The dancer from Sanssouci
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The dancer from Sanssouci |
| Country of production | German Empire |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1932 |
| length | 93 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Friedrich Zelnik |
| script |
Hans Behrendt Fanny Carlsen |
| production | Friedrich Zelnik |
| music | Marc Roland |
| camera | Friedl Behn-Grund |
| cut | Willy Zeunert (sound editor) |
| occupation | |
| |
The Dancer from Sanssouci is a German fiction film by Friedrich Zelnik from 1932 with Otto Fee in his star role as Friedrich the Great and belongs to the series of Fridericus Rex films .
action
King of Prussia Friedrich II wants to sign the dancer Barberina , who has already enjoyed great success in Italy and England, to the Berlin Opera House. The Italian is anything but enthusiastic and refuses to answer the call to Prussia. So Friedrich lets them be escorted to Potsdam, accompanied by his soldiers. Quickly, it seems, his heart is aflame for the southern beauty, and soon the dancer no longer wants to turn away from his desire to appear at the opera. The King showered Signorina Campanini with attentions, invited her to supper and attended each of her performances. But his actions are not only guided by amorous considerations for a long time, rather he wants to leave his possible opponents in the mistaken belief that now that he is completely devoted to this lady, he is far less attentive in political and war business.
Barberina is not unimpressed by the efforts of the king and one day warns him of the machinations of the sinister Count Cagliostro , a former lover who plans to take over the Prussian deployment plans and then sell them to the opposing Austrians. The king is already aware of Cagliostro's activity, as his secretary Möller has already instructed him in this regard. Frederick the Great, in cooperation with Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau , the old Dessauer , duped the Austrians at Lissa and took the entire Austrian General Staff prisoner without a single shot being fired.
While the king has to devote himself to state affairs and war business, the Barberina has become apostate at home in Berlin: she has fallen in love with the privy councilor Baron von Cocceji and wants to go with him after a concert on the occasion of the return of the king, where the old man is also Master Johann Sebastian Bach participates, flee abroad. The Barberina appears again before his Majesty, but provokes him so ostentatiously that Friedrich II feels compelled to reprimand her coram publico. This is already on the move when old Fritz pays a visit to his dancer from Sanssouci. A conciliatory debate ensues. The king realizes that he cannot stop the blossoming love between her and the baron, gives his blessing for this connection and remains alone.
Production notes
The dancer from Sanssouci was created between April 25 and May 12, 1932 in the DLS ateliers of Staaken. The film had nine acts and was 2,550 meters long. The censors released him on August 1, 1932 for the youth. The first performance took place on September 8, 1932 in Stuttgart and Dresden. In Berlin, The Dancer of Sanssouci could be seen for the first time on September 16, 1932 in the Ufa-Palast am Zoo .
Fred Lyssa was production manager, Ernst Garden was unit manager . The film constructions come from the hands of Leopold Blonder and Willy Schiller . Eugen Hrich took care of the sound. Captain a. D. Erich von Gomlicki.
Hugo Fischer-Köppe was the speaker for the prologue, Leo Monosson took care of the vocal interludes.
For veteran screenwriter Fanny Carlsen, who also contributed a song text, this was not only the last film, but also her only sound film. When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, it completely disappeared from the public eye. She may have emigrated.
The following music tracks were recorded:
- Bank song: Who is beautiful like Aphrodite?
- Flute serenade
- Gavotte: Barberina, you ask a lot
- Parade march of the long guys
- Do you want to waste a little luck on me (Music: Roland, Text: Carlsen)
These music titles were published by Alrobi-Musikverlag, Berlin, and Lyra-Verlag, Berlin.
Historical background and interesting facts
- Barbara Campanini (1721–1799), one of the most important dancers of the 18th century, made her debut on German soil in 1744 at the Prussian court opera. She lived mostly in Prussia until her death. In the bid for Campanini's favor, the Prussian noble Baron Karl Ludwig von Cocceji remained the winner.
- For Otto Fee this was the second sound film after The Flute Concerto from Sans-souci in which he appeared as Prussian King Frederick the Great.
- The relationship between Barberina and Frederick II is also discussed in the films The Dancer Barberina (1920) and The Mill of Sanssouci (1925/1926). In the first Lyda Salmonova played the barberina in the second Olga Chekhova.
Reviews
"Great moments of Otto Fee (...) Lil Dagover a truly royal dancer."
"This film knows how to convey a few happy hours very well."
"The countless episodes recorded in the annals of Frederick the Great can be varied scenically again and again, and the director Friedrich Zelnik then brought together pretty much everything that characterizes the character of this Prussian king in" The Dancer of Sanssouci ". (...) Otto Fee, who is playing Friedrich again, has an astonishing resemblance in mask, form and gesture to the images that have come down to us from the king. Lil Dagover brings only beauty and elegance. Their game is artificially cold. An international dancer at the feet of kings in Prussia, Italy and England should at least be able to dance. With the Dagover, however, there are only a few rhythmic attempts at walking. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kay Less : "In life, more is taken from you than given ...". Lexicon of filmmakers who emigrated from Germany and Austria between 1933 and 1945. A general overview. ACABUS Verlag, Hamburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-86282-049-8 , p. 616.
Web links
- Dancer of Sanssouci in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The dancer from Sanssouci at filmportal.de