Harry Liedtke's mustache in Der Faschingsprinz (1928)

If you’re into that specific 1920s vibe where everyone is constantly winking or falling over for no reason, you’ll probably find this one charming enough. It’s a 1928 German flick that basically runs on carnival energy and some very fancy hats. 🎭

Harry Liedtke plays the lead, and honestly, the man was born to look smug in a suit. If you aren't a fan of those "high-society" misunderstandings where a prince pretends to be a regular guy, this will probably drive you up a wall.

The movie feels like a long weekend in Munich that went on about three hours too long. There is so much confetti. I swear, by the thirty-minute mark, I felt like I needed to vacuum my own living room just from watching it. 🧹

There’s this one bit where Liedtke is trying to look suave while wearing a costume that looks like a giant bird or something? It is hard to tell with the old film stock.

He has this way of tilting his head that makes you think he's about to say something deep, but then he just trips. It reminded me a bit of the physical comedy in The Strong Man, but way less polished and a lot more sweaty.

Irene Krauß is there too, playing the love interest who seems mostly confused by everything happening. Her eyes are huge. Like, impossibly large, even for a silent movie star.

The plot is pretty thin, even for Walter Reisch. He’s written better stuff, but here it feels like they just wanted an excuse to film a big party on the studio's dime.

There’s a scene in a ballroom where the extras look like they’ve been told to "act excited" for twelve hours straight. One guy in the background is just staring at a plate of sausages like it’s his only friend in the world. 🌭

It’s not quite as weirdly hypnotic as something like Jazz Mad, but it has its moments. Especially when the costumes get really weird.

The masks are the real stars, really. Some of them are actually kind of terrifying if you look at them for more than five seconds in the grainy light.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Der Faschingsprinz (1928) through its definitive frames.

There is this weirdly long sequence of people just... walking through doors? I counted five doors in a row. It felt like a glitch in the editing, or maybe they just really liked the woodwork in that studio and wanted to show it off.

I liked the music—well, the score on the version I watched. It was bouncy, even when the scene was supposed to be serious.

If you're looking for a deep look at the "human condition," keep walking. This is just Harry Liedtke being a handsome goofball for an hour while people throw paper at him.

It lacks the punch of It's the Old Army Game, which had that gritty 20s humor. This is more like a sugary pastry that disappears the second you eat it.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a good way to spend a rainy Sunday? Sure, if you have some snacks and don't mind a bit of over-acting. 🍿

I kept waiting for a big twist, but it just sort of... ends. Everyone is happy, I think. Or at least they stopped throwing confetti for long enough to kiss.

One thing that stuck with me was the lighting in the outdoor scenes. It has that hazy, dreamlike quality that makes you wish you could go back to 1928, minus the lack of modern medicine.

Actually, the way they handle the "royal" stuff is pretty funny. The prince’s attendants look more stressed than a barista during a morning rush at a train station.

It’s a bit like A Truthful Liar in that way—everyone is just pretending to be something else and failing badly.

I noticed a scratch on the film during a close-up of Marianne Winkelstern that looked exactly like a mustache for a second. It made the scene much better, honestly.

Anyway, watch it for the vibes. Don't expect to remember the plot by Tuesday morning.