Josef Meinrad

This documentary, hosted by actor Burgess Meredith, explores the life and career of movie director Otto Preminger, whose body of work includes such memorable films as Anatomy of a Murder, Exodus, Laura, Forever Amber, Advise and Consent, In Harm's Way, The Moon Is Blue, The Man with the Golden Arm, and many other movies made from the '30s through the '70s. Interviews with actors Frank Sinatra, Vincent Price, James Stewart, Michael Caine, and others who worked with the flamboyant and sometimes control-obsessed director add information and insight to the story.

Not far from Windsor Castle, the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn visits the German astronomer Friedrich W. Herschel in the summer of 1792. But what begins as an informal afternoon ends in disaster for Haydn: his traditional world view is shaken by Herschel's cosmic experiences.

No plot available for this movie.

No plot available for this movie.

Most opera houses ring in the New Year with Johann Strauss Jr.'s most popular operetta--the festiveness of which is appropriate for the occasion--and this December 31, 1983, Covent Garden performance follows suit. An exceptional cast--led by Hermann Prey and Kiri Te Kanawa as the couple whose marriage survives the comic indiscretions of three long acts--obviously has as much fun as the audience. Plácido Domingo leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House through its paces with panache. Prince Orlofsky's Act II party is always a splendid opportunity to pull out all the stops with surprise "guests," and this performance makes the most of its chance: entering the proceedings to sing one of his tailor-made chansons, "She," is French crooner Charles Aznavour, who is followed by dancers Merle Park and Wayne Eagling, their delightful pas de deux flashily choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton.

No plot available for this movie.

No plot available for this movie.

The driving force behind the action is the scheming impostor Nebel, who fleeces the nouveau riche, especially Florian von Fett, formerly a master butcher, now a "partikulier" (private entrepreneur). Fett does not feel at home in the modern society to which he now belongs thanks to his wealth, and he covers up his insecurities with behavior that is sometimes naive, sometimes crude. The Marchese Vincelli embodies the parody of the ruined nobility, which has long since become unfit for life due to its excessive sensitivity, while the landlord of "Zum silbernen Rappen" is the cunning social climber of the people. A marriage-hungry old maid, an obediently curtsying daughter, and a snappy maid complete the panopticon of this cozy yet uncomfortable Biedermeier world.

No plot available for this movie.

No plot available for this movie.