The Theft of the Mona Lisa

This article is about the film. For the real-world event, see Mona Lisa § Refuge, theft, and vandalism.

The Theft of the Mona Lisa
Vicenzo Peruggia (Willi Forst) stealing the Mona Lisa
Directed by	Géza von Bolváry
Written by	Walter Reisch
Produced by	Julius Haimann
Starring	Trude von Molo Willi Forst Gustaf Gründgens
Cinematography	Willy Goldberger
Edited by	Hermann Haller
Music by	Robert Stolz
Production company	Super-Film
Distributed by	Super-Film
Release date	25 August 1931 (1931-08-25)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	Germany
Language	German

The Theft of the Mona Lisa (German: Der Raub der Mona Lisa) is a 1931 German drama film directed by Géza von Bolváry and starring Trude von Molo, Willi Forst, and Gustaf Gründgens.[1] It is based on a true story. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin.[2] The film's sets were designed by the art directors Andrej Andrejew and Robert A. Dietrich.

Plot

In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia is a poverty-stricken Italian glazier who falls in love with Mathilde, a French hotel maid. Struck by the girl's resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Vicenzo steals the painting from the Louvre in hopes of impressing her. When she proves to be fickle, the crestfallen hero confesses and is arrested. Unwilling to admit that he had been led astray by a woman, Vicenzo claims that he stole the painting in order to restore it to his native Italy and is hailed as a national hero.

Cast

• Trude von Molo as Mathilde, Stubenmädchen
• Willi Forst as Vicenzo Peruggia
• Gustaf Gründgens as Unbekannter
• Fritz Odemar as Direktor des Louvre
• Max Gülstorff as Oberaufseher
• Paul Kemp as Polizeileutnant
• Anton Pointner as Reisender
• Rosa Valetti
• Angelo Ferrari as Italienischer Polizeikommissar
• Hubert von Meyerinck as Museumsführer
• Alexander Granach as Redner
• Fritz Grünbaum as Angeblicher Bilderdieb
• Gerti Klemm as Sängerin
• Fritz Alberti
• Fritz Greiner
• Paul Vincenti
• Paul Wagner
• Ernst Reicher
• Hugo Döblin
• Bruno Ziener
• Teddy Bill
• Elfriede Jera
• Molino von Kluck
• Lilian Ellis
• Hermine Sterler
• Ferdinand von Alten

See also

• The Mona Lisa Has Been Stolen (1966)

References

1. Hull, p. 251.
2. Klaus p.238

Bibliography

• Hull, David Stewart (1969). Film in the Third Reich: A Study of the German Cinema, 1933–1945. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-01489-3.
• Klaus, Ulrich J. Deutsche Tonfilme: Jahrgang 1931. Klaus-Archiv, 2006.

External links

• The Theft of the Mona Lisa at IMDb
• Der Raub der Mona Lisa Full movie at the Deutsche Filmothek