''Mariett Dances Today'' (German: ''Heut tanzt Mariett'') is a 1928 German silent

romance film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

directed by

Frederic Zelnik Frederic Zelnik (born Friedrich Zelnik; 17 May 1885 – 29 November 1950) was an Austrian producer, director, and actor. He was one of the most important producers-directors of the German silent cinema. Zelnik achieved success through period oper ...

and starring

Lya Mara Lya Mara (born Aleksandra Gudowicz; 1 August 1897 – 1 March 1960) was a Polish people, Polish actress. She was one of the biggest stars of the Cinema of Germany, German silent cinema. Biography Lya Mara was born Aleksandra Gudowicz in a Polis ...

, Fred Louis Lerch and

Harry Halm Harry Halm (born Harry Hermann Hahn; 17 January 1901 – 22 November 1980) was a German film actor who appeared in numerous films between 1920 and 1955. He was the son of director Alfred Halm and took acting lessons with Eduard von Winterstein ...

.Nelmes & Selbo It was shot at the

Staaken Studios Staaken Studios was a film studio located in Staaken on the outskirts of the German capital Berlin. A large former zeppelin hangar, it was converted to film use following the First World War and operated during the Weimar Republic. In July 1923 it ...

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 on location in the Swiss resort of

St. Moritz St. Moritz ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the administrative region of Maloja in the Swiss ...

. It was made by the German subsidiary of

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

. 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 ...

Andrej Andrejew Andrej is the form of the given name Andrew used in Slovak, Croatian and Slovene. Notable individuals with the given name Andrej *Andrej Babiš (born 1954), Czech politician *Andrej Bajuk (1943–2011), Slovene politician and economist *Andrej ...

and

Erich Zander Erich Zander (11 April 1905 in Kassel - 15 April 1991 in Eutin) was a German field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olymp ...

Cast

as Mariett * Fred Louis Lerch as Robert van Dammen *

as Ein junger Maler *

Ralph Arthur Roberts Ralph Arthur Roberts (born Robert Arthur Schönherr; 2 October 1884 – 12 March 1940)Kurt Gerron Kurt Gerron (born Kurt Gerson; 11 May 1897 – 30 October 1944) was a German Jewish actor and film director. He had a very successful career in cabaret and film before World War II, but was then forbidden to work and was sent to Theresienstadt ...

as Der Besitzer der Bar, Brigon *

Jakob Tiedtke Jakob Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Tiedtke (23 June 1875 – 30 June 1960) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1914 and 1955. Selected filmography * '' The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' (1918) * '' The Doll'' (1919) * ' ...

as Der Bürgermeister *

Sophie Pagay Sophie Berg Pagay (22 April 1860 – 23 January 1937) was an Austrian actress. Biography She was worn in Brno. She began acting as a child, and went to Berlin to perform on stage in 1887. She married actor Hans Pagay. Selected filmography * ' ...

as Die Haushälterin *

Karl Harbacher Karl Harbacher (1879–1943) was an Austrian actor. Selected filmography * '' Miss Piccolo'' (1914) * '' No Sin on the Alpine Pastures'' (1915) * '' Fanny Elssler'' (1920) * '' Das blaue Duell'' (1920) * ''The Adventuress of Monte Carlo'' (1921) ...

as Der Schuhmacher *

Josefine Dora Josefine Dora (born Isidora Emilie Friese; 13 November 1867 – 28 May 1944) was an Austrian stage and film actress. She appeared in over 100 films, generally in supporting roles such as in '' The Virtuous Sinner'' (1931).Prawer p.137 Selecte ...

as Seine Mutter *

Fritz Kampers Fritz Kampers (14 July 1891 – 1 September 1950) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1913 and 1950. Early life Fritz Kampers was the son of a Munich hotel owner, spent his early childhood in Garmisch-Partenk ...

* Ivan Koval-Samborsky *

Adele Sandrock Adele Sandrock (; 19 August 1863 – 30 August 1937) was a German actress. After a successful theatrical career, she became one of the first German movie stars. Early life Sandrock was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the daughter of the German ...

Franz Schafheitlin Franz Schafheitlin (9 August 1895 – 6 February 1980) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1927 and 1974. He was born in Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany and died in Pullach, West Germany. Selected filmograph ...

Plot summary

The story begins like a fairytale: A stork, hunting for food in a Dutch village pond, picks out a baby girl and drops her in the cradle in the mayor's house. The mayor, who is a practical man, connects his saw and the baby's cradle with a string, and with every pull of the saw he rocks little Mariett – which is the name of the tiny foundling – to her sleep. As the years go by, Mariett grows up to be a merry young woman, albeit a bit naïve, but full of joie de vivre and very fond of dancing. When on her 16th birthday a covert admirer gives her a pair of silk shoes she hurries to the village church to pray to Saint Joseph for a fitting pair of silk stockings. Her prayer, though, is overheard by two affluent young men. The one of them is a painter, copying one of the church windows; he is accompanied by his friend Robert van Dammen. They are very much amused about the girl's simple-mindedness and they plan to hoax her. With her father's consent – who is paid 300

guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...

– Mariett is drugged and in her dreams she sees herself as a princess. When she awakes in Robert's palais the men proceed with their hoax, with Robert himself acting as “princess” Mariett's driver. Three days later, however, the fun is over and Mariett is told the truth. She is deeply upset about being had in such a way. So she decides to leave the village to seek her fortune in the big wide world. Riding a train on her journey she plays her

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

and dances. A bar operator who watches Mariett is delighted by her unsophisticated naivety, but also her outstanding entertaining talent. So he hires her as a show act for his Paris establishment. And soon the simple Dutch girl rises to be a number one star of the Paris show scene. Meanwhile the two jokesters have heard about Mariett's racy success. As Robert has fallen in love with her he tries to find the way into her heart, what he undertakes on the skiing slopes and toboggan runs of Saint Moritz. On New Year's Eve Mariett and Robert are reconciled at last.

Production notes

''Heut' tanzt Mariett'' was filmed between 28 November 1927 and 4 February 1928 in

(

) and the location shots were done at Saint Moritz (

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

). On 10 March 1928 the motion picture passed

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

and was first released five days later in Beba-Palast Atrium, Berlin. The movie was cleared for minors. It consisted of nine acts, the length of the reel being 2783 meters.

References

Bibliography

* Jill Nelmes & Jule Selbo. ''Women Screenwriters: An International Guide''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

External links

* {{Frederic Zelnik 1928 films Films of the Weimar Republic Films directed by Frederic Zelnik German silent feature films German black-and-white films Films shot at Staaken Studios Films shot in Switzerland Films scored by Walter Ulfig