Esmeralda, the lead dancer of a small circus, is in love with the lion tamer Leonidas. When she rejects the unwanted approaches of the nefarious Dr. Larifari, the magician from the rival show, he seeks revenge and curses her: from that moment on, she will turn the head of any man who approaches her. Given that Die große Liebe einer kleinen Tänzerin is a puppet film, the creators were able to use a literal approach in visualizing her dilemma. Rapidly many members of her entourage fall victim to the spell and Esmeralda sees no other way than to seek the help of the mysterious Prof. Mordgeschrei (Deathknell).
Director Alfred Zeisler (1897-1985) gained experience as Fritz Lang’s assistant director on Der müde Tod (1921) before beginning a fruitful collaboration with Viktor Abel (1892-?). Together they wrote the scripts for three Harry Piel productions and shot several documentaries and cultural films for Deulig (Deutsche Lichtspiel-Gesellschaft), a production company with the declared aim of producing nationalistic propaganda. In 1923 they founded their own company within Deulig, Piccolo-Film GmbH, which unfortunately closed down after just two films, both beautifully animated shorts produced in partnership with the well-known Schwiegerling family of puppeteers. The first, made in 1923, had the promising title Was Teddy Carter dem Kamel verdankte (What Teddy Carter Owed to the Camel), but it is unfortunately lost. The company’s one surviving work, Die große Liebe einer kleinen Tänzerin, showcases Paul Schwiegerling’s craft as a puppeteer, and is probably the only trace left of the famous Marionette Theater that Walter Benjamin praised so highly in 1918: “It was more beautiful than anything you could imagine. Schwiegerling invented the so-called ‘transformation puppets,’ or ‘metamorphoses.’ His marionette theater was actually more of a magician’s den.” Die große Liebe einer kleinen Tänzerin originally had the working title Das Kabinett des Dr. Larifari, but this appears to have been dropped before the short’s release, and was used several years later for Robert Wohlmuth’s 1930 sketch-driven musical film starring Max Hansen.
Zeisler went on to become a respected director and producer of sound films, working on titles such as Der Schuss im Tonfilmatelier (1930) and Viktor und Viktoria (1933). In 1935 he left Nazi Germany and ultimately settled in Hollywood, where he directed for Poverty Row studios. Little is known about Abel’s late works: he’s credited as a screenwriter up through 1929, including several more collaborations with Zeisler, before his name disappears from credits.
The restoration by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, with the support of the Förderprogramm Filmerbe, is based on the sole surviving tinted nitrate print of the film which they hold in their collection.

Louise Burkart