The composer who loved too much — and too often. Five affairs, one opera, zero chill.
Director William Dieterle's 1956 film biography of classical composer Richard Wagner stars Carlos Thompson, Yvonne De Carlo, Rita Gam, Alan Badel and Valentina Cortese.
Costume
Crinolines and sideburns that deserve their own billing.
Acting
Yvonne De Carlo suffers beautifully as the abandoned wife.
Production
Lavish sets that scream 'we spent the budget on curtains.'
Director
William Dieterle
Yvonne De Carlo
Minna Planer
Carlos Thompson
Franz Liszt
Rita Gam
Cosima Liszt
Valentina Cortese
Mathilde Wesendonk
Alan Badel
Richard Wagner
Peter Cushing
Otto Wesendonk
Frederick Valk
Minister von Moll
Gerhard Riedmann
King Ludwig I
Erik Schumann
Hans von Bülow
Robert Freitag
August Röckel
Charles Regnier
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Fritz Rasp
Pfistermeister
Kurt Großkurth
Theater Manager
Hans Quest
Robert Hubner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Carlos Thompson, who played Liszt, was actually Argentine — his European accent was pure Hollywood invention.
The film completely sanitizes Wagner's virulent antisemitism, which even 1950s audiences might have noticed was conspicuously absent.
US
