Homeland

The Beggar Student

August 1936 •German

To take a revenge on countess Laura, who slapped him at his proposal, the Governor of the occupied Poland gets her fall in love with a poor student, and exposes him during wedding banquet.

City Lights

February 1931 •English

A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

Janika

May 1949 •Hungarian

Modern Times

February 1936 •English

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time..

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

October 1939 •English

After the death of a United States Senator, idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. Soon, the naive and earnest new senator has to battle political corruption.

Damals

April 1943 •German

Vera Meiners' life was sweet but unfortunately for her, it was not to last. Her husband, Jan, left her after she met a former lover in a harmless friendly meeting. Forced to resume her disrupted medical career, she worked in a Swiss clinic but, without the knowledge of the chief surgeon, Vera ordered a risky operation to be performed and was thereafter fired. Penniless, she then works in Spanish nightclubs in order to provide for herself and her child. After many years, she runs into her friend Frank again in one of these nightclubs...

Die Fledermaus

August 1946 •German

Produced in 1944, finished and released in 1946.

The Charm of La Bohème

January 1937 •German

René and his two artist friends lead a meager but careless life in a Parisian small apartment, their main worry being to avoid the housekeeper. Whenever they get some money they call more friends in and celebrate. This is how he meets beautiful but fragile Denise, who wants to be a singer as himself, and they fall in love. Yet when she finds out her real condition she takes a drastic decision which will determine their fates. La Bohème arias, and more.

Träumerei

May 1944 •German

Operette

December 1940 •German

A musician is offered a job in Vienna as stage director, but his disagreements with the aristocratic opera manager end in abrupt firing in spite of a mutual attraction. He's quickly engaged by another theatre and becomes famous for his lavish stage productions and fine acting, which begins their golden age with Suppé and Strauss.

The Song of Night

May 1932 •German

He was known as Anatole Litvak during his Hollywood directorial career, but he was still Anatole Litwak when he helmed the German musical Das Lied Einer Nacht (The Song of Night). Famed Polish tenor Jan Kiepura stars as famed Italian tenor Ferraro. Escaping from his tyrannical manager, Ferraro switches identities with a young tourist (Fritz Schulz) and goes off on an unscheduled Swiss holiday. Still travelling incognito, our hero falls in love with a winsome mountain girl (Magda Schneider). Alas, both his romance -- and his freedom -- are placed in jeopardy when it turns out that the charming young fellow with whom Ferraro traded identities was actually a notorious swindler. Anatole Litvak also directed the English-language version of Das Lied Einer Nacht, Be Mine Tonight

Tosca

January 1941 •Italian

Non-musical account of Puccini's opera: Tosca and Cavaradossi are in love, but the tyrant Scarpia desires Tosca and oppresses Cavaradossi who is fighting for freedom.

L'elisir d'amore

January 1947 •Italian

Nemorino is hopelessly in love with Adina but she is attracted to a dashing captain.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

April 1936 •English

Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.

My Friends Act III

June 1985 •Italian

This time the "amici" (friends) are just four: Necchi, Meandri, Mascetti and Sassaroli. Nevertheless they are older they still love to spend their time mainly organizing irresistible jokes to everyone in every kind of situation. Mascetti is hospitalized in a geriatric clinic. Of course the place become immediately the main stage for all their jokes. After some jokes they decided to place an ultimate incredible and farcical joke to the clinic guests.

Figaros Hochzeit

November 1949 •German

Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

Whom the Gods Love

December 1942 •German

Biographical film about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Life and Loves of Beethoven

January 1937 •French

Lyrical biography of the classical composer, depicted as a romantic hero, an accursed artist.

Schrammeln

March 1944 •German

Without his brother's knowledge, Joseph Schrammel popularizes his songs in Vienna. When Johann learns of this, a dispute breaks out between the siblings and their two fellow musicians, which can only be resolved with the help of the singer Fiakermilli. The reconciled quartet then performs under the name "Die Schrammeln" and becomes famous. But another dispute is already looming.

Sun Valley Serenade

August 1941 •English

When Phil Corey's band arrives at the Idaho ski resort its pianist Ted Scott is smitten with a Norwegian refugee he has sponsored, Karen Benson. When soloist Vivian Dawn quits, Karen stages an ice show as a substitute.