Die Austernprinzessin

Oyster-king Quaker cannot be impressed anymore. He is so rich that he even has a special butler holding his cigar while he is smoking. The only thing Quaker would be impressed by is if his daughter Ossi were to marry a real prince. He makes an offer to the poor prince Nucki, who sends his friend Josef to get a clear idea of the woman.

While this is an excellent comedy, what really shines is its satirical commentary on race and class. Race because of how the Oyster King has black servants, something that was not uncommon at the time (despite slavery officially ending some time earlier). And class because of how extravagant the king lives. Surely he is an exaggeration or caricature -- could anyone be this opulent?

The very idea is interesting because today if you want to attack excess wealth on film, you have to be more subtle about it, more clever. Exactly why I am not sure...

A terrific silent film in which the spoiled daughter of the immensely wealthy Oyster King throws a jealous fit 'cause the daughter of the "shoe-cream king" has married a count. Daddy says he'll "buy her a prince", and promptly seeks out a local matchmaker. A prince is quickly found, who happens to be broke but not that ready to marry, it seems - so he sends his friend to scout her out and the friend introduces himself under the guise of the prince's name!

This is a great film, very inventive and different - I've never seen anything quite like it. The photography is done in an interesting style, and everything in the film is visually surreal from the oddball rooms to unusual styles of dress worn by the various characters (what's with the dad's hair?!). The film is really full of charm and is also quite amusing - especially the scenes featuring an absolute army of servants who pour all over the house, even though only father and daughter appear to live in this gigantic household of strangely decorated rooms. There is also a very amusing foxtrot dance scene, and I even like the little sly grins and side to side glances each actor gives when they are introduced in the opening credits. The DVD of this film features a clear black and white print with excellent contrast and an extremely well-done, perky music score that suits this film to a tea. Superb!

Saw this yesterday at the "Konzerthaus", Vienna, with live music provided by a jazzy Belgian group called "Flat Earth Society". Without a doubt the best movie I've seen in quite a while. Highlights in this quasi-surrealistic romp (running a mere 63') include a meticulously choreographed "foxtrott epidemic" and a mass boxing-match amongst a benevolent society of billionaire's daughters. Ossi Oswalda (great name by the way), as the daughter of the titular "Oyster King", somehow manages to be tempestuous, spiteful, spoiled, endearing, lovable and sexy at the same time. A miracle of screen acting and directing. Stemming from 1919, the film reflects the coming of a new age of relative sexual freedom, female self-determination and the resignation of the aristocracy as the determining force of Central European society after the defeat of the World War ("Prinz Nucki", Ossi's intended, has fallen into the squalor of a one-room apartment). Lubitsch, at 27, reaching the pinnacle of his art from which he would not descend for the rest of his unique career.

When one considers the age of this film and Lubitsch's failure as a dramatic director, especially with his ponderous MADAME DU BARRY (PASSION) that same year, it's both a delight and a relief to experience him finding his comic niche and beginning to blossom with his delightful little "touches." It is crude as were most films of 1919, but it is full of invention, delightful absurdities and nonsense. It all adds up to a frothy comedy that is most enjoyable. The fox trot mania sequence is particularly endearing. Seek this one out.

Ernst Lubitsch is probably best known to us Yanks as the director of "Ninotchka" and other movies where the humor often derived from possible innuendos (commonly called the Lubitsch touch). You might not have known that he started out in his native Germany directing comedies, including "Die Austernprinzessin" ("The Oyster Princess" in English).

This movie depicts a bored rich family where the dad decides to marry off the daughter, only for some unexpected things to happen as a result. I suspect Lubitsch viewed the United States as a land of decadent excess (the family has servants waiting on them hand-and-foot) and wanted to satirize it. How ironic that he later moved to the US and had a prominent career during Hollywood's golden age. Strange how things work out.

Anyway, it's a funny movie. Although it's available on Wikipedia, it doesn't have subtitles there, so you'll probably have to rent a physical copy.