laureatedvd.com

[Dominic McHugh]

I have just accidentallly been to www.amazon.de, the German version of amazon.com, and there seems to be a DVD of Top Hat. My German is not great but from what I can make out there is some strange issue regarding dubbing the film into German and ruining the opening titles with German translations. I wondered if anyone knows anything about this release and whether it has the real original unspoiled version of the film we all know and love? Do you know anything about this release, Ken?

Dominic

[Ken Barnes]

Hi Dominic,

I was just about to close shop for the weekend and along comes your message. I know nothing about the German DVD of "Top Hat" but can only cringe at the thought of Fred and Ginger talking ( but surely NOT singing ) in German. BUT this would seem to be the ONLY DVD of TOP HAT anywhere in the world at the moment.

I hope you picked up my message of yesterday ( continuing the "White Christmas revision" subject ). If not, it may give you some cause for optimism.

As I said I was with Fred's daughter, Ava yesterday. I'll also be seeing her again in November in New York where Hofstra University are holding a mammoth 3-day conference dedicated to Bing Crosby and American Culture. One panel will be devoted to Bing's association with Fred - and Ava will be one of the guest speakers.

There'll be a report on this in due course on the website NEWS section.

Have a good weekend

Best
Ken

[Christoph Nestel]

The DVD of the German Kinowelt label contains TOP HAT in its original German theatrical version "Ich tanz' mich in Dein Herz hinein" (i.e. "I'll dance in your heart") which was first released March 31, 1950 in Germany. There is also the original English language version on the DVD, but the print they used carries the original German 1950 first release titlecards. Already in 1946 the big foreign movie companies began to release movies in dubbed German language versions; although in the early post-war years between 1945 and 1949 there where still many foreign films released in its original language with subtitles e.g. HOLIDAY INN of which never a German version existed.

At that time throughout the early sixties synchronisations were carefully and competently produced and supervised by the foreign production companies. When the first Marilyn Monroe-pictures had to be released in Germany e.g. 20th Century Fox of Germany did a large casting for Marilyn's voice. The masters were sent to USA and they finally chose actress Margot Leonard, who lasted Marilyns German voice in all her films.

The German language version of TOP HAT was produced by the dubbing department of RKO of Germany in 1950. A subtiteled version had already been released in Nazi Germany in 1935. The German dialogue book was written by Richard Busch; dialogue director was Reinhard W. Noack. Fred Astaire was dubbed by Harry Giese and Ginger Rodgers by Ilse Hülper, who also did Ginger's vocals in German. The dialogue version was excellent, Giese the best German voice for Astaire ever. Unfortunately none of the other early Rodgers/Astaire musicals were released, so it was his first and only effort. As Giese wasn't a singer, Fred's vocals were done by popular singer Rudi Schuricke, who is famous for "Die Capri-Fischer", which was one of the most successful post-war-hits ever. But the dubbing of the songs was just terrible. So soon in the early fifties the dubbing departments of the major companies realized (especially MGM did it beneath RKO), that musical vocals couldn't be sensitively dubbed and from then onwards vocals were never more dubbed in the German versions.

When TOP HAT was sold to German television company ZDF in the 60s, they substituted the awful synchron vocals again with Fred's and Ginger's original singing, and that's the version of TOP HAT everbody in Germany knows and loves since childhood. This version is also on the German VHS zape edition. For the DVD they used inadvertendly another print including the German vocals, that's why the DVD gained such a great dislike at amazon. From today's point of view the dubbed vocals are a historical document of the early dubbing production but definitely nothing to enjoy for. It would have been a fine extra third audio track feature if the TV version was on the DVD. So it's just a strange collector's item but on the other way the only way to get that rare print I had never seen before and which is nevertheless of certain historical interest.

If English audiences can live with the German titlecards (were the German Voice actors are given) I can recommend it, to German audiences I would only recommend it as special interst gift.

Best wishes,

Christoph Nestel

[Dominic McHugh]

That's great to know. Now that there's the possibility of the Laureate-RKO-Universal-Fred edition I'll hold off from buying the German version.

Do you know anything about the French releases?

Thanks

Dom

[Ken Barnes]

Dear Christoph,

Thank you for your interesting coverage of "Top Hat" and its history on the German market. Your knowledge and insight into the dubbing process gave me information that I never knew before.

My company is presently working with Universal and one of the subjects under discussion is a possible DVD of "Top Hat." Indeed, it would be good to do the entire Astaire-Rogers RKO canon - but the problem is the question of territories. To do the kind of special editions for which we are known would require access to more than one territory. However, this situation is being looked at and if we reach a satisfactory conclusion, it will be announced on this website.

Once again, thanks for the information.

Kind regards
Ken

[Dominic McHugh]

Well! You slipped that one in quietly! While I know that 'we are in talks...' does not constitute a promise or anything definite, it's good to hear that at last we MAY get Fred's best films on DVD. If you can pull this one off it will surely be one of Laureate's most popular titles!

I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of seeing a good print of 'Cheek to Cheek' and all those other wonderful Berlin songs. 'Top Hat' is my favourite Black and White Fred film, and I know that all the contributors to this board would be equally enthusiatic about the possible release (although some people prefer 'Swing Time.')That'll give us something to talk about until 'Holiday Inn' is released. (At least the Rodgers and Hammerstein films are released next week in the UK [though in many ways inferior to TOP HAT]).

I'm keeping EVERYTHING crossed!

Best wishes and all good luck for success!

Dominic

[Guest]

The Kinowelt TOP HAT release is in fact a double feature DVD.
The second film FLYING DOWN TO RIO doesn't contain dubbing.
That's why it's only called an extra feature.
Unfortunately it contains forced German subtitles.

In my opinion this DVD makes a nice addition to every Astaire-Rogers-DVD-collection. Especially at the current bargain price of 9,97.

[Ken Barnes]

[Ken Barnes]

Dear Guest,

Thanks for bringing this release to our attention. As you may be aware, "Top Hat" is part of a four disc release which we produced for Universal. It did not, however, contain German subtitles.

Coming soon in the USA from Warner Brothers is the first of two box sets comprising all ten of the Astaire-Rogers musicals. It will be available ONLY in the U.S. but may contain subtitles. The second box will appear in 2006.