The Tsarina's toy
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Tsarina's toy |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1919 |
| length | approx. 94 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Rudolf Meinert |
| script | Willi Wolff |
| production | Frankfurter Film Co. mbH |
| camera | AO Weitzenberg |
| occupation | |
| |
The Tsarina's toy is a silent German historical and furnishing drama from 1919 by Rudolf Meinert with Ellen Richter in the lead role as Catherine the Great .
action
Count Orlow, the lover of the Russian tsarina Catherine II, is in a bad mood again, because a new lieutenant of the guard has come into the field of vision of his mighty patroness and threatens to become the tsarina's new toy. In order not to get out of the running, Orlov, popular with the people, played his best trump card: his knowledge of Tsar Ivan, the rightful Russian ruler, who was imprisoned by Katharina in the Schluesselburg fortress . Katharina doesn't want to be blackmailed by Orlov and decides to make her toy, Lieutenant Mirovich, her tool: he should get rid of Ivan for good without further ado. In order to divert suspicion from herself, Katharina gives the order to move Mirowitsch and his regiment to the Schlüsselburg. There is supposed to be a fake attempt at liberation in favor of Ivan, which of course must fail, because the Tsarina has given the guards instructions to kill the prisoner immediately with every attempt at liberation. And as Katharina planned it, it also happens.
Tsar Ivan dies in the hail of bullets from the officers on the watch, and Mirovich is arrested and charged with conspiracy. The death sentence is certain, the executioner is already waiting. But the handsome lieutenant, the tsarina's toy, is not worried; he is sure that his ruler will save him at the last minute. In fact, the night before the planned execution, the dungeon door opens and the tsarina steps into his dungeon. Both spend one last night of love in this inhospitable environment. But at dawn Katharina disappears again and leaves her toys to its fate. She must act like this, because otherwise the people would believe that they were complicit in the conspiracy in the Schluesselburg. Mirowitsch's executioner is waiting ... and the tsarina weeps with crocodile tears.
Production notes
The Tsarina's toy had five acts, spread over a length of 1939 meters, and was premiered in May 1919 in the Kammerlichtspiele on Berlin's Potsdamer Platz. When it was re-censored on November 10, 1921, the film that was banned from young people was shortened to 1,770 meters.
The exterior shots were made a. at the beginning of 1919 in the New Palace in Potsdam . This is the first time since the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who used this palace as a summer residence until 1918, a permit for film recordings was granted.
The leading actress Richter was married to the screenwriter Willi Wolff .
criticism
“The presentation, the material and the presentation show the generosity of the hit and contain all the advantages of an effective piece. The events from the time of Catherine II of Russia, their love affairs and the cruelty to the victims of their favor are reproduced in satanic ferocity. Ellen Richter, as Tsarina, is very fond of this role. She also lets all the arts play in order to work them out truthfully. With an almost uncanny fidelity to nature, she also succeeds. The equipment is brilliant, the photography and all technical requirements of the best quality, so the box office success is inevitable. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ in the Neue Kino-Rundschau he is called Maschikoff
- ↑ Neue Kino-Rundschau of October 11, 1919. p. 23