Clothes make the man (1921)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Clothes make people alternative: groom on credit |
| Country of production |
Austria Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1921 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Hans Steinhoff |
| script | Hans Steinhoff Robert Weil under his pseudonym Homunculus |
| production | Volo-Film, Hans Steinhoff |
| music | Ennio Morricone |
| camera |
Anton Pucher Mr. Kieselau |
| occupation | |
| |
Clothes make the man (subtitle: film game from a happier time in 5 acts , alternative title: groom on credit ) is an Austro-German literary film adaptation from 1921 directed by Hans Steinhoff , who made his debut with this film. The main roles are occupied by Hermann Thimig and Dora Kaiser .
The screenplay was based on motifs from the novel of the same name by Gottfried Keller .
action
The action takes place in the Biedermeier period , the Spitzweg milieu is visually brought to life: the tailor Jaro Strapinsky is dismissed by his master in Seldwyla when he catches him posing in front of the mirror in the tailcoat of a noble gentleman. Now he is looking for a new job. Strapinsky is taken by a count's coachman to the town of Goldach, where, because of his elegant clothes and because he arrives in a splendid coach, he is mistaken for the count expected in town. Although the tailor initially tries to clear up the misunderstanding, he gives up after a while, as the respected citizens of the city have their own point of view and seem to be convinced that a connection with him, the count, is personal and business-like Would bring benefits. When the amount that Strapinsky owes the landlord of the inn "Zur golden Waage" increases, the tailor has thoughts of fleeing. However, his attempts to steal away have not been crowned with success. Strapinsky does not succeed in shedding the role he has been pushed into, as he would with an ill-fitting suit. To make matters worse, he fell in love with Nettchen, the bailiff's daughter. Nettchen also took a liking to him. However, Melchior Böhnli from Goldach has something against such a connection. He has long been hoping for the young woman and has watched Strapinsky with hawk eyes. He soon suspects that Strapinsky is a con man, not only because of his treacherous fingers.
On the wedding day of Nettchen and Jaro, he exposes the groom and announces to the indignant citizens that they have fallen for a poor little tailor. Nettchen is not deterred, however, because her love for Jaro is real, she sticks to him. The young couple want to build a future together.
Production notes
The film was shot in June, July and August 1921. The outdoor shots were made in the Vienna Woods , in the vicinity of Vienna , near Hütteldorf . Hans Neumann was responsible for the interior, Hans Dostal and Robert Reich for the general furnishings, and Karl Alexander Wilke for the costumes . Mayblond (Michael Maybaum) made the animated drawings based on ideas from Hans Steinhoff.
“The fragment that has been handed down and restored by the Federal Archives Film Archive is based on a viraged and toned nitro copy of the second act of the film.” The film originally had a length of 1,893 meters with 5 acts (viraged). The fragment that has survived is 326 to 335 meters long (14 minutes, 21 frames per second). Clothes make the man was distributed by Hansa-Film ( UFA ) and Sascha-Film by UFA. Steinhoff shot his first film in personal union by appearing as a producer, writing the script, being responsible for the staging and providing suggestions for the subtitles, which are charmingly original. A special attraction was that Steinhoff was able to win the Burgtheater star Hugo Thimig for one of the roles, who appeared here for the first time together with his sons Hermann and Hans. For Hans Thimig it was his film debut. The repeatedly launched information that Hans Moser appeared here in one of his first film roles is not correct. Josef Moser is a court actor who gave acting lessons to the later popular star. Out of gratitude, Johann Julier, as Moser was actually called, is said to have adopted his last name.
After the censors declared the film, No. B 4962, to be free for minors on December 19, 1921, the premiere took place on December 29, 1921 in the UT Kurfürstendamm in Berlin. The premiere in Vienna was on September 22, 1922.
For the Hansa-Verleih, which belongs to the UFA, the film only brought in losses, it looked different with the director, who was able to get hold of a contract with the prestigious Berlin-based Gloria-Film.
Film interpretation
Elisabeth Büttner said in a prologue to the film that the question of happiness was being asked. It comes unexpectedly for the protagonist and, to his own astonishment, he is lifted a few steps up the current hierarchy. He is at the same time a beneficiary but also a victim of confusion. Just because he wears a fine robe do his fellow citizens believe that they have a noble gentleman in front of them, in whose prominent shine they are only too happy to bask themselves. Only gradually does the tailor understand his new role as a stroke of luck for his life, to which he then reluctantly accepts. The woman who likes him from the start knows what happiness can mean for her. At first, however, she struggled with the difficulties that the "object of the promises of happiness" overlooked her. She owes it to her ingenuity and also to chance that she was given and seized an opportunity. Despite several options of luck, she never wavered for a second.
The Austrian film archive says: “The complacency of the Goldach fees becomes tangible, the joke of the subtitles is amused, and an animation transfers the story of the day into the nightly dream world. The smoke confuses the senses and even the stability of church towers can be questioned. List rules. "
criticism
The film was “highly praised” by the critics at the time and “Steinhoff was celebrated as a promising new talent”. On the other hand, Steinhoff's film adaptation fell through with the audience. Clothes make the man is "a festival of the senses, the colors, the surprise" is what the Austrian film archive says. Reference is also made to the fact that the film is only available as a fragment, which is not a shortcoming, "because the incomplete character condenses [...] the spirit of the film". The fact that, in contrast to Keller's submission, the “socially critical approach” falls under the table in the film is forgiven for the film “thanks to its professional and loving implementation”.
The Film-Kurier of December 30, 1921 read: “To be able to portray the blue-eyed, the happy Tirili of such a Gottfried Kellerchen story without the cheerfulness being misplaced and the whole thing like a satire on the fresh-from-cheerfulness of the unimaginative romantic appears, proves the extraordinary qualities of a director. Hans Steinhoff, ..., can be counted on among our luxury directors with this Austrian film, in the middle of a wilderness of conservative terms at the beginning of a development that is still totally mediocre, he has made a leap over several stages that is also absolutely significant. "
EK wrote in the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung of January 1, 1923: “Hans Steinhoff leads an excellent, true-to-style and artistically very appreciable artistic direction, who really conjures up a 'happier' Biedermeier period and knows how to find amusing and intimate motifs. It's an absolutely German game with all the familiar beauty that we love about Gottfried Keller. In the sometimes simple, undemanding manner, Steinhoff's direction is reminiscent of Lang's 'Müden Tod'. A great success for Ufa.… I blow sensational kitsch about this one film, even if it's from Lubitsch. "
The Berliner Börsen-Courier was of the opinion that it was generally difficult to determine “to what extent fast-rolling films followed a literary model”. What is certain, however, is that "in this work there is a spirit of the spirit of Keller, of that Swiss spirit that is no longer alive today, but as it is still in mind for all those who are longing." It goes on to say: “And so everything happens in this lovable film - these charming, harmless Knittel verses, which play around the pretty plot of the tailor count's love spring, the really artistic animated drawings (a little treasure: the tailor's dream), sunny aspects and last but not least that wonderful stupid game of the tailor count, alias bridegroom on credit Hermann Thimig - in the happiest way towards a strange move of the times: to be led back to the fairy tale land of a seemingly carefree, but certainly golden, quieter forefathers time. And at the same time, at the end of the year, to be filled with new hope for a happier future. "
Web links
- Clothes make the man in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Clothes make the man at filmportal.de
- From books and films - general effects: clothes make the man uni-bielefeld.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Clothes make the man film.at
- ↑ a b c d e f Clothes make the man bundesarchiv.de
- ↑ a b c d e Horst Claus: I. The privilege to see: Clothes make the man ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. filmarchiv.at/Filmhimmel Austria, Filmblatt 4
