''Sir or Madam'' (German: ''Ossi hat die Hosen an'') is a 1928 British-German silent

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Carl Boese Carl Eduard Hermann Boese (; 26 August 1887 – 6 July 1958) was a German film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He directed 158 films between 1917 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''Farmer Borchardt'' (1917) * ''Donna Luci ...

and starring Margot Armand,

Percy Marmont Percy Marmont (25 November 1883 – 3 March 1977) was an English film actor. Biography Marmont appeared in more than 80 films between 1916 and 1968. A veteran film actor by 1923, he scored a big hit that year in ''If Winter Comes'', later re ...

and

Ossi Oswalda Ossi Oswalda (born Oswalda Amalie Anna Stäglich, 2 February 1898https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5753/images/41540_prep201_000020-00010?pid=150049&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D5753%26h%3 ...

. It was based on the 1923 novel '' Sir or Madame'' by

Berta Ruck Amy Roberta (Berta) Ruck (2 August 1878 – 11 August 1978) was a prolific Welsh writer of over 90 romance novels from 1905 to 1972. She also wrote short stories, an autobiography and two books of memoirs. Her married name was Mrs Oliver Onions ...

and shot at

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

near

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The film was a co-production between Germany and Britain, with separate versions released in the countries. In Britain it was not released until February 1930.

Plot

A woman disguises herself as a man, and poses as a gentleman's

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...

. She then has to resist the advances of his vampish

fiancee An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...

Cast

*Margot Armand as Patricia Lloyd *

Sir Ralph Wellalone *

as Geulda Rhos * Annette Benson as Lady Day *Hannelore Benzinger *

Olga Engl Olga Engl (30 May 1871 – 21 September 1946) was an Austrian-German stage and motion picture actress who appeared in nearly 200 films. Biography Engl was privately educated in an Ursuline monastery and began her acting career at the Prague C ...

*Cara Guyl *

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 ...

Fred Leslie Frederick George Hobson, known as Fred Leslie (1 April 1855 – 7 December 1892), was an English actor, singer, comedian and dramatist. Beginning his career in operetta, Leslie became best known for starring in, and writing (under the pseudon ...

Hilde Maroff Hilde Maroff (5 June 1904 – 15 August 1984) was a German stage and film actress. She was the mother of the child actor Peter Bosse. Selected filmography * '' Kubinke the Barber'' (1926) * '' Love's Joys and Woes'' (1926) * '' Sister Veronika' ...

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 * ' ...

Karl Platen Karl Platen (6 March 1877 – 4 July 1952) was a German actor and cinematographer of the Silent film, silent era and later the sound era and known for ''Girl in the Moon (film), Girl in the Moon'' (1929) and ''M (1931 film), M'' (1931). Biogr ...

*Anna Stranz-Führing *

Wolfgang Zilzer Wolfgang Zilzer (January 20, 1901 – June 26, 1991) was a German-American stage and film actor, often under the stage name Paul Andor. Biography Zilzer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German-Jewish emigrant Max Zilzer, who was employed at the ...

* Charles Ashton *

Harold Huth Harold Huth (20 January 1892 – 26 October 1967) was a British actor, film director and producer. Biography Early life He was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, in 1892. He was a nephew of Eva Moore and a cousin of the actor Roland Pertwee. F ...

Lena Halliday Lena Halliday (1872 – 19 December 1937) was an English stage and film actress. She as born Selina Heinekey in Balham, London, UK and died in Battersea, London, UK. Death Lena Halliday died on 19 December 1937 in Battersea, London, at the ag ...

*Edith Barker-Bennett

References

Bibliography

*Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

* 1928 comedy films Silent British comedy films Silent German comedy films Films directed by Carl Boese British silent feature films German silent feature films Films based on British novels Films set in England Films shot at British International Pictures Studios British black-and-white films National Film films 1920s British films 1920s German films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub