Fee Malten Movies
- 1932
False Field-Marshal is the English-language title of this German military comedy. Vlasta Burian stars as Buschceck, a former WWI soldier who dreams of returning to uniform. He gets his wish when circumstances oblige him to impersonate a missing field marshal. Our hero has a high old time issuing orders until the genuine field marshal (who fortunately has a good sense of humor) finally shows up. Based on a play by A. Longens, the basic premise of Falscher Feldmarschall resurfaced 26 years later in the MGM war-time comedy Imitation General. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Frank
- 1931
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
- Starring:
- Paul Otto, Willi Forst, (more)
- 1931
The title of this German thriller translates as Pullman Train 13 Late. When a railroad attendant notices that the rails have been disabled, Pullman #13 is detained at a small, out-of-the-way train station. One of the passengers, a young bridegroom, snoops around the station out of boredom, discovering by accident that the rails had been deliberately tampered with. The culprit is a professional gunman, hired to assassinate the owner of an oil cartel. The hapless bridegroom manages to elude the villain, notify the police, and emerge as the hero of the day -- while his new bride remains in her pullman car, blissfully sleeping through the whole ordeal. Evidently, D-Zug 13 Hat Verspaetung was given a going over by the German censors before its release, which may explain why the assassination target is referred to as an oil man in some scenes, and as a European political ruler in others. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heins Koenecke, Fee Malten, (more)
- 1931
Die Schwebende Jungfrau (The Gliding Virgin) is based on the venerable stage comedy by Arnold and Bach. The humor is predicated on the deflation of dignity and pomposity, as the most moralistic characters are shown to be the ones who will succumb the soonest to temptation. Virtue triumphs at the end, but only after Vice has had a roaring good time. Among the talented farceurs participating in the festivities is Szoeke Szakall, who went on to Hollywood fame as S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. To judge by the scathing reviews, no one liked Die Schwebende Jungfrau but the public. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Szoke Szakall, Fritz Schulz, (more)
- 1930
Ein Tango fuer Dich (A Tango For You) is the story of two jazz singers. Maxim (Paul Otto) is rich and famous; Jimmy (Willy Forst) is neither. Eventually, the status of the two heroes is reversed, but not before both have fallen in love with dancer Mady Smith (Fee Matten). When all is said and done, however, the plots never really mattered in these early-talkie operettas; if there were plenty of singers and dancers and plenty of songs and dance, the audience went home happy. American critics seemed delighted that director Geza Von Bolvary emulated Hollywood filmmaking techniques while putting together Ein Tango fuer Dich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Otto, Willi Forst, (more)
