The Emperor's Candlesticks (1936 film)

This article is about the Austrian film. For the American film, see The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937 film). For the 1899 novel by Baroness Orczy on which both films are based, see The Emperor's Candlesticks.

The Emperor's Candlesticks (German: Die Leuchter des Kaisers) is a 1936 Austrian historical adventure film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Sybille Schmitz, Karl Ludwig Diehl and Friedl Czepa.^[1] It is an adaptation of Baroness Orczy's 1899 novel The Emperor's Candlesticks. A Hollywood film version of the story The Emperor's Candlesticks was released the following year.

The Emperor's Candlesticks
Directed by	Karl Hartl
Written by	Karl Hartl Friedrich Schreyvogel
Based on	The Emperor's Candlesticks 1899 novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Starring	Sybille Schmitz Karl Ludwig Diehl Friedl Czepa
Cinematography	Werner Brandes Karl Drömmer Anton Pucher
Edited by	Karl Hartl René Métain
Music by	Willy Schmidt-Gentner
Production company	Gloria Film
Distributed by	Kiba Kinobetriebsanstalt
Release date	14 February 1936 (1936-02-14)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Austria
Language	German

It was shot at Sascha Film's Sievering Studios and Rosenhügel Studios in Vienna. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Kurt Herlth, Werner Schlichting and Emil Stepanek. It premiered at the Gloria-Palast in Berlin, and a month later in Vienna.

Plot summary

Cast

• Sybille Schmitz as Anna Demidow
• Karl Ludwig Diehl as Georg Wolenski
• Friedl Czepa as Maria
• Inge List as Zofe bei Anna Demidow
• Anton Edthofer as Erzherzog Ludwig
• Max Gülstorff as Graf Surowkin
• Johannes Heesters as Grossfürst Peter Alexandrowitsch
• Fritz Rasp as Stanislaus
• Heinrich Schroth as Der Führer der Verschworenen
• Jane Tilden as Ein Stubenmädchen
• Hans Unterkircher
• Fritz Imhoff
• Reinhold Häussermann
• Hans Siebert
• Babette Devrient
• Wilhelm Schich
• Dora Seifert
• Otto Storm
• Robert Valberg
• Kurt von Lessen

Reception

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a mildly good review, summarizing the audience experience as "good direction, fair acting, and the attractively Baker Street dresses make this a pleasant film to doze at."^[2]