Lachkabinett (1953)

• 69%
• 1953
• Rolf Raffé
• Karel Lamač
• Willem Holsboer
• Erich Engels
• Wolfgang Becker
• Liesl Karlstadt
• O.E. Hasse
• Adolf Gondrell

The film is a tribute to the work of Karl Valentin, and takes the form of a series of sections as if the cinema audience were at a fairground show. An announcer tells us what's coming and peels back a playsheet for us to watch. The sections are more or less brief sketches with Valentin performing in his accustomed comic style. The film finishes with two slightly longer pieces, "Going to the Theatre" with Valentin and his wife getting dressed and preparing to go out for the evening, with much fumbling and confusion, and "The Orchestra Rehearsal" where chaos reigns as Valentin (who had considerable musical ability) crosses swords, or rather violin bow and baton, with the conductor.