The Theft of the Mona Lisa

The Theft of the Mona Lisa 1931

5.30

This German crime drama was based on a true story. Willy Forst stars as a poverty-stricken Italian glazier who falls in love with French hotel maid Rosa Valletti. Struck by the girl's resemblance to Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Forst manages to steal the painting from the Louvre in hopes of impressing his sweetheart. But when the girl proves to be a fickle sort, the crestfallen hero confesses his crime and is carted off to jail. Unwilling to admit that he'd been led astray by a woman, Forst claims that he stole the Mona Lisa to restore it to his native Italy, and as a result is hailed as a national hero! Raub der Mona Lisa was distributed in the U.S. by RKO Radio, under the title The Theft of the Mona Lisa.

1931

The Darling of Vienna

The Darling of Vienna 1930

1

"Der Herr auf Bestellung" has the Weimar dream team of Walter Reisch as scriptwriter, Geza von Bolvary as director and most importantly, the incomparable Willi Forst as main actor. This 'musical burlesque' tells about a stylish young gentleman (Willi Forst) who works as a so-called 'Festredner'; an untranslatable term, it indicates a person who makes speeches at important events like marriages etc. for people who don't feel able to do it themselves. Willi lends his voice to a speech-impaired professor (Paul Hörbiger), but the baroness (Trude Lieske) who falls in love with Hörbiger only does so because of Willi's voice, and you can guess that this leads to all sorts of complications…

1930

Love's Command

Love's Command 1931

1

During the Austro Hungarian empire, a girl substitutes for her brother in a military academy.

1931

I Kiss Your Hand, Madame

I Kiss Your Hand, Madame 1929

5.70

Laurence Gerard has just divorced. While leading fat lover Talandier by the nose, She meets the count Lerski, who now works as waiter but do not tell her. When she hears from her husband he is a waiter, she thinks Lerksi lies and throws him out.

1929

The Song Is Ended

The Song Is Ended 1930

1

Das Lied ist Aus (The Song Is Ended) is a typical early-talkie German musical in every respect, save one. The story, concerning the lives and loves of show folk, ends unhappily -- and surprisingly so. The doleful denouement didn't seem to have much effect on the film's box-office appeal, since Das Lied ist Aus proved a major moneymaker.

1930

What Women Dream

What Women Dream 1933

8.40

In this pre-WWII German mystery-comedy, a lovely kleptomaniac with a taste for fine jewelry is unable to resist temptation. Strangely, every time she steals something, a mysterious man pays for it. A clumsy detective begins investigating and finds a crucial clue: a strongly scented woman's glove. The perfume is an expensive scent and the detective's pal realizes that it belongs to a popular nightclub singer. The friend quickly becomes enamored of the girl, but then so does her mystery man, a notorious international criminal. Eventually he gets arrested, leaving the detective's pal to move in on the singer.

1933

Two Hearts in Waltz Time

Two Hearts in Waltz Time 1930

7.00

Nicky and Vicky, two librettists who also happen to be brothers, are presently in collaboration with composer Toni. All too aware of Toni's amorous escapades, Nicky and Vicky try to keep the existence of their pretty sister Hedi a secret. Suffering from an acute case of writers' block (he has yet to find an inspiration for his next production), Toni throws a huge party, which is boycotted by his friends and associates so that he'll keep his mind on his work.

1930

The Night of the Great Love

The Night of the Great Love 1933

1.00

The story, set in Constantinople, of a young man who falls in love with a woman much older than he is, and her daughter falls in love with him also. An American critic was vastly impressed by the day-and-night locale shots, and wrote that the film-maker had discarded and soft-pedaled the soft and sentimental in favor of the realistic and logical.

1933

The Merry Wives of Vienna

The Merry Wives of Vienna 1931

6.50

A dance teacher helps his ten well-bred student sisters when they leave home as a protest against their father's intended wedding. They form a café group called Die lustigen Weiber aus Wien (The merry Viennese girls).

1931

A Man With a Heart

A Man With a Heart 1932

1

A story about a series of confusions, in which Paul Ritter, a bank employee, is unaware that the girl he's fallen in love with is the daughter of his boss. No one bothers to tell him and he gets jealous of the boss, who seems to have a very good relationship with the girl.

1932

A Song, A Kiss, A Girl

A Song, A Kiss, A Girl 1932

5.00

Peter Franke owns Supraphon record company, which has one main competitor in Lyraphon. As a commercial strategy Peter gets engaged to her counter partner Asta, to his assistant Münzer's approval. Then he meets Wally Sommer, singing saleswoman at one of his shops, and all his plans are turned upside down while they both fall in love in this light musical comedy filled with Robert Stolz music.

1932