German Film Screening: Three Penny Opera

Three Penny Opera (1931)
Directed by G. W. Pabst

An important piece of music and film history – just think "Mac the Knife": Bobby Derin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald!

Quite an iconic list of artists of the Weimar Republic, (1919-33), and Berlin, the center of the cultural universe of that time...
Pabst (1885-1967 – Vienna): he tackled crime, hypocrisy and class. In fact, all his early films show a clear left-alignment along with a keen eye for the interdependence of money, power and sex.
Brecht (1898- 1956 E. Berlin): in many ways his literary equivalent.
Kurt Weill: (1900-50 NY) a very innovative composer – he wrote the music and Brecht provided the libretto for DieDreigroschenoper (1928); a transposition of John Gay's Beggar's Opera (1728) with the 18th-century thieves, highwaymen, jailers, and their women turned into typical characters in the Berlin underworld of the 1920s. This work established both the topical opera and the reputations of the composer and librettist. Weill's music for it was in turn harsh, mordant, jazzy, and hauntingly melancholy.

The Nazi banned the movie as it was seen to be critical of Germany, and, of course, under Jewish influence.

All interested are welcome!

NOTE FOR VISITORS: Enter South (Ramo) end of building across pond and walk up stairs – for elevators enter North end on "grass" side – Somebody will be there should doors be locked and direct you to the lecture hall.