Kurt Hoffmann was the successful director in German cinema during the 1950s and early 1960s. Between 1948 and 1971 alone, he directed 39 films. However, he had learned his craft at Ufa, which made him a target for a generation of intellectuals who wanted to radically distance themselves from anything that represented continuity since the Nazi era, and who also viewed entertainment as inherently apolitical and unreflective. By appointing him as the top representative of "Papa's Cinema," critics sealed the fate of the director, who consequently "retired" at the age of 61 and has largely been neglected in German film history to this day. This is in commemoration of Hoffmann's 100th birthday.