Hand-Picked Alternatives Movies That Echo the Spirit of Le petit éc...

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

Rupp (Jannings) is a former butcher, made rich in the meat packing industry as a result of the reversal of fortunes brought on by WWI. He is crude, uncouth and uneducated. His son, Fred, is the apple of his father's eye and is an auto enthusiast. The widowed Rupp falls in love with a former aristocrat, Helen, now down on her luck and pawning her last heirloom. He proposes marriage and she accepts in order to save her ailing mother who needs a monetary influx to avoid death. Her former boyfriend, Platen, warns Helen against Rupp's intentions - he and Rupp are enemies, Rupp having caused his being fired for protecting a chorus girl against Rupp's unwanted advances. Meanwhile, Graf, a shyster, arranges purchase of a near bankrupt auto manufacturing firm, Phoenix, to Rupp's great advantage with practically no monetary recognition to Graf, who swears revenge. Rupp comes upon his son begging Helen not to marry his father but to return to Platen. Rupp misinterprets the scene, thinks his son is after his intended, and banishes him. The last twenty minutes involve an auto race and its aftermath. Fred unknown to all becomes the driver of his father's rival auto maker. Platen is driving for Rupp's firm, Phoenix. In order to win, Rupp has bribed Graf to make sure his rival won't.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Les dieux s'amusent perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jupiter descends from Olympus to Greek Thebes, where in disguise he seduces the wife of one of the men who are away at war.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

Ronny is a young designer on her way to the capital of the Ruritanian Kingdom of Perusa with the costumes she has created for the operetta written by the Prince. On her journey she meets the prince and is persuaded to take the place of the star who had just walked out. The prince falls for Ronny but how can he marry a commoner ?

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Ronny perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

Gerte Winter, a young Berliner mechanic, marries an English rich nobleman who promises to send for her. Time goes on, and tired of waiting Gerte heads off to England. After some new acquaintances she finds herself in front of a big fenced property.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Girl Irene perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Helene has agreed to marry a man that she isn't in love with. On the day of her wedding her cousin arrives just in time to rescue her and they run away together. They stay with her aged grandmother who assumes the young man (whom she doesn't know) to be the new husband and has prepared a bridal bed for them.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

Comedy with an Egyptian backdrop: Businessman Tobby and the Countess Stafanie wish to take all the fun away from their single parents and make them marry each other.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Die englische Heirat perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Reinhold Schünzel

Aspiring singer Susanne takes over for ham actor Viktor at a small cabaret in Berlin where he works a woman impersonator and per chance she's discovered by an agent, who thinks that she really is a man. She becomes famous, but her situation becomes troublesome when she falls in love with Robert.