Black roses

Movie
Original title	Black roses
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1935
length	94 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6
Rod
Director	Paul Martin
script	Curt J. Braun ; Walter Supper; Paul Martin
production	Max Pfeiffer
music	Kurt Schröder using foreign compositions
camera	Fritz Arno Wagner ; Werner Krien
cut	Johanna Schmidt
occupation
	Lilian Harvey : Marina Feodorowna, dancer; Willy Fritsch : Erkki Collin, sculptor; Willy Birgel : Prince Abarow, Russian governor; Gerhard Bienert : Niklander; Gertrud Wolle : Housekeeper; Ewald Wenck : Chief of Police; Klaus Pohl : Chief Justice; Heinz Wemper : Iwanoff, Kosak; Hermann Frick : Adjutant; Franz Klebusch : Fisherman; Ullrich Klein : Officer; and Wolf Ackva , Walter von Allwörden , Valy Arnheim , Jac Diehl , Fred Goebel , Arthur Grosse , Wolf Harro , Til Klokow , Hans Meyer-Hanno , Sepp Rederer , Kurt von Ruffin , Ilse Trautschold

Black Roses is a German feature film from 1935 by Paul Martin with Lilian Harvey and Willy Fritsch in the leading roles.

action

Finland, towards the end of the 19th century. The country is occupied by Russia and its freedoms are severely curtailed. The Finnish sculptor and patriot Erkki Collin is on the run from the tsarist captors because he has called and led like-minded people to fight against the Russian occupiers. On his escape he ends up in the bedroom of the Russian dancer Maria Feodorovna, who is giving company in her house. Also guests of the ballerina are several Russian officers and the governor of this region, Prince Abarov. Abarow has been keeping an eye on the filigree artist for some time and sends her a bouquet of black roses every day, in the hope that Maria will one day hear him and finally marry.

Cossacks also search Maria's house in search of the Finnish militant. Marina discovers the man in hiding and gives him a better hiding place than her boudoir. As we know of Abarov's special relationship with Feodorovna, the Russian Soldateska shunned her house from then on. A tender love bond soon develops between the ballerina and Erkki. In order to be able to grant him a little more freedom of movement, Maria simply declares the Finn as her music teacher. But Abarow sees through the dizziness and recognizes Erkki. To avoid a scandal, he asks the rival for the dancer's favor to leave her house with him. Since Erkki does not want to disavow Maria, he follows Abarov's request. Contrary to expectations, however, the governor does not have Erkki arrested at the door.

Maria Feodorwna is starting to rethink her own life in light of recent events. Abarow's unwanted solicitation of her, his generous gifts and adoration - all these are things that she actually does not want and that make Mary, in the public eye, appear as the governor's courtesan. She decides to change this and is openly committed to Erkki Collin. When the Finnish freedom fighters under Erkki's leadership want to convert a ballet gala, to which the Russian authorities have announced themselves, for their own purposes, there is a scandal. Russian Soldateska brutally suppresses the small demonstration of power by the Finns and arrests Erkki, previously warned by Maria, as their ringleader. Maria sees only one way to save the life of her beloved man by finally fulfilling the long-awaited wish of Prince Abarov to become his wife. Erkki is allowed to go into exile outside the country, and Marina promises to follow suit as soon as possible. The governor believes he has reached the goal of his dreams, but when he wants to visit Maria in her house, he sees her lying dead between his black roses. In this hopeless situation, the dancer chose to commit suicide.

Production notes

Filming of Schwarze Rosen began on August 23, 1935 and ended in early November of the same year. The studio shots were taken in the Ufa studio in Neubabelsberg , the outdoor shots in Hamburg-Harburg and in the Neubabelsberg villa colony. The world premiere took place on December 23, 1935 in Berlin's Gloria Palast . The first German television broadcast took place on November 3, 1990.

The film marked the first renewed meeting of the former lovers of German film until 1933, Harvey and Fritsch, since Lilian Harvey's return from Hollywood and England.

Producer Max Pfeiffer was also in charge of production. Composer Kurt Schröder was also the musical director. Fritz Thiery and Hermann Fritzsching provided the sound. Erich Kettelhut and Max Mellin created the film structures. Dietrich von Theobald was the production manager, Igor Oberberg was Fritz Arno Wagner's camera assistant.

The film received the rating "artistically valuable".

At the same time, "Did I Betray?" Was also a British version of the film financed by Lilian Harvey. Here, too, Harvey's partner at the time, Martin, directed. Walter Fredersdorf got this cut version.

Music track

The following music tracks were played:

Today I am happy; Girl, don't go by so proud; The night is heavy on us
Valse triste ( Jean Sibelius )
Dance of the Hours (from “La Gioconda” by Amilcare Ponchielli )

reception

The Österreichische Film-Zeitung reported in its edition of December 27, 1935: "Paul Martin staged the film, which is rich in gripping scenes and whose exciting plot is well structured, with a great deal of sensitivity for what is cinematic. Scenes of oppressive drama are delightful stages. , or ballet pictures full of grace. "

Paimann's film lists stated: “The plot subsides a little after an excellent start, but increases noticeably towards the end. It has its most essential support in the leading actor couple. The dialogue is economical, accurate and is underlined by camera work with lots of settings. Schröder's music is used with measure, the presentation ... timely (turn of the century) ... ".

“A perfectly equipped large film, played melodramatically and sentimentally by the dream lovers Harvey / Fritsch; After 1945 the film was banned from showing by the Allied military authorities. "

- Lexicon of International Films