Der Kongreß tanzt
Encyclopedia
Der Kongress tanzt is a Germany
musical comedy film produced in 1931
by Ufa
, directed by Erik Charell
, starring Lilian Harvey
as Christel Weinzinger, the glove seller, Willy Fritsch
as Tsar
Alexander I of Russia
and his doppelgänger
, Uralsky, Otto Wallburg
as Bibikoff, his Adjutant, Conrad Veidt
as Prince Metternich, Carl-Heinz Schroth
as his Secretary, Pepi, Lil Dagover
as the Countess and Alfred Abel
as the King of Saxony.
Der Kongress tanzt is a particularly well achieved move in Ufa
's attempt to challenge US supremacy in the European film arena, taking advantage of the introduction of sound. As such, the studio released the movie in three different language versions (MLV): in German, in French as Le congrès s'amuse, and English as Congress Dances. Lilian Harvey
played in all three versions, as she spoke all languages with no accent; Henri Garat
replaced Willy Fritsch
for the French and English versions.
Ufa spared no efforts: the cast reads like a who's who of German film, from the top billers of the day to heavy-weight comedians - even the supporting cast is made out of stars. The sets were lavish and top talent made up the entire technical cast.
Despite the ambition and the auspicious beginning, Ufa's challenge US' supremacy never materialized, both due to the strength of the Hollywood majors and to the constraints Germany's creative film and performers would suffer from 1933 onwards.
"This truffle of cinema unfolds its flavours like a heavenly feast for the anonymous millions it is dedicated to." Lichtbild-Bühne.
, that took place in 1814/1815 after the Napoleonic Wars
, a meeting between the powers that was to set the frontiers of the world.
Russia
's Tsar
Alexander is traveling incognito among the people in the tradition of his ancestor Peter the Great, coming across a witty and charming Viennese glove seller, the young Christel Weinzinger. She announces her business by throwing flowers with a visiting card into each carriage that drives past. As the story unfolds, Christel is accused of an assassination attempt and finally condemned. The punishment is however waived and Christel is again free.
The Tsar, having fallen in love with Christel, uses the visiting card, in order to visit her in her business. A romance develops, with Prince Metternich and his army of spies intending to use the situation to further his own agenda. This however clashes with Pepi, his secretary, who is also in love with Christel. Christel tells her friends about the romance, which is naturally not believed. Only as the Tsar arrives with a splendid carriage to fetch her, does astonishment set in.
The romance is terminated when Napoléon Bonaparte escapes from the island of Elba and marches upon Paris. The Tsar, as all other rulers, has to leave. Christel stays behind, miserable, but finds solace with Pepi.
Cinema of Germany
Cinema in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema has made major technical and artistic contributions to film.Unlike any other national cinemas, which developed in the context of relatively continuous and stable political systems, Germany witnesses major changes to its...
musical comedy film produced in 1931
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
by Ufa
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
, directed by Erik Charell
Erik Charell
Erich Karl Löwenberg , later known as Erik Charell, was a German actor and director. He was best known as a director of musical revues and operettas, especially at Großes Schauspielhaus in Berlin...
, starring Lilian Harvey
Lilian Harvey
Lilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
as Christel Weinzinger, the glove seller, Willy Fritsch
Willy Fritsch
Willy Fritsch was a German theater and film actor, the popular leading man in German silent motion-pictures.-Biography:...
as Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
and his doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
, Uralsky, Otto Wallburg
Otto Wallburg
Otto Wallburg was a German actor.-Selected filmography:* Der rote Kreis * Der Hampelmann * Hocuspocus * Yorck * Ihre Majestät die Liebe * Queen of the Night...
as Bibikoff, his Adjutant, Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
as Prince Metternich, Carl-Heinz Schroth
Carl-Heinz Schroth
Carl-Heinz Schroth was a German actor and film director. He appeared in 60 films between 1931 and 1989. He also directed seven films between 1953 and 1963....
as his Secretary, Pepi, Lil Dagover
Lil Dagover
Lil Dagover was a German stage, film and television actress whose career spanned nearly six decades.-Early life:...
as the Countess and Alfred Abel
Alfred Abel
Alfred Abel was a German film actor, director, and producer. He appeared in over 140 silent and sound films between 1913 and 1938...
as the King of Saxony.
Der Kongress tanzt is a particularly well achieved move in Ufa
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
's attempt to challenge US supremacy in the European film arena, taking advantage of the introduction of sound. As such, the studio released the movie in three different language versions (MLV): in German, in French as Le congrès s'amuse, and English as Congress Dances. Lilian Harvey
Lilian Harvey
Lilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
played in all three versions, as she spoke all languages with no accent; Henri Garat
Henri Garat
Henri Garat was a French actor and singer. He was born in Paris on April 3, 1902, and died on August 13, 1959.- External links :*...
replaced Willy Fritsch
Willy Fritsch
Willy Fritsch was a German theater and film actor, the popular leading man in German silent motion-pictures.-Biography:...
for the French and English versions.
Ufa spared no efforts: the cast reads like a who's who of German film, from the top billers of the day to heavy-weight comedians - even the supporting cast is made out of stars. The sets were lavish and top talent made up the entire technical cast.
Despite the ambition and the auspicious beginning, Ufa's challenge US' supremacy never materialized, both due to the strength of the Hollywood majors and to the constraints Germany's creative film and performers would suffer from 1933 onwards.
"This truffle of cinema unfolds its flavours like a heavenly feast for the anonymous millions it is dedicated to." Lichtbild-Bühne.
Plot
Der Kongress tanzt takes place during the Congress of ViennaCongress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, that took place in 1814/1815 after the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, a meeting between the powers that was to set the frontiers of the world.
Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander is traveling incognito among the people in the tradition of his ancestor Peter the Great, coming across a witty and charming Viennese glove seller, the young Christel Weinzinger. She announces her business by throwing flowers with a visiting card into each carriage that drives past. As the story unfolds, Christel is accused of an assassination attempt and finally condemned. The punishment is however waived and Christel is again free.
The Tsar, having fallen in love with Christel, uses the visiting card, in order to visit her in her business. A romance develops, with Prince Metternich and his army of spies intending to use the situation to further his own agenda. This however clashes with Pepi, his secretary, who is also in love with Christel. Christel tells her friends about the romance, which is naturally not believed. Only as the Tsar arrives with a splendid carriage to fetch her, does astonishment set in.
The romance is terminated when Napoléon Bonaparte escapes from the island of Elba and marches upon Paris. The Tsar, as all other rulers, has to leave. Christel stays behind, miserable, but finds solace with Pepi.
Cast (German version)
- Lilian HarveyLilian HarveyLilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
as Christel Weinzinger - Willy FritschWilly FritschWilly Fritsch was a German theater and film actor, the popular leading man in German silent motion-pictures.-Biography:...
as Czar Alexander of Russia - Otto WallburgOtto WallburgOtto Wallburg was a German actor.-Selected filmography:* Der rote Kreis * Der Hampelmann * Hocuspocus * Yorck * Ihre Majestät die Liebe * Queen of the Night...
as Bibikoff - Conrad VeidtConrad VeidtConrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
as Prince Metternich - Carl-Heinz SchrothCarl-Heinz SchrothCarl-Heinz Schroth was a German actor and film director. He appeared in 60 films between 1931 and 1989. He also directed seven films between 1953 and 1963....
as Pepi - Lil DagoverLil DagoverLil Dagover was a German stage, film and television actress whose career spanned nearly six decades.-Early life:...
as The Countess - Adele SandrockAdele SandrockAdele Sandrock was a German actress. After a successful theatrical career, she became one of the first German film stars....
as The Princess - Margarete Kupfer as The Countess
- Julius FalkensteinJulius FalkensteinJulius Falkenstein was a German film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 184 films between 1914 and 1933.- Selected filmography :* Die geheimnisvolle Villa * The Oyster Princess...
as The Minister of Finance - Max GülstorffMax GülstorffMax Gülstorff was a German actor and stage director.-Biography:Gülstorff was born in Tilsit, East Prussia as Max Walter Gülstorf...
as The Burgermeister - Paul HorbigerPaul HörbigerPaul Hörbiger was an Austrian theatre and film actor.-Life and work:Paul Hörbiger was born in Budapest, the son of Hans Hörbiger, an engineer who wrote Welteislehre on glacial cosmology, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger. In 1902 the family returned to Vienna, while Paul attended the...
as Heurigen Singer - Boris Romanoff as Dancer
Cast (English version)
- Lilian HarveyLilian HarveyLilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
as Christel - Conrad VeidtConrad VeidtConrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
as Prince Metternich - Henri GaratHenri GaratHenri Garat was a French actor and singer. He was born in Paris on April 3, 1902, and died on August 13, 1959.- External links :*...
as Czar Alexander I / Uralsky - Lil DagoverLil DagoverLil Dagover was a German stage, film and television actress whose career spanned nearly six decades.-Early life:...
as Countess - Gibb McLaughlinGibb McLaughlinGibb McLaughlin was an English film actor. He appeared in 118 films between 1921 and 1959. He was born in Sunderland, England and died in London, England.-Selected filmography:* The Road to London...
as Bibikoff - Reginald PurdellReginald PurdellReginald Purdell was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951...
as Pepi - Philipp Manning as King of Saxony
- Humberston WrightHumberston WrightHumbertson Wright was a British film actor. He is sometimes credited as Humberstone Wright.-Selected filmography:* Thelma * God's Clay * The Garden of Resurrection * Henry, King of Navarre...
as Duke of Wellington - Helen HayeHelen HayeHelen Haye was a British stage and film actress.She began acting on the stage in 1898 and debuted in London in 1911 as Gertrude in Hamlet. Her film career began in 1917. She often worked with director Alexander Korda...
as Princess - Spencer Trevor as Finance Minister
- Tarquini d'Or as Heurige Singer
Cast (French version)
- Lilian HarveyLilian HarveyLilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
as Christel Weizinger - Lil DagoverLil DagoverLil Dagover was a German stage, film and television actress whose career spanned nearly six decades.-Early life:...
as The Countess - Henri GaratHenri GaratHenri Garat was a French actor and singer. He was born in Paris on April 3, 1902, and died on August 13, 1959.- External links :*...
as Alexander Uralsky - Armand BernardArmand BernardArmand Bernard was a French comic actor known mainly for his work in film.-Filmography:* Le traitement du hoquet* The Little Cafe* Les Trois Mousquetaires* Mimi Pinson...
as Bibikoff - Pierre MagnierPierre MagnierPierre Magnier was a French actor who began on the stage in the 1890s and became a prominent silent film actor in France. He was the second actor to portray Cyrano de Bergerac in any film in 1925. He continued acting until the 1950s...
as Metternich - Odette Talazac as The Princess
- Robert ArnouxRobert ArnouxRobert Arnoux was a French actor.-Reference:...
as Pepi - Sinoel as Finance Minister
- Jean Dax as Talleyrand
- Paul Ollivier as Le Maire de Vienne
- Tarquini d'Or as Heurige Singer