The Film Music Museum

A Lost Film Profile

By: Aitam Bar-Sagi

Released in, and known as...

• Germany (30/08/1931, München, Phoebus-Palast)
  • Der Ball
  • Kampf's geben einen Ball (Alternate Title)
  • Großer Empfang bei Raffkes (Alternate Title)
  • Dollys erster Ball (Alternate Title)
  • Herr und Frau Kampf geben sich die Ehre (Subtitle)
  • Neureich geben einen Ball (Subtitle)
  • Der Ball bei Raffkes (Working Title)
  • Kampf gegen einen Ball (Working Title)

• Czechoslovak Republic: (04/09/1931, Brno, Moderna)
  • Antoinetin první ples
  • Její první ples (Alternate Title)
  • Der Ball (In German language Press)

• Yugoslavia (16/09/1931, Bratislava, Tatra)
  • Jej Prvý Ples
  • Бал
  • Prvi Ples

• Netherlands (23/10/1931, Den Haag, City-Theater)
  • Het Bal
  • Tante danst een Foxtrot (Alternate Title, used once)

• Denmark (??/11/1931, København, ?)
  • Ballet

• Norway (07/01/1932, Oslo, Colosseum)
  • Ballet er slutt

• Austria (29/01/1932, Wien, Apollo)
  • Dollys Erster Ball
  • Dollys Ball
  • Ihr erster Ball

• Iceland (03/03/1932, Reykjavík, Nýja Bíó)
  • Hjúskapar væringar

• Luxembourg (04/03/1932, Esch-Uelzecht, Cinéma Union-Theater)
  • Der Ball
  • Ein unverglückter Ballabend bei Neureichs (Subtitle)

• Romania (06/03/1932, Brașov, Cinema Astra)
  • Balul

• Switzerland (13/05/1932, Lugano, Cinema Splendide)
  • Der Ball
  • Dollys Erster Ball
  • Il Ballo (In Italian language Press)

• Hungary (07/01/1932, Budapest, Tivoli Mozgo)
  • A Bál

• Israel: (23/07/1932, Tel-Aviv, Opera Mograbi)
  • הַבַּל
  • הבּאל (Alternate Spelling)

• U.S.A: (12/10/1932, New York City, Little Carnegie)
  • Der Ball

• Indonesia: (10/12/1932, Surabaya, Astra)
  • Het Bal (In Dutch language Press)

• Latvia (16/04/1933, Rīga, Forum)
  • Balle
  • Der Ball (In German language Press)

• Sweden (22/04/1933, Stockholm, Rex & Sibyllan)
  • När millionerna rulla

• France: (29/06/1933, Strasbourg, ?)
  • Ball bei Raffkes

• Estonia: (22/08/1933, Tallinn, Helios)
  • Ball

Cast, Crew and Technical Information

Crew:
Director: Wilhelm Thiele
Director Assistants: Georges Lampin, Hans Julius Brahm (uncredited)
Screenplay: Ladisla(u)s (Laszló) Fodor, Kurt Siodmak
Based on Irène Némirowsky's 1930 Novel "Le bal"
Directors of photography: Nicolaus (Miklós) Farkas, Armand Thirard
Production design: Lazare Meerson
Production design assistant: Alexander (Sándor) Trauner (Trau)
Costume design: Lyolène (Hélène Schiffrin)
Special Effects: Paul Minine, Nicolas Wilcke
Editing: René Le Hénaff, Mark Sorkin (uncredited)
Sound: Hermann Storr
Music: Werner Richard Heymann
Musical director: Julien Porret
Lyrics: Robert Gilbert
Singing vocals: Leo Monosson
Production company: Marcel Vandal & Charles Delac Tonfilmproduktion GmbH (Berlin), Marcel Vandal & Charles Delac (Paris)
Producer: Marcel Vandal, Charles Delac
Unit production manager: Dr. Simon Schiffrin
Filmed at: Studios Tobis d'Epinay-sur-Seine

Cast:
Reinhold Schünzel- Alfred Kampf
Lucie Mannheim- Jeanne, seine Frau
Dolly Haas- Antoinette, beider Tochter
Gertrud Wolle- Tante Isabelle
Paul Otto- Marcel de Brécourt, Abgeortneter
Wanda (Vanda) Gréville- Miss Betty
Jeanne Bernard- ?
Allan Durant- Handsome Stranger

Technical Information:
Filming location: Paris
Length: 90 min, 2474m
Format: 35mm, 1:1.20, Black and White
Sound system: Tobis-Klangfilm
Total Budget (for both German and French versions): 3,368,213 French Francs / 558,508 Reichsmarks
German Certification: 27/07/1931, 2474m, B.29461, Forbidden for Children
Dutch Certification: 21/09/1931, 2451m, Dossier Nr. 12143, 18 Years old and above
Norwegian Certification: 05/01/1932, 2423m (13m cut), Permited for all.
Austrian Certification: 2400m according to the Paimann Filmlisten
Swedish Certification: 02/1933?, 2399m, 48.958, Red Certification
Song Publishing: Alrobi-Musikverlag, G.m.b.H, Berlin
Song Publishing in Latvia: K. Reinholds, Riga, Brivibas bulv. 1
World Sales: Marcel Vandal & Charles Delac Tonfilmproduktion GmbH, Berlin SW48, Friedrichstraße 8
Distribution in Berlin, East- and North-Germany: Metropol-Filmverleih G.m.b.H., Berlin SW48, Friedricstraße 22
Distribution in Central Germany: Siegel Monopolfilm, Dresden-A., Altmarkt 4
Distribution in Southern Germany: Heinrich Katzenel, Filmverleih, München, 2 C. Theatinerstraße 8
Distribution in Germany for Rheinland-Westfalen and Saar area: Rheinische Film-Gsellschadt m.b.H., Köln, Brückenstraße 15
Distribution in Austria: Kiba, Kinobetriebs-Anstalt Ges.m.b.H., Wien VII.
Distribution in the Czechoslovak Republic: Electra-Film A. G., Praha II.
Distribution in the Netherlands: N.V. METEOR-FILM, Amsterdam
Distribution in Denmark and Iceland: International Film, Sophus Madsen, København
Distribution in Norway: Kommunernes filmcentral
Distribution in Sweden: AB Fribergs Filmbyrå, Stockholm

Film Programs/Magazines/Periodicals

In the Vandal & Dalec-Film "Der Ball" (Direction by Wilhelm Thiele) the lead role is played by Lydie Danielle* in the French version and Dolly Haas in the German version.

*Early Pseudonym of Danielle Darrieux.

Transcripted and Translated by Ernst Dommershuijzen

Soon the premiere of the Metropol-film "Der Ball" will take place at the Gloria-Palast in Berlin. In this movie, directed by famous director Wilhelm Thiele, Lucie Mannheim, Reinhold Schünzel and Dolly Haas will play the main roles.

Transcripted and Translated by Ernst Dommershuijzen

In an old part of Paris, in a small street, far from the bustle of the world city, a small dealer in stockings, named Alfred Kampf, has his shop. It is Saturday again and Antoinette, his little daughter, comes home from school and the three of them have dinner; father, mother and daughter, overjoyed with the prospect of the lovely Sunday. To them there is nothing nicer than a Sunday. For years they follow the same routine: at first walking in the park, then eating in a restaurant and to a cinema in the evening. And then Monday calls them to their duty. A happy life with modest pleasures.

One day, when Kampf is in his shop, he sees a newspaper which reads that the formerly worthless Vittoria stocks have regained their original value and - of those stocks they own 10,000 from an old inheritance! The Kampf family is rich!

Soon the past has been forgotten. A villa is rented in the most distinguished part of town, a car and nice clothes are bought, servants hired etcetera. The days are spent at the races - they can permit themselves everything, buy everything, apart from one thing: access to the higher ranks of society.

Only Antoinette cannot forget the past. She longs for her old school, former friends and shivers at the indifferent laughter of her appointed English governess. She sees her parents less and less. Then Mr. and Mrs. Kampf meet a young delegate at the races, Marcel de Brécourt, who immediately starts to court Mrs. Kampf. To meet her again he convinces his aunt, countess De Clairmont, to invite the Kampf family to her forthcoming ball. The ball makes such an impression, that they decide to host their own ball; yet the ball at countess De Clairmont does not end as well as it started.

Kampf is jealous at the posh Marcel de Brécourt and from this jealousy their first marital quarrel arises. Woken up by the fierceness of their argument, Antoinette is witness to the unpleasant scene.

Nobody takes notice of her. One thought comforts her: the forthcoming ball. Secretly she has a long dress made to surprise her mother. All of posh Paris is invited to the ball; including aunt Isabelle, a spinster, who teaches Antoinette piano lessons. Antoinette asks her mother permission to attend the ball, but she laughs at her for daring to ask such a thing - being the child that she is. When Antoinette pours out her troubles to aunt Isabelle, she learns the real reason behind the refusal: "You too small! You are probably too grown for her! You make her look old!"

Then Antoinette is witness to her mother and Marcel de Brécourt making a date. She wants to prevent this appointment at any cost. She asks her mother to stay with her; she refuses.

"I will not let you go mother!" the child yells in fear. The mother gets angry and hits Antoinette for the first time in her life.

Later, when Antoinette must send out the invitations, she angrily throws them into the water.

The big night has come. Mrs. Kampf looks radiant. Antoinette lies in bed, fearful of what is about to happen! It is terrible! The hours pass, and nobody shows. Finally ... the first guest! Aunt Isabelle! No one else!

How must this end! - Well, everything will be alright!
Indescribably funny are the final acts, that will bring this nice and catchy film to an end.

(Captions:
A happy family: in anticipation of Sunday.
Gertrud Wolle as Aunt Isabelle.
Dolly Haas as Antoinette.
Mr. Kampf discovers his old stocks are worth a fortune.
Mrs. Kampf inspects the hall for the ball.
Mr. and Mrs. Kampf enter the higher ranks of society.)

Other Magazines/Periodicals Clippings:

Newspaper Clippings:

Cards/Photos

Music

Musical pieces:

• Das ist der sonntag (Foxtrott, Gilbert/Heymann)
• Einmal sucht jeder die Straße nach dem Glück! (Tango, Gilbert/Heyman)
• Puppenlied (Slow-Fox, Gilbert/Heyman)
• Der Ball (Not in the German Version of the Film?, Foxtrott, Heymann)
• Isabelle (Not in the German Version of the Film?,?, Heymann)

On the Radio:

• 03/11/1931, 10:15, Concert, Hilversum: "Das ist der sonntag", Kovacs Lajos en zijn orkest, Pierre Palla: Orgel, Boris Lensky, Viool.
• 13/11/1931, 11:30, Mittagskonzert, Wien: "Einmal sucht jeder die Sraße nach dem Glück" & "Das ist der sonntag", Quartett Dr. Philipp de la Cerda.
• 20/11/1931, 11:30, Mittagskonzert, Wien: "Einmal sucht jeder die Sraße nach dem Glück!" & "Das ist der sonntag", Quartett Berndt Buchbinder.
• 03/01/1932, 9:40, Concert, Hilversum: "Das ist der sonntag", Kovacs Lajos en zijn orkest, Refrein-zang: Bob Scholte.
• 10/02/1932, 20:00, Moderne Operetten- und Tonfilmmusik, København, (With the incorrect titles): "Einmal sündigt jeder" & "Das ist der Samstag". Das Radioorchester unter Leitung von Emil Reesen, Opernsängerin Mary Alice Therp und Kammersänger Paul Hansen.
• 08/04/1932, 17:00, Concert, Hilversum: "Einmal sucht jeder die Sraße nach dem Glück" & "Das ist der sonntag", V.A.R.A-Orkest o.l.v Hugo de Groot.
• 08/06/1932, 17:00, Klankfilm- en Operette-programm, Hilversum: "Das ist der sonntag", V.A.R.A-Orkest.
• 22/10/1932, 10:15, concert, Hilversum: "Einmal sucht jeder die Sraße", De Notenkrakers o.l.v Daaf Wins.
• 14/11/1932, 12:00, concert, Hilversum: "Einmal sucht jeder die Srasze", De Notenkrakers o.l.v Daaf Wins.
• 20/02/1933, 10:30, concert, Hilversum: "Einmal sucht jeder die Sraße", De Flierefluiters o.l.v Hugo de Groot.

Last update: 28/06/2020