''The Dancer of

Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...

'' (german: Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci) is a 1932 German

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

Frederic Zelnik Frederic Zelnik (born Friedrich Zelnik, 17 May 1885 – 29 November 1950) was an Austrian producer, director, and actor. He was one of the most important producers-directors of the German silent cinema. Zelnik achieved success through period oper ...

and starring

Otto Gebühr Otto Gebühr (29 May 1877 – 13 March 1954) was a German theatre and film actor, who appeared in 102 films released between 1917 and 1954. He is noted for his performance as the Prussian king Frederick the Great in numerous films. Early lif ...

Lil Dagover Lil Dagover (; born Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Seubert; 30 September 1887 – 23 January 1980) was a German actress whose film career spanned between 1913 and 1979. She was one of the most popular and recognized film actresses in the Weimar ...

, and

Rosa Valetti Rosa Valetti (25 January 1876, Berlin, Germany – 10 December 1937, Vienna, Austria), born Rosa Alice Vallentin, was a German actress, cabaret performer, and singer. Biography Rosa Valetti was born in Berlin, the daughter of industrialist Fel ...

. Set at the court of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

, the film is part of a group of

Prussian film Prussian films were a cycle of historical films made in Germany during the Weimar (1918–1933) and Nazi (1933–1945) eras noted for their general glorification of Prussian history and its military. The films are set during the eighteenth and ni ...

s made during the era. It portrays the interaction between Frederick and the celebrated dancer Barberina Campanini. Gebühr had previously appeared as Frederick in a silent film ''

The Dancer Barberina ''The Dancer Barberina'' (German: ''Die Tänzerin Barberina'') is a 1920 German silent historical drama film directed by Carl Boese and starring Lyda Salmonova, Otto Gebühr, and Harry Liedtke. Part of the group of Prussian films of the Weimar a ...

'' about their relationship. The film's sets were 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 ...

Leopold Blonder Leopold Blonder (1893–1932) was an Austrian art director active in the silent and early sound eras.Rother p.236 He also directed five short films during the early 1920s. He worked on several mountain films with Arnold Fanck and Leni Riefenstahl ...

. It was shot at the

Staaken Studios Staaken Studios was a film studio located in Staaken on the outskirts of the German capital Berlin. A large former zeppelin hangar, it was converted to film use following the First World War and operated during the Weimar Republic. In July 1923 it ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. It premiered in the city at the

Ufa-Palast am Zoo The Ufa-Palast am Zoo, located near Berlin Zoological Garden in the New West area of Charlottenburg, was a major Berlin cinema owned by Universum Film AG, or Ufa. Opened in 1919 and enlarged in 1925, it was the largest cinema in Germany until 19 ...

Cast

as Frederick II *

as Barberina Campanini *

as mother *

Hans Stüwe Hans Stüwe (14 May 1901 – 13 May 1976) was a German film actor. Selected filmography * ''Prinz Louis Ferdinand'' (1927) * ''Potsdam (film), Potsdam'' (1927) * ''The Transformation of Dr. Bessel'' (1927) * ''The Bordello in Rio'' (1927) * ''Ass ...

as Baron Cocceji *

Hans Junkermann Hennes "Hans" Junkermann (6 May 1934 – 11 April 2022) was a German professional racing cyclist who won 35 road races in 18 seasons from 1956 to 1973. He won the German National Road Race in 1959, 1960, and 1961. Biography Junkermann was bor ...

as Baron Pöllnitz *

Hans Mierendorff Hans Mierendorff (born Johannes Reingold Mierendorff; 30 June 1882 – 26 December 1955) was a German stage and film actor. Selected filmography * ''A Night of Horror'' (1916) * '' Vengeance Is Mine'' (1916) * ''Hilde Warren und der Tod'' ...

as Old Dessauer *Paul Lipinski as General Ziethen *

Bernhard Goetzke Bernhard Goetzke (5 June 1884 – 7 October 1964) was a German stage and film actor. He appeared in 130 films between 1917 and 1961. Selected filmography * ''Fear'' (1917) * ''The Last Sun Son'' (1919) * ''The Japanese Woman'' (1919) * ''The P ...

as General Seydlitz *

Karl Platen Karl Platen (6 March 1877 – 4 July 1952) was a German actor and cinematographer known for '' Girl in the Moon'' (1929) and '' M'' (1931). Biography Karl Platen was born as Carl Platen on March 6, 1877 in Halle an der Saale, Germany. He died ...

as Fredersdorff *

Hans Brausewetter Hans Brausewetter (27 May 1899 – 29 April 1945) was a German stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1922 and 1945. He appeared in the 1923 film '' The Treasure'', which was directed by Georg Wil ...

as Möller *

Margot Landa Margot Walter, also known as Margot Landa (4 October 1903 in Potsdam, Germany – April 1994 in Camden Town, London, England), was a German actress. Life and career Born in Potsdam near Berlin Walter became a regular member of the cast at the ...

as Evchen *

Paul Rehkopf Paul Anton Heinrich Rehkopf (21 May 1872 – 29 June 1949) was a German actor. He was born in Braunschweig and died in Braunschweig, Germany Selected filmography * '' Diary of a Lost Woman'' (1918) * '' Film Kathi'' (1918) * '' Lorenzo Burghardt ...

as Gärtner, Evchen's father *Iris Arlan as Lady Brigelli *

Philipp Manning Philipp Manning (23 November 1869 – 9 April 1951) was a British-born German actor. He was born in Lewisham to a British father and a German mother. He was sent to Germany for his education and settled there. He often played British characters i ...

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Carl de Vogt Carl de Vogt (14 September 1885 – 16 February 1970) was a German film actor who starred in four of Fritz Lang's early films. He attended the acting school in Cologne, Germany. Together with acting he was also active as a singer and recorded sev ...

as Pesne *

Paul Otto Paul Otto Schlesinger (8 February 1878 – 25 or 30 November 1943) was a German film actor and director. Born in Berlin, he began a qualification as a retail merchant and made his actor's debut at the age of 17. Otto worked at Theaters in ...

as Cagliostro *

Hermann Böttcher Hermann Gotthilf Ferdinand Boettcher (12 November 1866 – 7 May 1935) was a German stage and film actor.Hardt p.223 Selected filmography * '' The Man of Action'' (1919) * ''The Swabian Maiden'' (1919) * ''Madame Récamier'' (1920) * ''The Big Li ...

Count Kaunitz Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg (german: Wenzel Anton Reichsfürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg, cz, Václav Antonín z Kounic a Rietbergu; 2 February 1711 – 27 June 1794) was an Austrian and Czech diplomat and statesman in the Habsburg mona ...

*Ernst Wurmser as Austrian General field marshal *

Leo Monosson Leo Monosson (Russian: Лев Исаакович Моносзон, lit. Lev Isaakovich Monoisson) (1897–1967) was a tenor singer born in Moscow, who found fame in Germany in the years 1928-1933. He spoke eleven languages and produced over 1400 ...

as singer

References

Bibliography

External links

* 1930s historical drama films German historical drama films Films of the Weimar Republic Films directed by Frederic Zelnik Prussian films Films set in the 1740s Films shot at Staaken Studios Cultural depictions of Frederick the Great Cultural depictions of Johann Sebastian Bach German black-and-white films 1932 drama films 1930s German films 1930s German-language films {{1930s-Germany-film-stub