Die Czardasfürstin (1971)

Director:

Miklós Szinetár

Writers:

Béla Jenbach (libretto)
Mischa Mleinek (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

23 December 1971 (Hungary)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy | Romance

Cast

Anna Moffo	...	Sylva Varescu
René Kollo	...	Edwin Ronald
Dagmar Koller	...	Stasi
Irén Psota	...	Fürstin Marie-Louise
Sándor Németh	...	Boni
László Mensáros	...	Feri Bácsi
Karl Schönböck	...	Fürst Leopold
Zoltán Latinovits	...	Miska
Péter Huszti	...	Rohnsdorff
László Keleti	...	Közjegyzõ
Márta Fónay
Lenke Lorán
László Kozák	...	Kovács
Anna Muszte
Kornél Gelley	...	Lajos
Ilka Petur
János Körmendi
Éva Schubert
Gellért Raksányi	...	Géza
Ottó Ruttkai
János Makláry
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Éva Thury	...	A táncosnõ (uncredited)

Directed by
Miklós Szinetár

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Béla Jenbach		libretto
Mischa Mleinek		adaptation
Leo Stein		libretto
Miklós Szinetár		adaptation

Produced by
András Németh	....	producer

Cinematography by
Miklós Bíró

Film Editing by
Sándor Zákonyi

Production Design by
Tamás Vayer

Set Decoration by
Boldizsár Simonka

Costume Design by
Fanny Kemenes

Makeup Department
Magda Orosz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
György Falus	....	production manager
András Németh	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
László Bánk	....	assistant director
Desmond Glaiten	....	assistant director
Kurt Noack	....	assistant director

Art Department
András Földes	....	first assistant decorator
Tibor Nell	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Ferenc Csonka	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Sándor Barcs	....	camera operator
Sándor Baros	....	camera operator
Béla Örsi	....	chief lighting technician
Rezsõ Tóth	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Magda Asztalos	....	wardrobe assistant
Mária Asztalos	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Géza Dobrányi	....	color consultant
Zsuzsa Kondor	....	assistant editor
Irén Kun	....	color consultant

Music Department
Bert Grund	....	conductor
Gabriella Kerényi	....	music assistant

Other crew
József Áhel	....	location manager
Richárd Bogár	....	choreographer (as Bogár Richárd)
Zoltán Dudás	....	location manager
Balázs Fakan	....	script editor
Györgyné Kuczik	....	location manager

Production Companies

• MAFILM 4. Játékfilmstúdió
• UNITEL

Distributors

• UNITEL (1971) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Deutsche Grammophon (2006) (worldwide) (DVD) (except Japan)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1971) (East Germany) (theatrical)
• Dotkom Media (2006) (Hungary) (DVD)
• Dreamlife Corporation (2004) (Japan) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Csárdáskirálynö (Hungary)
The Csardas Princess (UK)

Runtime:

Hungary:107 min

Country:

West Germany | Hungary

Language:

German | Hungarian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Company:

MAFILM 4. Játékfilmstúdió

For Unabashed Romantic Slobs

Czardasfurstin is a personal favorite even if it is more than a bit outdated. This DVD is descended more from the Broadway/Hollywood style more than from the Wiener Volksoper. The script was heavily rewritten but is far, far closer to the original than the horrible butcherings of Lustige Witwe, the best of all operettas of the era just before World War One. There is some rewriting of lyrics in the better known numbers, for example, the very popular "Let Me Dance and Let Me Sing". The changes are minor. Maybe Kallman had different versions.

The writers added the non-singing role Miska to move the plot along. It makes the story fall together. With the scene shifting that film made available, a ficelle like Miska helps a lot.

It is obvious that the singing is overdubbed. So what?

Anna Moffo is gorgeous both in face and voice. Rene Kollo, even though he is two years older than Moffo, looks a decade younger. An excellent voice for the role. How can you not love Dagmar Koller? (See her on the recent Andre Rieu Live in Vienna. Still lovely.) Sandar Nemeth as Boni is a bit over-matched by Moffo and Kollo's singing but his dancing with Koller (who is excellent) makes up for it. (Moffo fakes the stage dancing. Step left. Step right. Repeat. But, she was not hired for her dancing. Again, so what?) The rest of the cast do a creditable job. Wonder how long it took Peter Huszti (Rohnsdorff)to get that broomstick out of his butt.

The orchestration is a bit pinched. Instead of the big sound from a motion picture sound studio, we get the sound of a stage show pit band. Might even have been recorded in someone's garage. Considering that Kallman's writing is lush, almost gooey, we feel cheated.

The subtitles suffer from what so many subtitles do. They are paraphrases, not translations of the original. Since they do not scan poetically, why paraphrase?

Still, the pluses far outweigh the minuses. Considering some of the schlock given 8's and 9's here, this is easily a 9 or better. If you are, like I am, an Unabashed Romantic Slob, this is well worth watching.