User Reviews

Georg Jacoby has directed this version of Millocker's evergreen operetta. Everything gels here and the cast is supremely well-versed in this sort of material. The artistry of Leo Slezak and Elsa Wagner is impeccable and the voices of Edith Schollwer and Johannes Heesters blend perfectly. Heester's chumminess with Hitler is no secret of course but this did not prevent his career continuing unabated and he performed into advanced old age. The recent revelations that Jacoby's wife, the talented, tantalising force of nature that is Marika Rokk may have been a Russian spy adds further spice to the mix. No subtitles alas but the music and the performers should carry you along.

This is one of the titles currently released on DVD by PTM Entertainment in beautiful picture quality which is common to their series of Johannes Heesters movies - probably to celebrate his 100th (!) birthday, which will take place early in 2003. This is one of the very best entries, a sparky musical / operetta, showcasing Marika Rökk, Europe's best tap-dancer/ballet dancer/acrobat/singer, who is about to celebrate her 90th birthday in 2003. It's by bits hilariously funny even by today's standards, well written, well directed and well acted. The musical numbers range from big production numbers to intimate outdoor renderings, and both Heesters and Rökk are top notch. There regrettably are no subtitles, but watching this fairy-tale about Gasparone, the anonymous and feared highwayman, is great fun, and if you can suppress your excitement during Marika Rökk's entrance number, you most probably are dead.

Unfortunately I am handicapped- the movie is only available in German, and no one has tried to make a subtitle for it, not even in German, and nothing is available in web either. But that didn't a bit reduced my enjoyment of the movie, or even understanding the plot. Of course I took help from web to get brief outline of the opera on which it is based - and unlike other movies - it's plot is not changed from the original. That would help the persons who wants to see a brilliant musical with excellent dance numbers and songs by incomparable and delightful Ms Marika, at her young age (about 24 then). I wonder which Ballet group was used in the dance numbers - the Entry dance as well as exit (almost) dance of Marika were incomparable - not only due to her, but the troupe did an excellent job - and unlike the typical Musicals, there was nothing gaudy about it, I suspect these must be one of the Philharmonics. The plot is not too complicated - the Prefect of the town- heavily in debt, wants his son to marry the rich countess, a young widow. Of course there is a catch - the estate is actually of her missing in African Jungles brother in law. She will inherit it, if he is declared dead. He is eventually, but the prefect keeps it in wraps, till she marries his son. The son however is in love with a dancer (Marika), the niece of the town-cafe. owner (and a smuggler - of Coffee Beans) - That seems to be a strange item to smuggle - and that too in ship-loads. To keep the police at bay, he has invented a dangerous Highway man - Gasparone - and sends police in red-herring chase while he could unload and store his import without any interruption. meanwhile a mysterious man arrives in the town, and is assumed by all - except the real Gasparone gang - to be Gasparone. The countess decides to fall in love with him, and doesn't grow out of the, even when he is declared to be the notorious robber. The rest is predictable, except a bit of small twist in the end - the arrival of presumed dead Count, and hence the Countess becoming poor at the blink of an eye, and hence not remaining as a preferable match for the Prefect (for his son) - or will she still be ?

The whole movie is interspersed with excellent songs, music and dance numbers - and for those, you don't need the language, at least I didn't, just sit back and enjoy the melody and visual treat. Of course I wish that some one takes the initiative and releases subtitled versions of these classics - but till then, I can still go ahead with these.