Backstage drama meets musical chaos in ...und wer küßt mich?

Is it worth the watch?

Honestly, only if you are a completionist for 1930s German musical comedy. If you’re looking for something breezy to kill an hour, maybe. But if you hate watching people act like absolute vultures for the sake of a stage role, skip it. You’ll probably just get annoyed.

The plot is simple enough. A dancer wants out from under her director’s thumb. She basically spends the whole movie trying to sabotage him so she can shine. It feels a bit like Her Great Chance but with more singing and less actual heart.

There is this one scene where the director is trying to conduct, and the chaos happening behind his back is just… a lot. It goes on way too long. I think the camera man got bored because it just stays on a close-up of his frustrated face for an eternity. 🙄

The musical numbers are fine, I guess. They feel a little stiff, like everyone is terrified of missing their mark on the floorboards. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Plastered in Paris, but with more lace and heavy makeup.

Oddly specific notes:

• The director’s mustache is definitely the real star of the show.
• The background extras in the dance studio look like they are actively wishing they were literally anywhere else.
• There is a moment where a hat falls off and nobody picks it up for three full shots. It was super distracting.

It’s not a masterpiece. It doesn’t try to be. The movie just sort of exists. Sometimes it stops being funny and starts being just a bit mean-spirited, which made me check my watch more than once. Not every movie needs to be Kreuzzug des Weibes, but a little more warmth wouldn't have killed the scriptwriters.

If you like old-school theater antics, go for it. Otherwise, you aren't missing a huge piece of cinema history here. It’s just... fine. 🎭