The Tango Queen

Max Mack brings Die Tangokonigin (1913), based on a Franz Lehar operetta, to the early screen as a vehicle for actress Hanni Weisse, the only credited actor, which is the first thing to mark this as very much a part of the transitional era of silent films where they evolve from from wide, proscenium arch style shots with descriptive intertitles previewing what is about to happen, to a much more naturalistic use of locations and titles.Telling the story of a husband who makes a bet with his wife over who is the better dancer it clearly is looking to cash in on the tango craze at the time. Director Mack adds to the titillation by discretely undressing Ms. Weisse a couple of times, which was a bit of surprise but would certainly have been appreciated by fans of the forbidden dance back in the day. While I’m no connoisseur, the dancing seems a little stiff and would be surpassed in later film treatments it does entertain, particularly given the restrictions on the pre-War frocks the ladies were confined to at the time. Some novel cinematic ground is covered in a clever triple matte shot where phone calls attempt to track the whereabouts of a flighty shop girl who is supposed to deliver the dresses for the contest.Not exactly groundbreaking but an easy watch.