Uschi Glas and Hansi Kraus: “Before, there was beer on the set!”

As a cheeky First Bank thug, he once delighted millions of onlookers. Hansi Kraus (69) was a famous child star of the 1960s, playing alongside stars like Theo Lingen, Peter Alexander and Harald Juhnke.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday, BILD am SONNTAG sends Pepe back to school with his film sister Marion, alias Uschi Glas (78).

BILD am SONNTAG: Was Hansi really a rascal back then, Mrs Glas?

Uschi glass: “Well, he didn’t play tricks on me. I remember him as a cool guy who did a really good job as an actor.

Hansi Kraus: “Because I was a big fan of Winnetou, Apanatschi was spared my antics. But in principle, I was right to get the part at the time, because I was really a rascal. Some of my pranks from the real world, like the scratching powder on the toilet paper of the cup, even made their way into the script.

Glass: “I like to think back to that time. Also because filming was much more relaxed and comfortable back then than it is now.

frills: “Yes, no comparison. There was even beer on the set.

Hansi Kraus on gender: “A terrible evolution”

And there were movie titles that wouldn’t be possible today in terms of genre.

frills: “A terrible evolution, how our language is censored today. Uschi and I are no longer actors, but actors. What the fuck?”

Glass: “I too have a hard time getting into it. At some point, you probably won’t even be allowed to say ‘the girl’ anymore because it’s discriminatory.”

frills: “You can’t say ‘Miss’ anymore. Instead, people are suddenly talking about menstruating beings. And I’ve lost track of how many new genders there are suddenly.

Mrs. Glas, did you ever find the title of the film “To the point, darling” discriminatory?

Glass: “Oh, never in my life have I ever had a problem with that. I don’t want to deny that there are women who have been discriminated against or harassed, but I also think that some things have been exaggerated. I have never been the victim of sexual harassment in my career. However, I have already been the victim of discrimination for this. As I was not politically compliant with Schamoni & Co. and did not show my solidarity with Willy Brandt, ‘Zur Sache, Schätzchen’ was my first and last appearance at Neues Deutsches Film, I was given the choice: “Either you support us or you steal.”

How were the fees back then?

frills: “For my first naughty film, I received the trifle of 3000 marks for 30 days of shooting. They ripped me off at the time, with the argument that you had no idea if the film would work. It was so successful that four more films were produced.With the second film, I got 8,000 marks and my maximum price for a thug film later was 35,000 marks.

Glass: “I can’t put a figure on this because I was under contract with Rialto Film at the time and I saw almost nothing of my first fees. Rialto had financed my studies in Germany and England and I had to pay them back for five years. There was almost nothing left at the time except my rent money.

frills: “I also didn’t see anything from my first expenses, my parents bought a color television with it. At 18, I was at least able to afford a car. What I still have from that time today it’s my condominium and I was able to pay for it and finance it with the money I had saved up.

I got my hands on the bamboo stick in elementary school

How were your school days?

frills: “I was only good at biology and gymnastics.”

Glass: “I was better in math, chemistry and physics. My worst subject was art, but it was related to the teacher. An experience that I have also observed in my children. If the teacher is good, even Latin can inspire.

frills: “I especially remember one thing: I was in high school and I made my first film during the summer holidays. When school started again, I was called to the principal’s office and told, “If you do another movie, you’ll fly. You’re such a bad student, you need a vacation to work.” In fact, I was kicked out of school at the next movie.

Glass: “It’s amazing, you can’t even imagine that today. I got my hands on the bamboo stick in elementary school.

frills: “Once, a teacher gave me the choice between a reprimand or three slaps as a punishment. As I already had so many references, I opted for the Watschn. A mistake because he hit me so hard I cried and walked with swollen cheeks for a week.

Glass: “Thank goodness our children were spared all of this.”

frills: “My granddaughter is so smart she skipped a grade and just graduated high school at 17. What can I say? Just good genes.

How would you sum up your 70th birthday?

frills: “Life has done me good. I am humbled and grateful to be in good health. It is not something taken for granted, because I almost died ten years ago. I was admitted to hospital with a strep infection called Fournier’s gangrene. Last minute, two hours later and I would have been dead. As soon as I had the attacks I went into septic shock and I didn’t only regained consciousness after a three-day coma in intensive care My wife and two daughters stood by my bed with tears in their eyes and told me that they had feared for my life for three days .

Glass: “Oh my god, my poor. how did you react

frills: “I asked the head doctor for a beer. However, he denied me that. I was so weak that I couldn’t even drink water.”

Glass: “That’s how I know you. Always the coolest.

frills: “I didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation. But I remember a dream with blue clouds where I stood in front of two dark tunnels and asked the guard in front of them where the tunnel was with the bright light. He didn’t respond and I refused to go any further. Looking back, I think that was the key moment that made me decide to live.

Have you lived differently since?

frills: “I’m a little more thoughtful and have a little more respect for death than I used to. But I don’t speak to angels and still prefer to go from the tavern to the church. And my basic attitude towards life has remained the same: many keys mean many responsibilities, which is why I only have two keys – one for my apartment and one for my bike.”