Mamselle Nitouche

Gräfin Mariza

November 1925 •

A Hungarian countess, wanting to dissuade unwanted suitors, announces her engagement to a fictional count Zsupán. Things go awry when a count Zsupán shows up, having heard of his engagement in the papers.

Bride of the Regiment

May 1930 •English

As they are leaving the church following their wedding, Count Adrian Beltrami and Countess Anna-Marie are told that the Austrians are marching on the town to quell an Italian uprising. The bride and relatives induce the count to flee to his castle, but Tangy, a silhouette cutter, brings word from the revolutionary committee asking him to return; the count goes, asking Tangy to pose as the count and protect Anna-Marie.

The Merry Widow

April 2001 •English

Lotfi Mansouri's spectacular last production as General Director of The San Francisco Opera with Yvonne Kenny making her debut in the title role, new dialogue specially commissioned from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein and an original ballet to set the scene ‘Chez Maxime’ bringing fresh insight into Lehár's classic operetta. This production also features another world premiere, Njegus's song, ‘Quite Parisian’.

Der Vetter aus Dingsda

November 1953 •German

The Desert Song

April 1929 •English

French General Birabeau has been sent to Morocco to root out and destroy the Riffs, a band of Arab rebels, who threaten the safety of the French outpost in the Moroccan desert. Their dashing, daredevil leader is the mysterious "Red Shadow". Margot Bonvalet, a lovely, sassy French girl, is soon to be married at the fort to Birabeau's right-hand man, Captain Fontaine. Birabeau's son Pierre, in reality the Red Shadow, loves Margot, but pretends to be a milksop to preserve his secret identity. Margot tells Pierre that she secretly yearns to be swept into the arms of some bold, dashing sheik, perhaps even the Red Shadow himself. Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and declares his love for her.

Děvče z předměstí

September 1970 •Czech

Natalka Poltavka

December 1936 •Ukrainian

This film is the first adaptation of an operetta written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko. It follows the trials and tribulations of Natalka and Peter (Petro). The sweethearts planned to get married; however, Natalka's father does not approve of the marriage because Petro was not affluent enough to keep Natalka in the manner he thought that she should be kept. Petro goes off to earn the required fortune.

Женихи и Ножи

June 1964 •Russian

Gypsy Princess

December 1971 •German

Kálmán Imre's beloved operetta comes to the screen in this comedy of music, marriage and class set in Budapest and Vienna before the outbreak of the First World War, recorded at the Budapest Opera in 1963.

Giuditta

January 2003 •German

Austrian composer Franz Léhar's opera Giuditta receives a unique interpretation by the Seefestspiele Mörbisch in this stage production, which stars Natalia Ushakova and Mehrzad Montazeri as the principal leads. The Morbisch Festival Orchestra accompanies the production, while the Chorus and Ballet of the Seefestpiele Mörbisch lend added support.

Wind of Freedom

July 1961 •Russian

Based on the operetta of the same name by Isaak Dunayevsky. The port town of one of the small southern countries. After the Nazi occupiers left, the port's berths were empty, the steamers did not smoke, cargo cranes stood. Fearing retaliation for collaborating with enemies, port owner Georg Stan fled the city. After waiting a while and securing the support of local authorities, Stan nonetheless returns - and loading operations begin in the port. While loading oranges, the sailor Yango and the beautiful Stella are preparing for the wedding. Suddenly, Stan makes a proposal to the girl and tricks her into agreeing. Upon learning of the deception, the girl runs away to Yango. Having discovered weapons intended to support fascism in the drawer of the hold, the heroes do everything possible to make the boxes fall to the bottom of the sea.

The Mikado

January 1983 •English

In a small Japanese town, Ko-Ko is appointed to the unenviable position of executioner. Knowing he must successfully perform before the appearance of the Mikado in a month's time, Ko-Ko finds a suitable victim in Nanki-Poo, who is distraught over his unrequited love for the maiden Yum-Yum. Nanki-Poo agrees to sacrifice his life if he is allowed to spend his remaining days with Yum-Yum, who is betrothed to Ko-Ko. Filmed live from the 1982 Stratford Festival in Ontario.

The Blue from the Sky

December 1932 •German

Out of unlikely circumstances an underground ticket vending girl and a mail pilot fall in love.

Song of the West

March 1930 •English

Captain Stanton, who because of a misunderstanding over a woman with Major Davolo, has been cited for a court martial. As a scout, he is sent to escort a wagon train which is under military escort. It turns out that this escort is his own former regiment. When he meet Davolo, there is another fight and between Stanton and Davolo in which Davolo is killed.

Where the Lark Sings

October 1936 •German

Country girl Margit sits for the artist Sándor, from Budapest. She is fascinated and charmed by him, and agrees to accompany him to the capital, so he can complete the painting there. Disillusionment sets in, however, when Sándor wins a prize with the finished portrait and loses interest in her. Margit recognizes that her true happiness lies at home, with Pista, her faithful lover.

Where Is This Lady?

November 1932 •English

A British musical film directed by Victor Hanbury and Ladislao Vajda

Vídeňská krev

January 1973 •Czech

The Bird Seller

January 1998 •German

This outdoor performance of Carl Zeller's celebrated operetta was staged at the Seefestspiele Mörbisch in 1998. Seefestspiele Mörbisch is an operetta festival held annually at Mörbisch am See in Austria. In the story, Adam, a handsome bird-seller from the County of Tyrol, finds himself in the Rhineland, where he and a village postmistress become entangled in various romantic intrigues and misunderstanding at the prince's court.

The Circus Princess

December 1969 •German

In this three-act operetta by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, a dashing and mysterious circus performer is hired by a disappointed suitor of Princess Fedora Palinska to pose as a nobleman and marry her. This 1969 performance was produced for West German television.

Ingen tid för kärlek

November 2017 •Swedish

A film about Johnny Bode. Schlager diva, Operetta hero, filth musical innovator, enfant terrible, compulsive liar and amoral rogue. Johnny Bode (1912-1983) was very successful in Sweden and Europe. Yet he is today almost completely forgotten. Why? His life was so overwhelming, glamorous, fast and bizarre. So un-Swedish. He became fascinated by the nazism. Was arrested by the Gestapo and detained at Grini concentration camp in Norway. For five weeks. After the war he moved to East Berlin and proclaimed himself a dear friend of the GDR. Later he was deported and returned to Sweden. A time of fencing and small crimes followed. Escaped to Brussels at first and later Vienna. He was, as Juan Delgada, hired by the Vienna Opera to create new operettas. And was very successful. Johnny Bode died exhausted alone and abandoned in Malmö during the summer of 1983.