''Immortal Waltz'' () is a 1939

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film directed by

E. W. Emo E. W. Emo (Emerich Walter Emo, born Emerich Josef Wojtek, 11 July 1898; died 2 December 1975) was an Austrian film director. Emo specialized in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser. He also worked outside Austria and wrote screenpla ...

and starring

Paul Hörbiger Paul Hörbiger (29 April 1894 – 5 March 1981) was an Austrian theatre and film actor. Life and work Paul Hörbiger was born in the Hungarian capital Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger, founder of the ...

Dagny Servaes Dagny Servaes (10 March 1894 – 10 July 1961) was a German-Austrian stage and film actress. In the theatre she appeared in the productions of Max ReinhardtStyan p.89 and Berthold Brecht. Servaes appeared in around sixty films during her career, ...

, and

Maria Andergast Maria Andergast (4 June 1912 – 14 February 1995) was a German actress. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1934 and 1974. Selected filmography * '' The Prodigal Son'' (1934) * '' Last Stop'' (1935) * '' My Life for Maria Isabella'' (1 ...

. It was shot at the

Rosenhügel Studios The Rosenhügel Studios are film studios located in the Austrian capital Vienna. They were opened in 1923 and originally owned by the Vita-Film production company. After the company's bankruptcy the following year the studios were taken over by S ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. The film's art direction was by

Julius von Borsody Julius von Borsody (8 April 1892 in Vienna – 18 January 1960, also in Vienna) was an Austrian film architect and one of the most employed set designers in the Austrian and German cinemas of the late silent and early sound film periods. His yo ...

. The film portrays the lives the Austrian composer

Johann Strauss I Johann Baptist Strauss I (; also Johann Strauss Sr., the Elder, the Father; 14 March 1804 – 25 September 1849) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic Period. He was famous for his light music, namely waltzes, polkas, and galops, which he ...

and family. The film was made by

Wien-Film Wien-Film GmbH ("Vienna Film Limited") was a large Austrian film company, which in 1938 succeeded the Tobis-Sascha-Filmindustrie AG (Sascha Film Company) and lasted until 1985. Until 1945 the business was owned by the Cautio Trust Company (''Cauti ...

, a Vienna-based company set up after Austria had been incorporated into

Greater Germany Pan-Germanism (german: Pangermanismus or '), also occasionally known as Pan-Germanicism, is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanists originally sought to unify all the German-speaking people – and possibly also Germanic-speaking ...

following the 1938

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

Plot

firmly established himself as the leader of a dance band in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in the 1840s. His sons

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

and Josef obviously inherited their father's talent. Nevertheless, father Johann is strictly opposed to the two being trained as

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

s by concertmaster Amon, a good friend of his. Johann II and Josef attend the Vienna Polytechnic under paternal pressure, but Johann junior soon abandons his studies, which makes Johann angry at his son. Johann Strauss junior then goes his own way and breaks off contact with his family. Few years later, Johann Strauss' son has finally made it and is celebrated by the public as the new king of

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

. Father Johann, who is satisfied with his son's accomplishment, decides not to speak to his highly talented son in person. But soon after it, at the age of 44, Johann falls seriously ill with

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

and dies, without speaking to his son. Meanwhile, Josef has finished his studies at the Polytechnic and begins to work as an engineer, while still practicing music, he composes every time he have a free minute. Although his father has since passed away, Josef, unlike his brother Johann, does not dare to rebel against his father's wish. Through his wife Lina, Johann junior learns about the conflict in which Josef entangled himself in. He gives Josef an opportunity to prove his musical skills for the first time at a

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

celebration. Josef's premiere is a great success, and he is finally completely committed to music and ends his engineering career. Josef had such a great success that he asks Johann to represent him on one of the other occasions. Meantime, the youngest of the three brothers,

Eduard Strauss Eduard "Edi" Strauss (15 March 1835 – 28 December 1916) was an Austrian composer who, together with his brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. He was the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim ...

, has also grown up and also shows ambition as a composer. However, he and Joseph are under the shadow of the much famous brother, against whom they shall compete. Eventually, it is old Amon who creates a group, called "Strauss", in which all three Strausses are performing and inspiring the masses with their waltz music.

Cast

References

External links

* Films of Nazi Germany German biographical films 1930s biographical films Films directed by E. W. Emo Films set in the 19th century Films set in Vienna Films about classical music and musicians Films about composers Cultural depictions of Johann Strauss I Cultural depictions of Johann Strauss II Tobis Film films 1930s historical musical films German historical musical films German black-and-white films Films set in the Austrian Empire Films set in Austria-Hungary Films shot at Rosenhügel Studios 1930s German films 1930s German-language films {{Historic-musical-film-stub