The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

1927
Passed
1h 46m

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The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)

A cloistered, overprotected Austrian prince falls in love with a down-to-earth barmaid in this "Viennese fairy tale."A cloistered, overprotected Austrian prince falls in love with a down-to-earth barmaid in this "Viennese fairy tale."A cloistered, overprotected Austrian prince falls in love with a down-to-earth barmaid in this "Viennese fairy tale."

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos28

+ 22

Top cast20

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Ramon Novarro

Prince Karl Heinrich

Norma Shearer

Kathi

Jean Hersholt

Dr. Jüttner

Gustav von Seyffertitz

King Karl VII

Philippe De Lacy

Young Karl - Heir Apparent
(as Philipe de Lacy)

Edgar Norton

Lutz

Bobbie Mack

Kellermann
(as Bobby Mack)

Edward Connelly

Court Marshal

Otis Harlan

Old Ruder

John S. Peters

Student

George K. Arthur

Drunk Student
(uncredited)

Lionel Belmore

Stout Student
(uncredited)

Robert Brower

Minister to the King
(uncredited)

Edythe Chapman

Young Karl's Nanny
(uncredited)

Oliver Eckhardt

Minister
(uncredited)

Margaret Gray

Student
(uncredited)

Ruby Lafayette

Bit Part
(uncredited)

André Mattoni

Count Asterberg
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Erich von Stroheim was offered directorship of this film, but declined after having had a negative experience working under Irving Thalberg on The Merry Widow (1925). Stroheim went to Paramount to direct and star in The Wedding March (1928).

Goofs
The young Karl's eyes are blue, but the adult Karl's eyes are brown.

Quotes
Kids in the street: [happily, looking at photo of Young Prince Karl in shop window] He's going to be a wonderful king!

Alternate versions
In 1986, Thames Television in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer created a video, using the alternate title "Old Heidelberg," with full orchestral score by Carl Davis, and with running time of 106 minutes.

Connections
Featured in Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood (2005)

User reviews35

Review

Featured review

Graceful and Poignant

Ernst Lubitsch's silent films are as graceful and enchanting as his sound pictures, but the director's silents are unfairly left in the corner and don't always get the distinction they truly deserve. Along with "Lady Windermere's Fan" and "The Marriage Circle", this heartbreaking silent classic is one of Lubitsch's most perfect and poignant American silent films.

"The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg"(surviving copies only say " Old Heidelberg") is a very moving and heartbreaking love story and pretty much in the best Lubitsch tradition of subtle, graceful, witty romantic comedy, tinged with an air of sadness and poignancy, much like what you see in the later Lubitsch sound masterworks like "The Shop Around the Corner", "Heaven Can Wait", and "Cluny Brown". Norma Shearer gives what could be her greatest and most satisfying silent performance as Kathi, a popular barmaid with fraternal students and townsfolk in the quasi-mythical university town of Heidelberg. Ramon Novaro is superb as her prince charming, the student prince who falls in love with her.

If you liked this one, I recommend Lubitsch's other great silent love story from this period, the rarely seen and appreciated "Eternal Love."