Why Ronny (1931) is a weirdly fun time even if you hate musicals

Is Ronny worth your time today? Honestly, yeah, but only if you aren't in the mood for anything heavy. If you want something like The Price of Silence, you are going to be very disappointed because this movie is basically a giant piece of candy.

It’s perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you’ve already scrolled through everything else. People who hate people bursting into song for no reason will probably want to throw their remote at the screen, though. 🎵

The story kicks off with Ronny, played by Käthe von Nagy. She’s a designer who is heading to this fictional place called Perusa. I’m pretty sure Perusa isn't real, but in the movie, it looks like it’s made entirely of marble and expensive drapes.

Ronny has these costumes she made for the Prince’s new operetta. On the train, she meets this guy who is obviously the Prince, but she doesn’t know that yet. It’s one of those movie tropes where you just have to turn your brain off and pretend she wouldn't recognize the most famous guy in the country.

Willy Fritsch plays the Prince. He’s got this very 1930s kind of charm where he’s always smiling just a little bit too much. It’s like he’s constantly waiting for someone to take his photo.

The plot gets moving when the actual star of the show walks out in a huff. Ronny gets talked into taking her place. It’s a very "A Star Is Born" moment, but with much more singing about hearts and flowers.

I found myself really looking at the backgrounds in this one. The sets are actually pretty impressive for 1931. There’s a scene in a hotel room that looks more modern than my actual apartment.

The movie is co-written by Emeric Pressburger. If you know your film history, that name usually means something special. You can see little bits of his cleverness in the dialogue, even when the plot is being silly.

It’s definitely not as deep as something like The Gold Rush. It doesn’t try to be. It just wants you to look at the pretty dresses and listen to the catchy tunes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Ronny (1931) through its definitive frames.

One thing that bugged me was the way the extras moved. In the big crowd scenes, some of the people in the back look like they aren't sure why they are there. One guy just stands there staring at the ceiling while everyone else is cheering. 😂

• The hats in this movie are huge. I don't know how they kept them on their heads.
• Theo Lingen is in this, and he does this weird thing with his eyebrows that made me laugh every time.
• The music is actually pretty good, though it gets stuck in your head in a way that’s slightly annoying after an hour.
• There is a scene with a telephone that feels like it goes on for about three minutes too long.

The romance between Ronny and the Prince is... fine. It’s very polite. They don't have that sizzling chemistry you see in later movies, but they look nice together on a balcony.

The whole "can a prince marry a commoner" thing is handled with about as much realism as a fairy tale. It reminds me of the lighthearted vibes in Happy Though Married, where the problems aren't really problems.

I did notice that the sound quality is a bit hit or miss. Sometimes the singing is really loud and then the dialogue is super quiet. I had to keep messing with my volume, which was a bit of a pain.

There’s a moment where Ronny is trying on a costume and she looks genuinely confused by all the buttons. I liked that. It felt like a real human moment in a movie that is otherwise very staged.

The ending is exactly what you think it is. I won't spoil it, but let's just say nobody goes to jail and nobody dies. It’s all very neat.

I think I liked it more than I expected to. It has this weird energy where it knows it’s a bit ridiculous. It doesn't try to be a "meditation on class" or anything like that. It’s just a movie about a girl, a prince, and some really nice fabric.

If you enjoy seeing how they did musicals before everything became so polished and corporate, give it a look. It’s got a lot of heart, even if it’s a bit clunky in places.

"How can a prince marry a commoner?" well, usually by just doing it, but the movie makes it a whole thing.

Final thought: check out the way they lit the ballroom scene. It’s actually quite beautiful. It made me wish movies still used that much contrast between shadows and light. 🥂