Der blaue Engel

I was very impressed with this movie. Wonderful love story. It held my attention the whole time. When I first started watching it, I thought to myself it was going to be very boring, but only after a few minutes, it captured my attention and there was no getting away from the TV. Very well acted by both lead actor and actress. I loved this movie so much and thought May Britt did such a wonderful job that I researched her on the internet and was shocked to find out that she was married to Sammy Davis, Jr. I suggest anyone who likes a good plot as well as a love story watch this movie.

Unnecessary remake that gets most of what made the original distinctive wrong.

While May Britt is a very pretty girl she possesses none of the magical allure nor cheap commonness that Marlene Dietrich brought to the part of Lola-Lola. Without those essential elements explaining her ability to ensnare the professor so utterly that he throws his life away on her the picture has an empty center. Also updating the setting to the 50's removes the air of decadent decay that hung over the first's Weimar Germany.

There are some good things chief among them Curd Jurgens's lead performance. His slow slide into degradation is compelling and he's the reason to see the film but Dmytryk's direction is listless and therefore the film is uninspired.

Interesting to see John Banner who was best known as the simple-minded Sgt. Schultz on Hogan's Heroes cast here as an erudite educator. He's also quite good in his small role.

A foolish decision to remake something so closely associated with one particular legendary figure. A losing proposition from the start, something that Marilyn Monroe, Spencer Tracy & Fredric March-all of whom were offered the roles first and rejected them obviously realized. Why bother when you know from the start your film will never measure up.

of romance and rejection. Curd Jurgens as professor Immanuel Rath, a teacher of biology who has led a boring and predictable life as a schoolmaster. His life ceases to be boring when he meets Lola.

Lola (as portrayed by Anglic beauty May Britt) has led a harsh life- singing in clubs, flirting with available men. This matters little to Professor Rath who becomes obsessed with her. He eventually marries her and resigns from his teaching position. His friend attempts to help him, to no avail.

In some sense, "The Blue Angel" is more about obsession than love. How can he make her love him?. The professor seems in great pain (indeed it is painful to watch) especially in the final scenes as he performs as a clown.

Whatever happened to May Britt? She was quite good in this film as the callous, but brutally honest Lola-Lola. Overall this is a very good film. I may have to see the original to see how it compares. It is not a light romantic story, however. 8/10.

Curt Jurgens is magnificent! I don't even remember watching Mai Britt as LOLA-LOLA as I was so enthralled with Jurgens' performance. He was absolutely marvelous! Catch Curt in the movie he stars with Ingrid Bergman, as a Chinese warlord. And also in "Mephisto's Waltz" with Alan Alda. Curt is an all consuming and ultimo actor.

And the fact Curt Jurgens was in a Nazi prison camp for one year at the end of WWII and survived is amazing. What a story he has lived. What he could have told of his life. There is also a website where Curt tells of his near-death heart attack in which he was experiencing the "out and in" of death, whilst demons were grabbing at him to take him away from the living. Fantastic!

BOYD

I have seen the movie exactly one time, shortly after it came out. At the time, I had never seen the original version, nor did I know anything about the story. The Blue Angel was the 2nd movie of a double feature, and I almost didn't stay for it! The story is an old German folk tale, but it is so reflective of what can and does happen in life. A big regret, for me, is that the May Britt version has, as far as I can determine, never been put on video tape or disc. When I, finally, got to see the old, original movie, I thought it was very poorly done -- corny humor in places where I didn't feel it was appropriate. I'm surprised at the fame the original created and the lack thereof for the remake. - bearandgrinnit