Der Juxbaron

Ellen Richter starred in all the silent films that she produced between 1920 and 1929. DER JUXBARON (The Imaginary Baron)is the only exception. Here, everything revolves around Reinhold Schünzel, then already a popular comedian. A poor busker is made to pass for a supposedly filthy rich baron, with strange whims and shoes that are too small. His wealth attracts the young, pretty Sophie, played by Marlene Dietrich in her first major role as a flapper (complete with tie, monocle and calculated sex appeal). What follows is a turbulent comedy of errors with plenty of situational gags and more than a hint of social comment. Even though Ellen Richter does not appear in her production of Der Juxbaron herself, for her and her husband Willi Wolff this film had a particular significance. For it was during the production of the eponymous operetta on which the film is based that Richter, then working as a young stage actress at the Theater am Nollendorfplatz, met her husband in 1914. Shortly thereafter, they formed a professional partnership that would last a lifetime. (Philipp Stiasny/Oliver Hanley)

Live music:
When jazz pianist and composer Ekkehard Wölk (Berlin) performs with cellist Kristoff Becker (Berlin) and drummer and clarinetist Andrea Marcelli (Rome), there's not a dry eye in the house. Together, they produce a drive that gives any film an added kick. Whether playing to turbulent comedies, eccentric adventures or subtle dramas, this trio always finds the right tone, transforming the cinema either into a rollicking jazz club or a concert hall in which you could hear a pin drop.