Amphitryon (film)

Amphitryon
Amphitryon
Directed by	Reinhold Schünzel
Screenplay by	Reinhold Schünzel
Based on	Amphitryon; by Plautus; Molière; Heinrich von Kleist;
Produced by	Günther Stapenhorst
Starring	Willy Fritsch
Cinematography	Werner Bohne; Fritz Arno Wagner;
Edited by	Arnfried Heyne
Music by	Franz Doelle
Production; company	UFA
Distributed by	UFA
Release date	18 July 1935;
Running time	105 minutes
Country	Nazi Germany
Language	German

Amphitryon is a 1935 German musical film. Written and directed by Reinhold Schünzel, it is based on plays by Molière, Plautus, and Heinrich von Kleist, which in turn are based on Greek mythology. On the contrary, Rafael de España, an expert in Greek-themed cinema, points out that it is not a direct adaptation of any of the previous works, but rather a work with multiple humorous anachronisms taken from the American film Roman Scandals (1932).^[1]

The film is known by a variety of other names: Amphitryon – Happiness from the Clouds, Amphitryon – Aus den Wolken kommt das Glück in Austria, Amfitryon in Greece, Anfitrione in Italy, Det gudomliga äventyret in Sweden.

Amphitryon was filmed in Ufa-Atelier, Neubabelsberg, from 2 February 1935 – May 1935. It was one of UFA's many multiple-language version films: a French version, Les dieux s'amusent (The gods are having fun), was shot at the same time.

Synopsis

Amphitryon is a Theban general away at war. The god Jupiter disguises himself as Amphitryon to seduce Amphitryon's wife, Alkmene.

Cast

Willy Fritsch as Jupiter / Amphitryon
Paul Kemp as Merkur / Sosias
Käthe Gold as Alkmene
Fita Benkhoff as Andria
Adele Sandrock as Juno
Hilde Hildebrand as 1. Freundin Alkmenes
Vilma Bekendorf as 2. Freundin Alkmenes
Annie Ann as 3. Freundin Alkmenes
Hilde Boenisch as 4. Freundin Alkmenes
Ewald Wenck as Dr. Äskulap
Aribert Wäscher as Thebener Kriegsminister
Ellen-Ruth Knapp-Güttingen as 1. Thebener Ehefrau
Annemarie Korff as 2. Thebener Ehefrau
Liesl Otto as 3. Thebener Ehefrau
Annemarie Schwindt as 4. Thebener Ehefrau
Albert Karchow as Alter Grieche

Soundtrack

"Tausendmal war ich im Traum bei dir"

Lyrics by Charles Amberg (as C. Amberg)

Music by Franz Doelle

"Ich muß mal wieder was erleben"

Lyrics by Bruno Balz

Music by Franz Doelle

References

^ de España, Rafael (2013). "La Antiguedad al servicio de la actualidad. Cómo las ideas del presente influyen en la recreación cinematográfica del pasado". La historia antigua a través del cine. Arqueología, Historia antigua y tradición clásica (in Spanish). Barcelona: Editorial UOC. p. 59. ISBN 978-84-9029-870-1.

External links

Amphitryon at IMDb
Book references to Amphitryon
Amphitryon at allesfilm.com
Amphitryon at Fantastic Movie Musings & Ramblings
Amphitryon at zelluloid (in German)
Amphitryon film clip from F.W. Murnau Stiftung (no subtitles)

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[1] España, Rafael (2013). "La Antiguedad al servicio de la actualidad. Cómo las ideas del presente influyen en la recreación cinematográfica del pasado". La historia antigua a través del cine. Arqueología, Historia antigua y tradición clásica (in Spanish). Barcelona: Editorial UOC. p. 59. ISBN 978-84-9029-870-1.

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