Das fidele Gefängnis (1917)

Director:

Ernst Lubitsch

Writer:

Ernst Lubitsch (writer)

Release Date:

30 November 1917 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A neglected wife disguises herself in order to lure her wastrel husband into a compromising position. |

Plot Keywords:

Disguise | Police Officer | Jail | Monocle | Graffiti

Cast

Harry Liedtke	...	Alex von Reizenstein
Kitty Dewall	...	Alice, his wife
Ossi Oswalda
Agda Nielson	...	Mizi, the maid
Paul Biensfeldt
Erich Schönfelder	...	Egon Storch
Käthe Dorsch
Emil Jannings	...	Quabbe, the jailer
Ernst Lubitsch

Also Known As:

The Merry Jail (Europe: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

48 min (20 fps)

Country:

Germany

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Projektions-AG Union (PAGU)

Trivia:

This short film is featured on the Criterion Collection DVD for Trouble in Paradise (1932).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin - Von der Schönhauser Allee nach Hollywood (2006) (V)

Not much evidence of the Lubitsch Touch here, but an interesting look at a vanished world

Film critics who write about Ernst Lubitsch's great romantic comedies often refer to the "European" flavor of his Hollywood work, so it's especially intriguing to view this recently rediscovered silent comedy Lubitsch made in his native Germany in 1917. EIN FIDELES GEFANGNIS ("The Merry Jail") is an adaptation of the libretto from Johann Strauss' operetta Die Fledermaus, and while it lacks the sophistication and nuance of the director's best work, it's nonetheless an interesting film in its own right, distinctly different from the Hollywood product of the time --or later, for that matter. In some respects, this movie looks primitive compared to its American counterparts, but in others (such as the bluntly presented homosexuality of one character), it goes beyond anything Hollywood filmmakers, including Lubitsch himself, were permitted to explore for many years to come.

Even if you're unfamiliar with the Strauss operetta this adaptation may feel a bit familiar, for it uses a plot device which was frequently recycled: this is the story of Alice, a rich but neglected wife, who disguises herself and follows her drunken brat of a husband to a society gala, where she leads him on, while he remains unaware that he is considering an "extra-marital" affair with his own wife. (And he certainly must be blotto, since her disguise consists of little more than an evening gown and a Lone Ranger-style mask.) Meanwhile, other frolics are under way: there's some basically innocent flirting between Alice and Egon Storch, the odd little man who admires her; there's outright carousing by Alice's maid and a sloshed aristocrat; and there's even more boisterous behavior by a drunken jailer named Quabbe towards various men who capture his fancy. Quabbe is played by Emil Jannings, made up to look like Keystone comic Chester Conklin gone to seed, and even modern viewers might be startled when he kisses one inmate on the lips, strokes the arm of another, and tells the warden that he really, really likes him. This is a Merry Jail indeed! (But wouldn't "The Gay Jail" have been a better title?)

One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is simply that it was made in Germany in 1917. Film classes and textbooks pay lots of attention to the recognized Weimar-era silent classics such as CALIGARI and NOSFERATU, but it isn't often one finds a German production made during the war. No direct reference is made to the conflict, but during the masked ball it's noticeable that several of the dancing pairs are women, suggesting a lack of available men. It's also noticeable that most of the men on hand are extremely drunk, suggesting an exhausted culture in search of alcoholic oblivion. Is this why they lost? Most of these characters are both privileged and idle, protected from having to serve in the military by their social positions. I wonder if this movie was shown to German soldiers, and how they felt about fighting for the sake of these frivolous people.

The acting technique on display in EIN FIDELES GEFANGNIS is one of the film's drawbacks. These actors mug, over-react, and occasionally turn to the camera to rattle off silent speeches, a silly device one finds in such early features as Mack Sennett's TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE of 1914, but which most filmmakers outgrew soon after. An even bigger drawback is the leading man's sheer unattractiveness. Harry Liedtke, the actor who plays Alex Von Reizenstein, is not bad looking, but his character is totally unappealing. Who could care about this guy or his marriage? He's a spoiled, irresponsible, hopelessly wasted cad who vomits in his hat, bribes his wife to silence her complaints, and flirts shamelessly while claiming to be a bachelor-- although, frankly, he appears far too dissolute to actually consummate an affair. This guy isn't a naughty rogue, he's a useless jerk, and his wife Alice the cheerful bribe-taker isn't much better. The most likable characters are Mizi the maid and funny little Egon Storch, two people who are at least candid about their desires, in contrast with Alex and Alice, whose relationship seems to be built entirely on deceit. The supporting players give this comedy its best moments.

At any rate, despite its flaws, this film provides a rare glimpse into a dying culture in its final days, and a fascinating introduction to a great director at the dawn of his career.