''Like Once Lili Marleen'' (German: ''...wie einst Lili Marleen'') is a 1956 West German romantic

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...

and starring

Adrian Hoven Adrian Hoven (18 May 1922 – 28 April 1981) was an Austrian actor, producer and film director. He appeared in 100 films between 1947 and 1981. He was born in Wöllersdorf, Austria as ''Wilhelm Arpad Hofkirchner'' and died in Tegernsee, We ...

Marianne Hold Marianne Hold (15 May 1933 – 11 September 1994) was a German movie actress who became popular in the 1950s and 1960s for her numerous roles in the '' Heimatfilm'' genre—romantic comedy films set in rural, especially Alpine, areas. She se ...

and

Claus Holm Claus Holm (4 August 1918 – 21 September 1996) was a German film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1943 and 1979. He was born in Bochum, Germany and died in Berlin, Germany. Selected filmography * ''Floh im Ohr'' (1943) - Knecht Han ...

.Lehrke p.128 The title refers to the popular wartime song "

Lili Marleen "Lili Marleen" (also spelled "Lili Marlen'", "Lilli Marlene", "Lily Marlene", "Lili Marlène" among others; ) is a German love song that became popular during World War II throughout Europe and the Mediterranean among both Axis powers, Axis and ...

" popularised by Lale Anderson, who performs it at a concert at the end of the film. It was shot at the

Spandau Studios The Spandau Studios or CCC Studios were film and television studios located in Spandau, a suburb of Berlin. They were established in 1949 following the Second World War by the producer Artur Brauner controller of CCC Films, on the site of a forme ...

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

s Albrecht Hennings and Karl Weber.

Synopsis

Violinmaker Franz Brugger is in love with Christa. When he is

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

she promises to wait for him. He fights on the Eastern Front for four years and then is held as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

by the

Soviets The Soviet people () were the citizens and nationals of the Soviet Union. This demonym was presented in the ideology of the country as the "new historical unity of peoples of different nationalities" (). Nationality policy in the Soviet Union ...

for a further ten. All along he is kept going by the song "Lili Marlene" and the thought of Christa. When at last he is released, he returns home to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and finds the world significantly changed from that which he remembers. Worse, Christa is engaged to be married to another man. He sets out to win her back.

Cast

as Franz Brugger *

as Christa Schmidt *

as Oberarzt Dr. Robert Berger *

Hannelore Schroth Hannelore Emilie Käte Grete Schroth (; 10 January 1922 – 7 July 1987) was a German film, stage, and television actress whose career spanned over five decades. Career Born in Berlin in 1922, she was the daughter of popular stage and film actor ...

as Klärchen Müller *

Peter Carsten Peter Carsten (30 April 1928 – 20 April 2012) was a German actor and film producer. He appeared in 90 films between 1953 and 1999, including in supporting roles, ''Dark of the Sun'' (1968), ''Hannibal Brooks'' (1969), ''Madame Bovary (196 ...

as Toni Knoll *

Käthe Haack Käthe Haack (born Käte Lisbeth Minna Sophie Isolde Haack; 11 August 1897 – 5 May 1986) was a German stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 200 films and 30 television productions between 1915 and 1985. Life and career Käte Li ...

as Frau Schmidt *

Wolfgang Preiss Wolfgang Preiss (27 February 1910 – 27 November 2002) was a German theatre, film and television actor. The son of a teacher, Preiss studied philosophy, German, and drama in the early 1930s. He also took private acting classes with Hans Schle ...

a Alfred Linder *

Lucie Englisch Lucie Englisch (8 February 1902, in Baden bei Wien – 12 October 1965) was an Austrian actress. She was married to the actor Heinrich Fuchs. Selected filmography * ''The Night Belongs to Us'' (1929) * ''Three Days Confined to Barracks (1930 fi ...

as Minna Lauck *

Roma Bahn Roma Bahn (1896–1975) was a German stage and film actress.Fuegi p.201 On stage she was notable for her performances as Polly in the original 1928 production of ''The Threepenny Opera''. In cinema she played supporting roles in films made during ...

as Fräulein Korn *

Kurt Vespermann Kurt Vespermann (1 May 1887 – 13 July 1957) was a German stage and film actor. Career Vespermann was born into a theatrical family in Culmsee, West Prussia, Imperial Germany, now Chełmża, Poland. His great-grandparents were actors a ...

as Portier Krause * Gudrun Schmidt as Schwester, Lene *

Ralf Wolter Ralf Wolter (26 November 1926 – 14 October 2022) was a German stage and screen actor. Wolter appeared in nearly 220 films and television series in his over 60 years as a character actor. Life and career Wolter began his long career on the B ...

as Deutscher Soldat * Hildegard Grethe as Frau Berger *

Else Ehser Else Ehser (1894–1968) was a German stage actress. She also made numerous appearances in German films in supporting roles, such as her performance as Maria Theresa of Spain in the 1935 film ''The Private Life of Louis XIV''.Klossner p.223 Selec ...

as Aufwartefrau *

Lale Andersen Lale Andersen (23 March 1905 – 29 August 1972) was a German chanson singer-songwriter born in Lehe (now part of Bremerhaven). She is best known for her interpretation of the song "Lili Marleen" in 1939, which by 1941 transcended the conflic ...

as Singer 'Lili Marleen' - 'Südseenacht'

References

Bibliography

* Lehrke, Gisela. ''Wie einst Lili Marleen: das Leben der Lale Andersen''. Henschel, 2002.

External links

* 1956 films 1956 drama films 1956 musical films German musical films German romantic drama films West German films 1950s German-language films Films directed by Paul Verhoeven (Germany) Constantin Film films Films shot at Spandau Studios Films set in Berlin German World War II films 1950s German films German black-and-white films Films scored by Norbert Schultze {{1950s-Germany-film-stub