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An interesting and clever film.
A struggling serious actor, Viktor Hempel (Hermann Thimig), sometimes does female impersonation roles to make ends meet. Struggling singer Susanna Lohr (Renate Müller) meets him, and is persuaded to do his role for him when he has the flu. So she pretends to be a boy and becomes a travesty performer on the stage, impersonating a girl. She, or he, "proves" that s/he is a boy by removing her wig at the end of each performance revealing a short haircut.
The act becomes very successful and they do a season at the Savoy in London. Many society women fall in love with this handsome young man, although as this is 1933 the lesbian theme isn't developed.
A man also is attracted to her, and they drink together.
He discovers the truth and, to tease her, manipulates Viktor(ia) into smoking a pipe, pretty shocking for a woman in 1933 ...
... and going to a barber's for a shave, and other amusements.
In the finale, Viktor(ia) gets fed up and refuses to go on stage, so the male actor has to substitute as the travesty performer, miraculously getting into her costume even though he's considerably less slim. And -- gasp! he too is received with rapturous applause.
Much of the dialogue is in blank verse, or sung. The film is a forerunner of many other films in the genre, including, obviously Victor/Victoria. Oh, and they all live happily ever after in their "proper" genders and straight sexualities.
HF 1999
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