Comedian harmonists

A dramatised account of the legendary German singing group ‘Comedian Harmonists’. Consisting of five singers and a pianist this close harmony group combined smooth melodies and comedy routines, performing jazz songs and German favorites in their own idiosyncratic style. They sang in several languages and starred in more than a dozen films. Vilsmaier tells the story of the groups rise to fame, their international success in the late twenties and early thirties, and their demise in 1934 when the Nazis branded their music as ‘degraded’ and prohibited it- three of the six musicians were Jewish. Essentially an affectionate tribute to the group, the film adopts the style of the traditional musical biopic. As with his earlier films ‘Herbstmilch’, ‘Rama Dama’ and ‘Stalingrad’, in this film Vilsmaier once again focuses on Germany in the 1930’s effectively portraying the treatment of Jewish artists during the National Socialism-Era. Cast includes Ben Becker, Heino Ferch, Ulrich Noethen, Heinrich Schafmeister, Kai Wiesinger, Katja Riemann, Meret Becker and Otto Sander. In German with English subtitles.