Mischa Auer Movies
The screen's foremost "Mad Russian" (though he was more dour than demented in most of his movie appearances), Mischa Auer was the son of a Russian navy officer who died in the Russo-Japanese war. Auer's family scattered during the Bolshevik revolution, forcing the 12-year-old Mischa to beg, borrow, and steal to survive. Orphaned during a typhus epidemic, Auer moved to New York where he lived with his maternal grandfather, violinist Leopold Auer. Inspired by the elder Auer to become a musician, Mischa entered the Ethical Culture School in New York, where he developed an interest in acting. Playing small parts on Broadway and with Eva LeGalleine's company, Auer persisted until his roles increased in size and importance. While appearing with the Bertha Kalich Company in Los Angeles, Auer was hired by Hollywood director Frank Tuttle for a minor role in the Esther Ralston comedy Something Always Happens (1927). During his first nine years in films, the tall, foreboding Auer was typecast as sinister foreigners, often playing villainous Hindu priests, Arab chieftains, and feverish anarchists. His comic gifts were finally tapped by improvisational director Gregory La Cava, who cast Auer as society matron Alice Brady's free-loading "protege" in My Man Godfrey (1936). Thereafter, the actor flourished in eccentric comedy roles in such films as 100 Men and a Girl (1937), You Can't Take It With You (1938) (in which he popularized the catchphrase "Confidentially, it stinks!"), Destry Rides Again (1939), and Hellzapoppin' (1941). During the 1940s, Auer starred in the radio series Mischa the Magnificent and headlined several Broadway flops. The following decade, he spent most of his time in Europe, playing aging oddballs in films like Orson Welles' Mister Arkadin (1955). Among Mischa Auer's last professional engagements was a 1964-1965 revival of The Merry Widow -- one of his few successful stage ventures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
- G
- Add The Christmas That Almost Wasn't to Queue Add The Christmas That Almost Wasn't to top of Queue
In this tuneful Italian holiday film a scroogy old miser decides to evict Santa Clause and Company from the North Pole because the dead-beats are behind on their rent. Children from around the world rally 'round the Jolly One and send him their pennies and save the day. Songs include: "Christmas Is Coming," "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't," "Hustle Bustle," "I'm Bad," "Kids Get All the Breaks," "The Name of the Song Is Prune," "Nothing to Do But Wait," "Santa Claus (Round)," "Time for Christmas," "What Are Children Like When They're Fast Asleep?" and "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas?" ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rossano Brazzi, Paul Tripp, (more)
- 1966
This uneven black comedy went into production as My Last Duchess. It then went through three title changes, representing, in the words of historian Leslie Halliwell, "a descending order of wit": Arrividerci, Baby, Drop Dead, Darling, and You Just Kill Me! Tony Curtis plays a charming contemporary Bluebeard who murders a succession of wives in order to fatten his bank account. At the beginning of the film, the 42-year-old Curtis, decked out in Buster Browns, does in his own stepmother. The remaining murders alternate between moderately amusing and just plain silly; our favorite scene is the disposal of Zsa Zsa Gabor, but that's just on basic principles. Curtis finally meets his match in a much-married widow who plots his demise (a plot point which, incidentally, was planned and abandoned for Chaplin's far superior Monsieur Verdoux). Director Ken Hughes and Ronald Harwood based their screenplay upon the Richard Deming novel The Careful Man. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, (more)
- 1962
This was the last film for British director Wendy Toye whose special interests were always comedies and fantasies. In this light farce, the talented Kenneth More is Lt. Commander Bodger, a man with a penchant for honesty in moments when silence is much more diplomatic. Bodger offends the Navy higher-ups, and so he is first sent to work in Dartmouth, training cadets. That does not really keep him out of trouble and so the Navy, in desperation, sends him to work as a liaison officer with the American Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, Bodger goes with three aides that are just like him, and they create havoc -- made much worse when a revolution begins in one of the nearby countries. The British foursome get inadvertently mixed up in the events, never really knowing exactly what they are doing until the dust settles. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, (more)
- 1962
Eddie Constantine once again picks up his usual persona, this time as Bobby, an FBI agent who is affable, equipped with enough verbal acuity to make his way through any situation, tough, and sharp as nails. As always, he is also romantically engaging. This time around, Bobby helps out a woman who is in need of assistance and along the way gets involved with busting a drug cartel, all with the usual and appropriate physical prowess. Christiane Minazzoli stars as Juliette, Bobby's romantic interest. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Christiane Minazzoli, (more)
- 1958
In this French family-oriented comedy, a man with a passion for all animals takes on the Russians to protect a mouse and a dog from being sent up into space, via a satellite. He obtains them after the creatures escape and all the prompting from French and Russian scientists is to little avail, compelling them to try even stronger measures that lead to merry mix-ups. The film is also known as A Dog, a Mouse and a Sputnik. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Noël-Noël, Denise Grey, (more)
- 1957
Martine Carol plays the title character in the comedy melodrama Nathalie. The heroine is a professional model who becomes innocently mixed up in a robbery/murder case. Deciding to play detective, Nathalie leads both the authorities and the underworld on a merry chase. She also wins the heart of police inspector Franck (Michel Piccoli), who does his best to shield her from the evil machinations of criminal mastermind Coco (Philippe Clay). A big hit in France, Nathalie also did quite well in the U.S. under the title Foxiest Girl in Paris. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martine Carol, Michel Piccoli, (more)
- 1957
Marlene Dietrich and Vittorio De Sica grace this comical yet dramatic Italian tale of a tumultuous love affair between two compulsive gamblers who meet in Monte Carlo. Though both are down on their luck, they dress affluently and that is what attracts them to each other. Romantic sparks fly until they learn the truth about each other. This leads Dietrich to begin an affair with a rich American widower. His teenage daughter falls for De Sica but he feels himself too old for her and rejects her. Eventually Dietrich and the American decide to marry, but before the wedding takes place, De Sica has a major winning streak. But being an addict, he does not know when to stop and begins losing again. Fortunately, his valet intervenes by knocking him unconscious. Later, when he awakens, De Sica vows that he will never gamble again and prepares to go home to his native Naples. When Dietrich learns this she is distraught and realizing she cannot marry the Yankee, tells him the truth about her feelings for De Sica thereby freeing herself to follow him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlene Dietrich, Vittorio De Sica, (more)
The title of this French sex farce translates to That Darn Kid. The "kid" in question is nymphet Brigitte Bardot, here cast as a wide-eyed innocent. While her father hides out from the police, Bardot is protected by nightclub singer Jean Bretonniere. The two eventually fall in love, but a series of humorous complications keep them apart. Brigitte Bardot is quite convincing as the breathless (and sometimes clueless) heroine, while Mischa Auer provides a few laughs as an overly demonstrative ballet teacher (not unlike his character in You Can't Take it With You). The plot of Cette Sacree Gamine was later reworked for the 1965 Elvis Presley vehicle Girl Happy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brigitte Bardot, Jean Poiret, (more)
- 1956
Treize a Table (Thirteen at Table) was based on the hit play by Marc Gilbert Sauvajon. Micheline Presle stars as a woman suffering from Triskadecaphobia -- fear of the number 13. No matter how hard she tries, Micheline cannot avoid the "fatal" number, even in the safety of her own home. The humor arises from the heroine's efforts to make certain that she never has 13 guests at her dinner table -- even if it means inviting an ex-lover to sit in on one occasion. Fernand Gravey co-stars as the former swain, while Mischa Auer offers another of his "professional grouch" routines. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Micheline Presle, Fernand Gravey, (more)
Also known as Mr. Arkadin, this flawed late effort by director Orson Welles recalls the structure of Citizen Kane, centering around an investigation into the past of a powerful millionaire. This time around, however, the millionaire is very much alive; in fact, it is Gregory Arkadin (Welles) himself who orders the inquiry, claiming to suffer from amnesia. The investigator soon gets a taste of the difficulty of his task, however, when several witnesses to Arkadin's past suspiciously turn up dead. Indeed, the closer he comes to the truth about Arkadin, the more he fears that he himself may be the next victim. While it aspires to intense suspense, Confidential Report suffers more than most of Welles' films from budgetary limitations and erratic shooting habits, with the final result often seeming choppy and needlessly confusing. Nevertheless, any Welles effort is by definition at least partially worthwhile, if only for further demonstration of his brilliant visual sensibility. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Orson Welles, Michael Redgrave, (more)
- 1955
Released in some markets as The Toy Wife, the French Frou-Frou stars Dany Robin in the title role. The heroine is a WW1-era cigarette girl who captures the hearts of four wealthy, middle-aged cabaret patrons. The jovial foursome take it upon themselves to pluck Frou-Frou out of her tawdry surroundings and transform her into "a lady". Through their sponsorship, she emerges as one of the top singing attractions of the Roaring Twenties--and, eventually, as the wife of one of her "fairy godfathers." A few early scenes, in which Frou-Frou is shown living without benefit of clergy with one of her benefactors, were trimmed for American consumption. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dany Robin, Gino Cervi, (more)
- 1955
Futures Vedettes (Future Stars) relies upon the appeal of its cast to coast by. Jean Marais plays a handsome singing teacher who enthralls two of his nubile female students (Brigitte Bardot, Isabelle Pia). Their ardor for the teacher begins innocently enough but soon deepens into something far more serious. Before the situation can be resolved, a near-disaster strikes. Mischa Auer lightens things up a bit as Marais' dour valet. Filmed on location in Vienna, Futures Vedettes was distributed in America by Columbia Pictures, mainly on the box-office strength of Brigitte Bardot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Marais, Brigitte Bardot, (more)
- 1952
The first of British director John Guillermin's two 1952 offerings was Song of Paris. Dennis Price stars as stomach-pill sales representative Matthew Ibbetson, who goes to Paris to close a business deal. While taking in the sights, Ibbetson inaugurates a casual affair with French chanteuse Clementine (Anne Vernon). Upon returning to London, Ibbetson finds to his dismay that Clementine has followed him. How can he keep his Parisian rendezvous secret from his veddy proper mother (Hermione Badderly). In his British-film debut, dour character comedian Mischa Auer chews the scenery as a seedy nobleman who covets the affections of the hapless Clementine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Price, Anne Vernon, (more)
- 1950
Character actor Mischa Auer tended to choose vehicles unworthy of his talents when he left Hollywood for Europe during the postwar era. Biancaneve e I Setti Lavri is a heavy-handed variation on the "Snow White" legend, with a gang of thieves replacing the seven dwarves. Auer glowers and grimaces through his performance as the gang leader, while the Snow White character -- actually a naïve young man -- is played by Neapolitan comedian Peppino De Felippo, to whom subtlety is a lost art. The plot finds De Felippo plotting to rob the home of his wealthy fiancee. Naturally, everything goes sour -- including the script. Still, Biancaneve e i Sette Lavri posted a decent profit when first released in Italy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peppino De Filippo, Mischa Auer, (more)
- 1949
The Italian The Sky is Red (Il Cielo e Rosso) details the romantic adventures of two postwar couples. Despite being confined to a quarantined zone (quarantined for political, rather than health reasons), love finds a way. The neorealistic elements are passable, but what really "sold" this film abroad was its graphic-for-its-times sexual content. The cast is headed by Jacques Sernas and Marina Berti, another step in the right direction box office-wise. One of the young romeos is played by Mischa Auer Jr., son of the famed Russian comic actor. Among the many screenwriters of The Sky is Red is frequent De Sica and Fellini collaborator Cesare Zavattini. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marina Berti, Jacques Sernas, (more)
- 1949
Al Diavolo con Celebrita is one of two Italian films hurriedly made in 1948 by comic actor Mischa Auer. Like the first (Snow White and the 7 Thieves), it is hardly representative of Auer at his best. The star plays U.S. diplomat Bernard Stork, whose timid young interpreter Professor Bricci (Leonard Cortese) is hopelessly in love with Stork's secretary Ellen Rawlins (Marilyn Buford). Somehow, Bricci comes into possession of a magic artifact that enables him to assume the bodies and personalities of recently deceased individuals. The Professor hopes to profess his love for Ellen in one of these guises, but is always prevented from doing so. When Mr. Stork dies suddenly, Bricci takes over his body, resulting in a bizarre finale at the United Nations, with look-alikes for President Truman, Churchill, and Stalin engaging in silly slapstick. Somewhere there's an antiwar message in Al Diavolo con Celebrita, but it's buried under mounds of nonsense. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mischa Auer, Marilyn Buford, (more)
- 1948
As Cold-War melodramas go, Sofia goes pretty well. Set in a backlot version of Turkey, the film stars Gene Raymond as former OSS man Steve Roark. Assigned to rescue two atomic scientists from Russia and spirit them across the Iron Curtain, Steve discovers that one of the scientists is his ex-lover Linda Carlsen (Sigrid Gurie). Meanwhile, sultry cabaret singer-turned-spy Magda Onescu (Patricia Morison) offers her services to both the Allies and the Communists, hoping to be financially renumerated by both sides (Guess how she ends up?) Some of the espionage techniques are amusing, especially when the rascally Russians are so easily fooled by the simplest subterfuges. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Raymond, Sigrid Gurie, (more)
- 1947
For You I Die was one of several atmospheric melodramas released by the short-lived firm of Film Classics. Escaping from the law, convict Johnny Coulter (Paul Langton) seeks refuge in a remote tourist camp. Here he falls in love with Hope Novak (Cathy Downs), who is instrumental in his ultimate decision to turn honest. In "Grand Hotel" fashion, the main story is fleshed out by a stunning variety of supporting characters, including the misanthropic Alec Shaw (Mischa Auer), the trashy Georgie (Jane Weeks) and the philosophical Smitty (Roman Bohnen). Though stereotypes abound in For You I Die, the film is strangely compelling nonetheless. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cathy Downs, Paul Langton, (more)
- 1946
Jane Featherstone (Joan Davis) is a staid, almost pathologically repressed professor at a small midwestern college, who gets roped into impersonating a friend while on a trip to New York. It seems the friend (Gloria Stuart), the wife of the dean of the college, has written a steamy bestseller under another name, and is supposed to go to her publisher's office in New York to collect her royalty checks. She's too embarrassed to appear personally before her publisher -- who has never met her -- and persuades Jane to stand in for her. But a series of misadventures culminating with a hard bump on the head leave Jane with a temporary case of amnesia and, thanks to publicist Jerry Marlowe (Jack Oakie), believing that she really is the author of the steamy adventures in the book in question, and that she has lived that life. Soon she's living out the role, all of her previous inhibitions gone, much to the delight of Jerry and his employers and the distress of Jane's straight-shooting would-be paramour Eddie Caldwell (Kirby Grant) and officials at her college, who are ready to dismiss her. Jane eventually regains her memory, but not before the damage has been done to her struggling school -- she vows to at least save the school, and to do it must make one more public appearance in her "libertine" guise. Caught in the middle of Jane's antics are devious hanger-on Mischa Auer and shipping magnate Thurston Hall, whose own marriage (to Jacqueline DeWitt) is strained to the breaking point. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joan Davis, Jack Oakie, (more)
- 1946
A real three-handkerchief affair, Sentimental Journey stars John Payne and Maureen O'Hara as a Broadway producer Bill and his actress-wife Julie. Unable to have children, Julie adopts orphaned girl Hitty (Connie Marshall). Shortly afterward, Julie dies of a heart attack, leaving Hitty in the care of the sullen Bill, who can't seem to "connect" with the girl. Eventually Hitty wins Bill's heart, but not without the implicit celestial intervention of the departed Julie. Much-needed comedy relief is provided by Mischa Auer and, to a lesser extent, William Bendix. Sentimental Journey was remade in 1958 as The Gift of Love, with Lauren Bacall in the Maureen O'Hara role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, (more)
Based on the classic novel by mystery author Agatha Christie that was later adapted as the Broadway hit Ten Little Indians , And Then There Were None begins with ten characters, each with a skeleton in his or her closet, on a remote island off the English coast. They soon realize that they have been brought there by an insane judge, who has tried each of them for criminal behavior in the past, and who now feels it is his duty to render proper justice for each. The struggle to stay alive begins as each "guest" is eliminated in a fashion that corresponds to the titular nursery rhyme. Walter Huston, Louis Hayward, and C. Aubrey Smith are among those marked for death. The film's ending differs from that of the novel, and later remakes in 1966, 1975, and 1989 (all using the title Ten Little Indians), alternated between Christie's original finale and this film's climax. Depending on one's taste, the film's pacing is either excruciatingly slow or suspenseful, but the storyline has become a cinematic staple in everything from horror (Theatre Of Blood) to satire (Murder By Death). ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, (more)
The 1945 version of the Winchell Smith/Byron Ongley theatrical war-horse Brewster's Millions stars Dennis O'Keefe as the lucky recipient of an $8,000,000 inheritance. But there's a catch; O'Keefe will receive his legacy only if he spends $1,000,000 in two months. Prohibited from giving the money away, O'Keefe invests in several losing propositions, including a flop Broadway musical; alas, every one of his bad investments turns a profit. African-American comic actor Eddie "Rochester" Anderson co-stars as O'Keefe's valet; the bantering master-servant relationship was much too casual for several Southern cities, which banned the film on the grounds that blacks should behave more "respectfully" to whites. In the original Brewster's Millions, the hero was a stockbroker; in this 1945 version, Brewster is a returning GI. The seventh and most recent filmization of Brewster's Millions (1985) starred Richard Pryor as a washed-up baseball player. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Helen Walker, (more)
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