Franz Planer Movies
Cinematographer Franz Planer was born in Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary), Czechoslovakia. Planer was a portrait photographer until 1919 when he began working in German film. He did not come to Hollywood until 1937, using the pseudonym Frank F. Planer. Planer is best known for his work with director Max Ophüls. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Director F.W. Murnau and scriptwriter Thea von Harbou both took a change of pace from their usual dramas with this satiric farce about Grand Duke Don Ramon XX (Harry Liedtke), whose idyllic country is threatened by revolution. The troublemakers are a trio of conspirators, working with a corrupt financier who intends to convert the landscape into a profitable sulfur mine. Don Ramon comes close to being hanged, but is rescued by Olga (Mady Christians), the Grand Duchess of Russia, who loves him and agrees to pay off all his debts. A compromising love letter from Olga falls into the conspirators' hands, but she and Don Ramon, with the help of the adventurer Philip Collins (Alfred Abel) are able to set their affairs right. Note who plays one of the conspirators: Max Schreck, who starred as the hideous vampire in Murnau's horror classic Nosferatu. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Liedtke, Mady Christians, (more)
- 1927
Hanns Heinz Ewers' grim science-fiction novel Alraune has already been filmed twice when this version was assembled in 1928. In another of his "mad doctor" roles, Paul Wegener plays Professor Brinken, sociopathic scientist who combines the genes of an executed murderer with those of a prostitute. The result is a beautiful young woman named Alraune (Brigitte Helm), who is incapable of feeling any real emotions -- least of all guilt or regret. Upon attaining adulthood, Alraune sets about to seduce and destroy every male who crosses her path. Ultimately, Professor Brinken is hoist on his own petard when he falls hopelessly in love with Alraune himself. Alraune was remade in 1930, with Brigitte Helm repeating her role, and again in 1951, with Hildegarde Knef as the "heroine" and Erich von Stroheim as her misguided mentor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1930
If a poll had ever been conducted amongst fans of international musical-comedy star Lillian Harvey, the actress's most popular vehicle would probably have been Die Drei von Der Tankstelle (Three From the Gas Station) -- with Congress Dances running a very close second. The story opens as three debt-ridden young men pool what is left of their savings to open a roadside service station. Their most frequent customer is the wealthy, winsome Ms. Harvey, who frequently shows up fetchingly clad in hiking shorts. Each of the young men falls in love with the girl, unbeknownst to the other two. Which one will she choose? Most likely, the one who sings the best -- and that would be Lillian Harvey's frequent screen vis-a-vis Willy Fritsch. Die Drei von der Tankstelle was also filmed in a French-language version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, (more)
- 1930
"Zapfenstreich" translates as "Military Music," of which we hear plenty in this Germany comedy. The hero is a handsome Army lieutenant (Hans Stuwe), in love with several young ladies at once. While sorting out his romantic travails, the officer must contend with two new recruits: silk-hatted magician Siegfred Arno, who shows up in camp with a prop bird cage, and clumsy musician Erno Verebes, a habitual screw-up. The two comic characters eventually stage a camp show, culminating in a happy ending for Stuwe and his sweetheart Charlotte Susa, and Verebes and his sweetheart Maria Solveg. Typically heavy-handed, Zapfenstreich aus Rhein undeniably delivers the laughs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlotte Susa, Hans Stüwe, (more)
- 1931
The plot of this German slapstick comedy can be summed up by its English-language title, The Stork Strikes. The humor is predicated on pregnancy, both imagined and actual, both planned and unexpected. The characters run around in helter-skelter fashion for nearly an hour and a half, but all problems are straightened out by fadeout time. Siegfried Arno, a splendid comic actor who later became a much-in-demand Hollywood bit player, heads the cast. Der Storch Streikt cost only about $70,000, but raked in nearly twenty times that amount at the box office. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ursula Grabley, Sig Arno, (more)
- 1931
Nie Wieder Liebe (Never Again Love) is based on Dover to Calais, a stage play by Julius Bertral. Having nearly bankrupted himself through a series of a disastrous love affairs, hero Harry Liedtke promises that he will not come anywhere near a woman for five years. To strengthen his resolve, he backs up his promise with a $500,000 bet. With the help of his valet, Liedtke successful eludes every female within touching distance -- but just before the five-year time limit is up, he is obliged to rescue gorgeous Lilian Harvey from a fate worse than death. It turns out that Harvey was hired to make certain that Liedtke would lose his bet, but just before she kisses him as planned, she realizes that she's fallen in love with him -- whereupon she dedicates herself to seeing that Leidtke will keep his promise, and his money after all. Director Anatole Litwak (later billed as Litvak) also helmed the French-language version, Calais-Douvres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilian Harvey, Harry Liedtke, (more)
- 1931
The comic tenor of this German slapsticker can be assessed by its English-language title, His Grounds for Divorce. The protagonists, a long-married couple, wish to divorce, but they lack the grounds to do so. It is arranged for the husband to be accused of infidelity with a beautiful professional co-respondent. Thanks to the capriciousness of the German legal system, the husband never meets the woman with whom he is supposed to have "fooled around" until after the divorce is granted, by which time the girl is several hundred Deutschmarks richer. Unaware of each other's true identities, the ex-husband and the co-respondent fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after -- maybe! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johannes Riemann, Blandine Ebinger, (more)
- 1932
The "office manager" of the title is Joachim Reinsnagel, played by Felix Bressart. Employed by lawyer Fritz Barke (Herman Thimig), Joachim takes a special interest in one of his boss' clients, the beautiful Katrin (Margot Walter). In his efforts to put Katrin's finances in order, our hero inadvertently sets the stage for a compromising situation between the girl and the innocent Herr Barke. Mrs. Barke (Julia Serda) very nearly files for divorce, but Joachim pulls off a miraculous bit of chicanery and saves the day. Der Herr Buerovorsteher was based on a play by R. Bernauer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Felix Bressart, Hermann Thimig, (more)
- 1932
Brigette Helm stars as a disillusioned movie extra who makes a speedy exit from a Viennese movie studio while still wearing her elegant costume. She heads off to a resort in Monte Cristo, where she poses as a wealthy countess (she's certainly dressed for it!) Jewel thief Gustaf Gruendgens and swindler Rudolf Forster help Helm carry off her masquerade for larcenous reasons of their own, but Forster spoils everyone's plans by falling in love with the girl. Graefin von Monte Cristo served as the basis for the 1934 Universal comedy The Countess of Monte Cristo, with Fay Wray in the starring role. The property was remade in 1948 as a musical vehicle for skating-star Sonja Henie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brigitte Helm, Rudolf Forster, (more)
- 1932
Liebelei is one of the earliest of the cinematic banquets directed by German filmmaker Max Ophuls. The film, set in imperial Vienna, concerns the romance between a young girl and a lieutenant. A powerful baron misreads the lieutenant's ardor, assuming that it is being directed towards his own wife. A duel follows which, no matter how it turns out, will spell tragedy for at least one of the characters we care about. The central character is portrayed by Magda Schneider, the mother of 1960s film star Romy Schneider. Liebelei was filmed in two different languages, German and French; the latter version was titled Une Histoire D'Amour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Wolfgang Liebeneiner, (more)
- 1934
Set in pre-WWI Vienna, Mascarade concerns a near-tragic misunderstanding over a nude painting. It is incorrectly assumed that heroine Leopoldine (Paula Wesseley) posed for the painting, when in fact the model was Gerda (Hilde von Stolz), the wife of stuffy Dr. Harrandt (Peter Peterson). The romance between Leopoldine and artist Heidendeck (Adolf Wohlbruck) is threatened when his cast-off mistress shoots him. Dr. Harrandt is summoned to perform an emergency operation on Heidenbeck, but upon discovering that the artist had painted his wife Gerda in the nude, the "good" doctor refuses to minister to Heidenbeck's wound. It is Leopoldine who appeals to the doctor's essential humanity and finally sets things right. The centerpiece of Mascarade is a concert sequence, given period credibility through its use of authentic Enrico Caruso records on the soundtrack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paula Wessely, Anton Walbrook, (more)
- 1934
Anthony Asquith filmed this biographical treatment of the life of his favorite composer, Franz Schubert. The joint Austrian-British production stars Hans Yaray as Schubert who, as the film opens, is a poor, unknown, struggling musical genius. He is having trouble finishing a symphony he has written. A friend arranges for him to perform for Princess Kinsky (Hermine Sperler), but at the performance, the aristocratic Caroline Esterhazy (Martha Eggerth) laughs aloud. Schubert angrily stomps out at this slight. Caroline likes his hot temper and persuades her father, Count Esterhazy (Ronald Squire), to hire Schubert to give her private music lessons. They fall in love, and she inspires him to finish his symphony. But their class differences prove to be problem when they decide that they want to get married. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Chandler, Marta Eggerth, (more)
- 1935
Martha Eggerth heads the cast of Casta Diva, but the central character is famed Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini, here played by American actor Phillips Holmes. Paying but scant attention the facts, the film concentrates on Bellini's colorful love life. Evidently the film went through several rewriting processes, as witness the curious performances of Donald Calthrop and Arthur Margetson, whose characters do complete about-faces halfway through the story. Amidst so many British accents, Martha Eggerth's Polish intonations seem out of place, but she photographs beautifully and sings quite well. Casta Diva was attractively filmed on location in Naples. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marta Eggerth, Phillips Holmes, (more)
- 1935
In this romantic costume drama, a man in the service of a king finds that falling in love with the queen can carry a high price. Struensee (Clive Brook) is a doctor from Hamburg who is called upon to treat Denmark's King Charles VII (Emlyn Williams) while the potentate visits Germany. The grateful King brings Struensee back to Denmark with him where he will be afforded a life of luxury. However, Struensee's new and idyllic life hits a considerable snag when he falls in love with Queen Caroline (Madeleine Carroll). The Queen is also infatuated with Struensee, but the Queen Mother (Helen Hayes) soon learns of their affair and has both Struensee and Caroline put behind bars. Struensee is able to arrange for the Queen's escape, but she refuses to leave without the man she loves. The film was also shown under the titles The Loves of a Dictator, The Love Affair of the Dictator, and For Love of a Queen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Madeleine Carroll, (more)
- 1936
In this tuneful and sentimental romance, a young architect from France falls in love with his employer's daughter. Unfortunately, she feels differently and marries another. The loss inspires him to quit his job and return to France where he becomes a wanderer. Eventually he encounters a beautiful gypsy and together they form a minstrel act. When she learns that he must return to England at summer's end, she is very sad. He too is sad, but he goes and discovers that the first woman didn't marry after all. He is happy until he sees that she is really an avaricious, conniving gold digger. Soon he is back in France with the good-hearted woman he has really come to love. A French version of this film was shot and released at the same time. Both are remakes of an earlier version. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Chevalier, Betty Stockfeld, (more)
