Rübezahl - Master of the Mountains

For 999 years, the mountain spirit Rübezahl has lived deep underground in the Giant Mountains. No one has seen him since. But when he learns that people no longer believe in him and that greed and injustice reign supreme, the lord of the mountains descends into the valley to teach humans a lesson with his magical powers. He harnesses a servant who is working his old horse to death to his carriage and gives him the whip. The mountain spirit turns the gold of his rich and miserly cousin Klaus into stones. Having become hungry on his journey, Rübezahl stops at an inn in the guise of a carter. When the greedy innkeeper, out of sheer greed, nibbles half of the scrambled eggs he has ordered from his plate, Rübezahl demands the eggs he has already paid for back...

Directed by Erich Kobler, Rübezahl - Master of the Mountains leans on a strong ensemble — Franz Essel, Otto Mächtlinger, Monika Greving — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about family titles of 1957.