DAS FIDELE GEFÄNGNIS/ICH MÖCHTE KEIN MANN SEIN

More than once during his career, Lubitsch drew on popular stage and especially operetta material for his films. DAS FIDELE GEFÄNGNIS clearly borrows from - you guessed it - Johann Strauss' Fledermaus: a comedy of mistaken identity in 3/4 time, set in pre-war Vienna, which heads towards its climax at the prince's masked ball.
ICH MÖCHTE KEIN MANN SEIN is not only full of allusions to libertine sexuality, but also presents silent film star Ossi Oswalda as an undisciplined, raunchy young woman who fiercely resists any form of constraint imposed on her - and goes out disguised as a man to enjoy Berlin's nightlife to the full: but alcohol, cigarettes and card games leave their mark. (Florian Widegger)