Paris, 1830: Jean-Gaspard Debureau performs on the stage and delights his audience with song, wit and charm. He is, however, very unpopular with King Charles X, who is the target of much of Debureau's scornful jests. That would be a somewhat tolerable situation if it weren't for the fact that Debureau has fallen for a countess, who happens to be the King's mistress.
Acting
Gründgens commands every frame with aristocratic theatrical precision.
Production
Opulent 1830s Paris recreated under Nazi-era film restrictions.
Director
Hans Steinhoff
Gustaf Gründgens
Jean-Gaspard Debureau
Sybille Schmitz
Gräfin Héloise Cambouilly
Gisela Uhlen
Angèle Destouches
Theo Lingen
Graf Cambouilly
Paul Bildt
Mönch
Hilde Hildebrand
Gräfin X
Ralph Arthur Roberts
König Karl X.
Hans Leibelt
Prinz Louis Philippe
Will Dohm
Theaterdirektor Pomponille
Gretl Theimer
Schirmverkäuferin
Walter Werner
Ernst Legal
Elsa Wagner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gustaf Gründgens became Nazi Germany's most famous actor, later inspiring Klaus Mann's novel Mephisto. This film exists in that shadow.
The real Jean-Gaspard Deburau (note the spelling) was a famous French mime; this film invents the romantic plot entirely.
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