Golden Earrings (1947)

On the eve of World War II (1939) English officer Ralph Denistoun is in Nazi Germany on an espionage mission to recover a poison gas formula from Prof. Krosigk. He is helped by Lydia and ... See full summary »

Director:

Mitchell Leisen

Writers:

Abraham Polonsky (screenplay), Frank Butler (screenplay),

Stars:

Ray Milland, Marlene Dietrich, Murvyn Vye

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ray Milland	...	Col. Ralph Denistoun
Marlene Dietrich	...	Lydia
Murvyn Vye	...	Zoltan
Bruce Lester	...	Richard Byrd
Dennis Hoey	...	Hoff
Quentin Reynolds	...	Himself - American Journalist
Reinhold Schünzel	...	Prof. Otto Krosigk
Ivan Triesault	...	Maj. Reimann
Hermine Sterler	...	Greta Krosigk

Storyline

On the eve of World War II (1939) English officer Ralph Denistoun is in Nazi Germany on an espionage mission to recover a poison gas formula from Prof. Krosigk. He is helped by Lydia and her band of gypsies. Naturally romance develops along the way.

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Plot Keywords:

germany | gypsy | poison gas | nazi | formula | 

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Taglines:

Strange . . . Amazing . . . Their Love Story !

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

27 August 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Cigana Feiticeira

Filming Locations:

Castle, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Golden Earrings", written for this film, went on to be hit records by several artists, including Peggy Lee who co-wrote it.

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Goofs

In the climax where Lydia is escaping though the wilderness from the Nazis, in some shots she is seen wearing high heels and at other times appears in bare feet.

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Connections

Referenced in House of Harrington (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Maros Vize Folyik Csendesen"
(uncredited)
Hungarian Folk Song

User Reviews

Marvelous Dietrich

Having recently purchased Universal's Marlene Dietrich DVD collection, I was somewhat reluctant to watch "Golden Earrings." The idea of a 40-something Marlene Dietrich as a gypsy in a war-time romance seemed unusual, and implausible. I should not have worried. With all the professional talent that went into these old movies, it's hard to miss, really. The movie was a joy to watch; it's a classic.

The most interesting thing about the film was Dietrich, who pulls off the gypsy role perfectly. The makeup, lighting, photography, and her performance all add up to make a really startling and memorable character. I had never seen Dietrich play a "good" woman convincingly before--but she does here! She played a lot of heartless vamps in those great Sternberg films, so it is refreshing to see her in a more down to earth, relaxed role, playing an exotic but very human character.

Overall, a very nice romance. The love story is believable, optimistic, and the happy ending is extremely satisfying.