Szőke Szakáll, known in the English-speaking world as S. Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian-American stage and film character actor. He appeared in many films, including Casablanca (1942), in which he played Carl, the head waiter; Christmas in Connecticut (1945); In the Good Old Summertime (1949); and Lullaby of Broadway (1951). Sakall played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood musicals and comedies in the 1940s and 1950s. His rotund cuteness caused studio head Jack Warner to bestow on Sakall the nickname "Cuddles".
The Squeaker is a 1931 German crime film directed by Martin Frič and Karel Lamač and starring Lissy Arna, Karl Ludwig Diehl and Fritz Rasp. It is an adaptation of the 1927 Edgar Wallace novel The Squeaker. This adaptation introduced the mix of suspense and comedy that would come to define numerous German Wallace adaptations over the following decades. Lamač followed it up with another Wallace film The Ringer in 1932. The film's sets were designed by the art director Heinz Fenchel. It was shot at the Halensee Studios in Berlin and on location in Prague.
Lissy Arna was a German film actress. She appeared in 63 films between 1918 and 1962. She starred in the 1931 film The Squeaker, which was directed by Martin Frič and Karel Lamač. She entered U.S. films in 1930 under the direction of William Dieterle, appearing in German-language versions of American films.
Dina Gralla was a German film actress.
The Love Express is a 1931 German musical comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Georg Alexander, Dina Gralla and Joseph Schmidt. No print of the film is known to survive, and it is therefore a lost film. It is based on the operetta Es lebe die Liebe by Alexander Engel and Wilhelm Sterk. It was one of a cycle of operetta films made during the early sound era. A French-language version, Venetian Nights, also directed by Wiene, was released the same year.
Without Meyer, No Celebration is Complete is a 1931 German comedy film directed by Carl Boese and starring Sig Arno, Ralph Arthur Roberts and Dina Gralla. Boese made a number of films featuring Jewish comedians during the Weimar Era.
Under the Lantern is a 1928 German silent film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Lissy Arna, Gerhard Dammann and Mathias Wieman. The film's art direction was by Otto Moldenhauer.
Mountains on Fire is a 1931 German war film directed by Karl Hartl and Luis Trenker and starring Trenker, Lissy Arna and Luigi Serventi. The film was based on Luis Trenker's novel of the same title, partly based on his own experiences. Separate French and English-language productions were also made.
How Do I Marry the Boss? is a 1927 German silent comedy film directed by Erich Schönfelder and starring Henri De Vries, Robert Garrison, and Dina Gralla. The film's sets were designed by the art director Max Heilbronner.
Eva in Silk is a 1928 German silent film directed by Carl Boese and starring Lissy Arna, Walter Rilla and Margarete Kupfer. It was shot at the National Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by the art director Karl Machus.
Poison Gas is a 1929 German silent drama film directed by Mikhail Dubson and starring Hans Stüwe, Lissy Arna and Alfred Abel. It is based on the play Poison Gas over Berlin by Peter Martin Lampel. The film's sets were designed by the art director August Rinaldi.
The Woman They Talk About is a 1931 German drama film directed by Victor Janson and starring Mady Christians, Hans Stüwe and Lilian Ellis. The film's art direction was by Botho Hoefer and Bernhard Schwidewski. It is based on the play Daniel by Louis Verneuil.
Why Cry at Parting? is a 1929 British-German silent film directed by Richard Eichberg and starring Dina Gralla, Harry Halm and Paul Morgan.
The Mask Falls is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Lissy Arna, Anton Pointner and Karl Etlinger. It is the German-language remake of the 1930 film The Way of All Men.
Children of Fortune is a 1931 British-German crime film directed by Alexander Esway and starring Dina Gralla, Kurt Vespermann and Vicky Werckmeister. It was made as the German-language version of Children of Chance. It was made at Elstree Studios and distributed in Germany by Süd-Film, which was owned by British International Pictures.
Must We Get Divorced? is a 1933 German comedy film directed by Hans Behrendt and starring Else Elster, Aribert Mog and Iván Petrovich. It was shot at the Emelka Studios of Bavaria Film in Munich. The film's sets were designed by the art director Max Knaake.
The Bordello in Rio or The Women's House of Rio is a 1927 silent drama film directed by Hans Steinhoff and starring Vivian Gibson, Albert Steinrück and Hans Stüwe. It was based on a novel by Norbert Jacques which was remade twice as Blondes for Export (1950) and Final Destination: Red Lantern (1960). In the United States, the film was re-edited by Bud Pollard and released as Girls for Sale.
A City Upside Down is a 1933 German comedy film directed by Gustaf Gründgens and starring S.Z. Sakall, Jenny Jugo and Hermann Thimig. It is based on the 1836 play The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol. A separate Czech adaptation of the story The Inspector General was made the same year.
The Unknown Guest is a 1931 German comedy film directed by E.W. Emo and starring S.Z. Sakall, Lucie Englisch and Kurt Vespermann. It was shot at the Halensee Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by the art director Ernö Metzner. It was given an American release in 1935.
An Auto and No Money is a 1932 German comedy film directed by Jacob Fleck and Luise Fleck and starring Paul Kemp, Dina Gralla and Igo Sym. It was shot at the Hunnia Studios in Budapest. The film's sets were designed by the art director Max Heilbronner.
