During her short reign as Germany's First Lady of the Screen Ruth Leuwerik seldom got the roles she deserved. Mostly seen in sugary historic romances (ranging from the delightful 'Koenigliche Hoheit' to the bizarre 'Ludwig II' and reaching the nadir with the dull 'Koenigin Luise') she was at her subtle best when cast in peppy modern comedies. For every dull and dowdy costume piece and shrill melodrama (the awful 'Bildnis eine Unbekannten' opposite heartthrob O.W. Fischer - was Maria Schell on vacation ?-) she grabbed a worthy part.
'Die ideale Frau' cast her as the major (!!!) in a small town and details the domestic trouble caused by her unwillingness to give up her career (horror of horrors in the strait-laced 50's). The film is fast-paced, witty, subtle and beautifully staged. Cast to perfection to last extra the overall result is one of the most endearing comedies of German cinema, second only to Lilo Pulver's delightful 'Die Zuericher Verlobung'.
