''The Secret of Mayerling'' (French: ''Le secret de Mayerling'') is a 1949 French

Historical drama film 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 romances, adventure films, and swas ...

directed by

Jean Delannoy Jean Delannoy (12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director. Biography Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a P ...

and starring

Jean Marais Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (), was a French actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. He performed in over 100 f ...

Dominique Blanchar Dominique Blanchar (born Dominique Marie Thérèse Blanchard; 2 June 1927 – 19 November 2018) was a stage, television, and film actress from France. She won two Molière Awards in her career. Personal life Dominique Blanchar was born in Pari ...

and

Jean Debucourt Jean Debucourt (19 January 1894 – 22 March 1958) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1920 and 1958. Selected filmography * '' The Little Thing'' (1923) * ''Jean Chouan'' (1926) * ''Madame Récami ...

. It set around the 1889 Mayerling Incident when the crown prince of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

was found having apparently committed suicide with his lover. It was shot at the

Epinay Studios The Epinay Studios are film production studios located in Epinay in northern Paris. It was a complex with two distinct and separate structures. The earliest was built in 1902 by Eclair Film. A second studio was controlled by the French subsidia ...

with sets designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Raymond Druart. It was a commercial success in France and other European countries, including in West Germany where it was released by

Constantin Film The Constantin Film AG is a German mini-major film production and distribution company based in Munich. The company, which belongs to Swiss media conglomerate Highlight Communications AG, is a large independent German maker and distributor of pr ...

Cast

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria en, Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph , caption = Rudolf in 1887 , spouse = , issue = Elisabeth Marie, Princess Otto of Windisch-Graetz , house = Habsburg-Lorraine , father = Franz Joseph I of Austria , mother ...

Baroness Mary Vetsera Baroness Marie Alexandrine "Mary" von Vetsera (19 March 1871 – 30 January 1889) was an Austrian noblewoman and the mistress of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria. Vetsera and the crown prince were found dead at his hunting lodge in Mayerling on 30 ...

as Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the Grand title of the Emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg m ...

Claude Farell Claude Farell, real name Monika Burg, also known as Paulette Colar, Catherine Farell, Paulette Kolar and Paulette von Suchan (7 May 1918 – 17 March 2008) was an Austrian actress. Partial filmography *''Der Kleinstadtpoet'' (1940) - Zenzi ...

as Countess Larisch *

Silvia Monfort Silvia Monfort (born Simone Marguerite Favre-Bertin; 6 June 1923 – 30 March 1991) was a French actress and theatre director. She was the daughter of the sculptor Charles-Maurice Favre-Bertin and the wife of Pierre Gruneberg. She was named a ...

as Archduchess Stéphanie *

Jane Marken Jane Marken (born Jeanne Berthe Adolphine Crabbe, sometimes credited as Jeanne Marken, 13 January 1895 in Paris 10th arrondissement – 1 December 1976 in Paris 4th arrondissement) was a French actress. She was the first wife of the actor Ju ...

as Baroness Vetsera *Marguerite Jamois as

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...

Denise Benoît Denise Benoît (10 September 1919 – 29 May 1973) was a French actress and singer, active across a wide range of genres on the stage, radio and television. Other members of her family were musicians. Life and career From a musical family, Beno� ...

as Anna Vetsera *Madeleine Foujane as the German ambassador *

Michel Vitold Michel Vitold (1915–1994) was a Russian-born French stage and film actor.Durgnat p.141 Selected filmography * '' Orage'' (1938) - Georges (uncredited) * ''Adrienne Lecouvreur'' (1938) - Le tueur * ''The Curtain Rises'' (1938) - Gabriel, un él� ...

as Archduke Jean-Salvator *

Jacques Dacqmine Jacques Dacqmine (1923–2010) was a French stage, film and television actor.Hayward p.242 He was married four times, including to the actress Odile Versois. Partial filmography * ''Premier rendez-vous'' (1941) - Un élève du collège (uncredi ...

as Archduke François-Ferdinand *

Jean Toulout Jean Toulout (28 September 1887 – 23 October 1962) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1911 and 1959. Selected filmography * ''La Digue'' (1911) * ''The Mask of Horror'' (1912) * ''The Tenth Symphony'' (19 ...

as Count Taafe *

Raphaël Patorni Raphaël Patorni (1911–1986) was a French film actor.Hayward p.439 Selected filmography * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (1943) * ''The Island of Love'' (1944) * ''Jericho'' (1946) * ''Barry'' (1949) * '' Doctor Laennec'' (1949) * ''The Martyr of B ...

as Count Hoyos *

François Richard François Richard (ca. 15851650) was a French composer of ''airs de cour.'' His ''Airs de cour a quatre parties'' (1637) mentions the pleasure Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King ...

as Prince of Saxe-Cobourg *André Carnège as doctor *

Charles Lemontier Charles Lemontier (1894–1965) was a French film actor.Aping p.76 Selected filmography * ''Street Without a Name'' (1934) * ''Judex'' (1934) * ''Crime and Punishment'' (1935) * '' Rigolboche'' (1936) * '' You Can't Fool Antoinette'' (1936) * '' ...

as Loschek *Jean Aymé as Nuncio *

Andrews Engelmann Andrews Engelmann (23 March 1901 – 25 February 1992) was a Russian-born German actor. He worked primarily in Germany, where he specialised in playing Russian roles, but also appeared in a number of British films during his career. He was born as ...

as the Killer

References

External links

* * French historical drama films 1949 drama films 1940s historical drama films Films directed by Jean Delannoy Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria Films set in Vienna Films set in 1889 Biographical films about Austrian royalty Cultural depictions of Empress Elisabeth of Austria Cultural depictions of Franz Joseph I of Austria Films shot at Epinay Studios French black-and-white films 1940s French-language films 1940s French films {{1940s-France-film-stub