The Story of Vickie (1954)

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The mom and daughter team associated in real life with Adolf Hitler starred in a series of German language films by Ernst Mariskha which still hold up today.In 1954 Magda was governess to England's Queen Victoria played by Romy told against her will to marry on her eighteenth birthday. Her mom has arranged a marriage with the prince of the kingdom of southern France in the early nineteenth century Orange. The governess is talked into by Victoria's closest political ally Lord Melbourne to help him see Victoria should marry the Prince of Saxony, Albert of Saxe Coburg The delightful story of how the two meet accidentally under false pretenses away from royal trapping to fall in love is the center of this delightful film done through European not English point of view. The photography and acting are glorious though the reason this film is not a perfect 10 is the royal trapping of the British royal residences seem in the director's eyes more truly European than English.

It's interesting that the DVD producers seemed to try to make people think this was one of Romy Schneider's immensely popular Sissi movies. However popular this trilogy of films was, this is NOT one of them but is a story of part of Queen Victoria's life--and has nothing to do with the Austria-Hungarian empress, though they both lived during the same period. Now because this is about Victoria, it is a tad confusing, as everyone's speaking German during the film. Her future husband, Albert, was German and she could speak the language, but in this film set in the UK and France it is odd hearing nothing but German! The film begins just before Albert and Victoria meet--but it is pure romantic fiction. The Princess is about to become queen when the film begins. Soon, King William dies and she is now queen. When she's told she must marry, she has no interest in a proposed marriage to a German prince (Albert) and instead takes off for a trip to France. On the way to Dover, by chance, she stops at an inn and meets a man who she falls head over heels for--not realizing it is Albert himself! It may sound like I am providing a spoiler, but this also is divulged in the summary listed on IMDb.If you think about it, the plot is very much like the plot of the first Sissi film--a member of the royalty longs for life outside court and ends up meeting and falling in love with their future husband. The big difference is what's not in the film--that Victoria practically worshiped Albert, whereas Sissi and her husband, Franz Josef, were about as compatible as a wolverine and a hyena! Also, you may notice that Romy Scheider looks and acts like she did in her Sissi films--and little like Victoria. So is it worth seeing? Well, yes...if you like romantic fluff. This isn't meant as pejorative--but the film has very little depth and isn't exactly a biography--more a story of the couple that COULD have happened...but didn't. If you are looking more for the real life of Victoria, try watching "The Young Victoria"--it's so much closer to the facts and lacks all the romanticism--which is good, since the real story of the couple is, in fact, quite romantic and sweet. Watchable but not a lot more.

Just made before Empress Elizabeth's famous trilogy ,this story like biopic of Queen Victoria's salad days retains the same obsolete charm.Not only it features Romy Schneider and her mother Magda (who,oddly,does not play her mother here but a baroness,the queen's lady-in-waiting and confident) ,but it depicts the meeting Albert /Victoria as the director (Ernst Marischka who directed the four movies)would do with Elizabeth and Francis Joseph: here they meet in an inn where Johann Strauss is playing his famous waltzes on the piano;in "Sissi" ,the heroine goes fishing and catches ... her future husband!A rather daring -for the time- line in the dialog:Victoria would like to know the meaning of the word "rape" and her mentor can't explain.In "Sissi " there would not be such a thing.That said,although "Madchenjähre" is quite pleasant,it is not as buoyant,as charming and as compelling as "Sissi"

In one of her first movies, Romy Schneider shines as young queen Victoria of Britain, as she is suddenly put into the throne at the age of 18, learns to govern despite the machinations of the politicians, and eventually romances and marries Prince Albert of Saxony. Kitschy and campy (though surprisingly faithful to the real events), this romantic piece is irresistible. Seeing this movie about British royals spoken in German adds to its quaint charm. On that front, one wonders why an Austrian movie was made about an English queen; but then one remembers that in 1954, Austria was still under occupation by allied troops, including British ones. Maybe this was one of the reasons for the existence of this film.