Mädchen in Uniform (1931)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Leontine Sagan
Carl Froelich

Writers:

Christa Winsloe (play)
Friedrich Dammann (adaptation)

Release Date:

27 November 1931 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

AN UNUSUAL LOVE STORY! (USA ad - all caps)

Plot:

German film in which a sensitive girl is sent to an all-girls boarding school and develops a romantic attachment to one of her teachers...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Boarding School | Discipline | Student | Teenager

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Hertha Thiele	...	Manuela von Meinhardis
Dorothea Wieck	...	Erzieherin Fräulein von Bernburg
Emilia Unda	...	Fräulein von Nordeck zur Nidden - Oberin
Gertrud de Lalsky	...	Exzellenz von Ehrenhardt - Manuelas Tante
Marte Hein	...	Anstaltsprotektorin
Hedwig Schlichter	...	Erzieherin Fräulein von Kesten
Lene Berdolt	...	Erzieherin Fräulein von Gaerschner
Lisi Scheerbach	...	Erzieherin Mademoiselle Qeuillet
Margory Bodker	...	Erzieherin Miss Evans
Erika Mann	...	Erzieherin Fräulein von Atems
Else Ehser	...	Gardrobiere Elise
Ellen Schwanneke	...	Ilse von Westhagen (as Ellen Schwannecke)
Ilse Winter	...	Marga von Rasso
Charlotte Witthauer	...	Ilse von Treischke
Erika Biebrach	...	Lilli von Kattner

Also Known As:

Girls in Uniform
Maedchen in Uniform (USA)
Maidens in Uniform

Runtime:

88 min | USA:87 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

Deutsche Film-Gemeinschaft

Trivia:

The Nazi regime tried to burn all the copies of this movie. They couldn't.

Quotes:

Miss Evans: It was awful to see Manuela so drunk.
Teacher: You have to drink sometimes, from anger, or worry. I understand it very well.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dezertir (1933)

great film

Mädchen in Uniform This was a very bold film. It presents the controversies of lesbianism, teacher-student relationships, and antifascism in Germany in the 30's. The acting is of great quality. You don't need to know German to understand what's going on, even with out the subtitles. I find it interesting that feminine sexual powers are used throughout the film. The beloved teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg, uses her sexual powers to win the affection of the children, keeping them in check. During rehearsals for a play, one of the girls is told to use her feminine powers (to be more seductive) to play her part. Sex appeal is also mentioned in describing a movie star. The antifascism isn't blatant in the film, but in the opening scene, we see soldiers marching and then the schoolgirls marching, hinting at the hidden meaning. This film has a place in history and is worth seeing.