Oh... Rosalinda!!

In 1955 Vienna, during its post-war occupation, the black-market dealer Dr. Falke moves freely through the French, British, American and Russian sectors, dealing in champagne and caviar amongst the highest echelons of the allied powers. After a costume party, French Colonel Gabriel Eisenstein plays a practical joke on a drunken Falke, depositing him, asleep and dressed as a bat, in the lap of a patriotic Russian statue, to be discovered the following morning by irate Russian soldiers. Falke is nearly arrested until his friend General Orlofsky of the USSR intervenes. A vengeful Falke plans an elaborate practical joke on his friend, involving Orlofsky, British Major Frank who is sent to escort the French colonel to jail for his misdemeanor, Eisenstein's beautiful wife Rosalinda, her maid Adele and a masked ball where no one is who they seem. Complicating matters is American Captain Alfred Westerman, an old flame of Rosalinda who is determined to take advantage of her husband's absence, deliberately taking the hotel room next to hers. When Major Frank, arriving to take Eisenstein into custody, catches Alfred in Rosalinda's room, in Eisenstein's dressing gown, he takes Alfred to be Eisenstein and arrests him (Alfred) instead. To avoid scandal, Alfred does nothing to disabuse Frank of his error. Later that evening, at the masked ball hosted by Orlofsky, Adele, wearing one of her mistress's gowns, is spotted by Eisenstein, who is unable to do anything about it (as he is supposed already to be in jail and is attending the ball only with the connivance of Orlofsky, at Falke's instigation) and she catches the eye of both Orlofsky and Frank. When the masked Rosalinda arrives, Eisenstein pursues her but she flees with his watch – which Falke slyly tells him will reappear again at his home. At midnight, Eisenstein presents himself at the jail but when he finds Alfred there, still in his (Eisenstein's) dressing gown, he (Eisenstein) realizes that Alfred must have been courting Rosalinda at their hotel, so he rushes back there to confront her, followed by Alfred and Frank, the mistaken identity having been uncovered. She retorts by showing him the watch he had given her at the ball, and he begs forgiveness. All this is overhead by the rest of Orlofsky's party guests (who have all found their way back to the hotel) and Falke admits that he was behind the charade. As all sing and dance, Alfred allows himself to be re-arrested in Eisenstein's place. ==Cast==

Cast notes: Among the ladies, gentlemen and dancers of the cast were John Schlesinger, Peter Darrell, Joyce Blair and Jill Ireland. On some websites Roy Kinnear is listed in the cast, no role specified, but not on the BFI Screenonline page. ==Production==

Oh... Rosalinda was filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, and on location in London. Powell and Pressburger had suffered through four box office disappointments in a row before this film, which is one reason that Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier and Orson Welles were approached about playing the roles of Alfred, Eisenstein and Orlovsky – and Oh... Rosalinda!! too was not commercially successful. Arundell had already worked with Powell and Pressburger, providing a translation for the film The Tales of Hoffmann. A reviewer of the 2019 Network British Film DVD restoration however notes Heckroth's “stagey expressionism”, “dazzling cinematography aplenty”, and suggests that it prefigures “political operetta deconstructions” of more recent years. Walbrook had played Strauss in Walzerkrieg in 1933, and in Wiener Walzer in 1951, both German-language films. A record of musical excerpts derived from the soundtrack of the film was issued on Nixa LP NLP 18001. A restoration from the 35mm CinemaScope original camera negative was undertaken prior to a Blu-ray and DVD re-issue in 2019; this included automated and manual dirt and damage removal and correction of instability, warping and density fluctuation. ==Reception==

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A light and amusing idea – to set Die Fledermaus in modern Vienna – is here trampled under elephantine treatment. The plot loses itself in hopeless convolutions; the presentation of songs and comedy alike is wearily heavy; the design is a scrapbook of a sort of Teutonic House-and-Garden contemporary. Three artists emerge with credit – Anton Walbrook (who is particularly clever in his delivery of the prologue to the film), Anneliese Rothenberger, as a very jolly Adele, and Anthony Quayle as the Russian general – while Michael Redgrave capers with, one feels, more goodwill than enjoyment. Redgrave, Rothenberger and Quayle sing their own parts with accomplishment; the other roles are dubbed with varying success. The music (with admirable new lyrics by Dennis Arundell) is well performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and survives with the charm of its melodies intact." Kine Weekly wrote: "The piquant trifle, which incidentally makes sport of power politics without generating heat, is not only flawlessly acted by its international all-star cast, but also brilliantly sung and magnificently staged. Vintage champagne, bottled in England, it should delight the palate of connoisseur and ninepenny alike. ... The picture creates convincing Continental atmosphere and moves with a merry swing from start to finish." Variety wrote: "Anthony Quayle supplies the requisite sombre touch to the character of the Russian officer who mellows under the influence of champagne and dames. Dennis Price makes a striking contrast as his British counterpart, Anneliese Rothenberger sings and acts vivaciously as the truant lady's maid and the other singing roles are competently handled. Camerawork is artistic and the direction is suitably adjusted to the picturebook atmosphere and satirical vein." Leslie Halliwell wrote "Lumbering attempt to modernise Die Fledermaus, unsuitably wide-screen and totally lacking the Lubitsch touch. A monumental step in the decline of these producers, and a sad stranding of a brilliant cast." ==References==