Diesel (1942 film)

Diesel is a 1942 German biographical film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Willy Birgel, Hilde Weissner, and Paul Wegener. It portrays the life of Rudolf Diesel, the German inventor of the diesel engine.^[1] It was one of a series of prestigious biopics made in Nazi Germany portraying genius inventors or artists struggling against the societies in which they live. The film was based on a biography by Eugen Diesel, one of Diesel's children.

Diesel
Directed by	Gerhard Lamprecht
Written by	Richard H. Riedel Frank Thieß Gerhard Lamprecht
Based on	Diesel: Der Mensch, Das Werk, Das Schicksal by Eugen Diesel
Produced by	Richard H. Riedel
Starring	Willy Birgel Hilde Weissner Paul Wegener Josef Sieber
Cinematography	Georg Krause
Edited by	Wolfgang Wehrum
Music by	Hans-Otto Borgmann
Production company	UFA
Distributed by	UFA
Release date	13 November 1942 (1942-11-13)
Running time	109 minutes
Country	Nazi Germany
Language	German
Budget	2,349,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁

It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by art director Erich Kettelhut. Made on a large budget of 2,349,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁, the film was a popular box office success and recouped its production costs.

Cast

• Willy Birgel as Rudolf Diesel
• Hilde Weissner as Martha Diesel
• Paul Wegener as Director Buz
• Josef Sieber as Martin
• Arthur Schröder as Lucian Vogel
• Hilde von Stolz as Mrs. von Lorrenz
• Erich Ponto Theodor Diesel
• Werner Pledath as Prof. Carl von Linde
• Herbert Gernot as Krumper
• Walter Janssen as Professor Barnickel
• Hans Schulz as Big Worker
• Heinz Evelt as Small Worker
• Heinrich Marlow as Prof. Lüders
• Karl-Heinz Peters as Engineer Scheuermann
• Albert Florath as The Physician
• Otto F. Henning as Gilhausen
• Viggo Larsen as a Professor
• Leo Peukert as an Old Tugboat Captain
• Heinrich Troxbömker as Krupp
• Paul Westermeier as The Master Butcher
• Eduard Bornträger as Member of the Krupp Board
• Michael Braun [de] as Rudolf Diesel as a 12-year-old
• Josef Dahmen as Machinist at Buz
• Gerhard Dammann as a Furniture Packer
• Angelo Ferrari as Visitor in Krupp's Front Room
• Hellmuth Passarge as Machinist at Buz
• Karl Platen as the Office Employee in the Outer Room at Krupp
• Gustav Püttjer as a Furniture Packer
• Babsi Schultz-Reckewell as Luise
• Rudolf Vones as Machinist at Buz
• Franz Zimmermann as an Officer, Guest at Reception
• Klaus Pohl as Office Employee at Buz
• Hubert von Meyerinck as Mr. von Lorrenz
• Hadrian Maria Netto
• Hermann Pfeiffer
• Roma Bahn
• Robert Forsch
• Hildegard Grethe
• Karl Hannemann
• Ellen Krug
• Olga Limburg
• Ilse Stobrawa
• Franz Weber