The Blue Angel (1930) Der blaue Engel (original title)

Director:

Josef von Sternberg

Writers:

Heinrich Mann (novel)
Carl Zuckmayer ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 January 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Plot:

Immanuel Rath, an old bachelor, is a professor at the town's university. When he discovers that some of his pupils often go into a speakeasy...

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Femme Fatale | Strait Jacket | Stockings | Lust

Cast

Emil Jannings	...	Prof. Immanuel Rath
Marlene Dietrich	...	Lola Lola
Kurt Gerron	...	Kiepert - the Magician
Rosa Valetti	...	Guste - the Magician's Wife
Hans Albers	...	Mazeppa - the Strongman
Reinhold Bernt	...	The Clown
Eduard von Winterstein	...	The Director of School (as Eduard V. Winterstein)
Hans Roth	...	The Caretaker of the Secondary School
Rolf Müller	...	Pupil Angst
Roland Varno	...	Pupil Lohmann (as Rolant Varno)
Carl Balhaus	...	Pupil Ertzum (as Karl Balhaus)
Robert Klein-Lörk	...	Pupil Goldstaub
Charles Puffy	...	Innkeeper (as Karl Huszar-Puffy)
Wilhelm Diegelmann	...	Captain
Gerhard Bienert	...	Policeman
Ilse Fürstenberg	...	Rath's Maid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Weintraub Syncopators	...	Group Cast Performers
Friedrich Hollaender	...	(uncredited)
Wolfgang Staudte	...	Pupil (uncredited)

Directed by
Josef von Sternberg

Writing credits
Heinrich Mann		(novel "Professor Unrat")
Carl Zuckmayer		&
Karl Vollmöller		and
Robert Liebmann
Josef von Sternberg		uncredited

Produced by
Erich Pommer	....	producer

Cinematography by
Günther Rittau

Film Editing by
Walter Klee		(English version)
Sam Winston		(as S.K. Winston)

Art Direction by
Otto Hunte

Costume Design by
Tihamer Varady

Makeup Department
Waldemar Jabs	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Oscar Schmidt	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Viktor Eisenbach	....	unit manager

Art Department
Emil Hasler	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Fritz Thiery	....	sound

Stunts
Harry Froboess	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hans Schneeberger	....	assistant camera

Music Department
Franz Waxman	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Tassilo Schneider	....	english subtitler: German version

Production Companies

• Universum Film (UFA)

Distributors

• Universum Film (UFA) (1930) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1930) (USA) (theatrical) (English version)
• Wardour Films (1930) (UK) (theatrical)
• Classic Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Suomi-Filmi (1966) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Tralag (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Daiei International Films (1981) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Castle Communications (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Kino Video (1993) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Madacy Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Take 2 Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Hollywood Classics (1998) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Kino Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (subtitled)
• Kino Video (2001) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Divisa Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Eureka Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Koch Vision (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Vivarto (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• New Star (2011) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Budget Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• LS Video (video)
• Manbeck Pictures (????) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (Focus Edition)

Also Known As:

"Der blaue Engel" - Germany (original title)

Runtime:

124 min | USA:107 min (TCM print) | UK:106 min | 108 min (cut) | USA:94 min (English version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 (1952) | Finland:K-8 (1993) | Norway:16 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1930) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Universum Film (UFA)

Trivia:

Marlene Dietrich (Lola Lola) was, contrary to common belief, not the "star" of the film. She was not even a known actress. She was one of several students at an acting academy who were auditioned by director Josef von Sternberg for the role. Each of the girls was told to bring with them "a naughty song" which they would perform. Dietrich was so nervous and so sure that she would not get the role that she showed up without a song.

Quotes:

[to stuffy Professor Immanuel Rath, who is dressed in a clown suit]
Lola Lola:Your boys should see you now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Harmonists (1997)

Soundtrack:

Nimm Dich in Acht vor blonden Frau'n

Indelible images

I just got through watching The Blue Angel (1930) for the second time in a month. When I was watching the beginning this time, I thought: oh, this isn't as powerful as I remembered. I even thought Jannings was overdoing it a little -- he couldn't be as good as I remembered. And then it absolutely knocked me for a loop all over again.

Bear in mind that I have a tape that cost $3.98. The film looked old and scratchy, the tape quality was bad, and the sound was poor. This is one of the very earliest sound movies and the sound technique was sometimes distracting. After the first 20 minutes, I couldn't have cared less about the technology. The images of this film are burned into my brain. The business at the very beginning with the dead bird and the sugar cube, the caricatures on the blackboards, Lola's reaction to the marriage proposal, the wedding party and, most of all, the entire last half hour of this film -- none of that left me in the three weeks since my first viewing and it lost none of its impact the second time around.

Emil Jannings was just absolutely wonderful. His face in the mirror toward the end is heartbreaking. He doesn't have to say a word. This was Dietrich's debut, and she is great too, but it is Jannings' picture.

Highly recommended. 10/10