Bonjour Kathrin (1956) Poster

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7/10
West German "Schlagerfilm" with Caterina VALENTE and Peter ALEXANDER
ZeddaZogenau15 February 2024
This film seems a bit like a prototype of the films that the great entertainer Caterina Valente would make in the following years for Artur Brauner's CCC-Film. The plot is based on the comedy operetta "The Happiest Woman in the World - The Pompadour's Bed" by Kurt Feltz and Max Wallner, music by Fred Raymond. For example, "Come with me to Italy for a while" is sung. The plot is wonderfully inconsequential, but all the stars who would also appear in later Caterina Valente films are involved. Of course, brother Silvio Francesco, Rudolf Vogel, Helen Vita and Dietmar Schönherr as the smart boy of hearts. Special casts promise full-blooded entertainer Peter Alexander (who unfortunately remains a bit pale) and the later quiz master Hans Joachim Kulenkampff (Einer wird gewinnen) as the revue's impresario.

It is also interesting that the film was produced by Alfred Greven in a studio in Wiesbaden, who was already very successful during the UFA era and then became infamous through his work for the Continental in Paris (studios in Boulogne Billancourt). If you are interested in this time, the film "The Passierschein / Laissez-Passer" by Bertrand Tavernier is strongly recommended.

But back to the undisputed star of the film, which - unlike the ones produced by Brauner - still seems very playful and almost like an experimental film.

Caterina Valente is now 93 years old. The German-speaking film community should definitely not forget that it had and still has such a star in its ranks!!!
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10/10
A German musical shot in revue style
mmcgee28229 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Remember the 1953 musical the Red Garter?the production values were stylistic ,like the way the stage musicals are produced.This musical is the same way .The beginning Paris sequence looks like a card board fantasy,rather then the real Paris,like a stage version.What interested me in this film is that it starred young Peter Alexander and Katrina Valenti before she became an international star.The musical number ,in which Peter,Silvo and Katrina have jobs as a maid and butler and Hotel assistant in San Remo ,the back ground is so stylistic that you see, in the window back ground, a yacht and it's a painting .All three actors portray music students Broke.Rudolph Vogel plays the business man who takes their musical instruments away cause they can't make the payments.He allows them them to practice them in his warehouse.They meet a broke composer,played by played by Dietmar Schonherr,whom Rudolph had taken his piano back cause Diet could not make the payments.They all meet and Diet tries to give them a job at a revue he's invoked with.Rolf Olsen plays the director of the musical revue .It seems that the whole revue get in trouble when the investor ,played by Hans Joachim KulenKamphff,withdraws when he fines out that the leading actress,played by Helen Vita ,is fooling around behind him.So that goes their jobs too.The three room mates get a job at a hotel in San Remo,they discovered that the cast of the original revue,including the composer ,is up their too .Diet decides to allow the three to go on his show,which is televised.Peter,who falls in love with the daughter of Rudolph,played by Sabine Hahn,tries to work in the director to star Kathrin in Rolph's revue.but when Kathrin persuaded by Rolph to seduce Joachim for financial support,she turns him down .So Rolph has to work on him.The revue plans fall when Katrina rejects Joachim's advances and Dieter is mad with her.Joachim withdraws the finances and the set are picked up by Rudolph.All three with the agreement of the director ,why not combine the revue with the auction being planned by Rudolph,It is so successful ,that Joachim is persuaded by Helen ,vita to finance the show with Kathrin. The Nicholas brothers make an appearance in this film,since at that time they were doing a European tour.A German swing band ,popular in that, country at the time,"Kurt Edelhagen and his orchestra , makes an appearance near the end.The musical number are very colorful.One which Katrina is dress in the 1700 style costume and white wig ,where she transforms herself to the present day ,56,in a feather hat and a slimmer evening dress.Fun and entertaining vintage Katrina Valenti. 04/29.17
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