed as a cabdriver, wants to leave the city but has no identification papers. When one of his passengers is murdered, Toni appropriates the dead man's papers and "becomes" Jack Mortimer. Unfortunately, there are several shady characters around and who want Jack Mortimer dead.

Related reading

I Was Jack Mortimer (1933)
By Alexander Lernet-Holenia
Translated by Ignat Avsey

This screening is presented as part of the Fall/Winter 2024 Filmbar Series, “This is Vienna.” The series explores the city that both inspired and defined the artistic journey of Egon Schiele, and is organized in conjunction with the special exhibition, “Egon Schiele: Living Landscapes.”