"Das Wirtshaus im Spessart" or "The Spessart Inn" is a West German color film from 1958, so it will have its 60th birthday soon. And it should not be taken for granted as there are many German films from the 1960s that are still in black-and-white. And maybe this use of color is one reason why this this (slightly under) 100-minute movie is still somewhat known today, more than most other 1950s films for sure. And another reason may be that this is just the beginning from a whole series of "Spessart" films. However, I myself must say that this one would have been enough. It was not a failure and there were no really bad moments in here, but as a whole I found it fairly forgettable and it did not have enough fascinating scenes and interesting moments. The director is Kurt Hoffmann and returned for future films as well. The entire film is based on a fairy-tale by Wilhelm Hauff, a writer from the early 19th century who died at a very young age, but still wrote some pieces that are still known today. His stories are usually darker, but this one here really isn't. Yes there is a story about an abducted girl, but it is really all about the comedy, romance and music. Sadly, in these areas it does not stand out compared to all the mediocrity Germany delivered in the 1950s. That's why I give it a thumbs-down. Lead actress Lilo Pulver could not win me over either. Watch something else instead.
