Theo Lingen Movies
- 1939
Popular German stage and screen comedian Theo Lingen handled the directorial reins of Marguerite Drei. The title translates as Marguerite Divided by Three, a perfect description of the dilemma facing the eponymous heroine (played by Gusti Huber). Marguerite would like to marry Wolf (Hans Holt), but first she must break down the resistance of his three overprotective, misogynistic uncles. To do this, she pretends to be three different girls, inveigling all three uncles to propose to her. Once she reveals the ruse, the trio realizes that they've been a bit too restrictive with poor Wolf, and a happy ending is had by all. Incidentally, star Gusti Huber was the mother of actress Bibi Besch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gusti Huber, Hans Holt, (more)
- 1938
The zany German "chase" comedy Diskretion-Ehrensache (Discretion-Word of Honor) was adapted from a novel by Von Hannes Peter Stolp. Heli Finkenzeller plays American heiress Mary Hopkins, who at the beginning of the film is forced into an engagement with a titled nobleman. Hoping to extricate herself from this unwanted union, Mary deliberately gets herself mixed up in a romantic scandal, hoping that the shame she brings upon her name will scotch the wedding plans. Swept up in Mary's scheme is eccentric inventor Peter Parker (Hans Holt), who agrees to elope with the girl provided that there aren't any strings attached. By the time the film reaches its riotous conclusion, of course, Mary and Peter have fallen genuinely in love. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1938
The second half of a two-part film--Part One was titled The Tiger of Eschnapur--Das Indische Grabmal (The Indian Tomb) and its predecessor were remakes of a two-parter directed in 1919 by Joe May. American actress Kitty Jantzen plays Irene Traven, formerly the Maharini of the "lost" Indian city of Eschnapur. At great personal risk, Irene escapes her Maharaja husband (Fritz van Dongen), accompanying her European lover (Hans Stuwe) to Paris. But the Maharaja's reach extends far beyond Eschnapur, and Irene's troubles are far from over. Both Tiger of Eschnapur and Das Indische Grabmal were scripted by Thea Von Harbou, former wife of director Fritz Lang. Not so coincidentally, both films were remade by Lang in 1958, then heavily re-edited and released in the US as a single feature titled Journey to the Lost City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexander Golling
- 1938
The title Die Entfuehrung translates as The Abduction, but it's a comedy, so no one gets hurt. Marieleuse Claudine plays Suzanne, an impressionable young miss who frets over her mother Yvonne's (Lola Chlud) clandestine romance with a smarmy lothario. With papa (Walter Janssen) away on business, Suzanne decides to take matters in her own hands. She fakes her own kidnapping, stowing away on the yacht of family friend Gerard Frehl (Gustav Froelich). Though poor Frehl takes his lumps from the Law, it all turns out okay when Suzanne's mom comes to her senses and her dad realizes how neglectful he's been. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gustav Froehlich, Walter Janssen, (more)
- 1937
The "gipfelsturmer" ("mountain conqueror") of the title is Franzl, played by Olympic mountain-climbing champion Franz Schmid. Since Schmid's climbing prowess is the film's sole raison d'etre, there isn't very much of a plot. This hardly mattered, since audiences were enthralled by the seemingly authentic footage of Schmid performing his high-and-dizzy specialty somewhere in the Alps. Only on second and third viewings is one aware that some of the close shots were re-created within the safe environs of a film studio. Oddly, Der Gipfelsturmer ends with Schmid reaching the top of the mountain, leaving the audience to scratch its collective head in wonderment as to how he's going to get down. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1937
Lessons in Love is the streamlined English-language title for this musical farce. It's another story of romantic misunderstandings and misinterpretations, replete with disguise scenes and indignant renunciations. During the course of the story, hero Alois Weinberl (Paul Horbiger) finds it expedient to assume two false identities. That's nothing compared to heroine Sophie Bruninger (Luise Ulrich), who pretends to be three different people. There's nothing witty or subtle in the proceedings, but apparently that's how German audiences of the 1930s liked it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luise Ullrich, Paul Hoerbiger, (more)
- 1937
Per its title, the plotline of this film is motivated by a counterfeit $50 bill. The funny money is passed to shopgirl Christa (Lucie Englisch), who, fearful of being arrested, hides it in a baby's piggy bank at her home. In dire need of money, Christa's sister "robs" the bank and puts the bill into circulation. Eventually, the faux banknote falls into the hands of Frau Lehmann (Kathe Haack), the mother of a banker (Theo Lindgren); the banker just happens to be in love with Christa. The plot alone is enough to induce chuckles, but the producers of Ein Falscher Fuffzinger felt the need to truckle to the lowest common denominator by throwing in a whole bunch of gratuitous slapstick. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theo Lingen, Kaethe Haack, (more)
- 1937
Ein Stelldichein im Schwarwald (Rendezvous in the Black Forest) is a curious amalgam of music, romance and slapstick farce. Anticipating many a Hollywood musical of the 1940s, the story is motivated by a "battle" between popular tunes and the classics. Two young composers, Paul (Harald Paulsen) and Peter (Hugo Schrader), try to peddle their tunes to an old-fashioned song publisher named Kuehlmann (Theo Lingen). One of the boys also attempts to woo and win the publisher's pretty daughter Lenox (Magda Schneider). What plot there is merely serves as an excuse to parade a series of lavish musical highlights across the screen. Incidentally, leading lady Magda Schneider was the mother of 1960s film favorite Romy Schneider. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Harald Paulsen, (more)
- 1937
The Austrian musical Premiere showcases the talents of Swedish stage and screen star Zara Leander. It's a backstage drama with the action equally divided on both sides of the curtain. As Fraulein Leander prepares for opening night, her life is thrown into turmoil by a variety of romantic misadventures. But she manages to show up on stage at the appointed time, scoring a huge success. It was reported that, during the filming of Zara Leander's musical numbers, the audience (ostensibly made up of paid extras) broke into spontaneous applause; when the film premiered in Vienna, the first-night moviegoers did the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Martell, Walter Steinbeck, (more)
- 1937
The Man Who is Talked About is the overly agreeable Toni Mathis (Heinz Ruhmann), a gent constitutionally incapable of saying the word "no" (or "nein," this being a German picture). Though he'd rather breeze through life without responsibilities or obligations, Toni agrees to study zoology in college because his uncle (Hans Moser) wants him to. Alas, despite the Herculean efforts by Toni's servant Hassler (Theo Lingen) to prepare his master for his final exams, Toni forgets to show up for the finals and is expelled post-haste. In desperation, his uncle arranges for Toni to get married, and once again our hero just can't say no. Trouble is, he falls in love with trapeze artist Bianca (Gusti Huber), whose father won't let her marry anyone except another entertainer. Undaunted, Toni studies a book on show business and tries out for the vaudeville stage, and the picture isn't even halfway over yet! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heinz Rühmann, Theo Lingen, (more)
- 1937
By accident or design, two pre-Hitler efforts from German filmmaker Carl Boese were distributed to the U.S. during the same week of 1937, roughly five years after both were completed. The first was The Gentleman from Maxims; the second was Die Klein Schiwindlerin -- or, as it was known in the U.S., The Little Schemer. Pixieish Dolly Haas plays the title character, a flirtatious cutie named Annette. Our heroine causes all sorts of mischief for handsome young man-about-town Bob (Harald Paulsen), ultimately winning his love. She also saves him from the machinations of a group of con artists. Though Dolly Haas was unable to sustain her acting career in Hollywood, she remained in close contact with the Performing Arts through her long and lasting marriage to caricature artist Al Hirschfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Haas, Harald Paulsen, (more)
- 1936
I Am Longing for You is the English-language title of this lugubrious German musical drama. Real-life concert singer Louis Grauvere stars as famed tenor Fritz Brockman. At the height of his success, Fritz leaves wife Katahrina (Adele Sandrock) in favor of a younger bride, Yvonne (Camilla Horn). Quickly tiring of married life, Yvonne eventually breaks Fritz's heart -- but the show must go on! In addition to Grauvere's splendid vocalizations, there are a couple of lively dance solos by Mary Tamara, cast as a mousy secretary with a great set of stems. The American release print of Ich Sehne Mich Nach Die is rather choppily edited, suggesting that originally there was more to this than meets the eye. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adele Sandrock, Camilla Horn, (more)
- 1936
Axel Nielsen's stage play Kontuschowska was the basis for the German comedy Ein Hoczeitstraum (A Wedding Dream). Ida List plays heroine Vera, who is railroaded by her title-chasing mother into a marriage with "Prince Narishkin" (Heinz Salfner). Turns out, however, that the Prince is a phony; the real monarch (Ferdinand Marian) has gone incognito, taking a job as a chauffeur to escape his responsibilities. While honeymooning with the false prince, Vera falls in love with the real Narishkin, never suspecting that she's actually married to the Prince's valet! Things can only get more complicated from here on in, and they do. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ida Wuest, Ferdinand Marian, (more)
- 1936
Ein Walzer Fuer Dich (A Waltz For You) once again combines the talents of singer Louis Graveure and the ethereally beautiful Camilla Horn. Graveure plays Antonio, a prince-in-exile who gains success as a tenor on the concert stage. Comes the revolution, and Antonio returns to the throne, marrying the equally musical Princess Stefanie (Horn), whose regime has been overthrown. Much to the surprise of their subjects, Antonio and Stefanie both give up their royal raiments to resume their singing careers! Ein Walzer Fuer Dich is so typical of its genre that it borders on self-parody. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camilla Horn, Heinz Rühmann, (more)
Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth, a pair of gifted opera singers who were also husband and wife, were at the height of their fame in 1936 when they starred in this Viennese screen musical. Denise (Eggerth) is an aspiring singer whose audition for a production of La Bohème strongly impresses Rene (Kiepura), another performer hoping to land a role in the opera. Denise wins the leading role of Mimi, and Rene wins the heart of Denise as well as a part as her love interest, but their good fortune is soon shrouded in tragedy when Denise discovers that, much like her character, she has contracted a fatal disease which may prevent her from making her triumphant debut. Zauber der Boheme (aka The Charm of La Boheme) was designed to incorporate the music of Puccini's opera into a contemporary setting as a vehicle for Kiepura and Eggerth; this project marked their return to the European screen after a stay in Hollywood failed to make them into American matinee idols in the manner of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggerth, (more)
