The Bat (1937)
The delightful Johann Strauss comic opera Die Fledermaus was mercilessly lampooned in this truly bizarre production. For starters, a framing device has been added: After appearing in 300 consecutive appearances of Fledermaus (which translates as The Bat) the lead tenor (Georg Alexander) imagines that he's seeing bats everywhere. Driven a bit over the edge by all this, he falls asleep and has a nightmare about the opera, with a group of non-singers cast in the leading roles. The original libretto about romantic assignations, political imprisonments and mistaken identity is burlesqued to the hilt: at one point, the hero finds out that his prison cell is surrounded by rubber tubes!
Directors: Paul Verhoeven, Hans H. Zerlett.
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Lída Baarová as Maria Weigel / Rosalinde |
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Hans Söhnker as Kammersänger Hans Weigel / Eisenstein |
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Friedl Czepa as Hanni / Adele |
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Jola Jobst as Berta / Ida |
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Georg Alexander as Staatsanwalt Wentin / Frank |
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Robert Dorsay as Chauffeur Franz / Alfred |
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Hans Moser as Hans Moser |
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Harald Paulsen as Rechtsanwalt Dr. Rommel / Dr.Falke |
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Karl Stepanek as Attaché Baranoff / Orlovsky |
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Hans Stiebner as Kapellmeister |
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Otto Graf as Rundfunkreporter |
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Albert Ihle as Präsident |
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Arthur Kistenmacher as Polizist |
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Erwin Werner as Bühnenarbeiter |
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Paul Walter as Theaterintendant |
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Sergei Woischeff as Lakai bei Orlovsky |
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Susi Lembach as Festteilnehmerin |
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Charlotte Krause-Walter as 2. Festteilnehmerin |
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Hilla Höfer as Mädchen bei Eisenstein |
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Charly Berger as 1. Gast bei Orlovsky |
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Michael von Newlinsky as 2. Gast bei Orlovsky |
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William Richter as 3. Gast bei Orlovsky |
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Theo Timmerkamp as Gast bei Orlovsky |
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Fritz Draeger as Gast bei der Aufführung |
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Mimy Ahrend as |
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Olly von Bongardt as |
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Rudolf Essek as |
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Vera Valden as |
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Elly von Kovatsy as |
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Friedrich Kühne as |
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Kai Möller as |
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Christa Thomsen as |
| Directing | Paul Verhoeven | Director |
| Writing | Walter Wassermann | Writer |
| Crew | Bruno Mondi | Cinematography |
| Directing | Hans H. Zerlett | Director |
| Production | Gerhard Staab | Producer |
| Writing | Carl Haffner | Writer |
| Writing | Lotte Neumann | Writer |
| Writing | Richard Genée | Writer |