User Reviews

Jan is absolutely right when saying that this film is bizarre and fetishistic. What a strange juxtaposition to have in a family orientated film. When Lillian Harvey's character Christel Weinzinger, a poor glove seller is arrested for throwing some flowers at the czar, as he passed through the street, she is hauled off the local magistrates court. We are suddenly taken into some sort of sub plot with strange overtures. The judge finds her guilty and sentences her to 25 blows of the rod across her bare posterior! Presumably this was the standard punishment for misdemeanours back in 19th century Germany? The next scene sees Christel in the punishment room — you can tell this by the way the walls are adorned with a huge selection of different size canes. A leering young man, who clearly enjoys his work, selects the prescribed size rod and proceeds to secure Christel over a bench with the use of a large strap. Once in place he lifts her dress when..... see the film and find out! The remake of this film in 1956 did include a punishment scene but it was done in a far less provocative style.

It is very obvious that t.c.m. is politically correct against showing any German films classics,made before and during and after the Nazi's, except for those approved by their hired corporate film reviewers. Yes my fine fans of classic films, unless c.e.o's change as well as staff ,you'll never see this played on t.c.m. T.c.m with the possible aid of Leanard Maltin, possibly,they had this film , along with other of Conrads German speaking films banned on their," August Summers under the stars tribute to Conrad Viedt." So I had to commit an act of defiance. I bought it from war films. They got free publicity from t.c.m. Erik Charrel did escape Germany and although did not make it to the top in Hollywood ,unlike G.W. Pabst, he did find work. Two big German stars show up together, but as second roles, who first appear together in The Cabinette of Dr. Kilgari. Yes, Conrad Viedt as Prince Metternich.Lil Dagover as the countess. Conrad plays a very devious prince, worthy of cable broadcasting . He styles his hair and projects a subtle version of the zombie, from The cabinet of D.r. Kilgari. Another thing, one of the waltzes,near the end of the movie,that music was reused, added song lyrics, in Germany's first talking color feature ," Women make better diplomats,"1942. I also believe that the waltz congress dance was altered and re staged ,by r.k.o., in the 1935 Technicolor feature,"Becky Sharp". I might be wrong at that but it sure looks similar.But the main stars were , what use to be now,Ben Afflect and Jennifer Lopez of Germany in the 1930's. Lillian Harvey and Willy Fritz. Lillian was a British actress who knew how to speak German ,excellently,and french ,fairly.Her biggest mistake was to go back to Germany after her British production. She did regret it to later on. She was having an affair with Paul Martin. It's the time of the Napoleonic wars. In the annual Congress get together,the french government don't want Napolian to come back. They know he is a nut and want to banish him. Prince Metternich doesn't want The Russian Czar to be at the business cause he might be for Napi. Willy Fritz, who plays the Russian czar, knows this so he has his look a like, Bibikoff,played by Otto Wallburg, to take his place.The problem is that the prince starts to complain about the way Kristel is adverting her glove shop. He sends his Secreatary,Pepi, played by Carlheinz Scroth, who is her fiancé,to stop this. She doesn't. She throws flowers with her advertisement at Willy. It hits him but bounces off. He feels that it was okay. But everybody thinks it was a bomb. It was not.She ends up getting arrested for assassination attempts.Her punishment is 11 spankings with a cane.But The Czar , who pretends to be a baron rescues her. Jelious Pepi reports this to the crooked prince.He decide to use this to prevent him from coming to the Congress meeting. But The Czar uses his adjutant for this . So the prince fails at least until the end.So The disguised Czar romances Kristel at Schultzes Beer Garden-,I mean some Beer garden. The prince pretends that the Czar has rent a place for her ,where they can meet,to keep Willy away from business. But when he has to be there, his Adjutant takes over.Kristel at first doesn't notice a different but the way he acts she starts to notice,at tea time.Paul Horbinger shows up as guest star,playing the floor show at Schultz beer Garden.He sings the famous song,which would be used in two m.g.m films,Cynthia and 7 Sweethearts,I think, under changed lyrics Song of Spring, Vienaa and wine. In the last Congress dance , Adele Sandrock, who plays the princes , demands that a kissing booth ,by the Czar, be done to raise up money for the poor. Willy who's at the balcony of the palace realizes his Adjutant won't be able to attend the meeting to let Napoli in France. Then as the kissing booth starts, he sees Kristel and then informs his associate to stop the kissing contest. He surprises her and they waltz.The prince get his way but as he is dancing with the countess , they get a note that Napoleon is coming back. They all take off and leave.Kristel, who has fallen in love with now what she knows is the Czar, know she must let go. So he Departs, from Schultzes beer garden and Paul Horinger sings a song and Lilain is now sad. This is available at Warfilm.com and Reichskino.com and Movies unlimited catalog too. A digital print but looks like a surviving extant 08/26/11. 08/27/11 Made a mistake. It was not The Czars Adjutant Bibikoff, played by Otto Walberg, who played his double. It was an uncredited actor, who played Eurinsky. Or was it Willy Fritz with a bald wig? 08/27/11 08/27/11. Made a boo boo again. The stand in for the Czar of Russia was Uralsky

"Der Kongreß tanzt" (and I will do without mentioning the English title this time to avoid confusion with the English-language version) is a German German-language full feature film from 1931, so this one is already over 85 years old and was actually released before the Nazis took over to show you how old this one is. The director and writers are probably not too known anymore today, but is one of their most known works for sure and the cast with Harvey, Fritsch, Veidt and Dagover offers some names that are still pretty popular today, almost a century later. The title already gives away that music is a crucial component in this one here and looking at the year when this came out you will see that it is from the early days of sound film and honestly for that it is still quite an achievement as the audio side including the songs (with lyrics and orchestra) is easily the most memorable aspect of this 1.5-hour movie. "Das gibts nur einmal" is probably the highlight here and it's nice the song got featured at the very end again once more. As for the story, I was not too impressed. The actors are solid and try their best to elevate the mediocre script, but it never really catches my attention here. I also think with all the pompous uniforms and dresses this black-and-white flick would have been infinitely better with color, but I guess you can't blame the makers for the fact that technology wasn't ready enough by 1931. Colors like in these Söderbaum Nazi movies from one decade later would have been amazing here. Anyway, the movie was successful enough to be remade on several occasions and I already mentioned the other works from the same time. For example Harvey, Veidt and Dagover also appear in the English version, but Fritsch is replaced by another actor. But contents-wise I have little to no interest to check out any of these other version as I found this original already pretty forgettable. I have to give it a thumbs-down as this one did not get me dancing at all. Not recommended.

Lilian Harvey was a European star who truly did get "lost in translation". She was one of Germany's top musical stars (even though she was English, her father was a diplomat) but when she was bought to Hollywood because of the success of "Der Kongress Tanze" the timing couldn't have been worse. Her fey romanticism was completely out of step with "42nd Street" and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" depression reality and her films "My Lips Betray" and "My Weakness" were flops. But in the Germany of the early 30s she and leading man Willy Fritsch (an extremely versatile star who had the misfortune to be Hitler's favourite actor) were dazzlingly popular and they positively sparkled in this movie. It was a huge international success and was helped by Lil Dagover as a glamorous sophisticate, the wonderful Conrad Veidt as the Machiavellan Metternich and a delightful score that captured the free spirit of Vienna of the 1810s.

Charell used the Vienna congress only as a background to the real story of Christel (Harvey), a kittenish glove sales girl who is causing an uproar because of her unconventional methods of advertising (she throws flower bouquets advertising her shop "The Beautiful Shepherdess" to all visiting dignitaries as they ride by in their coaches). She is determined to do the same to the Tsar Alexander (Fritsch) of Russia - unfortunately the townsfolk think it is a bomb!! (a hilarious sequence where the poor little bouquet is kicked and stamped on!!!) and Christel finds herself in prison facing "25 beatings of the cane on her naked behind"!!!

The Tsar has a double (also played by Fritsch), Ulralsky, a good natured buffoon who stands in for him at public appearances. The real Tsar gets Christel pardoned. Again a funny sequence where the prison guard is pretty upset at being stopped from beating her behind by the Tsar - his face says it all!! Christel and the Tsar go to a beer garden and there is a beautiful rousing song "Das Muss ein Stueck Von Himmel sein, Wien und der Wein" - it is such a pretty, popular song and it originated in this movie. This is followed by the spectacular Polovetsian Dances by Borodin.

The highlight, to me, is Christel's ride in an open carriage to the castle she has been given by the Tsar. Her happiness and emotion come out in the song "It Only Happens Once in a Lifetime". The refrain is picked up by people along the journey, farmers, flower sellers, children in the fields. While all this is going on, Metternich, who doesn't want the Tsar at the congress, enlists the help of the seductive Countess (Lil Dagover) to charm the other "Tsar" from his duties. The film ends on a bitter sweet note - the Tsar returns to Russia and Christel to her ever faithful sweetheart, Pepi.

It is just an extraordinarily joyous musical - at the end there is also a "dance of the chairs". This movie was popular world wide - it had a sumptuous, almost fairy tale appeal and hit American shores when cinema owners were trying to lure patrons in with signs that said "This is Not a Musical". Americans had over-dosed on tons and tons of often substandard musicals - these frothy European bonbons proved there was a place for musical perfection.

Director Eric Charell was also bought to America on the strength of this movie but his only directorial credit in the States was "Caravan" (1934) and it wasn't very good.

Highly, Highly Recommended.