The Temporary Widow is a 1930 British-German comedy film, an English-language parallel version directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Anglo-German actress and singer Lilian Harvey, Laurence Olivier in his first film role, and Athole Stewart.
A mysterious person warns the court president Grandt that somebody wants to kill him, and he sends a telegram to his friend and lawyer to come for support.
After making his point that things are not always as they may seem, as simple sleight of hand "hocus-pocus" tricks and a forged date on a ticket apparently had convinced the judge within minutes that his long-term friend has evil intentions, the visitor declares that he is Peter Bille, a former circus artist, illusionist, speed painter, trick shooter, escape artist, and jurist, and that he will defend poor and innocent Mrs. Kellermann because her lawyer has stepped down.
The films were based on the play Hokuspokus written in 1926 by Curt Goetz, but use different role names, e.g. Kitty Kellermann instead of the original Danish-sounding Agda Kjerulf.
After the war, director Kurt Hoffmann filmed two further versions in 1953 (starring Curt Goetz himself alongside his wife), and in 1966 in color.