''Don't Promise Me Anything'' (german: Versprich mir nichts!) is a 1937 German

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Wolfgang Liebeneiner Wolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner (6 October 1905 – 28 November 1987) was a German actor, film director and theatre director. Beginnings He was born in Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the director of th ...

and starring

Luise Ullrich Luise Ullrich (31 October 1910 – 21 January 1985) was an Austrian actress. She was born in Vienna. While still a teenager, she got a stage contract. In late 1932, Ullrich played opposite Werner Krauss in "Rauhnacht" in Berlin. In 1933, sh ...

Viktor de Kowa Viktor de Kowa (also spelled Victor de Kowa, born Victor Paul Karl Kowalczyk; 8 March 1904 – 8 April 1973) was a German stage and film actor, chanson singer, director, narrator, and comic poet. Life He was born the son of a farmer and engineer ...

and

Heinrich George Georg August Friedrich Hermann Schulz (9 October 1893 – 25 September 1946), better known as Heinrich George (), was a German stage and film actor. Career Weimar Republic George is noted for having spooked the young Bertolt Brecht in his first ...

. It was partly shot at the

Grunewald Grunewald is the name of both a locality and a forest in Germany: * Grunewald (forest) * Grunewald (locality) Grünewald may refer to: * Grünewald (surname) * Grünewald, Germany, a municipality in Brandenburg, Germany * Grünewald (Luxembourg), ...

Studios in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

.The film's sets were designed by the art directors Karl Weber and

Erich Zander Erich Zander (11 April 1905 – 15 April 1991) was a German field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1928 he was a member of the German field hockey team, which won the bronze medal ...

. The Berlin premiere took place at the

Gloria-Palast The Gloria-Palast was a German Movie theater, cinema located on the Kurfürstendamm in the German capital Berlin. It was constructed in 1924 and replaced the existing Baroque Revival architecture, neo-Baroque Romanischen Hauses designed by Franz ...

. In 1950 Liebeneiner remade the film as '' When a Woman Loves'' with Hilde Krahl and

Johannes Heesters Johan Marius Nicolaas Heesters (5 December 1903 – 24 December 2011), known professionally as Johannes Heesters, was a Dutch actor of stage, television and film, as well as a vocalist of numerous recordings and performer on the concert stag ...

in the lead roles.

Synopsis

A perfectionist but talented artist is reluctant to sell his paintings, but because they need the money his wife sells them without his knowledge and claims to be the artist herself. However, when she is commissioned to paint a

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

she turns to her husband for help.

Cast

as Monika *

as Maler Martin Pratt *

as Kunsthändler Felder *

Hubert von Meyerinck Hubert "Hubsi" von Meyerinck (23 August 1896 – 13 May 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 280 films between 1921 and 1970. Biography Meyerinck was born in Potsdam, Brandenburg, the son of Friedrich von Meyerinck (1858� ...

as Dr. Elk *

Will Dohm Will Dohm (8 April 1897 – 28 November 1948) was a German film actor. He is the father of the actress Gaby Dohm. Selected filmography * '' Waterloo'' (1929) * '' Cruiser Emden'' (1932) * '' Peter Voss, Thief of Millions'' (1932) * '' The Tunnel ...

as Konsul Brenkow *

Charlott Daudert Charlott Daudert (27 December 1913 – 19 January 1961) was a German film actress.Jacobsen & Prinzler p.275 Filmography * '' The Csardas Princess'' (1934) * ''Frasquita'' (1934) * '' Da stimmt was nicht'' (1934) * '' Old Comrades'' (1934) * '' ...

as Vera Brenkow *

Hans Hermann Schaufuß Hans Hermann Schaufuß (13 July 1893 – 30 January 1982) was a German actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1922 to 1969. His sons were actors Hans Joachim Schaufuß Hans Joachim Schaufuß (transliterated: Schaufuss) (28 Decemb ...

as Hausbesitzer Herr Lemke * Wilhelm P. Krüger as Der Gasmann *Maria Wanck as Fräulein Klette, Felders Sekräterin *

Leopold von Ledebur Leopold von Ledebur (18 May 1876 – 22 August 1955) was a German stage and film actor. Selected filmography * ''Carmen'' (1918) * ''The Serenyi'' (1918) * ''Midnight'' (1918) * ''The Foolish Heart'' (1919) * '' The Golden Lie'' (1919) * '' T ...

as Präsident der Akademie *

Erich Dunskus Erich Adolf Dunskus (27 July 1890 – 25 November 1967) was a German film actor. He appeared in 170 films between 1927 and 1966. He was born in Pillkallen, East Prussia and died in Hagen, Germany. Selected filmography * '' The King of Pa ...

as Gläubiger #1 *Margot Erbst as Maria, Mädchen bei Pratt *

Maria Loja Maria Loja (1890–1953) was a German stage and film actress.Giesen p.197 Selected filmography * ''What Am I Without You'' (1934) * ''Adventure on the Southern Express'' (1934) * ''The Grand Duke's Finances'' (1934) * ''What Am I Without You'' ...

as Frau Lemke *Hans Meyer-Hanno as Gläubiger *Karl-Heinz Reppert as Gläubiger *Walter Vollmann as Diener bei Felder

Reception

Writing for ''Night and Day'' in 1937,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

gave the film a negative review, describing the film as "unconvincing", and with "the added disadvantage of being [] unfit[] for irrational behaviour". The only point of interest for Greene was the costume and acting of Will Dohm which worryingly evoked German militarism. (reprinted in: )

References

Bibliography

* Klaus, Ulrich J. ''Deutsche Tonfilme: Jahrgang 1937''. Klaus-Archiv, 1988.

External links

* Films of Nazi Germany German comedy films 1937 comedy films Films directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner Films with screenplays by Thea von Harbou Terra Film films German black-and-white films German films based on plays 1930s German films {{1930s-Germany-film-stub