Grand Duchess Alexandra
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Grand Duchess Alexandra |
| Country of production | Austria |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1933 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Wilhelm Thiele |
| script | Hanns Saßmann |
| production | Oskar luck |
| music | Franz Lehár |
| camera | Otto Kanturek |
| cut | Carl Behr |
| occupation | |
| |
Grand Duchess Alexandra is an Austrian film operetta by Wilhelm Thiele with Maria Jeritza , who played the only film role in her entire career in the title role. Your partner is Paul Hartmann . This was Thiele's first film director in exile.
action
Russia in the 1910s, in outgoing tsarism. The Russian Grand Duke Michael lives in his castle with his wife, the eponymous Grand Duchess Alexandra, happily but in a morganatic marriage , which provokes the tsar's displeasure. When the First World War broke out and three years later the Bolsheviks overturned the monarchy, the fortune of the nobles was also shaken. The couple flee, disguised as farmers and accompanied by their cook Dimitri, pursued by the red hordes. At a river that one tries to cross, Grand Duke Michael is hit by a bullet and falls into the water. Alexandra thinks he is dead and is escorted safely to Vienna by a fatherly friend of the family, Prince Nikolai, while Dimitri stays with Michael, who drifts in the river.
In the Austrian capital, Nikolai, who takes care of Alexandra and takes on any casual work, meets the conductor Werner and introduces him to Alexandra, who has a wonderful singing voice. Werner recognizes her talent and gives Alexandra lessons. Soon she becomes an opera singer. A deep connection grows between Alexandra and Richard Werner. Alexandra makes a career as a celebrated opera star, and so her photo in a newspaper also ends up on a Lithuanian estate, where Michael, who was only wounded at the time, and his cook Dimitri, who saved him, spent a simple life in seclusion.
Grand Duke Michael is delighted and immediately sets off for Vienna to see his wife again. Alexandra is torn: there is her husband, who was once believed to be lost and dead, who faces her like a stranger, and on the other side is the conductor Werner, to whom she owes everything since her exile. Michael realizes how much his wife's singing skills mean and writes her a farewell letter. After much deliberation, she decides to give up her beloved job and return to her husband and with him in the solitude of Lithuania. Master Werner is left alone: he has to console himself with his love for music and high art.
Production notes
Grand Duchess Alexandra was written in Vienna and the Vienna State Opera from the end of June 1933 . The film premiered in the Austrian capital on October 17, 1933. The mass start was on October 27 of the same year. Despite strong Jewish participation (director Thiele, cameraman Otto Kanturek , supporting actor Szöke Szakall , musical director Felix Günther ) the film also had its Berlin premiere on November 22, 1933.
In addition to Franz Lehár's composition, melodies from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi were also used. The soprano Maria Jeritza sang her roles herself.
Artur Berger designed the film structures. Alfred Norkus provided the sound , Hans Casparius was a still photographer.
music
The following music titles were played or sung:
- Then man is ahead of the animal
- You and I are made for each other
- Friends, let the glasses ring
- My mother is worried somewhere
- Pace, pace
- Ritorna vincitor
- Hello Vienna!
Artur Rebner wrote the lyrics .
Reviews
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The obligatory subject of the singer films conventionally changes the theme of the star career, but is staged with taste. The comedian roles are crucial. The Jeritza keeps away from overemphasis, is not complacent, maintains poise. But she can only fully develop the brilliance of her voice in the opera scenes. In Lehár's songs and couplets she seems somewhat unfree. Imposing presentation scene by scene, the Vienna State Opera in kind. "
The Österreichische Film-Zeitung wrote: “Hanns Saßmann happily solved the by no means easy task of writing a book about Jeritza. The film is exciting, varied, the dialogue is quite classy, and there is also a series of extremely funny scenes. (...) Wilhelm Thiele's director is imaginative, colorful and tries to avoid anything conventional. "
Web links
- Grand Duchess Alexandra in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Grand Duchess Alexandra at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Grand Duchess Alexandra in Paimann's film lists ( memento of the original from August 15, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ "Grand Duchess Alexandra". In: Österreichische Film-Zeitung , October 14, 1933, p. 2 (online at ANNO ).
