Die Familie Hesselbach Explained

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Country:	West Germany
Language:	German
Budget:	US $30,000^[1]
Gross:	US $250,000

Die Familie Hesselbach is a 1954 West German film about a lower middle class German family. It stars, and was written and directed by Wolf Schmidt and was based on a popular radio show.

It was followed by three sequels:

• The Hesselbach Family on Vacation (1955)
• The Horoscope of Family Hesselbach (Das Horoskop der Familie Hesselbach (1956)^[2]
• Herr Hesselbach und die Firma (1956)

Production

Wolf Schmidt had made a successful radio series that ran from 1951 to 1958 but was unable to get finance for the film version so shot it in his own apartment in Friedberg.^[1]

Reception

The movie was a hit and the first post-war German film to gross over one million marks ($250,000).^[1] It led to three sequels and a television series which ran from 1960 until 1963.^{[3] [4]}

External links

• Die Familie Hesselbach at IMDb

i

Notes and References

1. Faster & Cheaper in Japan (That Includes Fare). Variety. 12 Feb 1964. 40.
2. Das Horoskop der Familie Hesselbach - Review. Variety. 15 Feb 1956. 6.
3. 'Contrast Program Without Contrast' Label Pinned on Germany's New TV'. Variety. 2 August 1961. 32. Hazel. Guild.
4. Variety. Reich's Oldest B'cast Show 'Family Hesselbach' Ends Run as One-Man Project. 19 June 1963. 48.