The Silver Screen Oasis

Elisabeth of Austria--Sissi

A number of films have been dedicated to the meeting of Sissi and Franz Joseph in August 1853.. In my collection I have three.

The King Steps Out (1936). In this movie the 15 year old Sissi is played by 37 year old Grace Moore, and the 23 year old Franz Joseph by 31 year old Franchot Tone. This is a good show, made even better by the beautiful voice of Grace Moore.

My next meeting with Sissi was in the TV series Fall Of Eagles, episode 1. In this series Sissi was portrayed beautifully by 27 year old Diane Keen, and Franz Joseph by 28 year old Miles Anderson. Being in colour, this was an improvement on The King Steps Out
This too was a great show.

Next (for me) came The Sissi Collection, the first in the series being Sissi (1955), which related the events of August 1853 to April 1854. Sissi was portrayed by 17 year old Romy Schneider and Franz Joseph by 27 year old Karlheinz Boehm. This was a German language film, with English sub-titles, and despite the sub-titles frequently being white on white, easily the best film. The attraction between Sissi and Franz Joseph was almost electric in it`s intensity.

Not only was Romy closest to the age of Sissi, she was the most beautiful. The scenery was the most magnificent, the love story the most believable, and the colour was easily the best.

I haven't seen "Fall of Eagles" since it first came out, but I remember liking it. I enjyed Curt Jurgens as Bismarck and Patrick Stewart as Lenin.

I am curious about the Sissi movies from Germany in the Fifties. I'll try to see them one day.

The Sissi Collection is really worth a look, Romy Schneider is excellent as Elizabeth, the whole series is worth it for her costumes alone, it mixes humour and history although it does rearrnge slightly some of the historical facts it really doesn't matter. I only recently watched them and wrote the up on the What Have You Watched Lately thread, I devoured the series quickly, it being impossible to break off from them once I'd started.

Romy`s mother Magda also appeared in the 5 movies in the set. She was the mother of Sissi in four of the movies, and in the movie Victoria in Dover she was tutor, friend ,adviser, secretary to the young Victoria.

Tragically Romy`s 14 year old son severed a femoral artery when attempting to climb a spiked fence. Romy began drinking to excess, and less than eleven months later she suffered a cardiac arrest. It was suggested at the time that she had committed suicide, but a second autopsy dismissed this suggestion. She was only 43.

Victoria in Dover is quite good too although I think Romy was too attractive to play Victoria and history really was tampered with this time, it is a pleasant feature. Magda played Lenchen here, the tutor who featured very prominently in Victoria's life, she was the rock that her mother couldn't always be. Victoria's mother is played here by the same woman who played Sissi's mother in law the Arch Duchess Sophie in Sissi. It amused me greatly in Victoria in Dover to think that Victoria would not have worked out that she was next in line to the throne after William IV.

I hope to illustrate with photos soon but for the Sissi fans on this forum I managed to get my family to the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl where Sissi and Franz Josef spent their Summers and the hotel where Franz Josef proposed to Sissi. In the course of our visit Libby was completely captured by Elisabeth's story, her picture and the desk where Franz Josef signed the declaration of war against Serbia. She's doing a project about the summer holidays and Sissi is her star subject. Pictures soon

Can't wait!

Three weeks ago we visited a town called Bad Ischl in Austria, it's near the Austrian lakes and the Alps, Emperor Franz Josef came here every Summer, it was here he met his cousin Helene who he was expected by his mother to marry, Helene brought her younger sister Elisabeth/Sissi with her and the Emperor was captivated with his younger cousin. They became engaged here



it was once the Austrian hotel now it's a museum.

This is the view from the hotel





Here is the villa which was a gift from the Emperor's mother, the Kaiservilla. It was here that Franz Josef came every year for the Summer, Sissi would join him. Inside is the table where the Emperor signed the declaration of war against Serbia beginning the First World War.



A lot of Sissi's belongings were inside but alas we couldn't take pictures.

Ten miles away another town, Strobl has a famous son

lovely pictures, Alison, you and Libby are true "English Roses". (the scenery is lovely, too!)

Thanks Nancy, it was so hot that day but looking at the pictures you can't tell.

Thanks for posting those beautiful pictures Alison. They are of excellent quality and you look very well. Libby looks like a young modern-dressed Sissi herself She is very pretty.

How beautiful! And the villa's not bad either.

Alison, this is weird but with your hair pulled back you are the spitting image of my best friend from 3rd grade to high school.

These photos are so lovely! I enjoy living vicariously. You two are so cute. Thanks, Allison!

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them. If I have my hair tied back it's a hot day, it's not my preferred style, I tried bunches on holiday too, a style that I haven't worn since primary school, I'm not convinced they worked but it kept the hair off my neck.

Libby is doing a project for school on Sissi, she's the expert, if you need to know anything she's your girl