Rumpelstiltskin (1960): cast, plot and where to watch

Rumpelstiltskin (1960) is the East German fairy-tale film Das Zaubermännchen, featuring Siegfried Seibt and Karin Lesch. Its German title also appears as Rumpelstilzchen. Those names help identify the film when different catalogs translate the same story differently. The DEFA Foundation’s record documents the production and its release on 29 July 1960.

To look for a stream, start with the UMass DEFA Film Library’s viewing entry, which links to Kanopy. For a quick identity check, match 1960 + Siegfried Seibt + Das Zaubermännchen before opening a player.

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Payment buys successful video generations, not access to a movie. The template changes the main character’s face and hair. Expression, facial hair and clothing details can vary.

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Where to watch Rumpelstiltskin (1960)

The following are routes to a film listing or rental inquiry. This guide does not host the movie. Catalog links were checked on 12 October 2026; we have not verified playback with a subscriber or library account.

• UMass DEFA Film Library: the library identifies the film, lists German audio with English subtitles, and provides streaming and DVD rental links. Use this entry to confirm that you are following the correct adaptation.
• Kanopy — Rumpelstiltskin: this is the streaming destination linked by UMass. Open it to check current access through your account or participating institution. The presence of the catalog link does not guarantee that your account can play the title.
• DEFA Film Library rentals: UMass lists both NTSC and PAL DVD rental formats. Contact the library through its rental information for current eligibility, terms and availability, especially for a planned screening.

Before arranging a rental or signing up for a service, check three details on the provider’s page: the film year and cast, the audio and subtitle languages, and the access offered to your account. For a disc, also check the format your equipment supports. An English catalog title alone does not mean that the dialogue is dubbed in English.

If a listing does not load or playback is unavailable, return to the UMass entry for its current links. There is no separate movie download supplied by this website, and purchasing AI video credits here does not unlock an external film service.

Who is in the 1960 cast?

The principal roles are listed below. These credits follow the DEFA film record, with character names retained where useful for recognizing a German-language listing.

Siegfried Seibt

Rumpelstilzchen

Karin Lesch

Marie, the miller’s daughter

Reinhard Michalke

Hans, the miller’s assistant

Karl-Heinz Rothin

Miller Kunz

Nikolaus Paryla

The king

Bodo Mette

The treasurer

Christoph Engel directed the film. Filmportal’s full credits also credit Erwin Anders with co-direction and cinematography, and Wolfgang Pietsch with the score. This production came from DEFA’s feature-film studio.

Why do listings say 71 or 74 minutes?

DEFA and Filmportal record 74 minutes; UMass lists 71 minutes. These sources do not explain the discrepancy. Match the title, year and cast first, then use the runtime shown for the provider’s offered version. The different catalog numbers alone do not establish that a copy is incomplete.

What is the story?

Spoiler-free outline: Miller Kunz boasts that his daughter Marie can turn straw into gold. She is brought to the castle to perform the impossible task. A mysterious little man offers help, but his price eventually becomes a promise of her first child. When he returns to collect, Marie has one chance to keep her child: discover his name. This outline follows Filmportal’s synopsis.

Read the ending — spoilers

Hans discovers the little man’s name and helps Marie save her child. The UMass synopsis and commentary highlight the wider kingdom’s involvement and the film’s concern with greed, family and responsibility.

1960 film, 1987 movie or the dance meme?

These searches can lead to different works. Use the performer and character names to separate them:

• The 1960 film: Siegfried Seibt plays Rumpelstilzchen; Karin Lesch plays Marie. Look for Das Zaubermännchen and DEFA in the credits.
• The 1987 movie: Billy Barty and Amy Irving star in David Irving’s musical, as documented by the American Film Institute. For that production, use our 1987 film guide and watching guide.
• The viral tiptoe clip: Tubi’s explanation describes the dance as apparently AI-generated and says it is not in the 1987 movie. That does not make the 1960 film its source. Our dance meme guide follows the separate online clip and soundtrack.

A repost caption with “1960” is a claim to check, not a film credit. Compare it with the documented performers and a provider’s actual preview before treating the short clip as a scene from this adaptation.

If you were looking to make a personalized dance clip, use the AI video maker on this page. For a correction to this film guide or a broken viewing link, contact us with the page and source details.