Hinter den sieben Gleisen is a 1959 Swiss comedy film written and directed by Kurt Früh. Set in Zürich, it follows a pregnant German maid who finds refuge with three tramps after stepping in front of a locomotive in a rail yard. Früh later regarded it as his favourite film.
After stepping in front of a locomotive in a rail yard, a pregnant German maid named Inge finds refuge in a nearby shed with three tramps. Although they are reluctant at first, they soon begin to care for her and her newborn child.
The cast includes:
Kurt Früh regarded Hinter den sieben Gleisen as his favourite film. The characters Barbarossa, Dürst and Clown had previously appeared as supporting characters in FrühâÂÂs 1957 film Bäckerei Zürrer. An early working title for Hinter den sieben Gleisen was Die unheiligen drei Könige. Früh returned to the three tramps in his 1960 musical comedy Der Teufel hat gut lachen.
The film was produced by Gloriafilm AG in Zürich. Its producers were Max Dora, Lazar Wechsler and Kurt Früh. Filming took place from 24 August to October 1959. Interior scenes were shot at the Gesellenhaus Wolfbach in Zürich and at the Rosenhof film studio, while exterior scenes were filmed in Zürich and its surroundings, including the rail yard and the Zürichberg.
The filmâÂÂs music was composed by Walter Baumgartner. Its title song, âÂÂHinter den sieben GleisenâÂÂ, was sung by César Keiser, with lyrics by Fridolin Tschudi and Kurt Früh. The film also used electronic sound effects by Oscar Sala on the Mixturtrautonium.
The film premiered on 11 December 1959 at the Rex cinema in Zürich. In 2015, SRF 1 broadcast a restored version of the film as part of a season marking the 100th anniversary of Kurt FrühâÂÂs birth. In 2018, the film was screened at Film: Schweiz, the first Swiss film festival in Berlin, where it was presented as one of the classics in a programme spanning films made between 1959 and 2016. In a retrospective review, Filmdienst described the film as entertainment directed with a sense of humour and said that it derives much of its appeal from its ensemble cast.