The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

About the production

The film was one of MGM's most expensive productions of 1927, featuring lavish sets recreating 19th-century Heidelberg. The production faced challenges in creating authentic German atmosphere on American sets, with art director Cedric Gibbons designing elaborate university and inn sets. The film was shot during the transition from silent to sound films, with synchronized music and effects added later. MGM invested heavily in costumes and period details, with over 3,000 costumes created for the production.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg reached screens around 1927, produced in its country of origin. Silent-era houses paired such titles with live music and newsreel bills.

Why this film matters

Researchers cite The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg when tracing screen culture of its decade.

Making of

The production of 'The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg' was a monumental undertaking for MGM, representing the studio's commitment to quality and prestige in the late silent era. Ernst Lubitsch, who had recently emigrated from Germany, brought his distinctive 'Lubitsch Touch' - a sophisticated blend of wit and sentimentality - to the project. The casting process was extensive, with MGM considering several actors for the lead role before settling on Ramon Novarro, who was one of the studio's biggest stars. Norma Shearer was cast as Kathi after impressing studio executives with her performance in 'The Merry Widow'. The production design was particularly ambitious, with Cedric Gibbons creating massive sets that recreated the University of Heidelberg and the surrounding town. The famous inn set was so elaborate that it remained standing on the MGM lot for years, being used in numerous subsequent films. The film was shot during a transitional period in Hollywood, as studios were experimenting with sound technology. While primarily a silent film, MGM added a synchronized musical score and sound effects, making it one of the first films to feature this technology. The score was adapted from Romberg's operetta, with additional original music composed by William Axt. The production faced challenges in maintaining authenticity while working in California, with Lubitsch insisting on German cultural accuracy in everything from the costumes to the actors' mannerisms.

What critics said

Reviewers in 1927 weighed The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg on clarity, pacing, and audience response rather than prestige status. No single canonical review dominates later reference works for the title.

Did you know?

• This was the first MGM film to have a pre-recorded musical score, making it one of the earliest films with synchronized music and sound effects, though still essentially a silent film.
• Ramon Novarro was initially reluctant to take the role as he felt he was too old to play a student prince at age 28, but MGM convinced him by promising it would be a prestige production.
• The film was based on the 1924 operetta 'The Student Prince' by Sigmund Romberg, which itself was adapted from Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's 1901 play 'Alt Heidelberg'.
• Norma Shearer and Ramon Novarro had previously starred together in 'The Merry Widow' (1925), and their chemistry was so strong that MGM paired them again for this film.
• Director Ernst Lubitsch, being German himself, brought authentic European sensibility to the production, though he never actually filmed in Germany.
• The film was a massive critical and commercial success, helping to solidify both Novarro and Shearer as major stars at MGM.
• The famous 'Drinking Song' sequence was filmed in one continuous take, a technical achievement for the time.
• Jean Hersholt, who plays the innkeeper, would later become famous for his humanitarian work and as the namesake of the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
• The film's success led to a 1954 musical remake starring Mario Lanza, though many critics consider the 1927 version superior.
• MGM head Louis B. Mayer considered this one of his favorite productions, often screening it for guests at his estate.

Awards & recognition

• Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor (1927) - One of the year's best pictures

Visual style

The cinematography by John J. Mescall and Oliver T. Marsh was groundbreaking for its time, featuring innovative camera movements and lighting techniques that enhanced the film's emotional impact. The filmmakers employed soft focus techniques to create a dreamlike, romantic atmosphere, particularly in the love scenes between the Prince and Kathi. The cinematography made extensive use of natural-looking lighting to create authentic European atmospheres, with careful attention to how light filtered through windows and illuminated the famous German university settings. The film featured several technically complex shots, including the famous sequence where the Prince and his friends drink and sing in the beer garden, which was filmed using a moving camera to create a sense of participation and celebration. The cinematography also utilized depth of field to create rich, layered compositions that added visual complexity to the storytelling. The black and white photography was particularly effective in creating contrast between the rigid formality of the royal court and the warmth of life in Heidelberg.

Innovations

The film was a technical marvel of its time, featuring several innovations that would influence future filmmaking. It was one of the first films to use synchronized music and sound effects, employing the Vitaphone system to create a hybrid silent-sound experience. The production pioneered new techniques in creating authentic period atmosphere on studio sets, with art director Cedric Gibbons developing innovative methods for recreating 19th-century German architecture. The film's cinematography featured advanced lighting techniques, including the use of backlighting to create romantic silhouettes and the manipulation of shadows to enhance emotional scenes. The production also experimented with camera movement, using dollies and cranes to create dynamic shots that added visual interest to the storytelling. The film's editing was particularly sophisticated for the silent era, with smooth transitions between scenes and effective use of cross-cutting to build emotional tension. The makeup techniques used to age the actors were also innovative, particularly in the scenes showing the Prince's transformation from student to ruler. The film's preservation and restoration in later years also demonstrated advances in film restoration technology.

Music

The film featured an innovative synchronized musical score adapted from Sigmund Romberg's operetta 'The Student Prince', making it one of the first films to use pre-recorded music synchronized to the action. The score included the famous songs from the operetta such as 'Deep in My Heart, Dear' and 'Drinking Song', which were adapted for the film's emotional needs. The music was composed and conducted by William Axt, who worked closely with Lubitsch to ensure the score enhanced the film's emotional narrative. The synchronization process was cutting-edge for 1927, using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system to align the music with the on-screen action. The film also included synchronized sound effects, such as the clinking of beer steins and the sounds of celebration in the university scenes. This musical approach represented a transitional technology between pure silent films and full talkies, showing how music and sound could enhance cinematic storytelling without dialogue. The score was so popular that it was released as a separate recording, becoming one of the first film soundtracks available for home listening.

Famous quotes

Kathi: 'In Heidelberg, we have a saying: Love is like the Rhine - it flows forever.'

Prince Karl Heinrich: 'I have learned more in these few months than in all my years of royal training.'

King: 'A crown is not a privilege, it is a burden that must be carried.'

Prince Karl Heinrich: 'I never knew what happiness was until I knew you.'

Kathi: 'Some loves are meant to be memories, not lifetimes.'

Prince Karl Heinrich: 'I would trade my kingdom for one more day with you.'

Old Ruder: 'In youth, we think love can conquer all. In age, we know what must be.'

Memorable scenes

• The beer garden celebration scene where the Prince and his fellow students sing the famous drinking song, featuring innovative camera movement and synchronized sound effects
• The first meeting between the Prince and Kathi at the inn, where their instant chemistry is established through subtle glances and gestures
• The farewell scene between the Prince and Kathi by the river, among the leading emotionally powerful moments in silent cinema
• The Prince's return to the royal court, with stark visual contrast between the warmth of Heidelberg and the cold formality of the palace
• The final scene where the aged Prince returns to Heidelberg as a tourist, poignantly revisiting the places of his youth and lost love

What audiences thought

The film was a tremendous commercial success upon its release, becoming one of MGM's biggest hits of 1927. Audiences were captivated by the romantic story and the chemistry between the leads. The film's emotional power resonated strongly with viewers, with many reports of audiences being moved to tears during screenings. The synchronized musical score was particularly appreciated by audiences, who found it enhanced the emotional impact of the story. The film's success at the box office helped validate MGM's investment in expensive, high-quality productions. Moviegoers of the era especially praised the film's visual beauty and the authentic European atmosphere created on the MGM lot. The film's popularity extended beyond America, with successful releases in Europe despite being an American production of a European story. In the decades since its release, the film has maintained a devoted following among silent film enthusiasts and classic cinema lovers. It is frequently screened at film festivals and revival houses, where it continues to move audiences with its timeless story of love and duty.

Film connections

Influenced by

• 'Alt Heidelberg' (1901 play) by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster
• 'The Student Prince' (1924 operetta) by Sigmund Romberg
• German Romantic literature and poetry
• European royal biographies and histories
• Contemporary German silent films
• The tradition of the 'prince and the pauper' story archetype

This film influenced

• 'The Student Prince' (1954) - direct musical remake
• 'Roman Holiday' (1953) - similar princess-commoner romance
• 'The Prince and the Showgirl' (1957) - royal-commoner relationship theme
• 'Royal Wedding' (1951) - royal romance theme
• 'The Princess Diaries' (2001) - modern take on royal coming-of-age

Film restoration

The film is preserved in its complete form at the George Eastman Museum and the Library of Congress. A restored version was released in 2005 by Warner Bros. (which now owns the MGM library) featuring the original synchronized score. The restoration was undertaken using original nitrate materials and represents one of the best-preserved examples of late silent era filmmaking. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. The original Vitaphone discs for the synchronized score have also been preserved and digitized.

Where to watch

• Warner Archive Collection DVD/Blu-ray
• The Criterion Channel (streaming)
• Turner Classic Movies (occasional broadcasts)
• FilmStruck (historical availability)
• MGM HD cable channel
• Various film festival screenings and revival houses
• Public domain versions available online (though quality varies)