Sissi (film)

Sissi is a 1955 Austrian historical romance film written and directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz [de], Gustav Knuth, Josef Meinrad, Vilma Degischer and Peter Weck.

With her mother and her demure older sister Helene (called "Néné"), 16-year-old Sissi travels from Possenhofen to the spa town of Bad Ischl in Upper Austria.

Helene is called by Archduchess Sophie to meet the young emperor Franz Joseph in the imperial villa so that the two might be immediately engaged.

Sissi is unaware of the real reason for the journey and is forbidden by her aunt to participate in any social events due to her girlishly impetuous ways.

When Sissi returns to their residence, Néné reveals the reason for the trip to Bad Ischl: to become engaged with Franz Joseph.

Unexpectedly, a new guest, the Prince of Lippe, arrives and Sissi is invited by the Archduchess to act as his partner at the Emperor's birthday celebration.

Sissi was filmed in some original places the Empress visited, including Schönbrunn Palace and the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl.

The trilogy is a popular Christmas television special, and is shown with some regularity on channels in German-speaking countries,[3] Hungary[4] and Italy.

The success of the film marked Empress Elisabeth's entrance to popular culture which made the historical figure even more legendary.

Schneider reprised the role of Elisabeth in Luchino Visconti's 1972 film Ludwig, this time portraying the Empress as a mature and cynical woman.

[6] The exoplanet HAT-P-14b and its host star were respectively named Sissi and Franz in the 2019 NameExoWorlds contest, after the main characters of the film.

Portrait of the young empress shortly after her wedding, by Amanda Bergstedt [ sv ]
The young emperor Franz Joseph in Hungarian uniform (1853, by Miklós Barabás )