Augsburger Puppenkiste - Eine Woche voller Samstage

The Spirit of Christmas

December 1953 •English

This Christmas film, created as a special for television broadcast throughout the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania viewing region, was produced by puppeteer Mabel Beaton and her husband Les for Bell Telephone Company and first aired in 1953. Following a short live-action opening portion, featured are two extended marionette segments, the first dramatizing Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas", the second reverently telling the Nativity story; the two stories are staged in classic, traditional style. From 1953 onward, for several years, The Spirit of Christmas was broadcast in the intended region multiple times per holiday season. It was also available as a 16mm film licensed to schools for showings to students. This film often is misstated to have originally been broadcast in 1950.

Invaders from the Deep

January 1981 •English

A compilation of four episodes from the Supermarionation series Stingray. When aquatic aliens plot to take over the planet, the world aquanaut security patrol are called in to battle the aliens.

Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars

January 1981 •English

A compilation of four episodes from the Supermarionation series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Captain Scarlet and the members of Spectrum battle the Mysterons from Mars who are trying to establish a base on the moon.

Countdown to Disaster

January 1982 •English

International Rescue sends the incredible Thunderbirds on the most dangerous rescue missions yet. They must save the Empire State Building from collapsing on New York City and at the same time battle a deadly fire blazing out of control in a mid-Atlantic oil station.

Pinocchio

December 1968 •English

Pinocchio is a musical version of the story that aired in the United States on NBC, with pop star Peter Noone playing the puppet.

Splettrhex

April 2010 •German

Salzburg Marionette Theatre: The Magic Flute

January 1994 •German

The Queen of the Night has begged Prince Tamino to free her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the High Priest Sarastro, who has abducted her. Together with the bird-catcher Papageno, Tamino enters Sarastro's realm to seek her. When he finds her, the two fall in love, but they have to have to undergo ordeals before they can be together. At the end, Papageno is also rewarded with his Papagena.

Salzburg Marionette Theatre: The Nutcracker

December 2009 •German

On Christmas Eve, the parents of Clara and Fritz have invited guests. Among them is Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer, who presents her with a nutcracker. Clara is delighted and finally falls asleep with her Christmas present tucked under her arm. But at midnight Drosselmeyer appears as a wizard and transforms the Nutcracker into a prince.

Rubbish

January 1982 •English

A young boy creates a world of puppet friends using pieces of rubbish found in the street.

Captain Scarlet vs. The Mysterons

January 1980 •English

A compilation of four episodes from the Supermarionation series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, with a new opening sequence, new special effects, and an alternate ending. War erupts between Earth and Mars after a manned mission to Mars results in an attack on the city of the Mysterons.

A Puff Before Dying

March 2021 •English

A wild night of drugs and drugged up driving ends in tragedy for three teenage girls that happen to be marionettes.

Pinocchio in Outer Space

December 1965 •English

Pinocchio tries to save the Earth from Astro the Space Whale

TATTERS

June 2025 •English

Meet Marvin: A silly puppet who learns a big lesson after he is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Puppetry (String Marionettes)

January 1947 •English

Describes the making of a puppet in detail from the carving of the head to the fitting of the strings. Close-ups show how the movements of the various limbs are achieved and finally the film portrays a brief episode in the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Rumpelstiltskin

November 1949 •English

Marionette puppet version of the tale about a little man who grants a miller's daughter the gift of spinning straw into gold.

Danny's Dental Date

January 1949 •English

Danny is having some anxiety about his upcoming dentist appointment, culminating in an educational nightmare in which he is a wooden marionette and lectured by animals about his teeth.

The Double Life of Véronique

May 1991 •French

Véronique is a beautiful young French woman who aspires to be a renowned singer; Weronika lives in Poland, has a similar career goal and looks identical to Véronique, though the two are not related. The film follows both women as they contend with the ups and downs of their individual lives, with Véronique embarking on an unusual romance with Alexandre Fabbri, a puppeteer who may be able to help her with her existential issues.

Arc

March 2009 •Hungarian

In a bizarre and decadent society, faceless characters are tirelessly trying to appeal to a body of bureaucrats in order to finally be allowed to have a face. Will they be happy when they can get a nose, a pair of eyes and a mouth?

Filmed in Supermarionation

October 2014 •English

The definitive documentary about the iconic television series developed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and their production companies (AP Films and Century 21 Pictures). Supermarionation was a revolutionary technique used in all their programmes throughout the 1960s including Stingray, Captain Scarlet and, most famously, Thunderbirds.

Brazey & D'Bruppy

August 2024 •English

Brazey and D'Bruppy reconvene in a park after a period of time apart.