Anny Ondra

Blackmail

London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his work than in Alice White, his girlfriend. Feeling herself ignored, Alice agrees to go out with an elegant and well-mannered artist who invites her to visit his fancy apartment.

The Manxman

A fisherman and a rising lawyer who grew up together as brothers fall in love with the same woman.

Polish Blood

The daughter of a landowner helps save an aristocratic neighbor from ruin, in this operetta adaptation.

The Zurich Engagement

Juliane Thomas is an ambitious but unemployed young writer. After breaking up with her lover she works at a dentist friend to make ends meet. One day she instantly falls in love with one of the patients (Jean Berner) and promptly writes a movie script about the encounter in which she projects her own fantasies about how things will turn out eventually. By coincidence this movie script is picked up by a film director who happens to be Berner's closest friend and from then on things become very complicated...

Der Gasmann

A man comes into money unexpectatly. That's when the trouble starts.

The Arrival from the Darkness

One of the first Czechoslovak films to be shown abroad--a fantasy horror, filmed on the fully furnished premises of the Berlin film studio Am Zoo. The central role is portrayed by the “arrivee from darkness”, Ješek, who is awakened from a deathly sleep. The film represents unusual sparks of creative efforts and the ambitions of creative community around the director Jan S. Kolár, who was inspired by international trends and techniques.

Lucerna

A Czechoslovakian comedy directed by Carl Lamac and starring himself Theodor Pistek & Anny Ondra.

Flitterwochen

A woman discovers after she has just married him, that her husband is abusive, and she tries to get away.

The Young Count

A young woman poses as a boy to ingratiate herself better with her strict aristocratic grandfather and to get him to better accept the new freer ways of the younger generation.

Donogoo Tonka

Parisians Josette and Pierre are a happy couple, but also a completely broke one. An absurd chain of events leads them to Professor Trouhadec, who is in a predicament.

The Ideal Schoolmaster

This light-hearted comedy operetta tells the story of a newly appointed high school professor who becomes an ideal target for pranks and jokes.

Eine Freundin so goldig wie Du

The lively Anny meets the nice Dr. Jack Braun and throws everything in his life into disarray. As Jack is in the middle of divorce proceedings against his wife Renate, his lawyer and best friend Richard doesn't like the idea of a female being in his vicinity. Then Jack's heiress Frieda comes to visit, and when she finds Anny in Jack's house, she mistakes her for his wife - and finds her extremely charming. When the aunt's parrot dies, the relatives believe that the aunt has died and rush to claim the inheritance. Anny emerges victorious from all this.

Die vertauschte Braut

Capricious Lady Virginia has an unexpected double in a girl who works at a fair and wishes for a beauty salon. When the first one's eccentricities lead to her arrest, the second is paid for going to prison. There she meets Charles, Virginia's suitor. When out of jail she will have to fight not only for him but for going through with the leading role in a skating show.

Ein Mädel vom Ballett

Henriette Lange lives only for the theater in Berlin around 1900. Her grandfather, however, has no understanding for this. He is a prompter and knows all about the hustle and bustle of the theater. Her friend, the chorus girl Liesbeth, is heartbroken because the revue star Vera Schreyvogel has his eye on her boyfriend Hans Reuter. But Liesbeth soon consoles herself with someone else, and Mrs. Schreyvogel is quickly forgotten. For Hans Reuter too, because he now loves Henriette. Liesbeth is dismissed without notice because she has fallen out with Mrs. Schreyvogel, and Henriette now has to sing her part. Her dream finally comes true. As she sings blissfully, she sees the Schreyvogel hugging her Hans in the background. She gets stuck in the middle of the song - her career is over! But not with love: she has conquered her Hans forever.

Der Scheidungsgrund

The lawyer, Dr. Werkmann, is seeking a legal separation for Mr. Bernhof, who claims his wife is an incorrigible gambler. In reality, it is he who is the weakling; and while he dearly loves his wife, he's going through her fortune like there's no tomorrow. His wife, however, loves him dearly, too, in spite of his faults and doesn't want the marriage to end. Dr. Werkmann proposes something at a family meeting, which just might save the marriage after all.

Little Dorrit

Amy Dorrit spends her days earning money for the family and looking after her proud father who is a long term inmate of Marshalsea debtors' prison in London. Amy and her family's world is transformed when her employer's son, Arthur Clennam, returns from overseas to solve his family's mysterious legacy and discovers that their lives are interlinked.

Daughters of Eve

An unmarried showgirl takes a handsome companion with her on a vacation, to the distress of others.

Fairground People

Young Anny returns from school to her circus family, which runs a little venue at the town fair. When Anny suddenly has to fill in for one of the artists, her piano-playing not only enthrals the audience, but also theatre agent Horbes. He casts the whole family for the Apollo theatre in Berlin, where Anny quickly raises to stardom and is offered an engagement from the US.

Sound Test for Blackmail

A brief sound test made during production of Blackmail (1929), featuring Alfred Hitchcock playfully teasing lead actress Anny Ondra as she struggles to respond on camera. Photographed by Jack E. Cox, the clip was shot to test the new sound recording system for what would become Hitchcock’s first talkie.

The Old Man Bezousek

A Carl Lamac directed movie based on a novel by Karel Václav Rais.

The Poisoned Light

Professor Grant signs a contract with Dr. Selin for the sale of his invention of cold light with the plans for his invention being kept in Grant's apartment. The negotiations are secretly heard by the illusionist Durk, who wants to seize the invention. A few days later Selín is found dead, killed by a light bulb filled with poisonous gas. Durk performs at the birthday party of Grant's daughter Anna and seizes the plans for the invention.

Him and His Sister

Postman Brabec is a welcome guest of the revue theatre for his sense of humor, and he brings his director Holt letters from female admirers every day. Holt's fans include Brabec's sister Anny. The girl would like to join the theatre, but for the time being works as a maid for the actress Velden. A new revue is being rehearsed, the name of the author is secret. Veldenová will return the role just before the premiere because she doesn't like it. The quick-witted Brabec introduces the director to his sister, who knows all the parts by heart.

The Great Passion

This is a real curiosity; at best a reasonable film, but also a charming little gem. There is a story (in the line of "A Star is Born"), but this merely serves as an excuse, as it is more importantly a kind of moving encyclopedia of about 35 stars making their debut in a talkie (although some of them had already made one talkie), of the technical sound possibilities and of film making. Besides all that, it is entertaining and sometimes hilarious and it has fine one-liners that split my side. The film is also remarkable for making mock of typical German film genres (like the overly sweet romances involving the military), of too heavy acting and of film making in general. I have to mention this one: a short, hysterically funny parody of "Der blaue Engel". What this film in fact says is: do not take any film too seriously. (J. Steed)

Mamsell Nitouche

A convent organist escorts a young lady who has been boarding there,home to be married, but various romantic complications ensue.

The Stars Shine

German all-star musical from 1938 that was a big commercial success.

Baby

The daughter of the Parisian countess Lafitte, named "Baby", is supposed to go to an English boarding school, but she's much more interested in variety shows. Nevertheless, she travels with her friend Susette to London, who also wants to make a career for herself as a showgirl. During the journey, Baby is mistakenly considered to be a showgirl and she does nothing to dissuade two young English lords from believing so. The girls continue to live under false pretenses even when they arrive in England, with Baby being a soloist with the group "Babies" and Suzette passing herself off as the Contessa Lafitte for school exams. At the end -- a double marriage.

Suzy Saxophone

Silent version of a story later remade in French and German as Baby: A count's daughter wants a stage career, her show girl friend wants an education, so they change places.

White Paradise

After a young man is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, the daughter of the local tavern owners must spring to the rescue.

Kiki

Kiki who has a walk-on part in a show, is in love with her director, who doesn't notice her at all. She settles into his home and causes him to break up with his lover, the star of the show; and finally manages to make him love her.

The Lovers of an Old Criminal

Factory owner Pardon, meets Olga, daughter of clairvoyant Stefanie Lesczynska at a ball. Their brief acquaintance is interrupted when Olga and her mother have to leave. Fifi Hrazánková has her sights set on the elligible Pardon. Pardon asks his Uncle Cyril Ponděliček if the girl could take over his position at work so that she may be dissuaded of her amorous intentions. Fifi seduces Pondělíček. In the meantime, Pardon meets Olga and Stefanie again by chance and offers them a place to stay at Ponděliček’s while Pondělíček passes himself off as Pardon.

Důvod k rozvodu

The cunning lawyer Dr. Werner tries to divorce Pavel Bertl, who is considered by everyone to be a notorious gambler and drunkard. In reality, he is a weakling; although he loves his wife very much, he squanders her fortune. He is already in danger of financial ruin and Bertl, instead of truly improving himself, lets the lawyer convince him that the only way out of this situation is divorce. He secretly leaves home for the mountains with a girl whom the lawyer randomly finds for him, in order to obtain a reason for the divorce...

The bat

Film by Karel Lamac.

Meet the Sister

Anny Brabcová is Sabine Veldenová's maid. She would very much like to get the main role in the new musical "The Pink Letter", in which Veldenová plays. Anna's brother, the easy-going postman Jarda Brabec gets the lyrics to the most famous song of the whole musical "The Pink Letter" from his sister and decides that Anna will sing it at the postal academy right in front of the Minister of Posts, where she will reap great success. Later, when the spoiled star Veldenová ends her role in the musical, the director of the theater Bernhard, with whom Anny is in love, has no choice but to announce an audition for the role.

A Night in Paradise

One of the popular Weimar-era musical comedies not released in the US until after the Nazi takeover, this one has a Cinderella-type plot.

Die Pratermizzi

Marie, a cashier at the Viennese Grottenbahn (Grave Railway) Zum Walfisch, and Baron Christian von B. fall in love, but the dancer Valette, who always wears a mask over her face, interferes in their relationship. Christian eventually follows Valette to Paris. When he tears the golden mask from her face, he is shocked to discover that Valette is disfigured by an illness. He returns to Vienna to die, but Marie is able to save him at the last moment. In this film, the ride through the Grottenbahn is associated with a journey into the inner self.

Chyťte ho!

Painter Johnny Miller bets his friends he can find his house blindfolded. But he stumbles into a bandits' camp, and being mistaken for one of them, is sent to rob the villa of Frank Sellins, a banker, and his niece Lilly.

Dr. Jenkins Miracle Cure

A brave young woman falls in love with a mysterious stranger.

Niky's Magnificent Adventure

During his wanderings through the countryside, the student Niky meets the actress Eva, a member of a film company who has come to the countryside to film. However, because the director of the company has fallen into the water, the filmmakers, including Eva, are forced to leave early. Out of grief, Niky gets drunk and bathes in the pond. A thief steals his trousers and Niky is forced to go home wearing only his shirt. On the way, he sees a drying cassock on the fence and puts it on...

There in the Mountains

“And I say unto you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”. This quote from the Gospel of Luke is read out loud by one of the characters in Tam na horách. It will manifest itself in the destinies of the two protagonists, in the story of an unmarried mother from a mountain village, who becomes a great opera singer and toast of the city salons, and in the story of her seducer, a successful painter. The fate of the two lovers offers a double perspective. One of the advertising slogans for Tam na horách was “The first Czech film of international production”, which helped to rise the audience’s expectations.

Should We Wed Them?

Professor Bock is to inaugurate the museum, the construction of which was donated by a generous patron who remains anonymous. He learns that it is his brother's wife, a former dancer, and whom he hates. But her daughter falls in love with Jim, the son of the ex-dancer, and everything will work out.