Big city butterfly

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Movie
Original title Big city butterfly
Country of production Germany , Great Britain
original language German
Publishing year 1929
length 102 minutes
Rod
Director Richard Eichberg
script Adolf Lantz , based on a text by Hans Kyser
production Richard Eichberg-Film GmbH, Berlin; British International Pictures (BIP), London
music Max Pflugmacher (cinema music)
camera Otto Baecker , Heinrich Gärtner
occupation

Großstadtschmetterling is a German-British fictional film by Richard Eichberg from 1928/29.

action

The film takes place in the Parisian bohemian tradition . The brutal and unscrupulous clown Coco loves the beautiful Chinese dancer Mah and chases after her. When Coco kills an acrobat, he draws suspicion on Mah; she finds refuge with the Russian painter Kuzmin, who lives in a roof studio, and becomes his model. When she is supposed to cash a check for Kusmin at the bank, Coco follows her, and when she refuses to go with him, he takes the money from her. Since Coco has threatened to kill Kuzmin if she reveals the theft, she cannot reveal herself to Kuzmin. Kuzmin therefore thinks she is the thief herself and throws her out. Only after many more entanglements can Mah Coco expose, get the money back and clarify the truth to Kusmin with the help of Baron Neuve. Finally washed clean of guilt, she disappears into the crowd despite the offer from Kuzmin and his new lover to live with them: "I do not belong to you."

Production and theatrical release

After “ Dirty Money ”, “Großstadtschmetterling” was Eichberg's second collaboration with Anna May Wong ; In 1930 “ Hai-Tang. Follow the path to shame ”. The shooting for "Big City Butterfly" took place in Paris, Nice and Monte Carlo . The film had various alternative titles, such as "City Butterfly", "Pavement Butterfly", "Die Fremde" (working title) and "Ballad einer Liebe" (subtitle). The premiere took place on April 10, 1929 . Süd-Film AG took over the theatrical release.

criticism

The film owes its importance above all to the Chinese-American leading actress Anna May Wong , who, due to her Chinese origins , was set in Hollywood for roles that corresponded to the typical Chinese stereotypes . In a European production like this, however, Wong was able to show all of her acting skills in a role that neither defamed the Chinese nor exaggerated as clichéd as was usually the case in their American films.

literature

  • Graham Russell Gao Hodges: Anna May Wong. From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend. Palgrave Macmillan, New York NY et al. 2004, ISBN 0-312-29319-4 , pp. 97 f.

Web links