''Don't Promise Me Anything'' () is a 1937 German

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

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 Lubawka, Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the directo ...

and starring Luise Ullrich,

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. Early life George was born in Pomerania to August Friedrich Schulz, a former Deck Officer in t ...

. 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 of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

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

s Karl Weber and

Erich Zander Erich Zander (11 April 1905 in Kassel - 15 April 1991 in Eutin) was a German field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olymp ...

. The Berlin premiere took place at the

Gloria-Palast The Gloria-Palast was a German cinema located on the Kurfürstendamm in the German capital Berlin. It was constructed in 1924 and replaced the existing neo-Baroque Romanischen Hauses designed by Franz Heinrich Schwechten. It became a common lo ...

. 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-German actor of stage, television and film, as well as a vocalist of numerous recordings and performer on the conce ...

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 arts, 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'' ...

she turns to her husband for help.

Cast

* Luise Ullrich 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 film), Waterloo'' (1929) * ''Cruiser Emden'' (1932) * ''Peter Voss, Thief of Millions (1932 ...

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 film), The Csardas Princess'' (1934) * ''Frasquita'' (1934) * ''Da stimmt was nicht'' (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 and Peter-Timm Schaufuß. Selected filmography References ...

as Hausbesitzer Herr Lemke *

Wilhelm P. Krüger Wilhelm P. Krüger (29 August 1883 – 12 July 1959) was a German stage and film actor.Chandler p. 309 Selected filmography * '' Flachsmann the Educator'' (1930) * ''Trouble with Jolanthe ''Trouble with Jolanthe'' (German: ''Krach um Jolanthe ...

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 East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom o ...

as Gläubiger #1 *Margot Erbst as Maria, Mädchen bei Pratt * Maria Loja 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 novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

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 Films scored by Georg Haentzschel {{1930s-Germany-comedy-film-stub