| Whom the Gods Love | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Karl Hartl |
| Written by | Richard Billinger (novel) E. Strzygowski (novel) Eduard von Borsody |
| Produced by | Karl Hartl |
| Starring | Hans Holt Irene von Meyendorff Winnie Markus Paul Hörbiger |
| Cinematography | Günther Anders |
| Edited by | Henny Brünsch Karl Hartl |
| Production company | Wien-Film |
| Distributed by | UFA |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Austria (Part of Greater Germany) |
| Language | German |
Whom the Gods Love (German: Wen die Götter lieben) is a 1942 Austrian historical musical film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Hans Holt, Irene von Meyendorff, and Winnie Markus. The film is a biopic of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was made as a co-production between the giant German studio UFA and Wien-Film which had been set up following the German annexation of Austria. The film was part of a wider attempt by the Nazis to portray Mozart as an authentic German hero. Like many German biopics of the war years, it portrays the composer as a pioneering visionary.
The title refers to Mozart's middle name Amadeus (Latin for "love God") and to the aphorism "he whom the gods love, dies young" (Latin: "quem di diligunt, adolescens moritur") from Plautus' Bacchides, lines 816–17, and earlier Greek sources, including Homer's mention of Trophonius; Mozart died at the age of 35.
A British film of the same title had been released in 1936.
Cast
- Hans Holt as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Irene von Meyendorff as Luisa Weber Langer
- Winnie Markus as Konstanze Weber Mozart
- Paul Hörbiger as Von Strack
- Walter Janssen as Leopold Mozart
- Rosa Albach-Retty as Frau Mozart
- Annie Rosar as Frau Weber
- René Deltgen as Ludwig van Beethoven
- Thea Weis as Sophie Weber
- Susi Witt [de] as Josepha Weber
- Curd Jürgens as Emperor Joseph II
- Hans Siebert as Duke of Mannheim
- Richard Eybner as Baron von Gemmingen
- Fritz Imhoff as Albrechtsberger
- Karl Blühm [de] as Hoeffer
- Erich Nikowitz [de] as Süssmayr
- Doris Hild
- Georg Lorenz [de]
- Pepi Glöckner-Kramer [de]
- Franz Herterich
- Otto Schmöle
- Theodor Danegger
- Alfred Neugebauer
- Ferdinand Mayerhofer [de]
- Willi Hufnagel [de]
- Hermann Erhardt
- Louise Kartousch
- Erna Berger as Singer
- Siegmund Roth as Singer
- Karl Schmitt-Walter as Singer
- Dagmar Söderquist as Singer
See also
- The Mozart Story (re-edited version for the USA, 1948)
References
- Hake p. 157
Bibliography
- Hake, Sabine. Popular Cinema of the Third Reich. University of Texas Press, 2001.
External links
| The films of Karl Hartl | |
|---|---|
|
 | This article related to an Austrian film is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This article about a historic musical film is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1942 films
- 1940s biographical films
- German biographical films
- Films of Nazi Germany
- Films set in Vienna
- Films set in the 18th century
- Films directed by Karl Hartl
- Cultural depictions of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
- Depictions of Ludwig van Beethoven on film
- Films about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Biographical films about musicians
- Films about classical music and musicians
- Films about composers
- Austrian historical musical films
- 1940s historical musical films
- German historical musical films
- Austrian black-and-white films
- German black-and-white films
- UFA GmbH films
- 1940s German-language films
- Biographical films about composers
- Austrian film stubs
- Historical musical film stubs