Allotria (1936) Poster

(1936)

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Sophisticated 1930s comedy
wlkrrch1 December 2004
Watching Willi Forst's wonderful screwball comedy - released at the time of the Berlin Olympics in 1936 - it's almost possible to imagine a 1930s Germany in which Nazism never happened. This is an elegant, fast-paced film drawing on some of the classiest comedy talent Germany had to offer at the time, and self-consciously modern, with its cocktails, ocean liners, racing car drivers and drop-dead art deco interiors. Anton Walbrook is suitably Errol Flynn-like as the handsome lady killer Phillip, while Heinz Ruehmann is for once overshadowed by his co-stars. It's the women who steal the show here, including the excellent Renate Mueller, who also starred in Viktor, Viktoria and habitually played modern, emancipated types. But the film belongs even more to Hilde Hildebrandt as the vampish Aimee, who better than anyone else in this ensemble piece knows how to camp it up to the max when necessary. The only mystery is why this film didn't come to the attention of Hollywood - and why Willi Forst's evident talent wasn't promptly snapped up by the US.
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10/10
A Whacky Comedy coming out of Nazi Germany, unfortunately
cynthiahost9 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Before the movie begins, first and advertisement for coffee.A film advertisement, shot in the 1920's starring Paul Henckels ,in glorious two color Natural color, aka U.f.A color?.Well preserved.A portraiture steals his coffee -the end.Now for the feature. This was a reunion for Anton Walbrook and Renate Muller and Hilde Hildebrand, all three appeared in Victor Victoria.It would be Anton and Renates fourth appearance together.It would be Heinzy and Anton's second together.This is the kind of Wacky romantic comedies that were being put out in Hollywood starring Irene Dunn and Cary Grant Directed by Leo McCary in the thirties.This is a bedroom comedy. When Renate's ,Viola, has a romantic interlude with Anton's,Philip, during a ship cruise.Philip falls for Viola but is not to sure and the same with her.But when the baggage's are being checked.he realizes it but she has taken off.Now he has to go to his Girl friend Amy , played by Hilde Hildebrand and tells her that he's dumping her.But Aimee also has another boyfriend Heinz Ruhmann' s David,who is afraid to tell her that he can't see her any more cause he's engaged to Jemmy Jugo's Gaby .He tries to get his butler,played By Stalwart character actor Will Dohmn, pronounced As Vill Dohmn, to tell her on the phone.She knows whats going on so when she's at the race track she puts perfume in his race car to make sure he will loose. David is late for his engagement party and Gaby is worried about it but her father ,played by Heinz Salfner dos not care . He's at Amy's trying to explain to her, when Anton comes in and makes it easy for him to leave.But when he visits David and Viola shows up,that's when he think that he is Davids wife.To Gaby this is amusing so she agrees to go along with it as joke.But Heinzy does not like it,especially later when Hilde Brand lies to David claiming how Anton want's to get back at him by taking Gaby away from him.This is when the hilarity starts when Viola and Gaby and David tries to get back at their perspective bedrooms behind Philips back at night.The humor leads to Heinzie and Gaby racing to the boat in France ,where Gaby has been taken by Philip to his boat, in order to get Viola to come to him,David ends up winning the race he goes through accidentally .The melody and song for Allortria is very snappy, coming from a country that had jazz banned.For the first time in English subtitles.Digital print at Germanwarfilms.com 05/09/12
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Charming "British-style" pre-war comedy
bonito13 November 1998
First of all the end of a very elegant, charming and naughty little play about two completely mixed up couples: six happy honeymooners singing together: "Der schönste Tonfilmschluß ist doch der Verlobungskuß...Allotria". The most "pizzicato" and wonderful music by composer Peter Kreuder gives this film a very special charm. Renate Müller suicided later and Adolf Wohlbrück went to England and changed his name into Anton Walbrook. He was "the most admirable man of the UFA" - men and women adored him!
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