The young Bavarian princess Elisabeth, who all call Sissi, goes with her mother and older sister Néné to Austria where Néné will be wed to an emperor named Franz Joseph, Yet unexpectedly Franz runs into Sissi while out fishing and they fall in love.
Acting
Romy Schneider's breakout — she *is* Sissi forever
Costume
Crinoline dresses so extra they need their own zip code
Production
Real Schönbrunn Palace shots — no CGI, all grandeur
Director
Ernst Marischka
Romy Schneider
Princess Elisabeth
Karlheinz Böhm
Emperor Franz Joseph
Magda Schneider
Duchess Ludovika
Uta Franz
Princess Helene
Gustav Knuth
Duke Max
Vilma Degischer
Archduchess Sophie
Josef Meinrad
Major Böckl
Karl Fochler
Grünne
Franz Böheim
Johann Petzmacher
Fritz Muliar
Blumenbote
Egon von Jordan
Minister
Richard Eybner
Von Ischl
Peter Weck
Archduke Karl Ludwig
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film created the 'Sissi myth' that Austrians still can't escape — the real Empress Elisabeth was famously depressed and traveled endlessly to avoid court life.
Romy Schneider hated being typecast as Sissi so much that she fled to France; she later played a darker version of Elisabeth in 'Ludwig' (1972), effectively killing her own franchise.
AT
