The Spectacle Maker (1934)

A parable about magic glasses involving on the nature of beauty, truth, good, and evil set in 17th Century Germany with music and Glorious Technicolor.

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Frank Harris (story), John Farrow

Stars:

Nora Cecil, Harvey Clark, Cora Sue Collins

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Nora Cecil	...	Duchess (uncredited)
Harvey Clark	...	The Grand Duke (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	The Little Princess (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	The Man in Black (uncredited)
Sumner Getchell	...	Lens Buyer (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto	...	Court Jester (uncredited)
Christian Rub	...	Hans Schmidt (uncredited)
Douglas Scott	...	Peter (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	The Grand Duke as Seen thru the Magic Spectacle (uncredited)
Robert Taylor	...	The Duchess's Paramour (uncredited)

Storyline

A stranger dressed in black visits the shop of eyeglass maker Hans Schmidt. He asks Schmidt to make a lens that shows only beauty to anyone who uses it. Before he can make the lens, he must search for the answer his grandson's question, "What is beauty?" A priest at a monastery gives him a holy book and suggests that if he reads the book, he will find the answer. After reading the book, he makes the lens. The country's grand duke visits Schmidt's shop with his wife. They try the lens and are so pleased, they take it back to their castle. The stranger visits Schmidt again and requests that he now make a lens that shows the truth, because not everything is beautiful. The priest at the monastery says Schmidt will find truth in the same holy book. After he makes the lens, the grand duke and his wife return to try it out.

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Plot Keywords:

fairy tale | colortone musical

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Short

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1934 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

21 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christian Rub's make-up and playing of Hans Schmidt in this film may have served as a model for Disney's depiction of Geppetto in PINOCCHIO. Rub also dubbed the character's voice in the 1940 animated feature.

User Reviews

Keats Said It Best...

An MGM COLORTONE MUSICAL Short.

Once upon a time, there was a kindly old man who was THE SPECTACLE MAKER for his village. He is challenged to create a marvelous Glass, through which only Beauty can be seen. Reading the Bible shows him the meaning of true Beauty and, so, he creates the Glass. Instant fame is his, but then he's challenged concerning Truth...

Not much as far as musicals go, and uneven dramatically, but as a morality tale it has charm. The Technicolor is very pleasing to the eye, as well.