Magda Schneider Movies
Bavarian actress Magda Schneider played leading roles in many romantic Teutonic films during the '30s, '40s, and '50s. Originally trained to sing and dance, she started out in operetta and made her film debut in 1931. She is best remembered for her work in Max Ophuls' Liebelie (1933). Her daughter, Romy Schneider, became a major star during the '50s. Both mother and daughter frequently appeared together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1962
The trilogy on Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria and his queen Empress Elizabeth by director Ernest Marischka has been cut and spliced to make this interesting though slow-paced, two and a half-hour compilation costume drama. The tale starts out with the courtship of the future queen, known as "Sissi" (Romy Schneider, who made her screen debut in the first of the three dramas), an attractive and lively young woman. After Franz Josef (Karl Boehm) falls in loves and captures Sissi's heart, they plan their wedding and head into the topic of the second feature in the series, the coronation of Franz Josef in Budapest. Finally, Sissi is shown as being instrumental in helping to keep the peace -- or obtain it -- among the belligerent nations of Europe. The original titles of each of the three separate dramas were Sissi, Sissi, die Junge Kaiserin, and Sissi, Schicksalsjahre Einer Kaiserin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Carl Boehm, (more)
- 1959
A wooden, routine satire about love, sex, and a fascination with Americans, Die Halbzarte features an eccentric Austrian family who come up with a novel idea for making money. They decide to collectively write a sexy play about a young American that because of its content, is sure to become popular and sell out to packed houses. The innocent teen daughter in the family is involved in the project which suddenly becomes complicated when an American buyer gets interested in who wrote the play. This leads to romance for the pure-hearted daughter, whose own experiences in that area in no way match those of the play's hero. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Carlos Thompson, (more)
- 1958
Based on an operetta by Franz Schubert, the film is partially biographical. Franz (Karlheinz Boehm) is in love with Hannerl (Johanna Matz) but is too shy to reveal his feelings. After composing a love song, he engages a young baron to sing to her. Hannerl instead falls in love with the baron. The girl's parents lament over the problems of Hannerl and her two sisters, who are all young women living at home and eligible for marriage. Beethoven (Ewald Balser) and legendary music publisher Diabelli (Richard Romanowsky) are Schubert's famous contemporaries, giving historical perspective to the three music legends. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Heinz Böhm, Gustav Knuth, (more)
- 1957
17th century author Daniel Defoe is assisted by a group of children in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1956
Trouble rears its ugly head when the young emperor and empress of Austria arrive in Budapest for their coronation. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider
- 1955
This comical mix up features a baron who falls for a young woman on her way to visit her aunt in Vienna. When he call to ask for the girls hand in marriage, he calls the wrong aunt about the wrong niece. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1955
Romy Schneider makes an impressive starring debut in the delightful Austrian comedy Sissi. The titular heroine is a preteen 19th century lass of noble birth, who charms everyone she meets. Especially impressed is young Franz Joseph, emperor the Hapsburg Empire. When Sissi comes of age, the emperor pursues the girl romantically, with fascinating results. Filmed in 1955, Sissi was the first of a popular series of films showcasing Romy Schneider as the young Empress Elizabeth. The actress' mother, Magda Schneider, also appears prominently in the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, (more)
- 1954
Filmed in 1954 as Madchenjahre einer Konigin, The Story of Vickie stars 16-year-old Romy Schneider as England's soon-to-be Queen Victoria. Purportedly based on the Queen's diary and letters, the story concerns the early romance between "Vickie" and her beloved Prince Albert (Adrian Hoven). When first she meets Albert, Vickie has no idea that he is her betrothed, thus she delights in embarking upon a "forbidden" love affair. Enlivening the film is the young princess' frisky unwillingness to conform to Royal protocol--until it becomes utterly necessary for her to do so. Those who question the casting of an Austrian actress as Victoria should be reminded that the real Queen was also of Teutonic heritage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Adrian Hoven, (more)
- 1938
Eva is a German "inventory" musical, stitching together several popular Franz Lehar tunes into a coherent storyline. Playboy Georg (Hans Sohnker) is ordered to take charge of one of his family's porcelain factories. Reasoning that the workers might be intimidated by his presence, George assumes a false name and takes a job as a humble assembly-line worker. While in this guise, he falls in love with beautiful co-worker Eva (Magda Schneider, the mother of 1960s leading lady Romy Schneider). Anyone who's ever seen a musical before will be able to guess the outcome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Hans Söhnker, (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
In keeping with its title, which translates as Tales from the Vienna Woods, this German operetta spotlights the lilting three-quarter-time tunes of Johann Strauss. It all begins when humble mechanic Rudi Walheim (Wolf Albach-Retty) inherits a title and a castle. Unfortunately, his new domicile is mortgaged to the hilt, forcing Rudi to cook up a few get-rich-quick schemes. He is helped along by Millie (Magda Schneider), a poor girl pretending to be rich, and Mary (Truus von Aalten), a rich girl pretending to be poor. It's anybody's guess as to which girl our hero will marry at film's end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Wolf Albach-Retty, (more)
- 1936
Several of Germany and Austria's most popular screen personalities, including Magda Schneider, Leo Slezak and Georg Alexander, are teamed up in the tuneful Rendezvous in Wien (Rendezvous in Vienna). Wolf Albach-Retty plays Franz Lenhardt, a talented but impoverished composer. In love with true-blue Gusti (Schneider), Franz would like to support her in the manner to which she is accustomed, but he can't seem to make a sale. Putting their heads together, Gusti and her all-wise aunt Hofrat (Adele Sandrock) pull a few strings to ensure Franz' ultimate success. Some chucklesome moments are provided by Slezak as a self-important singer and Alexander as a libidinous music publisher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adele Sandrock, Leo Slezak, (more)
- 1935
The wintry mountainscapes of Bavaria provide the backdrop for this airy German comedy. The story is set in motion when young clerk Boenecke (Richard Romanowsky) accidentally delivers a check to the wrong bank. Boenecke's boss Schumann (Walter Steinbeck) suspects the clerk of embezzlement -- especially since our hero has taken off on an extended Alpine vacation with his sweetheart Hilde (Magda Schneider). Before this comic chain reaction can be straightened out, hero and heroine have become entangled with a gang of female pickpockets. Essentially a "moonlight and strudel" confection, Winterachtstraum was perfect escapist entertainment for Magda Schneider's legions of fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Wolf Albach-Retty, (more)
- 1935
In this lightweight drama, two good pals become bitter foes when they fall in love with the same starlet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Polish opera star Jan Kiepura makes a rare film appearance in the British Be Mine Tonight. Kiepura plays an opera star who is besieged by his eager female fans. He heads to a tiny village where no one knows who he is. The peace and quiet rapidly drives him crazy, but at least he finds romance in the form of Magda Schneider. Be Mine Tonight was filmed simultaneously in English and German versions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Kiepura, Sonnie Hale, (more)
- 1932
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
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Fritz Schulz, (more)
- 1932
He was known as Anatole Litvak during his Hollywood directorial career, but he was still Anatole Litwak when he helmed the German musical Das Lied Einer Nacht (The Song of Night). Famed Polish tenor Jan Kiepura stars as famed Italian tenor Ferraro. Escaping from his tyrannical manager, Ferraro switches identities with a young tourist (Fritz Schulz) and goes off on an unscheduled Swiss holiday. Still travelling incognito, our hero falls in love with a winsome mountain girl (Magda Schneider). Alas, both his romance -- and his freedom -- are placed in jeopardy when it turns out that the charming young fellow with whom Ferraro traded identities was actually a notorious swindler. Anatole Litvak also directed the English-language version of Das Lied Einer Nacht, Be Mine Tonight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Kiepura, Magda Schneider, (more)
- 1932
Ein Bischen Liebe (A Bit of Love) was based on Business in America, a play by Frank & Hirschfield. A wealthy American auto manufacturer pays a visit to Vienna, there to make an inspection tour of his company's Austrian plant. Weaned on the romanticized images of Vienna as seen in the movies, our hero is rather surprised to discover that conditions in Austria are not so far removed as those in the good old USA. Well, there is one difference: while in Vienna, he manages to fall in love for the first time in his life. At this point, Ein Bischen Liebe evolves into a marital-mix-up farce, with all the expected comic cliches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hermann Thimig, Lee Parry, (more)
- 1932
Liebelei is one of the earliest of the cinematic banquets directed by German filmmaker Max Ophuls. The film, set in imperial Vienna, concerns the romance between a young girl and a lieutenant. A powerful baron misreads the lieutenant's ardor, assuming that it is being directed towards his own wife. A duel follows which, no matter how it turns out, will spell tragedy for at least one of the characters we care about. The central character is portrayed by Magda Schneider, the mother of 1960s film star Romy Schneider. Liebelei was filmed in two different languages, German and French; the latter version was titled Une Histoire D'Amour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Magda Schneider, Wolfgang Liebeneiner, (more)
