1 9 7 2 (UK)
6 x 45 minute episodes
Derek Jacobi starred as Diederich Hessling in this BBC2 adaptation of Heinrich Mann’s so-called prophetic novel of Germany in the first decade of the 20th century, Der Untertan.
The story followed Hessling’s career from his student days when he arrived from a provincial town to study in Berlin, narrowly obtaining a doctorate of chemistry before becoming a paper manufacturer, family patriarch, and eventually the most influential man in his small hometown.
Hessling’s inflexible ideals were often contradicted by his actions: he preached bravery but was a coward; he was the strongest proponent of the military but sought to be excused from his obligatory military service; his greatest political opponents were the proletarian Social Democrats, yet he used his influence to help send his hometown’s SPD candidate to the Reichstag parliament, in order to defeat his liberal competitors in business; he started vicious rumours against the latter and then dissociated himself from them; he preached and enforced Christian virtues upon others but lied, cheated, and regularly committed infidelity.
The role required Jacobi to act in two clearly contrasting styles and to switch from one to the other at the drop of the script.
Diederich Hessling
Derek Jacobi
Dr Heuteufel
John Phillips
Sotbier
Denis Carey
Guste Daimchen
Judy Cornwell
Emmi Hessling
Elizabeth Bell
Frau Hessling
Sheila Brennan
Napoleon Fischer
Dave Hill
Katchen Zillich
Judy Loe
Magda Hessling
Karin MacCarthy
Wolfgang Buck
Ian Ogilvy
Von Wulchow
John Savident
Agnes Goppel
Juliet Aykroyd
Dr Judassohn
Sam Dastor
Virsing
Mike Fields
Herr Goppel
Derek Francis
Judge Sarding
Harry Hutchinson
Burgermeister Scheffelweis
David King
Herr Cohn
Stanley Lebor
Fox Major
Stuart McGugan
Judith Lauer
Eve Pearce
Herr Lauer
Cyril Shaps
Wiebel
Sean Roantree
Hernung
Brian Stirner
Marklmann
John White
Pastor Zillich
Manning Wilson