''Sunshine Susie'' is a 1931 British

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Victor Saville Victor Saville (25 September 1895 – 8 May 1979) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He directed 39 films between 1927 and 1954. He also produced 36 films between 1923 and 1962. Biography Saville produced his first fi ...

and starring

Renate Müller Renate Müller (26 April 1906 – 7 October 1937) was a German singer and actress in both silent films and sound films, as well as on stage. One of the most successful actresses in German films from the early 1930s, she was courted by the ...

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, Cam ...

, and

Owen Nares Owen Ramsay Nares (11 August 1888 – 30 July 1943) was an English stage and film actor. Besides his acting career, he was the author of ''Myself, and Some Others'' (1925). Early life Educated at Reading School, Nares was encouraged by his mo ...

. The film was shot at Islington Studios with sets designed by

Alex Vetchinsky Alex Vetchinsky ( Alec Hyman Vetchinsky; 9 November 1904 - 4 March 1980) was a BAFTA nominated British film art director and production designer. He worked on more than a hundred productions during a career that lasted between 1928 and 1974. Vet ...

. It was based on a novel by István Szomaházy. An alternate

German-language German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...

version ''

The Private Secretary ''The Private Secretary'' is an 1883 farce in three acts, by Charles Hawtrey. The play, adapted from a German original, depicts the vicissitudes of a mild young clergyman, innocently caught up in the machinations of two irresponsible young men ...

'' was made, also starring Renate Müller. It is also known under the

alternative title An alternative title is a media sales device most prominently used in film distribution. Books and films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small change to t ...

''The Office Girl''. The film established Müller as a star in Britain.

Synopsis

A young German woman moves to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

to seek work. With the assistance of Herr Hassell, a friendly commissionaire and budding

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

, she gains a job as a typist with a banking firm. Unknown to her, the man she takes to be a lowly clerk with the company who romances her at the local

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

. is in fact the bank's director.

Cast

as Susie Surster *

as Herr Hasel *

as Herr Arvray *

Morris Harvey Morris Harvey (25 September 187724 August 1944) was a British actor and writer. A renowned character actor, he also wrote for the stage, including material for Broadway revues, in which he also appeared. He was the stepfather of film director An ...

as Klapper * Sybil Grove as Secretary *

Gladys Hamer Gladys Hamer (27 May 1884 – 13 March 1967) was a British stage and film actress. She appeared in a number of silent and early sound films. Selected filmography * ''Mary-Find-the-Gold'' (1921) * '' Monty Works the Wires'' (1921) * '' The Res ...

as Maid * Daphne Scorer as Elsa *

Barbara Gott Barbara Gott (1872–1944) was a Scottish stage and film actress. In 1913 she made her West End debut in Stanley Houghton's '' Trust the People''. Partial filmography * ''Betta, the Gipsy'' (1918) * '' The Romance of Lady Hamilton'' (1919) - ...

as Minor role

Reception

The film was a big hit and was voted the best British film of 1932. Its theme song " Today I Feel So Happy" also became a major hit. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' though, regretted that the film was "not up to the mark set by the Teutonic work, for the studio acoustics appear to be faulty and in several sequences the director, Victor Saville, has failed to have his scenes as adequately lighted," although the reviewer praised the work of Jack Hulbert and Owen Nares, concluding that "Both give clever performances, the result being that this Gainsborough feature makes for quite a good hour or so of entertainment"; and the ''

Motion Picture Herald The ''Motion Picture Herald'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1931 to December 1972.Anthony Slide, ed. (1985)''International Film, Radio, and Television Journals'' Greenwood Press. p. 242. It was replaced by the ''QP Heral ...

'' praised the film as having "a sparkle in every foot."

References

Other film versions

* '' Tales of the Typewriter'' (December 1916, Hungary, directed by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)The Private Secretary ''The Private Secretary'' is an 1883 farce in three acts, by Charles Hawtrey. The play, adapted from a German original, depicts the vicissitudes of a mild young clergyman, innocently caught up in the machinations of two irresponsible young men ...

'' (January 1931, Germany, directed by

Wilhelm Thiele Wilhelm Thiele (1890–1975) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He directed over 40 films between 1921 and 1960. Life and career Thiele started his show career as a stage actor. He got his start in Austrian and German film during t ...

) * '' Dactylo'' (April 1931, France, directed by

) * ''

'' (July 1931, Italy, directed by

Goffredo Alessandrini Goffredo Alessandrini (20 November 1904, in Cairo – 16 May 1978, in Rome) was an Italian scriptwriter and film director. He also acted, edited, and produced some films. He practiced athletics in his youth, and won a title of Italian champion ...

) * ''

'' (December 1953, West Germany, directed by

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

)

Bibliography

* Bergfelder, Tim & Cargnelli, Christian. ''Destination London: German-speaking emigrés and British cinema, 1925–1950''. Berghahn Books, 2008. * Shafer, Stephen C. ''British Popular Films, 1929-1939: The Cinema of Reassurance''. Routledge, 1997. * Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927–1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

* {{Victor Saville 1931 films 1931 musical comedy films British musical comedy films Films directed by Victor Saville British remakes of German films Films based on Hungarian novels Islington Studios films Gainsborough Pictures films British black-and-white films Films with screenplays by Franz Schulz Films with screenplays by Victor Saville Films set in Vienna Films scored by Paul Abraham 1930s English-language films 1930s British films