Königliche Hoheit

After a string of highly profitable low-budget melodramas and sudsy love triangle, Germany's reigning box-office queen Ruth Leuwerik finally got a worthy part that did full justice to her considerable talent: 'Koenigliche Hoheit' was adapted from a novel by Thomas Mann -- who, according to all reports, was pleased with the film version. Ruth Leuwerick stars as an American heiress raised in Europe. She falls in love with stiff and dull Dieter Borsch, a handsome but shy German prince. Their romance seems doomed when Borsch is obliged to enter into a marriage of convenience to save his country from bankruptcy. A fortuitous 11th-hour plot-twist prevents the film from being merely another variation of The Student Prince. 'Koenigliche Hoheit' might have benefited from a lighter directorial touch than the one displayed by Dr. Hans Braun.

Ruth Leuwerik and Dieter Borsche in a solid literary adaptation

None other than Nobel Prize winner for literature Thomas Mann (1875-1955) wrote his novel as the basis for this sweet and cute film by Harald Braun. The Film-Aufbau Göttingen shot primarily in Fulda and at the Nienover hunting lodge (near Bodenfelde), great locations that give the story even more splendor. Oh yes, daughter Erika Mann plays a small role and also co-wrote the script. And the film also ran in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

Prince Klaus Heinrich (Dieter Borsche) is the head of a completely impoverished Grand Duchy and no longer knows what to do given the enormous debt burden. A rich American (Heinz Hilpert) comes to visit with his beautiful daughter Imma (Ruth Leuwerik) and actually wants to buy the castle... Of course, there are more complications until the end in happiness is finally deserved.

This film lives from the beautiful color shots and the great actors. Lil Dagover plays a somewhat crazy countess, Paul Henckels and Günther Lüders can be seen in other roles. And Ruth Leuwerik and Dieter Borsche became the dream couple of the West German film industry. It is also interesting that Heinz Hilpert was the director of the Deutsches Theater in Göttingen at the time. His directorship is still considered to be the heyday of the theater there.

A wonderful pleasure! Pure nostalgia!