Victor and Victoria | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
German | Viktor und Viktoria |
Directed by | Reinhold Schünzel |
Written by | Reinhold Schünzel |
Produced by | |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Konstantin Irmen-Tschet |
Music by | Franz Doelle |
Distributed by | Universum Film AG |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
Victor and Victoria (German: Viktor und Viktoria) is a 1933 German musical comedy film written and directed by Reinhold Schünzel, starring Renate Müller as a woman pretending to be a female impersonator. The following year, Schünzel directed a French-language version of the film titled George and Georgette, starring Meg Lemonnier and a French cast.
In 1935, Michael Balcon produced an English version titled First a Girl, directed by Victor Saville and starring Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale. A West German remake by Karl Anton was released in 1957.
In 1982, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released Victor/Victoria, an English-language remake by Blake Edwards.[1] Edwards later based a successful stage musical on the film. Both the film and the musical starred Julie Andrews.
Plot
Susanne, a hopeful singer, steps in to replace Viktor, a mediocre actor, at a small cabaret in Berlin where he performs as a female impersonator.[2] She catches the attention of an agent, who mistakenly believes that she is actually a man. As a result, Susanne rises to fame, but her situation becomes complicated when she finds herself falling in love with Robert.
Cast
- Renate Müller as Susanne / Monsieur Victoria
- Hermann Thimig as Viktor Hempel
- Anton Walbrook as Robert
- Hilde Hildebrand as Ellinor
- Fritz Odemar as Douglas
- Friedel Pisetta as Lilian
- Aribert Wäscher as F. A. Punkertin, Victoria's agent
Remakes
- 1934: George and Georgette (Germany, French language)
- 1935: First a Girl (UK)
- 1957: Victor und Victoria (Germany)
- 1975: My Girlfriend, the Transvestite (Argentina)
- 1982: Victor/Victoria (UK/US)
- 1995: Victor/Victoria (TV, US)
Reception
The film was well-received in the German-American community of New York.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Victor/Victoria". afi.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ Sutton, Katie (2011-04-01). The Masculine Woman in Weimar Germany. Berghahn Books. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-85745-121-7.
- ^ Hake, Sabine (2010-01-01). Popular Cinema of the Third Reich. University of Texas Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-292-77922-8.
External links
- Victor and Victoria at IMDb
- Victor and Victoria at AllMovie
- Rick Thompson in Senses of Cinema
- Viktor und Viktoria at Virtual History