Die große Liebe (1931 film)
Encyclopedia
Die große Liebe is a 1931
Austrian
drama film
directed by Otto Preminger
, the first of his career. The screenplay by Artur Berger
and Siegfried Bernfeld
is based on a true story.
, Austrian soldier Franz leaves Russia
and returns to his village, where he is reunited with Frieda, a woman who believes he is her long-lost son.
's Theater in der Josefstadt
, Otto Premiger was approached by industrialist Heinrich Haas, who had an interest in the burgeoning Austrian film industry and thought Preminger might be interested in directing for the screen. Although Preminger knew nothing about filmmaking and had little passion for the medium, he decided to accept the assignment to keep busy during the summer, when the theater was closed. He cast Attila Hörbiger
from the Josefstadt company and Viennese
musical comedy star Hansi Niese in the lead roles and managed to elicit from them an acting style better suited to the screen than stage. Although the film, which opened at the Emperor Theater in Vienna on December 21, 1931, was a critical and commercial success, in later years Preminger described it as a juvenile folly he preferred to forget.
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
Austrian
Cinema of Austria
Austria has had an active cinema industry since the early 20th century. Sascha Kolowrat-Krakowsky was among the Austrian pioneers of this art. Several Austrians pursued a career in pre-Nazi Germany and later in the United States, among them Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, Billy Wilder, Fred...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
, the first of his career. The screenplay by Artur Berger
Artur Berger
Artur Semyonovich Berger was an Austrian-Soviet film architect and set designer. He was active in Austria between 1920 and 1936, during which time he worked on about 30 feature films...
and Siegfried Bernfeld
Siegfried Bernfeld
Siegfried Bernfeld was an Austrian psychologist and educator who was a native of Lemberg, which is now Lviv, Ukraine...
is based on a true story.
Plot
Ten years after the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Austrian soldier Franz leaves Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and returns to his village, where he is reunited with Frieda, a woman who believes he is her long-lost son.
Production
Shortly after directing the legal melodrama Voruntersuch (Preliminary Inquiry) for Max ReinhardtMax Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
's Theater in der Josefstadt
Theater in der Josefstadt
The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna...
, Otto Premiger was approached by industrialist Heinrich Haas, who had an interest in the burgeoning Austrian film industry and thought Preminger might be interested in directing for the screen. Although Preminger knew nothing about filmmaking and had little passion for the medium, he decided to accept the assignment to keep busy during the summer, when the theater was closed. He cast Attila Hörbiger
Attila Hörbiger
Attila Hörbiger was an Austrian stage and movie actor.Hörbiger was born in Budapest, then Austria–Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger and younger brother of actor Paul Hörbiger...
from the Josefstadt company and Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
musical comedy star Hansi Niese in the lead roles and managed to elicit from them an acting style better suited to the screen than stage. Although the film, which opened at the Emperor Theater in Vienna on December 21, 1931, was a critical and commercial success, in later years Preminger described it as a juvenile folly he preferred to forget.