Ludwig Berger was born on January 6, 1892 in Mainz, Hesse [now Rhineland-Palatinate], Germany as Ludwig Gottfried Heinrich Bamberger. He was a director and writer, known for Der Dieb von Bagdad (1940), Ergens in Nederland (1940) and Der Tod des Sokrates (1957). He died on May 18, 1969 in Schlangenbad, Hesse, Germany.
His father was the Treasury Secretary in the Weimar Republik government of Germany under Otto von Bismarck . A doctor of musicology, Berger turned to films as writer/director, initially for Decla-Bioscop and Ufa in the 20's. He moved to Britain after a relatively unsuccessful sojourn in Hollywood, co-directing Der Dieb von Bagdad (1940) for Alexander Korda. By the mid-50's, he worked mainly on made-for-television movies, before retiring to operate a restaurant in Luxemburg. At Decla-Bioscop and later UFA he established a reputation as a leading director of silent films. His brother Rudolf Bamberger was a famous production designer and stage designer. He died in 1944/45 in the KZ Auschwitz. Berger also translated a few plays of Shakespeare, including Cymbeline, Hamlet, and Timon of Athens. The director Ludwig Berger was born as Ludwig Gottfried Heinrich Bamberger into a prosperous family. He early got a musical education and studied German philology and art history later. When Mauritz Stiller died unexpected during the shooting of "The Street of Sin" (1928) he finished the movie and could realize some more productions in the next years. Ludwig Berger launched his artistic career in 1916 as a director at the theater in Mainz. It followed engagements at different German theaters where he especially was successful with plays by Shakespeare. He was a member of the jury at the 6th Berlin International Film Festival. Ludwig Berger returned to Germany after the war in 1947, three years later he realized his first post-war movie with "Ballerina" (50). This was his last big screen movie at the same time, from now on he worked exclusively for television. He volunteered for the German army when World War I broke out but was released because he was unfit for military service. Ludwig Berger did not connect his direction for "The Thief of Bagdad" (40) with Conrad Veidt and Sabu with positive reminiscences because producer Alexander Korda took over a massive influence in his work which led to a general confusion on the set.
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In Bagdad, the young and naive Sultan Ahmad is curious about the behavior of his people. The Grand Vizier Jaffar convinces Ahmad to walk through the city disguised as a subject to know his people. Then he seizes the power telling to the inhabitants that Ahmad has died while he sends his army to arrest the Sultan that is thrown into the dungeons and sentenced to death. Ahmad befriends the young thief Abu that helps him to escape from the prison. They flee to Basra and plan to travel abroad with Sinbad. However Ahmad stumbles upon the beautiful princess and they fall in love with each other. But the evil Jaffar has also traveled to Basra to propose to marry the princess. When they see each other, Jaffar uses magic to blind Ahmad and turn Abu into a dog. Is their love doomed?
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