Film then and now
Ein Stern fällt vom Himmel (A Star Falls from Heaven), featuring the magnificent tenor voice of Joseph Schmidt, was made in 1934. Even though the quality of the restored film was jerky in places, and the sound typical of the time, The Bel Canto Society did their best.
Schmidt was Jewish, and was caught in the invasion of France; he got sick, got minimal treatment, and died a day before he was issued a work visa to leave Europe. He was only 38.
He was a very famous radio star, and in spite of his short stature, managed to play a romantic lead in a couple of films, this being one, before Europe erupted into war.
As it happened, the next one on my Netflix was Tea With Mussolini, made in 1999. A group of Englishwomen living in Italy in the 1930s take in an orphan and do everything they can to protect the child and preserve their way of life, believing that Benito Mussolini will protect them as the fascists rise, then the Germans come.
When you consider that the cast included Judi Dench, Joan Plowright,Maggie Smith, and Lily Tomlin, you figure it has to be pretty good, and it was. It was shot in Italy, so beautiful it could make you weep, and Cher proved to be as terrific as the above named. The Italian actors were excellent--the costumes and sets perfect--but I couldn't help comparing tiny details to the German film that revealed how modern everyone really is.
The second interesting thing about that film is that the little boy in it is based on the life of Franco Zeffirelli, who directed this film.
Schmidt was Jewish, and was caught in the invasion of France; he got sick, got minimal treatment, and died a day before he was issued a work visa to leave Europe. He was only 38.
He was a very famous radio star, and in spite of his short stature, managed to play a romantic lead in a couple of films, this being one, before Europe erupted into war.
As it happened, the next one on my Netflix was Tea With Mussolini, made in 1999. A group of Englishwomen living in Italy in the 1930s take in an orphan and do everything they can to protect the child and preserve their way of life, believing that Benito Mussolini will protect them as the fascists rise, then the Germans come.
When you consider that the cast included Judi Dench, Joan Plowright,Maggie Smith, and Lily Tomlin, you figure it has to be pretty good, and it was. It was shot in Italy, so beautiful it could make you weep, and Cher proved to be as terrific as the above named. The Italian actors were excellent--the costumes and sets perfect--but I couldn't help comparing tiny details to the German film that revealed how modern everyone really is.
The second interesting thing about that film is that the little boy in it is based on the life of Franco Zeffirelli, who directed this film.