Leon Leoni

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Movie
German title Leon Leoni
Original title Leoni Leó
Country of production Austria-Hungary
original language Hungarian
Publishing year 1917
Rod
Director Alfréd Deésy
script József Pakots based on the novel Leone Leoni by George Sand
production “Star” Filmfabrik und Filmvertriebs AG Budapest-Vienna
occupation

Leon Leoni is an Austro-Hungarian silent film made in Hungarian in 1917 with Bela Lugosi in the title role.

action

Baron Leon Leoni leads a double life: behind his facade as a noble gentleman from the best circles and with the very best manners, who moves elegantly in the Haute Volée of Paris and Brussels, the slippery bandit conducts his rip-offs as the leader of a gang of impostors, known as: the “ten ”. In Paris he had a love affair with the sick Princess Zagorolo, whom he also regularly blackmailed. When Leoni and some of his cronies are found playing card fraud, Robert, who exposes them, demands that Leoni leave Paris immediately. The crook baron then opens his headquarters in Brussels. In the Belgian capital Leoni seeks the acquaintance of the jeweler Dupont, whose pretty daughter Juliette has done it to him. In view of her very wealthy parents, Juliette is an extremely rewarding game, and so the aristocratic villain is already forging a plan as to how he can marry into this family as quickly as possible.

Soon they will consider him a family member. On the occasion of an upcoming masked ball, Leoni is designing a beautiful dress for Juliette, which the father's jeweler is to wrap with neat diamond jewelry. At the ball, Leoni had the bad luck that he ran into Robert from Paris, of all people, who had once exposed him to be a cardsharp. This puts Baron Leoni under such pressure that he feels compelled to leave Brussels. But not without his future bride and the jeweled evening gown. This is not difficult for Juliette, as she is madly in love with Leoni. Their love has literally degenerated into bondage, and although Juliette knows that her beau is a crook who only looks for her father's jewels, she can no longer break away from him.

Change of location. Wild feasts are celebrated in the Leonis family's own castle. Loni plays cards and loses without end. After all, he only has Juliette as a stake, who to make matters worse he loses to the Marquis Lorenzo. In his distress, the shabby baron goes to the meanwhile seriously ill Princess Zagarolo to pump her up again. The Marquis is not particularly happy with his card game win, since Juliette emphatically rejects him. The young woman still cannot break away from Leoni and travels after the beloved villain. Meanwhile, Leoni is working on the Duchess to use him as a universal heir. However, Juliette, who has just arrived, does not want to lose Leoni either, and so he comes up with the idea of ​​introducing her as his sister, who is to take care of the dying princess in a nurturing manner over the last few weeks and months. Juliette now has to watch as her lover ensnares the old lady by all means of the art of love. In order to speed things up, Leoni decides to unceremoniously poison the high nobility together with his cronies.

Leoni now believes she is in infinite wealth. But the relatives contest the will and get it right. Leoni finally plunges into financial misery. Only Juliette could get him cash now, and so Leoni quickly sells her again to the lustful marquis. Juliette is more willing to kill herself than to return to the Marquis she hated. She is very lucky when she meets young Mario, who frees her from this wretched situation. Both escape to a spa town. One day Juliette sees Baron Leoni again there. Mario is suddenly forgotten and Juliette hurries back into Leoni's arms. When the Australian dancer Carmen, a former lover of the Baron, sees the two of them hugging tightly, the passion goes with her and she stabs Leon Leoni. In deep mourning, Juliette rushes at the corpse of the do-not-good.

Production notes

Leon Leoni was written in Budapest in 1917, had a length of four acts and was presumably premiered in the same year. During the time of the Austro- Hungarian Empire, the film was also shown in a German-language version in Vienna.

Bela Lugosi was still called Arisztid Olt back then. The buildings were designed by Stefan Lhotka , who was still known as Lhotka Szirontai in his homeland.

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