An elderly professor's ordered life spins dangerously out of control when he falls for a nightclub singer.An elderly professor's ordered life spins dangerously out of control when he falls for a nightclub singer.An elderly professor's ordered life spins dangerously out of control when he falls for a nightclub singer.
Eduard von Winterstein
- Der Schuldirektor
- (as Eduard V. Winterstein)
Roland Varno
- Lohmann
- (as Rolant Varno)
Carl Balhaus
- Ertzum
- (as Karl Balhaus)
Károly Huszár
- Der Wirt
- (as Karl Huszar-Puffy)
Die Weintraub Syncopators
- Group Cast Performers
- (as The Weintraub Syncopators)
Friedrich Hollaender
- Pianist
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThere are various accounts of why Marlene Dietrich was cast as Lola Lola, but the one given by director Josef von Sternberg in his autobiography is that Dietrich came to test for the film with a bored, world-weary attitude because she was convinced she wasn't going to get the role and was merely going through the motions - and Sternberg hired her because that world-weary attitude was precisely what he wanted for the character.
- GoofsWhen the professor returns to the night club and sees Lola again, he gets covered in her makeup and moves to the mirror to clean himself up, which he does not completely manage. Yet, when confronting the captain, his clothes are completely clean. After he has thrown him out of doors, the stains reappear.
- Alternate versionsSimultaneously shot in two versions (English and German) with the same cast; the German (with English subtitles) version is more popular because of the heavy German accents of the cast in the English language version. English lyrics for the songs were written by Sam Lerner.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Double-Headed Eagle: Hitler's Rise to Power 1918-1933 (1973)
- SoundtracksIch bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt
(uncredited)
Written by Friedrich Hollaender
Performed by Marlene Dietrich
Featured review
One of the Truly Great Films!
Like THE GODFATHER, CITIZEN KANE, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER and a few others,
THE BLUE ANGEL is one of the great films of all time, simply because
everything works.
Marlene Dietrich is amazing, probably never as good again, as her Lola
is the quintessential woman mixed with Circe, Delilah and all things
different and apart. As she leads men to their doom she sings honestly
that she "just can't help it," yet men follow her willingly. Emil
Jannings as Professor Rath gives what, in my estimation, is the greatest
performance by an actor on film, first as a martinet, then a man finding
first love, then a devoted married man, then a cuckold, a clown and,
finally a broken, destroyed man. (The moment where he wakes in Lola's
bed and finds delight in Lola's doll is one of the great miniatures in
any film.) To see Kurt Gerron's powerful, nuanced performance as the
leader of the rag tag cabaret troop is heartbreaking when you know that
the perished ina gas chamber only a few years later.) Director Josef Von
Sternberg leads the proceedings through staid classrooms, down twisting
expressionist streets, to the tawdry inside of "The Blue Angel", and
finally, through the labyrinth of Rath's life leading inexorably to his
downfall. Symbolism, from a dead canary to the noose like collars
clowns wear, abound. And oh the songs by Freidrich Hollander! (Kander
and Ebb must have watched this film many times before writing CABARET as
so many parts of that production...including the gift of a
pineapple..are seen here.)
I have seen this film again and again and every time it is fresh as it
was the first time, and, I would suppose, as it was in 1929. What a
great, great film!!!
THE BLUE ANGEL is one of the great films of all time, simply because
everything works.
Marlene Dietrich is amazing, probably never as good again, as her Lola
is the quintessential woman mixed with Circe, Delilah and all things
different and apart. As she leads men to their doom she sings honestly
that she "just can't help it," yet men follow her willingly. Emil
Jannings as Professor Rath gives what, in my estimation, is the greatest
performance by an actor on film, first as a martinet, then a man finding
first love, then a devoted married man, then a cuckold, a clown and,
finally a broken, destroyed man. (The moment where he wakes in Lola's
bed and finds delight in Lola's doll is one of the great miniatures in
any film.) To see Kurt Gerron's powerful, nuanced performance as the
leader of the rag tag cabaret troop is heartbreaking when you know that
the perished ina gas chamber only a few years later.) Director Josef Von
Sternberg leads the proceedings through staid classrooms, down twisting
expressionist streets, to the tawdry inside of "The Blue Angel", and
finally, through the labyrinth of Rath's life leading inexorably to his
downfall. Symbolism, from a dead canary to the noose like collars
clowns wear, abound. And oh the songs by Freidrich Hollander! (Kander
and Ebb must have watched this film many times before writing CABARET as
so many parts of that production...including the gift of a
pineapple..are seen here.)
I have seen this film again and again and every time it is fresh as it
was the first time, and, I would suppose, as it was in 1929. What a
great, great film!!!
Helpful•4217
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $500,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $4,410
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1
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