Colibri (film)
1924 film by Victor Janson

Colibri is a 1924 German silent film directed by Victor Janson and starring Ossi Oswalda and Bruno Kastner.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacek Rotmil.
Cast
Ossi Oswalda as Colibri
Victor Janson as Boddy
Bruno Kastner as Reginald
Franz Egenieff as Percy F. Barrymore
Mara Markhoff as Magda
Paul Bildt as Stadnicky, Clown
Hans Junkermann as Tomaselli, Zirkusdirektor
Lydia Potechina as Arabella, seine Frau
Reinhold Hintze as Samson, Athlet
Hans Lipschütz as Marcus
M.O. Schiller as Löw
Hugo Döblin as Samuel, Althändler
Wilhelm Chandron as Wilcox, Laboratoriumsgehilfe
Erich Walter as Karmanoff, ein Russe
Tschunka Tschen as Dr. Yokito, ein Japaner
Plot
Synopsis
Colibri is a 1924 German silent comedy film that follows the story of a street girl known only as "Colibri," who is exploited by her protector, the burly occasional thief Boddy, for his petty crimes, including thefts where she acts as a decoy. This leads to frequent run-ins with the police. The rich benefactor Mr. Barrymore encounters Colibri and, inspired by a Pygmalion-like transformation, decides to take her under his wing, educating her to become a proper lady and integrating her into high society. Colibri's life changes dramatically, but Boddy refuses to relinquish his useful accomplice. When another theft—of important documents—is pinned on Colibri, she flees the Barrymore estate in shame, joins a traveling circus, and rises to stardom as a variety performer. Further pursuits by authorities force her to flee again, leading to a series of turbulent events.
“Colibri (film)” enters the record as 1924 film by Victor Janson. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Colibri, film and Victor can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q21869251. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1924.
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