Karl May film adaptations are films based on stories and characters by German author Karl May (1842–1912). The characters Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Kara Ben Nemsi are very famous in Central Europe.
In most of the film versions the novels were reworked to a great extent, some movies using only the names of characters invented by Karl May. For example, in the book Der Schatz im Silbersee (The Treasure of Silver Lake) the main character was called "Old Firehand" – in the movie he was renamed "Old Shatterhand" (played by American actor Lex Barker) after the more famous character. The movies Old Shatterhand (Apaches' Last Battle) and Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (Thunder at the Border) are not based on any of May's works, but were completely invented by the screenwriters. Several TV productions, such as Das Buschgespenst and Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi, were much closer to the novels.
In foreign distribution, most of the movie titles were not translated directly into the target language, but new movie titles were made up. For American distribution the makers of the movie posters also invented some new color formats such as Flaming Arrow Color for the movie Der Schatz im Silbersee [1] and Apache Color [2] for Winnetou 1. Teil (called Apache Gold in America).
The silent movies of the 1920s are now probably lost.
For 10 movies in the 1960s, German composer Martin Böttcher wrote landmark film scores, whose success also helped the movies' international success and influenced the Italian movie industry to make Western movies of their own and create a whole new genre, the Spaghetti western (whose most successful composer Ennio Morricone came to fame just after Martin Böttcher).
Michael Herbig's 2001 film Der Schuh des Manitu satirized the Karl May films of the 1960s to great commercial success in Germany.
(American film titles in brackets)
1. Auf den Trümmern des Paradieses (–) (On the Brink of Paradise) (1920), dir.: Josef Stein (silent film)
2. Die Todeskarawane (Caravan of Death) (1920), dir.: Josef Stein (silent)
3. Die Teufelsanbeter (The Devil Worshippers, informal) (1920), dir.: Ertugrul Moussin-Bey (silent)
4. Durch die Wüste (Across the Desert) (1936), dir.: Johannes Alexander Hübler-Kahla (first sound film)
5. Die Sklavenkarawane (–) (1958), dir.: Georg Marischka / Ramón Torrado (first color film)
6. Der Löwe von Babylon (–) (1959), dir.: Johannes Kai (= Hanns Wiedmann) / Ramón Torrado
7. Der Schatz im Silbersee (Treasure of the Silver Lake) (1962), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
8. Winnetou 1. Teil (Apache Gold) (1963), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
9. Old Shatterhand (Apaches' Last Battle) (1964), dir.: Hugo Fregonese
10. Der Schut (Yellow Devil a.k.a. The Shoot) (1964), dir.: Robert Siodmak
11. Winnetou – 2. Teil (Last of the Renegades) (1964), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
12. Unter Geiern (Frontier Hellcat a.k.a. Among Vultures) (1964), dir.: Alfred Vohrer
13. Der Schatz der Azteken (The Treasure of the Aztecs) (1965), dir.: Robert Siodmak
14. Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes (Pyramid of the Sun God) (1965), dir.: Robert Siodmak
15. Der Ölprinz (Rampage at Apache Wells) (1965), dir.: Harald Philipp
16. Durchs wilde Kurdistan (The Wild Men of Kurdistan) (1965), dir.: Franz Joseph Gottlieb
17. Winnetou – 3. Teil (The Desperado Trail) (1965), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
18. Old Surehand 1. Teil (Flaming Frontier) (1965), dir.: Alfred Vohrer
19. Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen (Fury of the Sabers) (1965), dir.: Franz Joseph Gottlieb
20. Das Vermächtnis des Inka (Legacy of the Incas) (1965), dir.: Georg Marischka
21. Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (Half-Breed) (1966), dir.: Harald Philipp
22. Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (Thunder at the Border) (1966), dir: Alfred Vohrer
23. Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death) (1968), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
1. Mit Karl May im Orient – 1963, 6 episodes
2. Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi – 1973/75, 26 episodes
3. Mein Freund Winnetou (My Friend Winnetou – French: Winnetou le Mescalero) – 1980, 14 episodes
4. Das Buschgespenst – 1986, 2 episodes
5. Präriejäger in Mexiko – 1988, 2 episodes
6. Winnetous Rückkehr – 1998, 2 episodes
7. Winnetoons German animated series – 26 episodes de:WinneToons
"Wilder Westen – Heißer Orient" – Karl-May-Filmmusik 1936–1968
Bear Family Records BCD 16413 HL – 8 CDs with 192-pages movie-book
"Winnetou Melodie – Martin Böttcher dirigiert seine großen Karl-May-Erfolge" (1971/1991)
Convoy (east west records, Time Warner, distributed by Karussel Musik & Video GmbH, 849 824-2
Michael Petzel: "Karl May Filmbuch", Karl-May-Verlag, Bamberg, ISBN 3-7802-0153-4
