Complex musical has Harvey, the Empress' hairdresser, confused for the Empress by a delirious nobleman. Much confusion and singing ensues before it's all sorted out. Well done by veteran director Pommer with two separate casts, one for German, the other for English-speaking audiences.
Director Hollander, also a composer, wrote many of the songs Marlene Dietrich made famous, and set designer Robert Herlth's ideas strongly influenced German "expressionism" in art (THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI is the best example of the movement in films). The writer for THE EMPRESS AND I, Reisch,
later won an Oscar for his script on the 1953 film TITANIC.
Released:
1933
Rated:
NR
Length:
83 mins