Der Raub der Mona Lisa

The Rape of the Mona Lisa is a musical comedy film from the year 1931.

Action

The Italian painter Vincenzo 's in love with the maid Mathilde. Mathilde expected from a future husband that this accomplishes something very special for them. The Mona Lisa is considered in Italy as a national work of art and the Italians find it shameful that the Mona Lisa is exhibited in the French Louvre. For Vincenzo of stealing the Mona Lisa is therefore just the right size to impress with this act the proud Mathilde. It actually manages to steal the picture. Since he is just entrusted with painting in the Louvre, he can explore the facilities and procedures and be familiar with the staff. In order to obtain a watertight alibi, Vincenzo meets first with the superintendent of the Louvre in a nearby cafe for a game of chess. Right in the game he makes an excuse of the artwork creates under his coat from the Louvre and hides it in his apartment. He returns to the cafe back to the game of chess, where the superintendent still brooding over his last train and seems not to have noticed his disappearance. But Mathilde takes Vincenzo this coup not and keeps the painting for a copy. She laughs at him and turns away from him. In order nevertheless to win for themselves, Vincenzo to the police. However, because of the exculpatory statement of the superintendent and also because the authorities the simple painter such an act not trust, it is held and sent away for a braggart. Trying the artwork to an anonymous prospects to sell fails because this gets cold feet because of the notoriety of the Mona Lisa and disappears. Ultimately creates the disappointed Vincenzo the image to Italy and passes it to the authorities there to be at least a national hero. In Italy, you do not show, however, contrary to expectations, the gratitude that he had hoped, and arrested him. In Florence held the trial of Vincenzo with great sympathy of the public and the media. Mathilde, who knows that Vincenzo has their account stolen the image comes to Florence to abzubekommen the corresponding fame. However, you must realize that Vincenzo for his part wants nothing more to do with her ​​and do not begrudge this fame. When he sees her in the courtroom, he opts for a different justification of his act. He claims that he had stolen the Mona Lisa back for revenge against the art thefts Napoleon Bonaparte. This nationally proud statement makes it actually a folk hero of Italy.

Background

The film is based on the true story of the Italian house painter and decorative painter Vincenzo Peruggia, the Mona Lisa in 1911 stolen from the Louvre and two years was hiding in his quarters before the painting resurfaced in a sale attempt in Florence and could be brought back.

The film was shot in June 1931 in Paris and was first performed on 25 August 1931 in Berlin. The Filmbauten come from Andrei Andreyev and Robert A. Dietrich. The editor concerned Hermann Haller. As assistant director Josef von Baky here knew one of his first tasks. There, the orchestra played Robert Gaden under the musical line of Robert Stolz.

In 1965, an adaptation of the same substance under the title The thief of the Mona Lisa. The director was in this Italian-French co-production directed by French director Michel Deville. The main roles were played by George Chakiris and Marina Vlady.

Reviews

  • Lexicon of international film: Musical comedy from the early days of talkies, staged amusing with a light hand and convincing actors.
1931 in film Screenplay Walter Reisch Film score Willy Goldberger Hermann Haller (film editor) Paul Kemp (actor) André Andrejew Josef von Báky
231261
de