Run Time: 66 minutes. Studio: Projektions-AG Union. Director: Ernst Lubitsch. Writers: E.T.A. Hoffmannnst, Ernst Lubitsch, Hanns Kräly. Based on an operetta by A.E. Willner. Main Cast: Hermann Thimig, Ossi Oswalda, Victor Janson, Gerhard Ritterband, Max Kronert. Cinematographers: Theodor Sparkuhl, Kurt Waschneck. Original Title: Die Puppe.
Ernst Lubitsch is rightfully praised today as a master filmmaker of the highest quality. It is understandable that much of the attention around him revolves around his Hollywood films like To be or Not To Be (1942), Shop Around the Corner (1940), Ninoctchka (1940) and Trouble in Paradise (1932). However, if one looks through the films he made in his native Germany before moving to Hollywood, there are some real gems to be found. One such example is the delightfully offbeat romantic comedy, The Doll.
The storyline is delightfully silly. Lancelot (Hermann Thimig) is being pressured to get married by his father the Baron. The problem is that Lancelot is deathly afraid of women. When 40 women come to his door, he hides out from them with a group of monks. The monks recommend that he buy a life size doll and have a mock marriage to get out of the situation. Meanwhile a doll maker (Victor Janson) is creating a life-sized doll based on his playful and beautiful daughter (Ossi Oswalda). Lancelot comes and decides to buy this doll. Unfortunately, an apprentice breaks the doll. This leads the daughter to pretend to be the doll and be taken home with Lancelot, whom she grows a bit of a crush on.
There is so much I love about this movie. One thing I especially love about it is its zaniness. Often when it comes to feature length comedies, filmmakers can be afraid to go too far out there with the humor, feeling that it might take away from the audience's emotional connection with the story or that such zaniness cannot sustain the length of the movie. Luckily that is not the case here because in this movie it works perfectly. This film's humor is often laugh out loud funny and there is a real indescribable charm to the surreal world the film creates. Yet none of this interferes with the audience having an emotional connection to the story. There is a real sweetness to the romance which is more engaging than what can be seen in many more typical romance films. This movie is also perfectly cast. Ossi Oswalda (who the same year had worked with Lubitsch on The Oyster Princess) is delightful playful and fun in her role. She gives the part the necessary energy and liveliness in a way that seems effortless. Hermann Thimig (who was also in The Oyster Princess) is very likable in the main role. Victor Janson (who was also in The Oyster Princess) has a delightfully silly role and steals every scene he is in. This movie also has a great look to it. While it is a great deal sillier than the expressionist films that most people today associate German movies of this era with, it shares with these movies a look that is more about the emotion of the story than what would look realistic. The well thought out look of the film pulls you further into the story and makes this movie seem more like a fairytale.
Though this is not the best known of Lubitsch's movies, he would look back on it with a real fondness. In 1947 he would write, "It was pure fantasy; most of the sets were made of cardboard, some out of paper. Even to this day I still consider it one of the most imaginative pictures I ever made." He would also later call this film one of the three best pictures he made in Germany (along with The Oyster Princess and Kohlhiesel's Daughters (1920)). It is not hard to see why he was so found of this movie. Even over 100 years later, this film is still a pure delight that will bring a smile to almost any movie fan's face.
This film is on YouTube for anyone interested.
Ernst Lubitsch is rightfully praised today as a master filmmaker of the highest quality. It is understandable that much of the attention around him revolves around his Hollywood films like To be or Not To Be (1942), Shop Around the Corner (1940), Ninoctchka (1940) and Trouble in Paradise (1932). However, if one looks through the films he made in his native Germany before moving to Hollywood, there are some real gems to be found. One such example is the delightfully offbeat romantic comedy, The Doll.
The storyline is delightfully silly. Lancelot (Hermann Thimig) is being pressured to get married by his father the Baron. The problem is that Lancelot is deathly afraid of women. When 40 women come to his door, he hides out from them with a group of monks. The monks recommend that he buy a life size doll and have a mock marriage to get out of the situation. Meanwhile a doll maker (Victor Janson) is creating a life-sized doll based on his playful and beautiful daughter (Ossi Oswalda). Lancelot comes and decides to buy this doll. Unfortunately, an apprentice breaks the doll. This leads the daughter to pretend to be the doll and be taken home with Lancelot, whom she grows a bit of a crush on.
There is so much I love about this movie. One thing I especially love about it is its zaniness. Often when it comes to feature length comedies, filmmakers can be afraid to go too far out there with the humor, feeling that it might take away from the audience's emotional connection with the story or that such zaniness cannot sustain the length of the movie. Luckily that is not the case here because in this movie it works perfectly. This film's humor is often laugh out loud funny and there is a real indescribable charm to the surreal world the film creates. Yet none of this interferes with the audience having an emotional connection to the story. There is a real sweetness to the romance which is more engaging than what can be seen in many more typical romance films. This movie is also perfectly cast. Ossi Oswalda (who the same year had worked with Lubitsch on The Oyster Princess) is delightful playful and fun in her role. She gives the part the necessary energy and liveliness in a way that seems effortless. Hermann Thimig (who was also in The Oyster Princess) is very likable in the main role. Victor Janson (who was also in The Oyster Princess) has a delightfully silly role and steals every scene he is in. This movie also has a great look to it. While it is a great deal sillier than the expressionist films that most people today associate German movies of this era with, it shares with these movies a look that is more about the emotion of the story than what would look realistic. The well thought out look of the film pulls you further into the story and makes this movie seem more like a fairytale.
Though this is not the best known of Lubitsch's movies, he would look back on it with a real fondness. In 1947 he would write, "It was pure fantasy; most of the sets were made of cardboard, some out of paper. Even to this day I still consider it one of the most imaginative pictures I ever made." He would also later call this film one of the three best pictures he made in Germany (along with The Oyster Princess and Kohlhiesel's Daughters (1920)). It is not hard to see why he was so found of this movie. Even over 100 years later, this film is still a pure delight that will bring a smile to almost any movie fan's face.
This film is on YouTube for anyone interested.
Resources Used
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/553532/the-doll#articles-reviews?articleId=021517
https://moviessilently.com/2013/08/04/the-doll-1919-a-silent-film-review/
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