Greetings from Vienna
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Greetings from Vienna |
| Original title | Almost Angels |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1962 |
| length | 93 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Steve Previn |
| script | Vernon Harris |
| production |
Walt Disney for Walt Disney Productions |
| music | Heinz Schreiter |
| camera | Kurt Grigoleit |
| cut | Alfred Srp |
| occupation | |
| |
Greetings from Vienna is an American music film by Steve Previn from 1962 . It is based on an original story by Robert A. Stemmle .
action
After a four-month tour through America, the Vienna Boys' Choir will return to Vienna. Engine driver's son Toni is enthusiastic about the singers and learns from the singer Peter that you can apply to the Boys' Choir by auditioning. Although his father is strictly against his son's singing ambitions, his mother supports him and accompanies him to auditions. Toni convinces and is accepted as the new choir boy. Toni's father also finally agrees that Toni can go to the choir boys' boarding school, but threatens to take Toni out of school if his school performance begins to suffer from the singing training. Toni now has a month to prove himself in the boarding school. Only then will a decision be made about his final admission.
Toni has a difficult time at the beginning. The boys in the boarding school are much further along than he is at school and Toni has big problems, especially in mathematics. At the same time, he has such a good voice that choir director Max Heller gives him solo parts that the secret star of the Boys' Choir, Peter, was previously allowed to sing. His voice is slowly breaking and is now all the more jealous of Toni. Wherever he can, he hinders him. When Toni is supposed to sing a solo part at a performance in the children's hospital, Peter locks him in the preparation room. Toni then climbs out of the window and balances on the ledge to the window of the adjoining room, where he should appear. A little later, Peter takes Tonis' radio and turns it on, although listening to the radio is prohibited in the boarding school. There is a big pillow fight that ends Max in the end. Although Toni believes he will be kicked out of the boarding school, Director Eisinger tells him that he has passed the probationary period. Toni is now a permanent member of the Vienna Boys' Choir and Peter begins to accept him. Max asks Peter to support Toni, and Peter actually studies a role with Toni for a performance.
On an excursion, Peter suddenly disappeared and the boys find him not far from their rest stop. He conducts a self-written song and at the end all the boys sing the song written by Peter. The Vienna Boys' Choir is on a major tour that will bring the group to India, Japan and Australia. Toni is afraid that he will not be allowed to travel with him because his math grades are so bad, but now his father stands up for him, who has long recognized his son's talent. Toni is allowed to travel. Shortly before departure, the Choir Boys perform a Strauss opera, but Peter suddenly cannot hit the high notes during rehearsals. His voice broke, which automatically means the end of his time as the Vienna Boys' Choir. Toni, however, wants him to go on tour. During the performance of the opera, he lets another boy sing Peter's parts behind the scenes, while Peter only pretends to sing on stage. But when the boy is run over by a group of singers behind the scenes and misses his mission, the dizziness comes to light. Max can still get Peter to come on tour - as his substitute conductor. At a concert, Peter finally conducts the Vienna Boys' Choir and the audience is enthusiastic. Peter happily joins the group of singers and bows with the group during the final applause.
production
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A Greetings from Vienna was filmed on location in Vienna in 1961. In addition to the Palais Augarten , home of the Vienna Boys 'Choir, the filming locations were also the Piarist Church of Maria Treu in Vienna, where a performance by the Boys' Choir was filmed. The four main child actors came from England, while the rest of the boys were real Vienna Boys' Choir. Many adult actors in the film came from Austria, but the film was shot exclusively in English. Peter Weck, who played the choirmaster Max Haller in the film, had been with the Vienna Boys' Choir when he was a child and had also started to learn conducting during his studies, which he was now able to use in film.
The film was released in US cinemas on September 26, 1962. He started as the second part of a double feature with Lady and the Tramp . German premiere was on April 9, 1965.
The buildings were designed by the couple Werner and Isabella Schlichting , the costumes by Leo Bei , the sound by Herbert Janeczka . Rudolf Nussgruber served here for the last time as assistant director, Willy Egger as production manager. The pieces of music played include compositions by Johannes Brahms , Johann Strauss (son) and Franz Schubert .
The film features numerous songs, some of which were translated into English and some of which were sung in German or Latin. Among other things, Greensleeves , Der Lindenbaum and Der Postbote can be heard.
criticism
"The splendid choral singing triumphs over the unparalleled quality of the film as a teacher and its rather stiffly played youthful arrogance: folk and art songs by Brahms, Schubert and Strauss," said the film service . "Bizarre: Peter Weck goes Hollywood," wrote Cinema . The evangelical film observer drew the following conclusion: "Undemanding, colorful picture sheet, which only earns interest through an abundance of beautiful music."
Web links
- A greeting from Vienna in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Peter Weck: Was that it? Memories . Amalthea, Vienna 2010, p. 198.
- ^ Greetings from Vienna. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ See cinema.de
- ↑ Critique No. 198/1965, p. 361