Die Pratermizzi
Encyclopedia
Die Pratermizzi is an Austria
n silent
drama film
made by Gustav Ucicky
in 1926, released in January 1927, which was long believed lost until its rediscovery in 2005.
Zum Walfisch on the Prater in Vienna
, and Baron Christian von B. fall in love, but their relationship is disrupted by the wilful involvement of the dancer Valette, who always wears a mask. Christian eventually follows Valette to Paris. When he tears the golden mask from her face he is shocked to discover that she is disfigured by a disease. He returns to Vienna with the intention of putting an end to his life, but at the last minute Marie is able to save him.
The ride through the tunnel of love is associated in this film with the journey into one's own self.
This was the last major film role of Nita Naldi, whose career did not survive the advent of the talkies.
. It was successfully copied and restored in time to be shown at the opening of Prater Film Festival the same year.
Excerpts from the film were published by the Filmarchiv Austria
on the DVD "Der Wiener Prater im Film" in July 2005.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
made by Gustav Ucicky
Gustav Ucicky
Gustav Ucicky was an acclaimed Austrian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. He was one of the more successful and acclaimed directors in Austria and Germany from the 1930s through to the early 1960s...
in 1926, released in January 1927, which was long believed lost until its rediscovery in 2005.
Plot
Marie (Mizzi), a cashier in the tunnel of loveTunnel of love (amusement ride)
The Tunnel of Love is a type of amusement ride commonly found at carnivals and amusement parks. It is similar to a dark ride in that riders are taken through dark passages, in this case in pairs. There are two major themes: a relaxing romantic ride encouraging the couple to cuddle, or a spooky...
Zum Walfisch on the Prater in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and Baron Christian von B. fall in love, but their relationship is disrupted by the wilful involvement of the dancer Valette, who always wears a mask. Christian eventually follows Valette to Paris. When he tears the golden mask from her face he is shocked to discover that she is disfigured by a disease. He returns to Vienna with the intention of putting an end to his life, but at the last minute Marie is able to save him.
The ride through the tunnel of love is associated in this film with the journey into one's own self.
Cast
- Igo SymIgo SymKarol Juliusz "Igo" Sym was an Austrian-born Polish actor and collaborator with Nazi Germany. He was killed in Warsaw by members of the Polish resistance movement.-Early career:...
: Freiherr Christian von B. - Anny OndraAnny OndraAnny Ondra was a Czech film actress. She was born Anna Sophie Ondráková in Tarnów, Galicia, Austria–Hungary, now Poland, and died in Hollenstedt near Harburg, Germany.-Life:...
: Marie - Nita Naldi: Valette, the dancer with the mask
- Hedy Pfundmayr: the dancer's double
- Karl Götz: Herr von Z.
- Ferdinand Leopoldi: Adam Lorenz Stingl, owner of the tunnel of love
- Hugo ThimigHugo ThimigHugo August Thimig , although born in Germany, spent his working life in Austria as an actor, director, and director of the Burgtheater in Vienna.-Biography:...
: Matthias Veitschberger
This was the last major film role of Nita Naldi, whose career did not survive the advent of the talkies.
History of the film
In 2005 a print of the Pratermizzi on a base of the inflammable cellulose nitrate was discovered in the archives of the Centre national de la cinématographieCentre National de la Cinématographie
Le Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée or CNC is a French agency of the Ministry of Culture, responsible for the production and promotion of cinematic and audiovisual arts in France, is a publicly owned establishment, with legal and financial autonomy.Created by law on 25 October 1946...
. It was successfully copied and restored in time to be shown at the opening of Prater Film Festival the same year.
Excerpts from the film were published by the Filmarchiv Austria
Filmarchiv Austria
The Filmarchiv Austria is an organisation for the discovery, reconstruction and preservation of Austrian film record material: films themselves, literature about film and cinema, or film-related periodicals...
on the DVD "Der Wiener Prater im Film" in July 2005.