Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo (1978)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

David Hemmings

Writers:

Julius Brammer (writer)
Irving Caesar (writer)

Release Date:

16 November 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After World War I, a war hero returns to Berlin to find that there's no place for him--he has no skills other than what he learned in the army, and can only find menial, low-paying jobs. He decides to become a gigolo to lonely rich women. |

Plot Keywords:

Gigolo | Funeral Procession | Sex | Thought Dead | Wedding

Cast

David Bowie	...	Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski
Sydne Rome	...	Cilly
Kim Novak	...	Helga von Kaiserling
David Hemmings	...	Captain Hermann Kraft
Maria Schell	...	Pauls Mutti Frau von Przygodski
Curd Jürgens	...	Prince
Erika Pluhar	...	Eva
Hilde Weissner	...	Aunt Hilda
Werner Pochath	...	Otto
Marlene Dietrich	...	Baroness von Semering
Rudolf Schündler	...	Oberst Gustav von Przygodski
Evelyn Künneke	...	Frau Aeckerle (as Evelyn Künnecke)
Friedhelm Lehmann	...	Major Alexander von Müller
Karin Hardt	...	Frau Uexkull
Rainer Hunold	...	Lothar

Also Known As:

Just a Gigolo (USA)

Runtime:

147 min | Australia:90 min | USA:98 min (cut version)

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:AL | Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Leguan Film Berlin

Trivia:

This film was about Berlin, shot in Berlin and financed partly by Berlin. However, none of the principal cast were from Berlin except for Marlene Dietrich, who was a native Berliner in self-imposed exile.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Marlene Dietrich: Shadow and Light (1996) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Just A Gigolo

Salon Bowie...

It is March 2005 and this extraordinary German production has just been released on DVD in Australia. The transfer is pretty good considering the problems with the original materials. In its first release it was quite successful here and is considered a Cabaret /Salon Kitty derivative. Lushly produced and with an astonishing cast fortunately for us allowing some genuine movie greats to perform and sing, JUST A GIGOLO is almost a parallel universe to the lives of Sally Bowles and Michael from Cabaret with an equally convincing and sleazy world. Bowie at times even looks like Michael York. Viewers need to be patient and let the story unfold in its awkwardly edited way. Often it seems dubbed and post produced with echoing sound effects. The musical numbers alone are worth the rental on this Gigolo. I hope it is released in your country soon. Otherwise Umbrella Entertainment from Melbourne Australia might help you. They got it from somewhere. There is a KINOWELT logo on the box too. Regarding the soundtrack, it was produced at the time and I have it on vinyl, so a vintage (!) LP store will help you. The soundtrack record is excellent as well.