*** Welcome to piglix ***

The Oyster Princess

The Oyster Princess
Die Austernprinzessin (1919).jpg
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Produced by Paul Davidson
Written by
Starring
Music by Aljoscha Zimmermann
Cinematography Theodor Sparkuhl
Release date
  • 26 June 1919 (1919-06-26) (Germany)
Running time
60 minutes
Country Weimar Republic
Language Silent film

The Oyster Princess (German: Die Austernprinzessin) is a 1919 German silent film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. It is a grotesque comedy in 4 acts about an American millionaire’s spoiled daughter’s marriage that does not go as planned. The film earned fame from his intangible use of style and sophistication in this film among others. The term for his style was later dubbed "The Lubitsch Touch".

The American oyster King dictates to a room full of typing writing women. He smokes a large cigar held by one of his many butlers at his side. One butler scurrys in to say, “Your daughter is in a fit of raging madness” Ossi, in the other room, has destroyed the room by throwing everything onto the floor. Mister Quaker oddly jogs through the house to see Ossi on the other side of the mansion. When Mister Quaker peeps in, Ossi throws newspapers at him. He asks, “Why are you throwing those newspapers?” and the brat replies with, “Because all of the vases are broken.” Ossi is clearly angered, and in a big mess. She shows her father a newspaper that says the Shoe cream king’s daughter has married to a count. This is what Ossi is upset about. Mister Quaker is not impressed but tells Ossi that he will buy her a prince. With this, Ossi can’t contain herself, jumps up, and hugs her dad ever so enthusiastically. She is so happy, she could smash the house with joy!

We then meet Seligson, the matchmaker, who is dealing with a woman with a turned up nose. She complains about the price and how all of the bachelors have imperfections. She then leaves unsatisfied. As she exits, Ossi enters the room smiling and hands the matchmaker a note from Mister Quaker. It says, that because of the shoe cream king’s daughter is married, and because oysters are more important, then his daughter should be married too. She needs a man with a family tree that is in accordance with the Oyster king’s. The matchmaker searches his wall full of bachelors and comes across Prince Nucki. Nucki lives high up in a building on the 47th floor, he has heavy debts, and is not inclined to marriage. With the great match, the matchmaker leaves instantly.

Meanwhile, Ossi is instructed in the ways or marriage which happen to be all about babies. Her instructor is a strict looking woman in black with thin glasses and hair ever so tightly pulled back. Ossi bathes the doll and shakes it off to dry it. She is yelled at for not holding it correctly, and Ossi snaps back at the teacher and continues to shake off the doll. Then, she is instructed to powder the baby, but unknowingly powders its face. Ossi is so confused about why she should powder its bottom that she exclaims, “that’s funny.” She goes to touch the bottom but disgusted, tosses the naked doll behind her, across the room, and proceeds to throw powder puff at the instructor.


...
Wikipedia

...