Silhouettes (1936)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Silhouettes |
| Country of production | Austria |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1936 |
| length | 104, 98 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Walter Reisch |
| script | Walter Reisch |
| production | Walter Reisch |
| music | Robert Katscher |
| camera | Harry Stradling Sr. |
| cut | Leopoldine Pokorny |
| occupation | |
| |
Silhouetten is an Austrian feature film directed by Walter Reisch from 1936 with Luli Hohenberg in the leading role.
action
At the center of the plot is the Viennese ballet master Lydia Samina, who has dedicated herself entirely to her art, classical dance, and drives the training of young dancers with iron severity. Discipline is paramount to her, she knows that this is the only way to make it to the top in this profession. This is urgently needed, because recently the tours of the Samina troupe were only moderately successful. During a guest performance, the dancer Ellinor visits her trainer and boss in the hotel room and extortionately puts her under pressure. Although her talent is insufficient, she wants Lydia to make a solo role possible. Ellinor's threats become more and more emphatic, so that Lydia is forced to move quickly to another hotel room. The American Charlie West is staying there and is happily surprised at the unexpected visit. He stubbornly begins to flirt with the ballet master, even attending her rehearsal in the theater the following day. When Charlie indirectly proposes marriage to Lydia, she seriously considers giving up her job in favor of a secure married life. The decision is made easier for her when Ellinor persists with her intrigues and blackmail and ensures that the theater is closed and the staff fired.
Lydia is fed up and decides to accept Charlie's marriage proposal. She overwrites her ballet troupe with all the rights and duties of her previous assistant, Miss Munk. By chance - Charlie was locked in the theater while waiting for his future wife - West met the young up-and-coming dancer Leni Leitner, a great dance talent. Since Charlie is obviously very flammable, he falls in love with her too. Leni doesn't seem averse either, although ballet dance is her whole life. Only the night watchman frees the two lovebirds from their confinement, and Lydia, who once again had to deal with the intrusive Ellinor, arrives too late for her appointment with her fiancé waiting for her in the auditorium. When Lydia gets there, West is up and away with Leni. Lydia returns to the hotel and by chance hears Charlie talking to his parents on the phone and raving about the new girl. Lydia Samina believes that she has now lost everything in life: First her great love, ballet dance, then her future husband. She decides to put her marriage plans aside.
The new ballet principal Miss Munk realizes that she cannot assert herself with the young dancers and therefore asks Lydia, who has withdrawn into private life, for help on her birthday. Lydia remembers Leni Leitner, whom she considers a great talent, and visits her at home. The girl, who has just turned 18, lives under one roof with her grandfather. The old man owns an old-fashioned silhouette theater which is very inspiring to the ballet dancer. Lydia arrives at the wrong time, because just at the moment when she appears, the hotel porter Kaltenbrunner appears, who is supposed to pick up Leni for her own birthday party, which Charlie, Lydia's ex, is hosting in her honor. Lydia immediately leaves Leni's house, while Leni's house remains completely dissolved. Again, she believes Charlie screwed up her chance to make a career in ballet. In a wine tavern there is a clarifying argument between Leni and Charlie. She makes it clear to him that she only hoped to intercede with Lydia in order to be accepted into her troop. She never thought of a relationship with him. Soon all misunderstandings were cleared up: a new ballet, “Silhouettes”, is performed and is a great success. Leni can finally get started as a ballerina, and Lydia and Charlie finally get together again.
Production notes
Silhouetten was created in the Tobis Sascha film studio in Vienna-Rosenhügel and premiered on October 9, 1936 in the Austrian capital. There was no German premiere due to the Jewish origin of director Reisch in Hitler's Germany.
Otto Niedermoser and Fritz Jüptner-Jonstorff were responsible for the film construction, Eduard Stolba painted the sets. Alfred Norkus took care of the sound, Max Nekut assisted director Reisch and Karl Ehrlich took over the organization of the production management.
music
The following music tracks were played:
- Be smart, my little one
- Silhouette Waltz: Once upon a time there was an hour
Robert Katscher used compositions by Johann Strauss the Younger ( On the Beautiful Blue Danube ) and Ludwig van Beethoven ( Moonlight Sonata ) in his music . Walter Reisch wrote the lyrics for the melodies.
Reviews
Paimann's film lists summed up: “Imaginative, funny and stimulating, this film initially addresses the intellect more, but only later brings sentiments that it ironized beforehand. He juxtaposes seriousness and bluff, looks a bit too sketchy, inconsistent and exaggerated. "
The Austrian Film-Zeitung read: “'Silhouettes' is dedicated to ballet, an art that has lost much of its former importance in recent years. With this a more serious line is drawn for the film. (...) Walter Reisch is also the author and director of this film, the artist who cares about fine nuances. "
On film.at it says: “In 'Silhouettes'… Reisch tries to gain new sides from the myth of Vienna and its“ artistic magic ”. Reisch adds dark accents where irony and exuberance had their place. Silhouettes thus became a cynical and disturbing image of the ideal world of Viennese film, in which suicide and undemanding happiness, emancipation and unconditional submission to patriarchy are close together. "
"Confusion and jealousy comedy."
Web links
- Silhouettes in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Silhouettes at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Silhouettes in Paimann's film lists
- ↑ "Silhouettes". In: Österreichische Film-Zeitung , October 16, 1936, p. 3 (online at ANNO ).
- ↑ Silhouettes on film.at
- ^ Silhouettes in the Lexicon of International Films
