When the White Lilacs Bloom Again (1953 film)

When the White Lilacs Bloom Again (German: Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht) is a 1953 West German drama film directed by Hans Deppe and starring Willy Fritsch, Magda Schneider and Romy Schneider.[1]

For the silent film, see When the White Lilacs Bloom Again (1929 film).
When the White Lilacs Bloom Again
Directed byHans Deppe
Produced byKurt Ulrich
Written byFritz Rotter
Eberhard Keindorff
Johanna Sibelius
StarringWilly Fritsch
Magda Schneider
Romy Schneider
Music byFranz Doelle
CinematographyKurt Schulz
Edited byWalter Wischniewsky
Production
company
Distributed byHerzog-Filmverleih
Release date
24 November 1953
Running time
95 minutes
CountryWest Germany
LanguageGerman

It is one of the best known and most popular German films from the early 1950s. It is shown periodically on German television and still commands a wide audience.

Plot
Blooming white lilacs

The marriage of struggling Wiesbaden ballad singer, Willy Forster, and seamstress Therese is plagued with constant financial difficulties. After a heated argument Willy leaves Therese, unaware that she is pregnant by him. Thus, Therese becomes a single mother when Evie is born. She raises her daughter with the help of Willy's friend, Peter.

Fifteen years later, Willy, who now has an international career as a singer under his stage name, 'Bill Perry', returns to Wiesbaden as part of a European tour. He goes straight to see Therese, who does not mention that they have a daughter. However, Evie is a big fan of Bill Perry and she gets to know him anyway. Therese confides in Evie the truth about her father, and the girl later tells Willy that she is his daughter.

However, Willy's visit does not bring about the expected happy ending. Instead, Therese and Peter recognize that they are really meant for each other, and Willy comes to realize that his happiness does not lie with Therese, but rather with his longtime manager, Ellen.

The film ends at Frankfurt Airport with Peter, Therese and Evie there to see Willy and Ellen off. Willy promises his tearful daughter that he will be back to see her the following year.

Background

In this film, pre-war German actors such as Willy Fritsch, Paul Klinger, Magda Schneider and Hertha Feiler appear alongside the children of other stars of that earlier era. Romy Schneider, the daughter of Magda Schneider and the Austrian actor, Wolf Albach-Retty,[2] appears in her first film role together with Nina von Porembsky, the daughter of Alexa von Porembsky, as well as Götz George, the son of Heinrich George and Berta Drews.

The title song, "When the White Lilacs Bloom Again", was a popular hit in the 1920s for Franz Doelle.

Made in and around Wiesbaden, Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht is one of the few so-called Heimatfilme to have been set in the Hesse region; They were usually shot in the Alps, the Black Forest, or the Lüneburg Heath. Among the highlights are shots of the Wiesbaden old town.

Cast

References
  1. Bock & Bergfelder p.134
  2. Connolly, Kate (29 September 2008). "The rehabilitation of Romy Schneider". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2011.

Bibliography
  • Robert Amos (ed.): Mythos Romy Schneider – Ich verleihe mich zum Träumen. Melzer Verlag, Neu Isenburg 2006, ISBN 3-939062-02-2
  • Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. The Concise CineGraph. Encyclopedia of German Cinema. Berghahn Books, 2009.
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