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T.9103 (6 reel 9.5mm sound release by Pathéscope March 1940)
"LAND WITHOUT MUSIC" GB Oct1936 Dir: Walter Forde -------------------- A Capitol Films Production 80mins B/W Cert "U" Produced by: Max Schach (Approx 50mins on 9.5) Released by: Twickenham Film Distributors Produced at Denham Studios, UK Story by: Fritz Koselka, Armin Robinson Adaptation: Rudolph Bernauer Screenplay: Marion Dix, L. du Garde Peach Additional Dialogue: Eric Maschwitz, Ernest Betts Assistant Dir: Roy Goddard Photography: John W. Boyle Camera: Donald Galli-Hatchard Art Dir: Frederick Pusey Costumes Designer: Cathleen Mann Music Composed by: Oscar Straus Musical Dir: Van Philips Lyrics: Clifford Grey Film Editing: Lynn Harrison Sound Dir: A.W. Watkins Sound Recording: H.G. Cape
Songs: (songs included in the Pathescope 9.5mm optical sound print) "The Coach Song"; "You Must Have Music"; "Heaven In A Song"; "Smile For Me"; "Simple Little Melody"; "March Of the Musicians" all sung by Richard Tauber. A male chorus performs "Fernando".
Richard Tauber, Jimmy Durante, June Clyde June Clyde amd Jimmy Durante
The early 19th Century: The Princess Regent of Lucco, a Ruritanian country, finds the state is penniless because the citizens spend their time making music instead of working. She bans all melody to force the people to work and so repay a huge debt to Austria. Mario Carlini, the famous tenor, leads a revolt with a secret concert in a forest cave. He not only changes the mind of the Princess, but also wins her heart.
Cast: Richard Tauber ......... Mario Carlini
Diane Napier ........... Princess Regent
Jimmy Durante .......... Jonah J. Whistler
June Clyde ............. Sadie Whistler
Derrick de Marney ...... Rudolph Strozzi
Esme Percy ............. Ambassador
George Hayes ........... Captain Strozzi
John Hepworth .......... Pedro
Edward Rigby ........... Maestro
George Carney .......... Warder
Ivan Wilmot ............ Chief Bandit
Robert Naimby .......... Minister For War
Joe Monkhouse .......... Finance Minister
Quinton McPherson ...... Customs Officer
Evelyn Ankers .......... (unbilled)
Cinema poster
American release
Watch songs from my 16mm print on You Tube: http://youtu.be/1HJlZIG7g-o
30Oct2013
See Richard Tauber biography on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Tauber
Richard Tauber
Cigarette card
Notes:
1. Excerts from the film were issued by Pathescope in 1 reel 9.5mm musical shorts:
"Multum In Parvo" - Richard Tauber sings "Simple Little Melody"
"Pathe Vox Review No.4" - Tauber sings "You Must Have Music"
"Pathe Vox Review No.5" - Tauber sings "Heaven In a Song"
"Pathe Vox Review No.6" - Tauber sings "Simple Little Melody"
"Lights Out & the Stars Appear" a 9.5mm promotional film made by Group 9.5
includes the scene where Tauber arrives in his coach at the border of Lucco.
2. Missing from the 9.5mm print are most of the romantic scenes between June
Clyde and Derrick de Marney - notably a sequence in the robbers' cave.
Another omission is the scene where Carlini breaks out of jail and then
serenades the Princess under her balcony (a reprise of "Simple Little Melody")
before returning to prison. Also gone is much of the climax as the population
stages a revolution and march to release Carlini.
3. The film was trade shown in October 1936, but did not receive a general
UK cinema release until April 1937. It appeared on 9.5mm less than three
years later. When released in the USA (as "Forbidden Music") the running
time was cut to only 54 minutes. The American PCA (the film industry's
censors) passsed the film subject to "the elimination of a shot showing
sex organs of a child being bathed".
4. The role of Jonah J. Whistler was originally set for Eugene Pallette. He
went to Denham Studios on the first day of shooting but then walked out.
Jimmy Durante was performing at the London Palladium that week, so a deal
was quickly set up and "Schnozzle" took over the part. Ernest Betts, who
worked on the film, noted Durante "enlivened a dull script by inserting
many witty lines". Also it was a hot summer and when Jimmy got back to
the Savoy Hotel each night, he took off all his clothes and threw himself
on the bed, exclaiming "It's moider! It's moider" Get me an iceboig!"
5. This was one of the first films to have its music recorded in the newly
built Denham Studios. The production cost of the feature was £70,000.
6. Ricard Tauber was born in Linz, Austria 16 May 1891 to Elisabeth Seiffert
an unmarried actress, his father Richard Anton Tauber later enabled him
to join the Dresden Opera. Soon Tauber became popular throughout Germany
and Austria in operas by Mozart and Strauss. Later when the Nazis took
over he became naturalised British and lived in the UK until his death
in London from lung cancer 8 January 1948.
7. Richard Tauber and Diane Napier were married in June 1936 - four months
before the release of this film.
8. The person billed as "George Hayes" was a British actor and not the
George "Gabby" Hayes of American westerns. In a small part is Evelyn
Ankers, who later moved to Hollywood and became a leading lady in horror
movies such as "The Wolf Man" and "Ghost Of Frankenstein".
9. "Land Without Music" was issued uncut as a Super 8mm feature film release
by Dave West of DCR Films, Isle of Wight, UK. He also released two, one
reel Super 8mm films "Tauber Sings For You" & "Tauber Sings Again" with
songs from the feature.
(Extra info. gratefully sourced from Maurice Trace & Denis Gifford) ZT-9103/gln/27.10.2013
Vinyl LP
Useful biography
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Created 27Oct2013 ...... Last updated: 02 January 2016 ......
95flmcatt9103.htm ......©MMX111 Grahame L. Newnham
07Jan2015 - extra photos added / 02Jan2016 - more scans added