The King Steps Out

Last updated
The King Steps Out
The King Steps Out.jpg
Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Written by Sidney Buchman
Produced by William Perlberg
Wilhelm Thiele
Starring Grace Moore
Franchot Tone
Walter Connolly
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
Edited by Viola Lawrence
Music by Howard Jackson
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • May 28, 1936 (1936-05-28)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
The film is based around Elisabeth's young years 1852-1854 (portrait of the young empress shortly after her wedding, by Amanda Bergstedt) Amanda Bergstedt 001.jpg
The film is based around Elisabeth's young years 1852–1854 (portrait of the young empress shortly after her wedding, by Amanda Bergstedt)

The King Steps Out is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Grace Moore, Franchot Tone and Walter Connolly. It is based on the early years of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as "Sisi" or "Sissi", and her courtship and marriage to Franz Joseph I of Austria, after he was initially engaged to her older sister Duchess Helene in Bavaria. [1] The film is set from 1852 to 1854.

Contents

The script was written by Sidney Buchman, based on a theatre play called Sissys Brautfahrt by Ernst Décsey and Robert Weil aka Gustav Holm. [2] Columbia Pictures bought the rights from Ernst Marischka in order to make the film. The lyrics for the music were by Dorothy Fields and the music by Viennese composer and violinist Fritz Kreisler. [1] Cinematography was by Lucien Ballard and the editing by Viola Lawrence. Costume design was by the Austrian Ernst Deutsch-Dryden.

Future Broadway dancer Gwen Verdon made her movie debut doing a ballet solo at age 11, but was uncredited.

The film had only minimal influence on the later Sissi trilogy from the 1950s by Ernst Marischka starring Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm.

Cast

Reception

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a mildly positive review, noting that in its "light and amusing sequences" it bore the hallmarks of "the Lubitsch touch". Greene praised the acting of Bing, claiming that "the whole film [is carried] on his wildly expressive shoulders". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Verdon</span> American actress and dancer (1925–2000)

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity, and Roxie Hart in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empress Elisabeth of Austria</span> Empress of Austria from 1854 to 1898

Elisabeth, nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria</span> Crown Prince of Austria

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria was the only son and third child of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi). He was heir apparent to the imperial throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from birth. In 1889, he died in a suicide pact with his mistress Mary Vetsera at the Mayerling hunting lodge. The ensuing scandal made international headlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Sophie of Bavaria</span> Bavarian princess turned Archduchess of Austria

Princess Sophie of Bavaria was the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife, Caroline of Baden. The identical twin sister of Queen Maria Anna of Saxony, Sophie became Archduchess of Austria by marriage to Archduke Franz Karl of Austria. Her eldest son, Franz Joseph, reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary; her second son, Maximilian, briefly reigned as Emperor of Mexico.

Sissi or Sisi may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zell am See</span> Place in Salzburg, Austria

Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See District in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Located in the Kitzbühel Alps, the town is an important tourist destination due to its ski resorts and shoreline on Lake Zell. While Zell am See has been a favored winter and summer resort for the European aristocracy since the 19th century, it is known as a hub of the international jet set today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Sacher</span> Luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria

Hotel Sacher is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria, facing the Vienna State Opera in the city's central Innere Stadt district. It is famous for the specialty of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. There is also an art gallery in the hotel, with works from the 19th century. The hotel is located near the former residence of Antonio Vivaldi. Hotel Sacher is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, a marketing network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernst Décsey</span> Austrian author and music critic

Professor Dr. Ernst Décsey, was an Austrian author and music critic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Austria</span>

Cinema of Austria refers to the film industry based in Austria. Austria has had an active cinema industry since the early 20th century when it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and that has continued to the present day. Producer Sascha Kolowrat-Krakowsky, producer-director-writer Luise Kolm and the Austro-Hungarian directors Michael Curtiz and Alexander Korda were among the pioneers of early Austrian cinema. Several Austrian directors pursued careers in Weimar Germany and later in the United States, among them Fritz Lang, G. W. Pabst, Josef von Sternberg, Billy Wilder, Fred Zinnemann, and Otto Preminger.

<i>Sissi</i> (film) 1955 film by Ernst Marischka

Sissi is a 1955 Austrian historical romance film written and directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Josef Meinrad, Vilma Degischer and Peter Weck. Sissi is the first installment in the trilogy of films about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who was known to her family as "Sisi". It was followed by The Young Empress and Fateful Years of an Empress.

<i>Sissi – The Young Empress</i> 1956 Austrian film

Sissi – The Young Empress is a 1956 Austrian film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Vilma Degischer and Josef Meinrad. It was entered into the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. It is the second film in the Sissi trilogy, following Sissi and preceding Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress. This movie in three parts tells the famous story of the Empress of Austria best known as Sissi.

<i>Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress</i> 1957 Austrian film

Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress is a 1957 Austrian film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth and Josef Meinrad, costumes by Gerdago. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustav von Seyffertitz</span> German actor (1862–1943)

Gustav von Seyffertitz was a German film actor and director. He settled in the United States. He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria, and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Treßler</span> German actor

Otto Treßler, also Otto Tressler, was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1915 and 1962. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany and died in Vienna, Austria. He was a close friend to Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise d'Orléans (1869–1952)</span> Princess Alfons of Bavaria

Princess Louise d'Orléans was a French princess of the House of Orléans and a member of the Royal Family of Bavaria. Throughout her life, Louise remained very close to her first cousin, Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria.

Ernst Marischka was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 90 films between 1913 and 1962. He also directed 29 films between 1915 and 1962. He wrote and directed the Sissi trilogy - Sissi (1955), Sissi – The Young Empress (1956) and Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress (1957). The films were based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. He was the brother of Hubert Marischka. He was named for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1946, for A Song to Remember (1945).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magda Schneider</span> German actress (1909–1996)

Magdalena Maria Schneider was a German actress and singer. She was the mother of the actress Romy Schneider.

<i>Victoria in Dover</i> (1954 film) 1954 Austrian film

Victoria in Dover is a 1954 Austrian historical romantic comedy film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Adrian Hoven and Magda Schneider. It is a remake of the 1936 Erich Engel film Victoria in Dover, which was based on a 1932 play by Sil-Vara. Romy Schneider's performance as a spirited young royal was a lead-in to her best known role in Sissi and its sequels, although Marischka had originally intended to cast Sonja Ziemann as Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Maximiliana of Bavaria</span> Bavarian Princess

Princess Maximiliana Josepha Caroline of Bavaria, was a Princess of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Queen Caroline of Baden.

<i>Opera Ball</i> (1956 film) 1956 Austrian film

Opera Ball is a 1956 Austrian musical comedy film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Johannes Heesters, Hertha Feiler and Josef Meinrad. Based on the 1898 operetta Der Opernball, it is part of the operetta film tradition. A previous film version had been made in 1939.

References

  1. 1 2 Nugent, Frank S. (May 29, 1936). "Grace Moore's First Operetta, 'The King Steps Out,' Opens at the Music Hall -- 'Florida Special' at the Rialto". The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. Baxter, John (2010). Von Sternberg. University Press of Kentucky p. 198. ISBN   978-0-8131-3994-4.
  3. Greene, Graham (October 9, 1036). "The Texas Rangers/Savoy Hotel 217/The King Steps Out". The Spectator . (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p.  108. ISBN   0192812866.)