Fritz Schulz Movies

Madonna, Wo Bist Du? (Madonna, Where Are You?) is a vehicle for Liane Haid, and as such is virtually indistinguishable from her earlier films. Haid is cast as young opera diva Gilda Garden, engaged to marry her elderly mentor. While attending a masquerade ball, Gilda makes the acquaintance of a handsome young man, who of course has no idea who she is. After the ball, the lovestruck lad searches for Gilda by broadcasting a plaintive "Madonna, Where Are You?" over the radio. The question soon becomes a national catchphrase, and then a song, bringing overnight fame to the young man. But Gilda never suspects that she is the selfsame Madonna until she chances to meet her mystery suitor at a dinner party -- whereupon her aged fiancé, sizing up the situation, nobly steps out of her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Helyet az Oregknek (Room for the Aged) is a touching vehicle for jowly Hungarian character actor Szoke Szakall. The star is cast as elderly store-owner Uncle Polgar, who is invited to move in with the family of his nouveau riche son. He feels rather uncomfortable in his posh new surroundings and is further distressed by the fact that his other son seems destined to be a prodigal failure. When both sons get mixed up in a financial swindle, Uncle Polgar quietly bails them out, revealing that he's got more basic "smarts" than the two of them put together. Chased out of Hungary by the Nazis, Szoke Szakall later pitched camp in Hollywood, where he gained a whole new fan following as S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title translates as Schoeller Boarding House, which is where 95% of the film's action takes place. The hero, Phillip Klaproth (Jacob Triedke), has been borrowing heavily from his wealthy uncle Alfred (Paul Heidemann), ostensibly to finance his education but actually to pay for his hedonistic lifestyle. When Uncle shows up in town, Phillip hastily tries to put him out of the way so he won't discover the truth. He takes his uncle to a boarding house, claiming that it's a mental hospital which he, Phillip, intends to purchase. Though the boarders aren't really crazy, they're eccentric enough to convince the uncle that Phillip is telling the truth. Pension Schoeller is an agreeable entry in the screwball-comedy genre, its humor predicated almost entirely upon misunderstanding and misrepresentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sehnsucht 202 (Longing 202) is all about a not-so-slight misunderstanding. A pretty young millionairess places an "Object: Matrimony" newspaper ad, signing herself "Longing 202." At the same time, a poor shop girl, in search of a job, places a separate classified ad -- likewise identifying herself as Longing 202. The inevitable mix-ups occur, with the millionairess landing a department store job and a handsome husband, and the shop girl landing a handsome husband and a "job" of a different sort. The film's two heroines are played by Magda Schneider (mother of Romy Schneider) and a Vienna-born newcomer named Luise Rainer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title translates as Unfaithful Eckehart, and indeed Dr. Eckart Bleitreu (Ralph A. Roberts) is cheating on his loving wife (Luize Englisch). To throw his wife off his scent, Bleitreu claims that it's his brother-in-law Fritz (Fritz Schulz) who is the philanderer. The doctor's deception backfires when, thanks to his presumed prowess with the ladies, Fritz ends up with a cushy government job and a huge salary. Befitting its subject manner, Ungetrue Eckehart has plenty of old-fashioned door-slamming and ducking in and out of boudoirs. Reportedly, the film was also produced in a French-language version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title of this French-filmed, German-language comedy translates as Head First into Fortune. The story is summed up in the title, as an enterprising young girl finds herself a millionaire, for no other reason than she truly deserves it. Musical-comedy star Jenny Jugo plays the girl, investing the role with her usual attention-getting theatrical tricks. Matching her scene-stealing prowess is supporting player Szoeke Sakall, who later went through many of the same motions in Hollywood under the new moniker of S. Z. Sakall. Kopfueber ins Gluck represented a collaboration between novelist Richard Arbey and satirist Charlie Roellinghoff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Its title translates as The Inn on the Rhine, so there's no mystery as to where this German operetta takes place. Pretty young Tilly (Marie Elsner) is saddled with status-conscious parents who want their daughter to marry distinguished college lecturer Dr. Hans Trieborn (Hans-Heinz Bauman). But the good doctor is in love with lady innkeeper Annemarie Babbinger (Kaethe Dorsch), while Tilly is in love with Annemarie's son Heinz (Fritz Schultz). And the result? Instead of becoming Tilly's husband, Dr. Trieborn ends up as her father-in-law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sein Liebeslied (His Love Song) was evidently intended as a follow-up to the popular filmed operetta Zwei Herzen, utilizing most of the talent (on both sides of the camera) from the earlier picture. Fee Malten stars as Mady Smith, a boarding-school girl who has been so sheltered from the Outside World that she has never even met her parents. During her first foray outside the walls of the school, Mady falls madly in love with the voice of a famous jazz singer. She meets young Jimmy Bolt (Willy Forst), who hopes to score points by pretending to be the idolized singer. What neither Mady nor Jimmy suspect is that the mysterious vocalist is none other than Mady's own father, Maxim Merblanc (Paul Otto). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The German playwrighting team of Arnold and Bach were the collective Neil Simon of their time, turning out one successful stage comedy after another. Hurra! Ein Junge (Hurrah! A Boy!) is a typical Arnold-Bach melange of infidelity, mistaken identity, and punctured pomposity. The situations surrounding the birth of the heroine's child sparks a maelstrom of slapstick, coming to a hilarious head just a few moments before the final fadeout. Critics found the picture "grotesque"; audiences found it side-splittingly funny. The best performances were rendered by Ralph A. Roberts and Max Adelbert, two veterans of many a previous Arnold-Bach collaboration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally Zwie Herzen in Drei-Vertel Takt, this delightful operetta was written directly for the screen by Robert Stolz. Nicki and Vicki, two librettists who also happen to be brothers, are presently in collaboration with composer Toni. All too aware of Toni's amorous escapades, Nicki and Vicki try to keep the existence of their pretty sister Hedi a secret. Suffering from a acute case of writers' block (he has yet to find an inspiration for his next production), Toni throws a huge party, which is boycotted by his friends and associates so that he'll keep his mind on his work. The only guest who does show up is uninvited -- and surprise, that guest is sweet little Hedi, who turns out to be inspiration enough for ten operettas. Two Hearts in 3/4 Time was a worldwide financial and critical success, with most of the credit going to cherubic supporting player Szoeke Szakall, who would go on to even greater fame in Hollywood as S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide