Palace Scandal (1948) User Reviews

It's only fair

[cynthiahost · 8/10 · 19 January 2012]

The a.g.f.a color cinema photograph is excellent it .It reveals Elfies gorgeous green eyes.But the problem is that her singing talent is focus on one song. It is a remake of the Johannes Heesters and Martha Egerths,"Das Hofkonzert. The budget,except for the color, is lower than the original version.The town is more dingier and small than the black n white version. The war situation at the time mad it difficult to shoot the film.The American and Russians were bombing Germany.For more musical numbers that meant more rehearsal.There were probably more concern about the safety of actor.There were subtle references but only one. This was Hans Nielsen first appearance in a color film.He reveals his blue eyes' and blond hair, but this was released in 48 ,so it was no longer valid, Nazi references to pass through Nazi censors.It was Albert Floraths second appearance in a color film and Erich Pontos and Paul Henkels, although he had his red hair darkened in this film There wasn't even a flash back about her mother performing at the concert in the past. The other opera singer, that was suppose to perform but got a cold, was eliminated in the remake.Although the first one was better ,much better and was a real musical,this was was good but not excellent.It had good visual cinema color photography.But the actor hired to play the guard could not sing.So it was changed to comedy with some music. The ending is a bit anti climatic.But it still worth seeing , Case of the historical reasons.The performance of Elfie Mayerhofer.The comedy of Paul Henkels and Erich Ponto, who was playing the same type of role as he did in Master Detective. The plot Christine is coming from Austria to Germany,or its the other way around?, to search for her lost Daddy meets Leutenant Walter Von Arneck. The girdle sales man start a ruckus against her in the small town.The people start Turing against her,until Walter tells the higher ups that's his wife.His father Marshall of the court,Court Marshall?,Arneck gets mad at him for doing this.Butthe Young Arneckmanages to get a petition to the court for Christine to get them o help her looking for her father.Erich Pronto,who Serinissimus,the head of the town, want to know why she here.Tehn decide to have a court concert in her being there.At first everybody thinks that the poor poet ,who knew Christines mother, is her father .She has them believe it. She find out quickly , with not much excitement, that Erich is her Father.After one song.Every body in the cast rides an 1830 train some where.This original version not have a train.Evn though the original one is better it's worth seeing.01/19/12 ,available at www.Germanwarfilms.com

Romance in 'Biedermeier'-style

[Lars-65 · 30 October 1999]

This story, based on a play by director Verhoven, was shot in the final days of WW2. An opera singer comes to a little residence town to search for her father. She falls in love with a dashing officer, who helps her with her search against all the odds and predjudice in town and at the Dukes court.

The father is found in the end and the young couple lives happy ever after. This lavish production (in Agfacolour!) was shot in 1945 and completed by the East German DEFA five years later. Most of the costumes and sets are based on paintings by Carl Spitzweg. The location shots took place in the picturesque town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber.

This nice little piece of escapism features some fine performences by Erich Ponto (Duke of the residence), Elfi Mayerhofer (opera singer) and Paul Henckels as the poor poet.