Ernst Lubitsch’s CARMEN Contents Introduction 2 Greetings 4 The Movie Overview 6 Short bios 8 Contemporary Press Coverage 16 The Revival The Restoration 20 The Music 30 The Background Typification, Yes – Typism, No 36 Historical Background 38 The Publishers 42 Publishing Credits, Legal Notice, Picture Credits 46 On November 11, World War I abolished at the end of the war. The 1918 was an ended and with it the German Em- film was permitted to go wild. And it eventful year. pire. This meant not only the tempo- did. (...) Pola set the decorations aflut- rary end to strict Prussian morals, but ter with her frenzied dances. But she also – and likewise only temporarily – also got fame to Germany. For her- to film censorship, and paved the way self, for Ernst Lubitsch, for Ufa.“ (Der for the experiment of democracy and Spiegel 38/1950) the “Roaring Twenties,” which were And so it was: the exception- not exactly lacking in debauchery. al Berlin director Ernst Lubitsch, The first screening of the film who strove to “de-opera-tize” the version of CARMEN, based on the op- movie, and the enchanting Pola Ne- era by Georges Bizet, took place three gri, femme fatale of the first hour, days before the end of the war, on No- formed a dream team of the early vember 8, 1918, in the screening room days of film. CARMEN celebrated of Ufa’s studio in Tempelhof. Inside, great success overseas from 1921 the champagne flowed; outside, the under the title GYPSY BLOOD and previous world order was collapsing. paved the way to international fame Spartacists and government troops for the artistic duo, ensuring that the shot at each other while the illustri- two personages have not been for- ous preview audience enjoyed itself. gotten to this day. CARMEN, how- The next day, as the latter nursed their ever, didn’t stand the test of time so hangovers, Philipp Scheidemann pro- well – most recently, only various claimed the Republic. abridged versions of the film were The real premiere of the film, available, all of them in poor condi- directed by Ernst Lubitsch and star- tion. In 2018, the Friedrich Wilhelm ring the great Pola Negri in the title Murnau Foundation took on the task role, took place a good month later, of painstakingly reassembling, re- on December 20, 1918, at Berlin‘s Un- storing, and digitizing the mutilated ion Theater. Its wildness, opulence, versions into a largely complete ver- and sensuality captured the spirit of sion with new coloring. The project the times to come. “As Carmen, the was made possible by the support of spirited Polish actress [Pola Negri] Bertelsmann as the main sponsor. swept across the screen in such a way Join us in looking forward to that several women’s clubs immedi- the premiere of the reconstructed ver- ately cried out for censorship. But the sion, for which Tobias Schwencke has moralizing ladies were out of luck. composed a new score, commissioned The odious censorship had been by ZDF/ARTE. 2 3 are faced with the mammoth task of (Federal Archive) and the Stiftung Dear restoring and digitizing our endan- Dear silent Deutsche Kinemathek, as well as the film fans, gered silent film heritage to preserve movie fans, Federal Government Commissioner it for posterity – a task they can hardly for Culture and the Media. Silent films exert an enduring manage on their own. Created during the First World fascination: They allow a journey As a company with its own If films are not shown to audi- War, CARMEN tells a wild story of pas- back in time to the early days of cine- tradition in the film business and ex- ences, they will gradually disappear sion and aggrievement, order and re- ma. Actors and directors alike had to tensive digital expertise, Bertelsmann from cultural memory. If old films are bellion, love and death. It was to prove develop their own language without can and wants to help. For years, we not restored and digitized, they will a stepping stone to Hollywood for the sound and find new forms of artistic have organized silent film festivals in eventually disappear physically from brilliant leading actress Pola Negri and expression. Their works reflect this Berlin and other major European cit- this world as well. That is why today her ingenious director Ernst Lubitsch. pioneering spirit and continue to at- ies, and supported major restoration marks a double celebration. CARMEN bears witness to the tract people to cinemas and silent film projects such as the digital restoration CARMEN, an early film by Ernst high artistic quality of early German festivals to this day. of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI Lubitsch, is finally available in a dig- movies. Many of them are held by the No less fascinating is the cul- (2014), Fritz Lang’s DER MÜDE TOD itized version, restored using state-of- Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Founda- tural-historical significance of this art (DESTINY, 2016), and DER GEIGER the-art techniques, that is as close as tion … awaiting their revitalization. form, which was born a good century VON FLORENZ (THE FIDDLER OF possible to the version of its December ago. Silent films are the starting point FLORENCE) by Paul Czinner (2018). 1918 premiere in Berlin. Christiane von Wahlert of all cinematic genres. They were the Now, we have sponsored the Friedrich This extensive restoration was Chairwoman, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau nucleus that gave rise to the creative Wilhelm Murnau Foundation’s resto- only possible with the generous sup- Foundation diversity of the film industry as we ration of another silent film classic: port of Bertelsmann. Our sincere grat- know it today. As a company that has CARMEN by Ernst Lubitsch. Please itude goes out to the media company. thrived on the creative achievements join me in celebrating the fact that We are extremely pleased that of its filmmakers, authors, musicians this silent film classic can once again CARMEN can now be shown in new and journalists for over 186 years, we be shown in its entirety and in digital splendor as the opening movie of the know the great value of such inspir- cinematic quality! UFA Film Nights 2021. ing and timeless works. Bertelsmann A silent film can only unfold its has long been committed to preserv- Thomas Rabe full glory with a brilliant accompany- ing important cultural assets at the CEO of Bertelsmann ing score. Tobias Schwencke’s composi- European level – including our cin- tion was commissioned by ZDF/ARTE. ematic heritage. This is particularly Thanks to the wonderful public-ser- necessary in the case of silent films, vice collaboration for the “Stummfilm as the copies that still exist are not auf ARTE” (Silent Films on ARTE) se- only aging, but will soon no longer ries, CARMEN will soon be accessible be accessible. Only very few cinemas to a television audience as well. still have analog projection technol- We would like to thank our ogy. Foundations and film archives archive partners, the Bundesarchiv 4 5 CARMEN World Premiere José, a dragoon who has just with her, but she is not too particular Original December 20, 1918, Union-Theater been promoted to sergeant, falls in love about fidelity and keeps seducing men Kurfürstendamm, Berlin with Carmen, a worker in a cigarette for her own purposes. During a duel Restored version August 25, 2021 factory who is arrested during a riot, with a rival, José becomes a murder- as part of the UFA Film Nights in while at his post in Seville. He helps er. He loses his post and his bride and Berlin and as a live stream on her escape, which lands him in prison. joins Carmen’s gang of smugglers. She www.ufa-filmnaechte.de When he has served his sentence, he soon gets bored of him and travels to Television premiere September 27, 2021, 11.30 pm on ARTE meets the hot-blooded young woman Gibraltar, where she takes up with the again – this time as a dancer at a festi- matador Escamillo. But her recklessness val. He becomes increasingly enamored doesn’t end well for Carmen either... Restoration (2018) Restoration Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation Funding Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, Production The Federal Government Commis- Drama in 6 acts freely adapted from Prosper Merrimé, by Hanns Kräly sioner for Culture and the Media, Directed by Ernst Lubitsch Friends and Patrons of German Film Exterior and interior design Kurt Richter Heritage e.V. Costume director Alex Hubert Material Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv Photography Alfred Hansen (German Federal Archives), Production company Projektions-AG “Union” PAGU, Berlin Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen Edition Luciano Palumbo Cast Preliminary research Anke Wilkening José Navarro Harry Liedtke Collation and documentation Miranda Reason, Luciano Palumbo His mother Frau Pagay Scan, digital image restoration, Dolores, his bride Grete Dierks and 4K mastering L’Immagine Ritrovata Carmen, a cigarette factory worker Pola Negri Garcia, smuggler Paul Biensfeld Dan Cairo, smuggler Paul Conradi Music (2021) Remendato, smuggler Max Kronert New composition Tobias Schwencke, based on Carmen’s landlady Margarete Kupfer motifs from the eponymous opera Escamillo, a bullfighter Leopold von Ledebur by Georges Bizet, commissioned An English officer Heinrich Peer by ZDF/ARTE. A prison guard Wilhelm Diegelmann Recording ensemble KONTRASTE Executive producer Thomas Schmölz, 2eleven music film Editing Nina Goslar 6 7 Biographies resident dramatist from 1915. Together Ernst Lubitsch they created films such as MADAME (Director) DUBARRY (1919) and DIE BERGKATZE (THE WILDCAT, 1921). The two also *January 29, 1892 Berlin, worked together in Hollywood until Germany; † November 30, 1947 Los the end of the silent film era. Kräly fell Angeles, USA into oblivion in the 1930s, and spent Ernst Lubitsch was active in his last years working as a janitor in film as long ago as the early 1910s.