
Urban Gad
Directing
Biography
Peter Urban Gad was a Danish director who worked mostly in Germany, directing 40 films between 1910 and 1927. From 1912 to 1918 he was married to his leading lady Asta Nielsen, who starred in 30 of his productions. Gad directed both the first feature-length Danish film (Den sorte drøm 1911) and the first feature-length German film (Die Verräterin 1911).
Known For

Weltbrand is the first part of the two-part silent movie Christian Wahnschaffe.
Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand

Nelly's mother is a suffragette and persuades her daughter to join the good cause. Placing a bomb under Lord William's chair love develops between the two.
The Suffragette

Engelein is a comedy of deliberately mistaken identity. If Jesta, a 17-year-old, can play the part of a 12-year-old, her family will gain a large inheritance from a rich uncle from Chicago. Her unruly “play-acting” for the uncle is preceded by an earlier incident in the film that results in Jesta being evicted from her girl’s school. Wearing a long, woman’s skirt, she climbs up a ladder and onto a thatched roof. She reaches over the top of the wall to kiss her boyfriend, who appears from the other side. However, Jesta is caught by the headmistress, and her forced descent is precipitous. Pulled downward, she reveals a great deal of a black-stockinged leg. She looks distinctly sexual as she falls into the matrimonly arms of the law, whose duty is to enforce the rules of female decorum.
Little Angel

Jenny, a cleaner, is seduced by a local playboy, Edouard. Jenny's parents reject her after she spends the night with him. She finds a job as a vaudeville dancer, but ultimately winds up in the gutter.
Poor Jenny

A film crew is shooting a movie about guns and robbers, when real robbers turn up. Having to go home in robbers costume, they are mistakingly accused of a robbery. One of the earliest films portraying bisexual characters.
Zapata's Gang

A woman betrays the regiment location in which the officer she is interested in is assigned because he despises her, only to regret it when he is caught and try to free him.
The Traitress

Magda, a piano teacher, meets Knud, a parson’s son, who invites her to spend the summer at his parents’ parsonage. When a travelling circus stops in the village, Magda leaves the meek Knud for the dashing circus rider Rudolf. But circus life with Rudolf quickly turns out to be anything but happy, and Magda comes to a tragic end.
The Abyss
A young woman, Nina, works as a singer at a Copenhagen variety theatre, but when her contract expires she suddenly finds herself with no income to support her and her old mother. Upon seeing a newspaper advertisement looking for singers for a theatre in St. Petersburg, Nina jumps at the chance – and a few weeks later she is on her way. However, the advertisement is a hoax, and she actually ends up in a notorious brothel. She fears that all hope is out, but at the same time her sailor boyfriend has just landed in St. Petersburg and is leaving no stone unturned to find his beloved.
The House of Ill Repute

Jonna cheats on her husband with a chauffeur and is discovered by her husband. After the divorce, she falls into a life of theft and poverty until her daughter helps her reconcile with her ex.
Gypsy Blood

Bella is married to engineer Burk who meets with an accident. To provide an income she starts as a performer, but happen to meet an infatuated, intriguing composer. On the brink of marital ruin, she kills the composer.
Der Totentanz

Film star Ruth Breton has a habit of falling in love. When dating Walter she meets Von Zornhorst. When Zornhorst discards her, she pines away. As a last token of his love for Ruth, Walter writes a play for her, but during the final act of "Pierrot's Death", Ruth expires.
The Film Prima Donna

The English landowner Wolton has gone on a fishing trip in the Spreewald with his daughter May. They meet fellow Englishman Bruce, who falls head over heels in love with the beautiful May and plans to make her his wife before their holiday is over. However, there is just one problem: May has only eyes for the young boatman Max. Bruce finds an ally in Max’s girlfriend, Grete, and together they do everything in their power to stop the budding love affair. A war of love with a fatal outcome.
The Strange Bird
Wanda marries a Count but falls in love with his son. When their relationship is discovered by the Dowager Countess, she locks them in the garden shed and sets fire to it.
Das Feuer

A sequel to 1914's Engelein, recounting the wedding of the titular protagonist. This film is considered lost.
Little Angel's Wedding

Comedy about the lieutenant who marries poor Jesta. As a wealthy neighbor wants his own daughter to wed the officer, Jesta has to disguise herself as a man to woo her rival. She is revealed but finally gets her lieutenant.
Youth and Madness

Stella, a circus princess, has two suitors: young, handsome Count Waldberg and the greying, hidebound jeweller Hirsch. Stella’s love for Waldberg drives Hirsch mad with jealousy. He will stop at nothing to be near the woman of his dreams. When the count loses a staggering sum to the jeweller in a gambling duel, Stella embarks on a fateful mission to save her beloved’s honour. (Stumfilm.dk)
The Black Dream

The noble family de la Porte lives at castle Medan. After the lost heir August returns unexpectedly, countess Herm, mother-in-law of younger brother Johann, fears for the inheritance of her daughter.
Witching Hour

A doppelganger comedy made at the height of Asta Nielsen's fame in which she plays dual roles. This film is considered lost.
The False Asta Nielsen
No description available.
My Life as a Night Editor

Comedy about the courting couple Sabine and Lehman. Her roving eye catches a lieutenant, and when he finds out about her winning lottery ticket, he tries to steal it. Lehman intervenes and saves the day.