Lien Deyers Movies
- 1936
Hermann Thimig stars as Henry Rolland, a Barrymoresque matinee idol whose flamboyant lifestyle has driven him deeply into debt. Hoping to appease his creditors, Henry agrees to marry a wealthy woman, sight unseen. Meanwhile, however, he falls in love with a "normal" girl (Lien Deyers) whose name he doesn't know. Henry is on the verge of renouncing his marriage of convenience for the sake of his mystery sweetheart, only to discover that she's actually the woman he's supposed to marry! As one can see, there are no surprises in Karneval und Liebe (Carnival and Love), but audiences in 1936 didn't care so long as they were thoroughly entertained -- which they were. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hermann Thimig, Herbert Hübner, (more)
- 1936
"Ist Mein Mann Nicht Fabelhaft?" ("Isn't My Husband Wonderful?") coos adoring wife Lu Brandt (Lien Deyers). Lu's hubby Victor (Georg Alexander) may indeed be wonderful, but rich he's not. A lowly employee in a record-player factory, Victor discovers that his wife has told their neighbors that he's actually the company's supervisor. Rather than embarrass Lu, Victor tries to live up to his reputation -- and nearly goes broke in the process. But the worst is still to come when Victor's neighbors, each of them laboring under the misapprehension that they're musically talented, descend upon the Victrola factory en masse demanding auditions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Georg Alexander, Lien Deyers, (more)
- 1936
Herman Speelmans plays the title character in the German comedy Ein Ganzer Kerl (A Regular Fellow). The plot is hardly new: young go-getter Karl Grosse (Speelmans) bluffs his way into a big-time business firm, rescuing the organization from bankruptcy with his brash, bold new ideas. He also wins the boss' daughter, played by Lien Deyer. But for its setting, a German sausage factory, and the Teutonic character names, Ein Ganzer Kerl could have been a typical get-rich-quick Hollywood comedy, ideally suited for the likes of James Cagney or Robert Young. Like many German comedies of the 1930s, Ein Ganzer Kerl was designed to keep the viewer's minds off their problems, so all temptations to propagandize on behalf of the Third Reich are avoided. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Stoeckel, Erika Glaessner, (more)
- 1934
The German Gold predicts the postwar harnessing of atomic energy for the purposes of scientific progress (funny how the Germans couldn't put together a working A-bomb in World War II). Hans Albers plays the assistant of Friedrich Kayssler, a modern-day alchemist devoted to finding a method of changing lead into gold. Kayssler constructs a gigantic atomic reactor for that purpose, but when crass commercialism rears its ugly head, the two idealists destroy their invention. Gold was filmed simultaneously in a French-language version, with the two leads intact but with many of the supporting actors shifting their roles around. Generous portions of Gold stock footage were utilized in the 1953 American sci-fier The Magnetic Monster. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1932
Max Ophuls' second film directorial effort, Die Verliebte Firma (The Firm in Love) wasn't quite as lavishly esoteric as his later works, but on its own pleased the crowd. While on a location shoot in the mountains, film actress Anny Ahlers quarrels with her husband and walks out of the production. Luckily, Lien Dyers, a beautiful young skier with an even more beautiful singing voice appears out of nowhere. Before long, every male member of the production company has fallen in love with the girl, and it would seem that she is a shoo-in to replace the recalcitrant Ahlers. Alas, Dyers proves to be an inept actress, but she still enjoys a happy ending in the arms of the film unit's production manager. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gustav Fröhlich, Ernst Verebes, (more)
- 1932
Hasenklein was based on a stage play by Hans Mahner-Mons. Arriving in the big city to visit his daughter, provincial dressmaker Jacob Tiedke finds himself attending a political meeting. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, our hero is elected a member of Parliament then is promoted to the Presidency. Tiedke wants nothing to do with all this, but the more he tries to disqualify himself, the more his followers are convinced that he's a legislative genius. After using his political clout to smooth the romantic path for his daughter and her sweetheart, Tiedke blissfully returns to the small-town dress shop whence he came. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacob Tiedtke, Lien Deyers, (more)
- 1932
Ein Prinz Verliebt Sich (A Prince Falls in Love) stars Georg Alexander as the title character, a merry young monarch named Prince Michael. Ordered to marry homely little Maria (Lien Deyers), the Prince takes a run-out powder to the continent, where he dallies with a Parisian number named Fifi (Trude Berliner). Taking matters in her own hands, Maria dolls herself up until she's a ravishing beauty. Naturally, Michael falls for her -- but now she's not so sure that she wants him! The songs in Ein Prinz Verliebt Sich were just as derivative and unoriginal as the storyline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Alexander, Lien Deyers, (more)
- 1931
Robert Siodmak's second solo directorial effort was the breathless comedy-melodrama Der Mann, Der Seinen Moerder Sucht (Looking For His Murderer) In the face of ever-mounting debts, Heinz Ruhmann arranges for his own murder to be committed within the next 12 hours. During this period, Ruhmann falls in love and gains a whole new lease on life. Frantically, he seeks out the man whom he has hired to bump him off -- only to find out that the latter has sold his "contract" to another fellow -- who in turn has sold it to a third party. Eventually, the whole mess is wrapped up with a Keystone-like car chase. Famed composer Friedrich Hollander shows up in a minor role, complete with patently phony mustache. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heinz Rühmann, Lien Deyers, (more)
- 1931
Der Hampelman (The Puppet) is an adaptation of the stage operetta by Gustav Beer and Fritz Lunzer. Max Hansen stars as impoverished Baron Max von Storch, who falls in love with Liesl (Lien Deyers), the young wife of an elderly perfume manufacturer (Szoeke Szakall, aka S. Z. Sakall). When he discovers that the husband has purchased a life-sized puppet for Liesl's amusement, Max is struck with a brilliant idea. Posing as the puppet, he gains access to Liesl's boudoir -- and after that, "Ach du lieber!" Der Hampelman includes a score by Robert Stoltz, of Two Hearts in Waltz-Time fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Hansen, Szoke Szakall, (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)
- 1931
The 1930 Hollywood feature Laughter, which starred Nancy Carroll and Fredric March, was also lensed in two foreign-language versions. Both the German Die Manner um Lucie and the French Rive Gauche were directed by Alexander Korda. Liane Haid, Walter Rilla and Oskar Karlweis star in this Teutonic spin on the original Harry D'Arrast-Douglas Doty screenplay (D'Arrast also directed the English-language Laughter). Liane assumes the Nancy Carroll role as a Follies dancer who marries likeable millionaire Karlweis. He denies her nothing, not even an extramarital fling with composer Rilla. The complications that follow are both sophisticated and logical, with the characters behaving like human beings rather than French-farce stick figures. We'll let the auteur theorists argue over whether Alexander Korda's direction was any more accomplished than Harry D'Arrast's. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1930
Rosenmontag (U.S. title: Carnival's End) was based on the novel of the same name by Otto Erich Hartlebein. Thanks to ugly gossip, a young Army lieutenant is convinced that his sweetheart is an unfaithful trollop. He becomes engaged to another woman then marches off to war, having promised to forsake all other women. Eventually, he discovers that the stories about his first love were all lies. He returns to her and rekindles the romance, whereupon he remembers vowing eternal devotion to his present fiancee. Rather than sacrifice his honor, the lieutenant resorts to extreme and tragic measures to keep his promise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gertrud Arnold, Eduard von Winterstein, (more)
The first of three film versions of Theophile Gautier's popular adventure novel Le Capitaine Fracasse was co-written and directed by Alberto Cavalcanti in 1929. Pierre Blanchar essays the title character, who when first we see him is impoverished nobleman Baron de Solignac. Living a solitary existence in his crumbling ancestral castle, the Baron's existence is brightened by the visit of a travelling harlequin troupe. Falling in love with Isabella (Lien Dyers), the troupe's leading lady, the Baron joins the strolling players, assuming the stage "persona" of Captain Fracasse. In this guise, our hero performs various and sundry feats of derring-do, culminating with his rescue of Isabella from the clutches of the evil Duke de Vallombreuse. Future Hollywood screen idol Charles Boyer shows up in a choice supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lien Deyers, Marguerite Moreno, (more)
Spies (Spione) was the first independent production of German "thriller" director Fritz Lang. The years-ahead-of-its-time plotline involves Russian espionage activity in London. The mastermind is Haghi (Rudolph Klein-Rogge), a supposedly respectable carnival sideshow entertainer. Heading the good guys is Agent 326 (Willy Fritsch), with the help of defecting Russian spy Sonya (Gerda Maurus). The film moves swiftly to several potential climaxes, each one more exciting than its predecessor. Haghi's ultimate demise is a superbly staged Pirandellian vignette. Anticipating Citizen Kane by a dozen years, director Lang dispenses with all transitional dissolves and fade-outs, flat-cutting territory from one scene to another. The film was co-scripted by Lang and his then-wife Thea Von Harbou. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, (more)
