I love strudel and Willi Forst makes the best Viennese strudel.Burg theater.This is Willi first production for his Vienna films.His fantasies about the good old days,that never existed.This was also Werner Krausses best performances ,the pathetic lonely aging Actor Friederich Mitterer,other than the role of Rabbi in Jude Sus .It was also an early Carl Esmond, under the name Willy Eichbuger ,before he fled, playing Josef Rainer a frustrated actor who wants to work in the burg theater.For some strange reason they got him dolled up.Eye shadow,fake lashes lipstick,and pencil eyes brows.He looks ridiculous.May be they were trying to makes his eyes look bigger? Carl did have a small face and small eyes or may be Willi was trying to emphasize him wanting to be an actor.Olga Tschecowa plays Baroness Seebach, frustrated neglected wife of Baron Seebach,played by Carl Gunther , in her sweet Adeline Schmitt 1900 hair do combo 1936 hair waves. Hans Moser, funny as ever,plays Souffluer, what Viennese joke!,an assistant to Friederich.He in good voice to when he sings a traditional Viennese folk song along with a Zither.The other cast includes Hortense Raky,also in a sweet Adeline Hairdo ,1936 style, as Leni Schindler.She plays Josephs girl friend who helps him get into the theater by seducing and teasing poor old Fred in getting a word for Joe.The rest of the cast Leni's parents played by Josephine Dora and Karl Skraup, who looks more like Leni's brother with painted white hair.Plot, Joe wants the part of Ferdinand in ,"Kabal and Liebe.His Girl Friend manages to steal an invitation that was for Fred, to the Baroness party, in hope may be he will get the part if he's introduced to the right people.The Baroness stunned by his appearance, decides to take advantage of it to get back at her husband neglect.Although innocent ,the husband finds out which lead to Joseph getting fired.This is one of the best of Willi Forst film ,besides Vienna Girls, by my standards.Unfortuantley your greedy corporate classic film distributors ,in the united states, won't distribute this nor your greedy classic film broadcasters, due to Hitler legacy, possibly.What ? This was 1936 Vienna?Well who was born in Austria ?They are probably fearful of the American audience getting mad at Carl Esmond for not leaving early.But good news a non digital print, with subtitles, of good quality over all, is available at alternate ,on line, shop ,Germanwarfilm.com 04/12/12
Review of Burg Theatre
