Narrated by Erich Kästner himself, this version’s screenplay was adapted from his book himself.
Lotte and Luise are played by twins Isa and Jutta Günther. This was the first film for both girls, and they both stopped acting after 1958.
Antje Weisgerber and Peter Mosbacher play their parents, one living in Germany, and one living in Austria. This leads to some accent and dialectical lines throughout.
In a choice between this version and the 2017 version, the 2017 version is more engaging for most students. That being said, this can be especially interesting in the context of film history, Verfilmungen, or other artistic goals. One possible (albeit very long) unit could be reading the book and watching two or more film versions available – especially comparing how German film and American film handle the book differently.