Mädchen in Uniform (1931)

German film in which a sensitive girl is sent to an all-girls boarding school and develops a romantic attachment to one of her teachers. One of the earliest narrative films to explicitly ... See full summary »

Directors:

Leontine Sagan, Carl Froelich

Writers:

Christa Winsloe (screenplay), Friedrich Dammann (screenplay),

Stars:

Emilia Unda, Dorothea Wieck, Hedwig Schlichter

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Emilia Unda	...	Oberin des Stifts
Dorothea Wieck	...	Frl. von Bernburg
Hedwig Schlichter	...	Frl. von Kesten
Hertha Thiele	...	Manuela von Meinhardis
Ellen Schwanneke	...	Ilse von Westhagen (as Ellen Schwannecke)

Storyline

German film in which a sensitive girl is sent to an all-girls boarding school and develops a romantic attachment to one of her teachers. One of the earliest narrative films to explicitly portray homosexuality.

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Plot Keywords:

discipline | boarding school | teenager | student | deprivation | 

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Taglines:

IMPORTANT - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO UNDERSTAND GERMAN TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND ENJOY THIS FINE PICTURE! (USA ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

27 November 1931 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Maedchen in Uniform

Filming Locations:

Bild und Ton Studio, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Deutsche Film-Gemeinschaft

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was banned when first released in Germany and the United States. It wasn't until First Lady Roosevelt, Eleanor saw the importance of the movie that the ban was lifted.

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Quotes

Fraulein von Bernburg: You must come to your senses. You must recover, whatever it takes.
Manuela: Recover? From what?
Fraulein von Bernburg: You're not allowed to love me... so much.

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Connections

Featured in Vito (2011)

User Reviews

great film

Mädchen in Uniform This was a very bold film. It presents the controversies of lesbianism, teacher-student relationships, and antifascism in Germany in the 30's. The acting is of great quality. You don't need to know German to understand what's going on, even with out the subtitles. I find it interesting that feminine sexual powers are used throughout the film. The beloved teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg, uses her sexual powers to win the affection of the children, keeping them in check. During rehearsals for a play, one of the girls is told to use her feminine powers (to be more seductive) to play her part. Sex appeal is also mentioned in describing a movie star. The antifascism isn't blatant in the film, but in the opening scene, we see soldiers marching and then the schoolgirls marching, hinting at the hidden meaning. This film has a place in history and is worth seeing.