Item: Annemarie, the Bride of the Company
Rating: 7
Author: Archivist John

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, only if you’re deep into the history of early sound-era comedy or just have a weirdly specific craving for 1930s military farce. If you’re looking for a tight plot, look elsewhere. People who love High Play might find some shared DNA here, but it’s a long walk to get there.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that someone accidentally filmed. Everything happens in these stiff, boxy sets. There’s a lot of running in and out of doors, which is the hallmark of this kind of comedy. I found myself counting how many times someone gets surprised by a door opening.

It’s not exactly high art. Annemarie is clearly the engine driving the plot, even when she’s barely doing anything. The guys in the unit orbit her like they’ve never seen a woman before. It’s charming in a goofy, outdated way, but I’m not sure modern audiences will have the patience for the pacing. 🙄

The vibe check

The performances are loud. Like, really loud. Everyone is playing to the back row of the theater, which is fine, but it gets exhausting after an hour. Paul Hörbiger is doing his best to anchor the chaos, but sometimes it feels like he’s in a different movie than everyone else.

That one scene in the mess hall? Went on way too long.
The uniforms look like they’re made of construction paper.
There’s a bit with a ladder that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen in every comedy from this decade.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Come Robinet sposò Robinette, though less physically inventive. The comedy relies on people being baffled by simple things. It’s mildly funny if you turn your brain off for a bit.

There’s a weird emptiness to the backgrounds in the exterior shots. It’s like they didn’t have enough extras to make the place look like a real army camp. Sometimes the screen just feels… bare. It didn’t bother me, but it’s definitely noticeable if you aren’t paying attention to the dialogue.

I’m not sure why I kept watching, but the sheer stubbornness of the gags is almost impressive. They just keep going, even when the joke has clearly expired. It’s an odd little artifact. Not great, but it didn’t make me want to walk out of the room either.