The great longing
The great longing is a German revue film from 1930 by Stefan Szekely with a star cast led by Camilla Horn .
action
Lunch break in the canteen: Luis Trenker , Maria Paudler and Hans Adalbert Schlettow sit together at a table and chat. This is how this story from the world of film begins. In the nearby studio, preparations for a new large production are in full swing. During the rehearsals, director Hall is shocked to discover that his star Carla Marventa is not delivering the performance he expects from her. To make matters worse, she also displays great diva allures. Now it's time to move and find a Marventa replacement. His gaze flits briefly over the blonde extras Eva, who is present in the studio, who misinterprets this gaze and believes that now the chance of her life has definitely come for her. Without further ado, she speaks to Hall, believing that she can inherit the Marventa ... and only gets ridiculous laughter, because who is she anyway? A nobody! When Conrad Veidt , the star of the film to be shot, arrives and believes Eva is his film partner, she is terribly embarrassed and she runs away. Hall still doesn't know who to cast instead of Marventa and desperately rummages through countless photos of actresses instead of going to Anny Ondra's birthday party in her dressing room. Since he can't think of a better idea, the director sends Eva the manuscript to study, you never know ...
She rehearses intensively at home with her friend Paul Wessel, who like her makes his way through life as an extra. To round it off professionally, Eva Fritz Kortner asks to go over her possible role with her again and to correct any mistakes. The result is impressive, because Eva is actually hired! This calls Neider on the scene, because it could not be that a debutante gets the lead right away! A case of " cast couch " is suspected and that Eva must have a relationship with the director. Paul, who hears this suspicion from the mouth of an extra colleague in front of witnesses, knocks the slanderer down without further ado, showing that he is still standing by Eva. But soon he too has to state that Eva has become more and more estranged from him. So it comes between the two first a violent argument and finally a final break. Eva, who has already had a nervous breakdown and genuinely loves Paul, tries to run after him, but is held back by director Hall. When he asks Eva whether he should interrupt filming with her until she has settled her private affairs, the ambitious young woman says no: her love for the job, “the great longing” to finally become a film star, is more important to her than private happiness. For her return to the set, which is seen as a sign of high professionalism, she receives great applause in the studio.
Production notes
The great longing arose between July 2nd and 24th, 1930 in the Efa-Atelier in Berlin. Thanks to the participation of nearly three dozen celebrities from the Weimar Republic from the entertainment industry, the film has a star density that could only be seen once again in Germany afterwards: in 1938 in the remake The Stars Shine . It was directed by Hans H. Zerlett , who made a guest appearance in The Great Desire .
The music texts were provided by chief composer Friedrich Hollaender , Karl Brüll, Rudolf Eisner and Bruno W. Spahn. Paul Dessau took over the musical direction . The production line had Joe Pasternak and Eugen Tuscherer . The film buildings were designed by the architects Hans Sohnle and Otto Erdmann . The Hungarian Tichomar Varady created the costumes and Alfred Norkus provided the sound . László Benedek assisted director Szekely, Otto Stein worked as a still photographer on this production.
Music numbers
The following music tracks were played:
- Everything that is beautiful stops once (Music: Friedrich Hollaender / Text: Hollaender)
- Stay with me ! (Hollaender / Hollaender)
- The girl has sex appeal (Joe Alex / Karl Brüll, Erwin W. Spahn)
- I wish something (Dutch / Dutch)
- Lou-Lou (Frank Strip / Brüll, Rudolf Eisner)
The songs were published by Edition Karl Brüll, Berlin.
More worth knowing
The idea of using numerous film stars with guest roles as a framework for a story from show business was implemented again and again, especially in Hollywood productions of the 1930s and 1940s, such as We're Switching to Hollywood , Star Spangled Rhythm , Hollywood Canteen or A Great Feeling .
Reviews
The Österreichische Film-Zeitung wrote: “The film of 36 stars! That is an achievement in and of itself, because it is no small matter to show so many celebrities in a film without one crushing the other. This “problem” has been solved here in an excellent, appealing, interesting way. The only suitable, possible milieu for such a purpose could only be that of a film studio. (...) Camilla Horn is unusually charming in the role of the young extra "
Paimann's film lists found: “Once again a studio operation, a film was made, with remarkable means - careful presentation, music worth listening to and nice directorial ideas - designed, in between, sketched with a few lines, the private life of those from the building. Dialogues appropriate and appropriate, presentation carefully, photography and sound reproduction good ”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kurt Bernhardt had the artistic direction
- ↑ "The great longing". In: Neue Freie Presse , November 15, 1930, p. 8 (online at ANNO ).
- ↑ The great longing ( memento of the original dated November 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Paimann's film lists
Web links
- The great desire in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The great longing at filmportal.de