Richard Eybner Movies

The trilogy on Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria and his queen Empress Elizabeth by director Ernest Marischka has been cut and spliced to make this interesting though slow-paced, two and a half-hour compilation costume drama. The tale starts out with the courtship of the future queen, known as "Sissi" (Romy Schneider, who made her screen debut in the first of the three dramas), an attractive and lively young woman. After Franz Josef (Karl Boehm) falls in loves and captures Sissi's heart, they plan their wedding and head into the topic of the second feature in the series, the coronation of Franz Josef in Budapest. Finally, Sissi is shown as being instrumental in helping to keep the peace -- or obtain it -- among the belligerent nations of Europe. The original titles of each of the three separate dramas were Sissi, Sissi, die Junge Kaiserin, and Sissi, Schicksalsjahre Einer Kaiserin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Romy Schneider makes an impressive starring debut in the delightful Austrian comedy Sissi. The titular heroine is a preteen 19th century lass of noble birth, who charms everyone she meets. Especially impressed is young Franz Joseph, emperor the Hapsburg Empire. When Sissi comes of age, the emperor pursues the girl romantically, with fascinating results. Filmed in 1955, Sissi was the first of a popular series of films showcasing Romy Schneider as the young Empress Elizabeth. The actress' mother, Magda Schneider, also appears prominently in the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a sense, The Mozart Story can qualify as an international production. The balance of the film was lensed in Austria by director Karl Hartl, with Hans Holt as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the songs sung in German. When the American rights to the film were purchased by Screen Guild, director Frank Wisbar supervised the English dubbing, and even lensed a few new scenes, with Wilton Graff as Mozart's great rival Antonio Salieri (later the "protagonist" of the Oscar-winning Amadeus). Also appearing in the newly shot scenes were Carol Forman as Catherine Cavalleria and Anthony Barr as Ruffini. Despite its patchwork construction, The Mozart Story weaves a cogent and credible (if not altogether accurate) version of Mozart's life and work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Austrian musical Premiere showcases the talents of Swedish stage and screen star Zara Leander. It's a backstage drama with the action equally divided on both sides of the curtain. As Fraulein Leander prepares for opening night, her life is thrown into turmoil by a variety of romantic misadventures. But she manages to show up on stage at the appointed time, scoring a huge success. It was reported that, during the filming of Zara Leander's musical numbers, the audience (ostensibly made up of paid extras) broke into spontaneous applause; when the film premiered in Vienna, the first-night moviegoers did the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide