Anton Pointner Movies
- 1936
Luise Ullrich plays a dual role in the German Schatten der Vergengenheit (Shadows of the Past). Falsely accused of murder, café violinist Helene Gail (Ullrich) is shipped off to prison. Four years later she is released for good behavior but is unable to find work due to her questionable past. It so happens that Helene has a twin sister named Betty (also Ullrich), a popular music-hall entertainer. When Betty is accidentally drowned, Helene is able to take her place and start her life anew. Alas, she will never be free of her past so long as her trail is dogged by two gangsters, who know her secret and intend to capitalize upon it. Tension mounts steadily until the very last moment in the film, which will take everyone -- even those subliminally expecting it -- by surprise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luise Ullrich, Gustav Diessl, (more)
- 1936
The music of Johann Strauss counterbalances the various intrigues in Ein Liebesroman im Hause Habsburg (A Romance in the House of Hapsburg). Karl Ludwig Diehl stars as military activist Johann Salvador, who plots to place Austro-Hungarian Prince Rudolph (Paul Richter) on the Bulgarian throne. This displeases Emperor Franz Josef I (Paul Otto) and Russia's Czar Alexander II (Fritz Alberti). Surprisingly, Salvador is aided in his mission by Olga (Ellen Richter), the wife of the Russian ambassador. But when our hero falls in love with cabaret singer Milly Stubel (Greti Thelmer), the scorned Olga plans a wicked revenge. Despite its many crosses and double-crosses, the film is basically a romantic comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Otto, Paul Richter, (more)
- 1936
The title of this German musical comedy translates as A Song, A Kiss, A Girl. Who could ask for anything more? Well, the critics in 1936 did ask for more, carping that the film's storyline, about the romance between an aspiring actress and an incognito millionaire, was a veritable festival of cliches. Also subjected to critical lambasting was the by-the-numbers climax, as the hero buys out the entire house on the opening night of the heroine's stage debut. Audiences didn't care if they'd seen this story a million times before: they were enchanted by the winning performances of stars Gustav Froelich and Martha Eggerth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gustav Froehlich, Marta Eggerth, (more)
- 1936
Originally Der Konigswaltser, The Royal Waltz is a lighthearted opera with no message or moral whatsoever. As he often would be during his long career, Curd Jurgens (here billed as Juergens) is cast as Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Set in Munich in 1852, the story concentrates on the impending marriage between the Emperor and Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria (Carola Hoehn), affectionately known as "Cissy." Their love affair is counterpointed with the backstairs flirtation between young Count Ferdinand (Willi Forst) and humble caterer's daughter Theres Tomasoni (Beli Finkenzeller), which sparks a scandal that only Franz Joseph himself can iron out. The English subtitles of Royal Waltz undercut the film's charm with such anachronistic exclamations as "She's hot stuff!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Hoerbiger, Carola Hoehn, (more)
- 1934
This Hungarian musical comedy (English title: Spring Parade) was produced by Joseph Pasternak, who later remade the picture in Hollywood as a Deanna Durbin vehicle. The original 1934 version stars Franciska Gaal as a Hungarian serving girl who heads to Vienna to visit a relative. Stopping over at an outdoor carnival, Gaal is told by a fortune teller that she will enjoy a happy marriage with a handsome and wealthy stranger. Later on, she finds herself at a fancy dress ball, where a good-looking aristocrat, assuming that our heroine is a countess masquerading as a peasant, falls in love with her. Delighted that the fortune-teller's prophecy seems to be coming true, Gaal finds herself in a dilemma when she falls in love with poverty-stricken soldier Wolf Albach Retty. But things turn out OK when Retty, the regimental drummer, composes a hit song which brings him fame and fortune, thereby neatly fulfilling that prophecy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franziska Gaal, Tibor von Halmay, (more)
- 1932
Also known as Tempest and Storm of Passion, Stuerme der Leidenschaft was the first of Robert Siodmak's two directorial efforts of 1932. Emil Jannings stars as a tough but basically gentle gangster who, while serving a prison term, is betrayed by his sweetheart Anna Sten. Released from prison, the disgruntled Jannings murders Sten's seducer, forcing him to hide out from the police. Meanwhile, Sten, who has sworn total fidelity to her fugitive lover, again betrays him at the first opportunity. Wearily, Jannings gives himself up to the authorities, declaring that he'd rather be in jail than at the mercy of a faithless woman. Siodmak also supervised the French-language version, Tumultes, which starred Yves Mirande. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emil Jannings, Anna Sten, (more)
- 1932
Max Hansen stars as the title character in Der Frauendiplomat (The Ladies' Diplomat). The hero is an Austrian duke with a roving eye who treats the various embassies of Europe as his own personal dating services. His galavanting days come to an end when he meets Marthe Eggerth, with whom he genuinely falls in love -- and who, of course, wants nothing to do with him. Famed Austrian opera singer Leo Slezak (father of Walter Slezak) makes his screen debut herein. Der Frauendiplomat was the first Paramount picture produced exclusively for the domestic German audience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Hansen, Anton Pointner, (more)
- 1931
The "Weekend in Paradise" of the title is predicated on an extended case of mistaken identity. Some of the gags and comic situations date back as far as Plautus, but this doesn't make them any less funny. It helps that the cast is filled to the brim with talented farceurs, from Julius Falkenstein on down. The direction is by Robert Land, who always managed to improve his material with above-average cinematography (courtesy of cameraman Willy Goldberger and Robert Lach) and sound recording (Carlo Paganini). Week-End im Paradies was adapted from the stage play of the same name by the original author, Ernst Neubach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julius Falkenstein, Walter Steinbeck, (more)
- 1931
One of several German military comedies of the early-talkie era, Liebeskommando (Command to Love) serves as a vehicle for the personable Dolly Haas. The star is cast as Antonia, the youngest member of a military family. When her brother Francesco (Walter Edhofer) refuses to follow in his father's footsteps by enrolling in a military academy, Antonia disguises herself as a boy and signs up in Francesco's place. She manages to pull off the ruse for three years, though one wonders how she was able to avoid undressing in front of her dorm-mates for so long a period. Eventually she reveals her true identity when she falls in love with her handsome superior officer, Lt. Von Lorentz (Gustav von Froelich). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Haas, Gustav Froehlich, (more)
- 1931
The German film industry seemed to have cornered the market in early-talkie military comedies, if Trara um Liebe (Trumpet Call of Love) and its ilk are any indication. The story concerns a young man who pretends to be someone else for the love of the heroine. What he doesn't know, but we do, is that the girl is likewise pretending to be someone she's not. All of this is set against an army setting, with plenty of regimental songs and close-order-drill dances. Felix Bressart, later a regular in the Hollywood films of Ernst Lubitsch, provides comedy relief. Trara um Liebe is a remake of the silent comedy Liebe und Trompetblasen (Love and the Trumpet Call). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marta Eggerth, Maria Paudler, (more)
- 1931
This German crime drama was based on a true story. Willy Forst stars as a poverty-stricken Italian glazier who falls in love with French hotel maid Rosa Valletti. Struck by the girl's resemblance to Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Forst manages to steal the painting from the Louvre in hopes of impressing his sweetheart. But when the girl proves to be a fickle sort, the crestfallen hero confesses his crime and is carted off to jail. Unwilling to admit that he'd been led astray by a woman, Forst claims that he stole the Mona Lisa to restore it to his native Italy, and as a result is hailed as a national hero! Raub der Mona Lisa was distributed in the U.S. by RKO Radio, under the title The Theft of the Mona Lisa. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willi Forst, Trude von Molo, (more)
- 1930
Based on the novel by George Kibbe Turner, the early-talkie gangster meller Those Who Dance was filmed in English, French, and German-language versions. The German adaptation was titled Der Tanz Geht Weiter, and starred future director William Dieterle as undercover cop Dan Hogan (the role originally essayed by Monte Blue). Hoping to find out who bumped off his kid brother, Hogan poses as a crook and joins a criminal gang. Likewise hoping to expose the genuine killer is Nora Brady (Lila Lee in the English version, Lissi Arna in the German), whose brother has been convicted of the murder. The French version of Those Who Dance, Contre-Equette, starred Daniel Mendelle and Suzy Vernon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lissi Arna, Carla Barthell, (more)
- 1929
Movie murder mysteries abounded in Germany in 1929, but only a handful of these films were imported to the U.S. One of these was That Murder in Berlin, and to judge from contemporary reviews it was hardly the best of the lot. When a wealthy old artist (Carl Gotz) is knocked off, his young wife (Magda Sonja) is held for murder. The prosecuting attorney (Gustav Rickett) bases his case on the wife's "bad" reputation, citing her desire for creature comforts and her affair with family friend Anton Pointer. But the defense attorney (Karl Ettinger) uses the exact same evidence to absolve the woman of guilt, proving that the husband committed suicide to ensure the wife's future happiness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Götz, Magda Sonja, (more)
