| The Merciful Lie | |
| Director: | Werner Klingler |
| Producer: | Erich Palme |
| Starring: | Hilde Krahl Elisabeth Flickenschildt Ernst von Klipstein |
| Editing: | Ella Ensink |
| Studio: | Euphono-Film |
| Distributor: | Tobis Film |
| Runtime: | 87 minutes |
| Country: | Germany |
| Language: | German |
The Merciful Lie (German: Die barmherzige Lüge) is a 1939 German drama film directed by Werner Klingler and starring Hilde Krahl, Elisabeth Flickenschildt and Ernst von Klipstein.[1] It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin and on location in Bremen. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Karl Böhm and Erich Czerwonski.
In a frontier town on the border between Manchuria and Mongolia Anja, the niece of the owner of a rough local entertainment venue, waits for the return of her lover Doctor Thomas Clausen with whom she has had a child. Clausen is part of an expedition planning to explore into the wild lands on the Soviet side of the border. To Anja's dismay, however, he returns with a new wife.
When the new wife dies of food poisoning and Clausen away on his expedition, Anja goes to Bremen to stay with his wealthy family and masquerades as his wife. They welcome her as has a child who will carry on the family line.