Lola Montès (1955)

When she is reduced to appearing in a circus, a notorious beauty thinks back on her past loves.

Director:

Max Ophüls (as Max Ophuls)

Writers:

Jacques Laurent (based on the novel by: "La vie extraordinaire de Lola Montès") (as Cécil Saint Laurent), Max Ophüls (scenario) (as Max Ophuls)

Stars:

Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martine Carol	...	Lola Montes
Peter Ustinov	...	Circus Master
Anton Walbrook	...	Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
Henri Guisol	...	Horseman Maurice
Lise Delamare	...	Mrs. Craigie, Lola's mother
Paulette Dubost	...	Josephine, The maid
Oskar Werner	...	Student
Jean Galland	...	Private Secretary
Will Quadflieg	...	Franz Liszt
Héléna Manson	...	Lieutenant James' Sister (as Helena Manson)
Germaine Delbat	...	Stewardess
Carl Esmond	...	Doctor (as Willy Eichberger)
Jacques Fayet	...	Steward
Friedrich Domin	...	Circus Manager
Werner Finck	...	Wisböck, The artist

Storyline

The film tells the tragic story of Lola Montès, a great adventurer who becomes the main attraction of a circus after being the lover of various important European men.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | lola montez character | two word title | circus | dancer | 

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Taglines:

The True Story of a Fancy Woman!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

When the Circus Master first tries to recruit Lola, he lists San Francisco as an important North American city, and includes Buffalo Bill in a list of major circus figures. This scene is set shortly before Montez left for Bavaria, so it must be late 1845 or early 1846. San Francisco was called Yerba Buena until 1847, and the name Buffalo Bill was first applied in the 1860s to William F. Cody, who was born in 1846.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Circus Master: And now, Mesdames et Messieurs, the moment you've all been waiting for. The most sensational act of the century. Entertainment, emotion, action, history. Mesdames et Messieurs, Ladies and Gentlemen, meine Damen und Herren, a creature a hundred times more murderous than any beast in our menagerie. A bloodthirsty monster with the eyes of an angel. Ravaged hearts, squandered fortunes, the saraband of lovers, scepters, crowns, an authentic revolution.
Female Circus Jugglers: Authentic!
Circus Master: Passion and glory, ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The German language version was considered the director's cut by himself, as all actors were speaking their mother language, or spoke French with German subtitles, or spoke the language well and were not dubbed - as was the case with Martine Carol. This version premiere was in Munich 12 January 1956, and ran at 115 min, but was subsequently cut for general release (9 February 1956) to 113 min and for re-release (1957) to 102 min.

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Connections

Featured in Starfilm (2017)

User Reviews

the most flawed masterpiece

Of all movies that appear here and there in lists of greatest movies of all-time Lola Montès is the most criticized. Ranked by some as one of the 10 greatest, the movie suffers from some slow scenes and a wooden-acted protagonist played by Martine Carol. But the overall effect is mesmerizing. Cinema´s history isn´t made only of perfect movies.

It is the only color movie that Max Ophüls directed and the last of his career. You could only imagine the genius he would be in color films. The circus that links all the facts is a example of decadence in its greens and reds that many advertising-style filmmakers would kill for to get the same effect to show beauty. Ophüls is subtle and the most elegant director that has ever lived. He is one of the fundamental cinema masters (in the same category of Griffith, Chaplin, Eisenstein, Buñuel, Renoir, Welles, Bergman, Ford, Hitchcock, Wilder, Visconti, Mizoguchi, Truffaut, etc) and probably the less seen of them.

Lola Montès received poor critics at the time of its release but was recognized as great art and a summing up of Ophüls´ themes by the French nouvelle vague critics. You find in it some interesting comments about the way the society created by men destroy women and their paths to happiness. Ophüls was an author not a historian. He wasn´t interested in Lola as a historic figure but as a celebrity humiliated by her public just because she tried to be free. Ophüls has decided to make the movie after noticing how press used to treat the crisis of Judy Garland and Zsa Zsa Gabor affairs.

If you want to see other incredible films of the director watch to Libelei, Letter from an Unknown Woman and La Ronde.

Details

Official Sites:

Sophie Dulac Distribution [France]

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

French German English

Release Date:

23 December 1955 (France)

Also Known As:

Lola Montès

Filming Locations:

Hohentauern, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

FRF650,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,569, 12 October 2008

Gross USA:

$120,306

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$303,175

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gamma Film, Gamma Film, Florida Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Restored version) 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1