1941 : 3X Hochzeit - A Russian extravaganza - Willy Fritsch and Marte Harell

This is an extravagant musical scene from the comedy "Dreimal Hochzeit" (Three attempts at marriage), starring Marte Harell and Willy Fritsch and Theo Lingen.

Marte Harell(1907-1996) is the star of this scene. I don't know if her singing is dubbed or not but it is remarkable number, called Nitchevo. It is a "rehearsal" scene and the man carrying the flowers is Willy Fritsch.

The movie premiered on 24/06/1941, three days after Operation Barbarossa started and was promptly forbidden (at least in Germany). Charming comedies with sympathetic Russian characters were no longer in demand and the movie disappeared...

As already mentioned this movie is a romantic comedy which starts in tsarist Russia. Prince Alex, played by Willy Fritsch, falls in love with a rich young widow, Vera, played by Marte Harell. They decide to get married but find the aristocratic society disapproves... Because she does not want to cause Alex any difficulties, Vera decides to end the engagement.

Fast forward to 1920's Berlin... Both Vera and Alex have fled the Russian revolution. Alex is now a penniless taxi driver and Vera is the star of the very popular Russian Revue in town. They discover the old feelings are still there... However, Vera is now succesfull and Alex very poor. Furthermore her agent (Theo Lingen) vehemently opposes the marriage... So once again Alex and Vera break up.

Fast forward to an ocean liner bound for the new world... Alex and Vera meet again. The Russian Revue went out of fashion a long time ago and Vera is now working as a fashion model... Equally poor, Alex and Vera decide the time is finally right to get married!

Viennese Marte Harell made her movie debut in 1939 and quickly became a popular leading lady. She was married to Karl Hartl, director ("FP.1 antwortet nicht", "Gold") and production chief at Wien-Film. She often starred in movies set in the old Vienna, such as "Opernball", "Wiener G'schichten", "Brüderlein Fein" and "Schrammeln". She continued her career until 1981 and then retired. By the time she died in 1996, she was a distant memory of days gone by...
Enjoy!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Willy
• Fritsch
• 1941
• UFA
• Marte
• Harell
• Nitchevo
• Berlin
• classic
• film
• Musical
• Deutschland
• Wien
• Russia
• Rossiya
• comedy
• extravaganza

[mikemcgee]

so marta harrel can sing i wonder why they ddint let her sing in die fledermouse this one like many german film classic arnt on dvd home video yet the last never befor seen german classic was last year the first gierwally but nothing new ever since from warner euro or kinowelt

[22Germania]

Schade ist es nicht in Farbe :( übrigens wers alt und hübsch mag: Marika Rökk,die Frau meiner Träume von 1944! Einfach schööön :)

[21031903]

Beautifull music and scenery. Never new about this film before, hope i 'll see it. Unfortinatelly I don't know german language, the only word I understand - it is russian "nichego (ничего)" which in english means "nothing". Thank you a lot!!