''Der Kongress tanzt'' (English: ''The Congress Dances'') is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

musical comedy film produced in 1931 by Ufa, directed by Erik Charell, starring Lilian Harvey as Christel Weinzinger, the glove seller, Willy Fritsch as

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russian Empire, Russia during the chaotic perio ...

and his

doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

, Uralsky,

Otto Wallburg Otto Wallburg (21 February 1889 – 29 October 1944) was a German actor and Kabarett performer. He was a prolific film actor during the late silent and early sound era. He was arrested by the Nazis when they occupied the Netherlands and was kil ...

as Bibikoff, his Adjutant,

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt ( , ; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German and British actor. He attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man ...

as Prince Metternich, Carl-Heinz Schroth as his Secretary, Pepi,

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 ...

as the Countess and Alfred Abel as the King of Saxony. ''Der Kongress tanzt'' is a particularly well achieved move in Ufa's attempt to challenge US supremacy in the European film arena, taking advantage of the introduction of sound. As such, the studio released the movie in three different language versions (MLV): in German, in French as ''Le congrès s'amuse'', and English as ''Congress Dances''. Lilian Harvey played in all three versions, as she spoke all languages; Henri Garat replaced Willy Fritsch for the French and English versions. Ufa spared no efforts: the cast reads like a who's who of German film, from the top billers of the day to heavy-weight comedians - even the supporting cast is made out of stars. The sets were lavish and top talent made up the entire technical cast. Despite the ambition and the auspicious beginning, Ufa's challenge to US supremacy never materialized, both due to the strength of the Hollywood majors and to the constraints Germany's creative film and performers would suffer from 1933 onwards. "This truffle of cinema unfolds its flavours like a heavenly feast for the anonymous millions it is dedicated to." ''Lichtbild-Bühne''.

Plot

''Der Kongress tanzt'' is set during the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

, that took place in 1814/1815 after the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, a meeting between the powers that was to set the frontiers of the world. Traveling incognito among the people in the tradition of his ancestor

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Alexander crosses paths with young Christel Weinzinger. The witty and charming Viennese glove seller advertises her business by throwing flowers with her business card into each passing carriage. Her overzealous promotion effort leads to her being charged with an assassination attempt but her punishment is waived and Christel is released. Smitten with Christel, the Tsar finds her at her place of business. A romance develops, with Prince Metternich and his army of spies intending to use the situation to further his own agenda. And then there is Pepi, the Prince's secretary, who is also in love with Christel. When Christel tells her friends about the romance, they do not believe her, only to be all the more surprised when the Tsar arrives with a splendid carriage to whisk her away. Their romance comes to an abrupt end when

Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

escapes from the island of Elba and marches on Paris. The Tsar, as all other rulers, has to leave. Christel stays behind, miserable, but finds solace with Pepi.

Cast

;German version * Lilian Harvey as Christel Weinzinger * Willy Fritsch as Czar Alexander of Russia *

as Bibikoff *

as Prince Metternich * Carl-Heinz Schroth as Pepi *

as The Countess *

Adele Sandrock Adele Sandrock (; 19 August 1863 – 30 August 1937) was a German actress. After a successful theatrical career, she became one of the first German movie stars. Early life Sandrock was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the daughter of the German ...

as The Princess *

Margarete Kupfer Margarete Kupfer (born Margarete Kupferschmid; 10 April 1881 – 11 May 1953) was a German actress. Partial filmography * '' The Canned Bride'' (1915) * '' Frau Eva'' (1916) * '' The Queen's Secretary'' (1916) * '' When Four Do the Same'' (1917 ...

as The Countess * Julius Falkenstein as The Minister of Finance *

Max Gülstorff Max Walter Gülstorff (23 March 1882 – 6 February 1947) was a German actor and stage director. Biography Gülstorff was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. He first appeared in 1900 at the Rudolstadt municipal Theater and moved to Cottbus in 1908 ...

as The Burgermeister * Paul Horbiger as Heurigen Singer * Boris Romanoff as Dancer * Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur as

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

;English version * Lilian Harvey as Christel *

as Prince Metternich * Henri Garat as Czar Alexander I / Uralsky *

as Countess * Gibb McLaughlin as Bibikoff *

Reginald Purdell Reginald Purdell (4 November 1896 – 22 April 1953) was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951. During the same period, he also contributed to the screenplays of 15 feature films, such as '' The Da ...

as Pepi * Philipp Manning as King of Saxony *

Humberston Wright Humberston Wright (27 September 1876 – 1953), sometimes credited as Humberstone Wright or Humberston H. Wright, was a British film actor. Filmography * '' Trapped by the London Sharks'' (1916) * '' Thelma'' (1918) * '' The Secret Woman'' ...

as Duke of Wellington *

Helen Haye Helen Haye (born Helen Hay, 28 August 1874 – 1 September 1957) was a British stage and film actress.
New York Times. 3 Septem ...

as Princess * Spencer Trevor as Finance Minister * Tarquini d'Or as Heurige Singer ;French version * Lilian Harvey as Christel Weizinger *

as The Countess * Henri Garat as Alexander Uralsky * Armand Bernard as Bibikoff * Pierre Magnier as Metternich *

Odette Talazac Odette Pauline Talazac (; 6 May 1883 – 29 March 1948) was a French singer and stage and film actress.Capua p.129 Talazac was the daughter of tenor Jean-Alexandre Talazac and his wife, the soprano Hélène Fauvelle. She began her career singing ...

as The Princess * Robert Arnoux as Pepi * Sinoel as Finance Minister * Jean Dax as Talleyrand * Paul Ollivier as Le Maire de Vienne * Tarquini d'Or as Heurige Singer

Reception

The Japanese filmmaker

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

cited this movie as one of his 100 favorite films.

References

*'' Movies of the 30s'' edited by Jürgen Müller,

Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt Taschen and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Tasch ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kongress tanzt 1931 films 1931 musical comedy films 1931 romantic comedy films 1930s historical comedy films Banned films in Nazi Germany German musical comedy films German romantic comedy films German historical comedy films Films of the Weimar Republic 1930s German-language films German black-and-white films German multilingual films Operetta films Films set in the 1810s Films set in Vienna UFA GmbH films Films directed by Erik Charell Films produced by Erich Pommer Balls (dance party) in films Depictions of Napoleon on film Cultural depictions of Alexander I of Russia Cultural depictions of Klemens von Metternich German historical romance films 1931 multilingual films 1930s historical musical films German historical musical films Films set in the Austrian Empire Congress of Vienna 1930s German films Films scored by Werner R. Heymann German-language historical comedy films