The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)

I'm a relative latecomer to silent movies. I really only began watching silents a few years ago and, of course, I started with the biggies: Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, etc.

Recently I've begun to explore a wider variety of silent movies, and since I usually enjoy Ernst Lubitsch's films, I figured I'd give The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg a whirl.

Released by MGM in 1927, this romantic drama primarily takes place in the early 1900s and tells the story of young Crown Prince Karl Heinrich (Ramon Novarro), heir to the Kingdom of Karlsburg, currently under the rule of his uncle, King Karl VII (Gustav von Seyffertitz).

He is sent to live with his uncle as a young boy and he is forbidden to play with children his own age (presumably due to the class-difference). He's isolated and lonely until the arrival of Dr. Friedrich Jüttner, a kind, mild-mannered gentleman hired on as the boy's tutor.

Dr. Jüttner is Karl Heinrich's only companion throughout the years and he helps him with his studies, from boyhood all the way through to his final high school exam. Shortly after graduation, Karl Heinrich's uncle arranges for him to continue his education at Heidelberg University located in Heidelberg, a town near Frankfurt which is also home to Heidelberger Schloss (Heidelberg Castle, a gorgeous Gothic structure built sometime before the 12th century). 

Karl Heinrich arrives at a roadside inn run by the family of Ruder: Old Ruder (Otis Harlan) and his niece, Kathi (Norma Shearer).  Karl Heinrich's personal servant inspects the rooms and objects, stating the establishment isn't good enough for the prince. This insult will not stand with Kathi and she launches into a passionate defense of the inn and of the rooms, which she herself situated.

Karl Heinrich is instantly infatuated with her and he promptly agrees to stay. Not long after he meets some of Heidelberg University's students when they gather for a pint of beer (or, more accurately, several) at the inn. He receives an enthusiastic welcome and becomes fast friends with the other young men.

It doesn't take him long to settle into his new life with his new friends...and with Kathi, whom he grows to love very seriously. 

Of course, it isn't long before his "real world" duty rears its ugly head...

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Evidently Ernst Lubitsch was not the first choice to make The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg, and by the time he was brought on as producer/director, the studio had settled on Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer as the romantic leads. Lubitsch was apparently unhappy with these casting choices, but I liked their performances, particularly Novarro's. Clearly he is a very good looking man, but he also brings a boyish charm and enthusiasm to the role of Karl Heinrich that I found appealing (although some viewers will likely find his enthusiasm a bit too enthusiastic). 

Norma Shearer is lovely as Kathi. I enjoyed the character's moxie. She's good-humored and hardworking, but she isn't a pushover or a simpering idiot, even after she learns that Karl Heinrich is a prince.

I really enjoyed the shots of the castle (which look to me to be genuine footage of Heidelberg Castle, but I could be wrong) and this led to extensive reading on the history of the castle and of the college-town. Heidelberg University is Germany's oldest university, founded in 1386, and I really wish the film had included actual footage of the school. (Lubitsch apparently sent a team to Heidelberg to shoot location footage for the movie, but none of it made it into the final cut for reasons unknown to me!)

The film has many lovely scenes, both in look and in material, but the story is more sentimental and traditional than I expected, without much of the "Lubitsch Touch" but I still enjoyed it and would recommend the movie to anyone interested in silents (or Ramon Novarro 😍). I would love to see the film restored; the copy I watched was quite grainy and it would be great to re-watch it with a sharper, clearer look.