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I wonder how many early talkies exist in multi language versions? Of course we have had the "Spanish" Dracula for many years now. WB Archive has just released THE BIG HOUSE...as a full house. Three versions!

from WB Archive >>>

THE BIG HOUSE TRIPLE FEATURE (1930) Setting the standard for all prison pictures to come, The Big House's message resonates as strongly today as it did yesterday. And now you have a chance to sample that powerful message in three different flavors with this special international triple feature edition of The Big House. When a convict falls for his cellmate's sister, her stoolie brother threatens to spoil the peace by ratting on their third cellmate's prison break plans. Joining the acclaimed English language version of the film, directed by George Hill and starring Chester Morris, Wallace Beery and Robert Montgomery are the seldom seen since French and Spanish language versions, shot at the same time but with different director and different casts. Cinephiles will want to note, for example, the presence of a young Charles Boyer in the French version (under the direction of Paul Fejos), or perhaps ruminate on the very different dramatic approach of the Spanish version. With chapter stops synchronized across versions ardent cinema students are encouraged to go full Comp Lit on this cinema classic. Newly Remastered


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There were also Spanish language version remakes of silents with no English versions. MGM produced WU-LI-CHANG for instance. And Fox was the studio that produced the biggest number of Spanish language films.

Anna Christie (English & German) [WHV]
Free and Easy/Estrellados (English & Spanish) [WHV]
Die Dreigroschenoper/L'opéra de quat'sous (German & French) [Criterion]
M (German & English) [Criterion; English version on Blu-Ray only]
S.O.S. Eisberg/S.O.S. Iceberg (German & English) [Kino]

Several Laurel & Hardy features and shorts, all in the Vivendi box set:
Night Owls/Ladrones (English & Spanish)
Blotto/La vida nocturna (English & Spanish)
Below Zero/Tiembla y Titubea (English & Spanish)
The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case/Noche de duendes (English & Spanish)
Chickens Come Home/Politiquerías (English & Spanish)
Be Big & Laughing Gravy/Les Carottiers, Los Calaveras (English, French, Spanish)

Also worth mentioning is Eran Trece, the Spanish alternate of Charlie Chan Carries On. It's a bit of a special case, since the English isn't known to exist. It's on the DVD of Charlie Chan in Shanghai.

-HA

THE BLUE ANGEL (1930), German- and English-language versions; on blu-ray from both Kino and Eureka (Masters of Cinema).

Several Laurel & Hardy features and shorts,

I think Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy also did some of their esteemed work in the German language.

I wonder also if the big studios ever used the same actors or actresses in the same picture in different languages. I know Greta Garbo did some and Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy did theirs phonetically. It would be interesting to learn of those who were 'multilingual'.

Donald Binks wrote:I wonder also if the big studios ever used the same actors or actresses in the same picture in different languages. I know Greta Garbo did some and Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy did theirs phonetically. It would be interesting to learn of those who were 'multilingual'.

For the most part, no. Adolphe Menjou made one film in English, French and Spanish (AMOR AUDAZ). Paramount, and later MGM, produced the Maurice Chevalier films in both English and French versions and the second version was (according to original contemporary reviews) the weakest one since both of them were simultaneously released in Argentina.

This film is curious... first it was filmed in Spanish and then in English, with a different cast and director. But we are never going to see it. (At least the distributor of the Spanish version was a major studio.)

Hal Roach was a big proponent of shooting the same film in different languages. So much so that MGM had him direct a film for them in 1930. It was called Men of the North and the cast was chosen because they could speak multiple lanquages.

Jim Reid wrote:Hal Roach was a big proponent of shooting the same film in different languages. So much so that MGM had him direct a film for them in 1930. It was called Men of the North and the cast was chosen because they could speak multiple lanquages.

Oh, yes, Gilbert Roland is in this, he did several Spanish language films at a time when he wasn't getting much work otherwise (he believed Joe Schenck was having him blacklisted). Dorothy de Borba signed a still for me of her and Gil from this film (lucky girl!)

greta

Not on DVD, but last year Cinecon showed one reel of the French version of the Our Gang comedy A Tough Winter (1930).

Fritz Lang's "Testament of Dr. Mabuse" was produced in English and French. The Criterion set includes both versions as well as documentary comparing the two.

Donald Binks wrote: I wonder also if the big studios ever used the same actors or actresses in the same picture in different languages. I know Greta Garbo did some and Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy did theirs phonetically. It would be interesting to learn of those who were 'multilingual'.

Actress Barbara Leonard knew French very well, and also Spanish, German and Italian (and of course, English, too) and made several foreign (mostly French) language versions of Hollywood movies in which she also appeared in the English language versions.

Viveca Lindfors was in the three languages versions of Christian-Jaque's SINGOALLA. The Swedish version was released on DVD in Sweden some months ago. Her partner was Alf Kjellin - who was also in the English version, under a pseudonym, "Christopher Kent". The last reel of the English version is included as a bonus in the disc and has a happy ending, very different of the two other versions. The French version, with Michel Auclair replacing Alf Kjellin (as well as some alternate players for other characters) was released on VHS but not to DVD to this day.
I recently saw a bad VHS of the German version of "Barbe-Bleue", also directed by Christian-Jaque, starring Hans Albers (it was Pierre Brasseur in the French version). Cécile Aubry, as well as Reggie Nalder in a little role, were in both versions.
Françoise Rosay was in German versions of both "La kermesse heroïque" and "Les gens du voyage", directed by her husband Jacques Feyder. I got the second one, with Hans Albers replacing André Brulé.
Curiously, Miss Rosay was in the French version of "The Robber's Symphony", called "La symphonie des brigands", but she was replaced in the English-language version by a totally unknown actress who (according to the IMDb) played only in this film. It must be noticed that IMDb totally ignores the existence of two versions and crédits two actresses for the same role !!! (I have both versions).
Bourvil and Joan Greenwood were also in the English-language version, MR. PEEK-A-BOO, of Jean Boyer's LE PASSE-MURAILLE, with some other members of the French cast retained, others replaced (among the latter, Gérard Oury and Raymond Souplex).
They also made a French-language version of Lang's M, called "M le Maudit", and it was shown unexpectedly on the French channel Ciné-Classics some years ago. many people thought it was just the German version, dubbed in French, but it was a mistake. This long-forgotten French-language version was partially shot in Germany (like the English-language version, one year after the German-language one) and Peter Lorre was asked to replay some of his scenes in French. Other segments were filmed in France with some alternate actors for other little roles. Unfortunately, the dubbing of the Lang-directed scenes (including some with Lorre) had started, and Lorre's real voice in his "French" segments was different, so... they redubbed him with the same French actor's voice. So, the first "French characterization" of Peter Lorre was lost in the venture... If you can read lips, you'll see that he speaks in French in some scenes, but you hear another actor's voice ! I do have this French version as a friend of mine recorded it from Ciné-Classics.

Most wanted: The French-language editions of Lubitsch's One Hour with You (Une heure près de toi) and The Merry Widow (La verve joyeuse).

A series of articles on the subject:

http://www.brentonfilm.com/articles/mul ... yers-guide" target="_blank