Harry Liedtke Movies

Nie Wieder Liebe (Never Again Love) is based on Dover to Calais, a stage play by Julius Bertral. Having nearly bankrupted himself through a series of a disastrous love affairs, hero Harry Liedtke promises that he will not come anywhere near a woman for five years. To strengthen his resolve, he backs up his promise with a $500,000 bet. With the help of his valet, Liedtke successful eludes every female within touching distance -- but just before the five-year time limit is up, he is obliged to rescue gorgeous Lilian Harvey from a fate worse than death. It turns out that Harvey was hired to make certain that Liedtke would lose his bet, but just before she kisses him as planned, she realizes that she's fallen in love with him -- whereupon she dedicates herself to seeing that Leidtke will keep his promise, and his money after all. Director Anatole Litwak (later billed as Litvak) also helmed the French-language version, Calais-Douvres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The producers of the German costume drama Beautiful Blue Danube insisted that the film was "based" on the Strauss waltz of the same name. Since the waltz lasts only 10 minutes or so, one assumes that the screenwriters took a great deal of literary license. Lya Mara stars as Mizzy, a pert cabaret dancer who uses the Strauss composition in her act. While waltzing her heart out for the crowd, Mizzy catches the eye of a handsome young Archduke (Hans Junkerman). The rest of the film follows the standard "duty before love" pattern established by such operettas as The Student Prince, the difference being that love conquers all in this case. Comedy relief was provided by Ernesto Verebes, a popular film farceur of the 1920s and 1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released as Madame Wunscht Keine Kinder, this Alexander Korda production served as a showcase for the producer-director's actress wife, Maria Corda. The star is cast as a carefree Parisian belle who falls in love with a somewhat stuffy bachelor. Though the heroine wants to keep up her hectic social life, her new husband prefers domesticity. Only when "Madame" discovers that she might have a rival does she agree to concentrate on starting a family. The final scene, as expected, takes place in a maternity ward, with a radiant close-up of the beautiful new "mommy." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hollywood actors who were tied to studio contracts often complained loudly about the quality of material they were given. They should have felt fortunate, however, compared to Pola Negri who -- when she wasn't being directed by Ernst Lubistsch -- made some really awful dramas for Germany's UFA. This picture isn't the worst of the bunch, but Negri is about the only good thing in it. Lea Raab (Negri) is a Jewish girl who wants to study at the University of Petrograd. The only way a Jewish woman can stay in the city, however, is to obtain a "yellow ticket," which signifies she is a "woman of shame." Lea doesn't care -- she gets the ticket and goes to the University. There, she finds another problem -- Jews aren't allowed to study there. So she takes the name of her tutor's dead sister and is admitted. She excels at her studies in medicine and has a romance with Nicholas, a fellow student. But to keep her "yellow ticket" status, Lea is forced haunt some pretty sleazy watering holes, and when Nicholas finds her at one, he dumps her. The despondent Lea jumps out of a window and in the hospital is saved by Professor Stanlaws, who turns out to be her real father. Finally, she is able to explain everything to Nicholas, who welcomes her back. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

One Arabian Night is the inadequate American title bestowed upon director Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant German drama Sumurun. In what turned out to be his last on-camera appearance (he was a former slapstick comedian), Lubitsch stars as Yeggar, a hunchbacked clown who works with a travelling carnival. Arab sheik Paul Wegener demands that the troupe's dancing girl Pola Negri be sequestered in his harem. Yeggar faithfully follows along, and is a horrified witness as Wegener kills Negri for presumed unfaithfulness. The wizened clown vows revenge on the wicked Sheik. Inspired by the popular stage pantomime "The Arabian Nights", Sumurun is the film that encouraged Hollywood to invite Lubitsch into its fold-whereupon the director abandoned melodrama for good and all and concentrated instead on elegant sex comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When this German-produced film reached the U.S., it was touted as the first Pola Negri film that wasn't a costume drama. In spite of this, Negri plays the same type of passionate character she did in her period films (something she was very good at, too). A longer version of it was released in Europe; it was cut down to five reels for stateside consumption. Negri is Marianna Paoli, a hot-blooded Corsican girl who swears vengeance when her brother, Antonio (Fred Immler), is killed in a duel with an officer from an English battleship. While working as a nurse she falls in love with Edwin Alcott, a British officer who has come down with a fever (Harry Liedtke). Only after they marry does Marianna discover that he was the one responsible for her brother's death. Antonio's servant, Tomasso (Emil Jannings), stabs Marianna's manipulative guardian, Count Musso Danella (Magnus Stifter), while she finds that love overcomes the need for revenge. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

World-renowned European actress Marguerite Sylva joined the legions of top female personalities who played Merimee's tragic gypsy heroine Carmen on the silver screen in the pre-1920 era. Less star-driven than the recent American versions of Carmen, this Italian production concentrates primarily on the intrigues of the storyline. Curiously, while the hot-and-heavy love scenes between Carmen and Don Jose were left intact in the American prints, Escamillo's bullfighting scenes were extensively trimmed, presumably because of their blood-and-gore content. Critics were duly impressed by Sylva's bravura performance in the title role and were especially bowled over by her death scene. Unfortunately, the film's impact was lessened by the English-language subtitles, which seemed to have been written by someone who had never seen a production of Carmen before. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide