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Sarajevo (1940 French film)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
|name = Sarajevo
|image = Sarajevo (1940 French film).jpg
|caption = Theatrical film poster
|native_name =
|director = Max Ophls
|producer = Edward Halton
Eugne Tucherer
|writer =
|starring =
|music = Oscar Straus
|cinematography = Curt Courant
Otto Heller
|editing = Myriam Borsoutsky
Jean Oser
|studio = B.U.P. Franaise
|distributor = Compagnie Cinmatographique de France
|released =
|runtime = 95 minutes
|country = France
|language = French
}}
'Sarajevo' (French: 'De Mayerling Sarajevo') is a 1940 French historical drama film directed by Max Ophls and starring Edwige Feuillre, John Lodge and Aim Clariond. Beginning in the aftermath of the Mayerling Incident, the film portrays the love affair and marriage between Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, leading up to their eventual assassination in 1914 in events that triggered the First World War. The film was not a commercial or critical success. Following the German occupation of France the film was banned, and Ophls fled into exile for the second time.
Plot
In the late 1800's, Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, falls for Sophie Chotek, a Czech countess. He's already a problem to the Crown because of his political ideas. In addition, a love affair with someone not of royal blood breeches protocol. The Crown allows the union only after the couple agrees to a morganatic marriage. Franz doesn't seem to care about the protocols of the time, provoking the emperor to further neutralize him by demoting him to inspector general of the army. In June 1914, fearing for his safety, Sophie seeks permission to accompany Franz to Sarajevo; protocol dictates that no army troops attend Franz while she is present. An assassin strikes. Their deaths spark World War I.
Partial cast
*Edwige Feuillre as Countess Sophie Chotek
*John Lodge as l'archiduc Franois-Ferdinand
*Aim Clariond as Prince of Montenuovo
*Jean Worms as Emperor Franois-Joseph
*Gilbert Gil as Gavrilo Princip
*Jean Debucourt as Janatschek
*Raymond Aimos as Franois-Ferdinand's valet
*Gabrielle Dorziat as Archduchess Marie-Thrse
* as Serbian ambassador
*Gaston Dubosc as Count Chotek
*Marcel Andr as Archduke Frdric
*Colette Rgis as Archduchess Isabelle
*Jacqueline Marsan as young archduchess
* as chamberlain
References
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