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Romantic drama

The Song of Songs (1933): Cast & Plot

The Song of Songs (1933) movie poster

The Song of Songs is a 1933 romantic drama directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Marlene Dietrich as Lily Czepanek, Brian Aherne and Lionel Atwill. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes.

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The Song of Songs (1933) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 30m (90 min)
Director
Rouben Mamoulian
Genres
Drama , Romance
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Song of Songs About?

The premise of The Song of Songs without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After her father’s death, Lily moves to the city to live with her strict aunt. By day she works in the aunt’s bookstore; by night she slips across the street to pose for Richard, a sculptor, and they fall deeply in love. Meanwhile, Baron von Merzbach, a patron of Richard, becomes fascinated with Lily, harboring motives that are far from pure.

The Song of Songs Themes & Keywords

· 23 tags
  • poverty
  • sculptor
  • girl afraid to get all naked
  • love
  • fear
  • aunt
  • baron
  • title based on the bible
  • extramarital affair
  • berlin germany
  • statue
  • artist
+11 more
  • bookstore
  • love triangle
  • military officer
  • art model
  • marriage proposal
  • remake
  • fire
  • wedding night
  • sculpture
  • based on play
  • based on novel
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Cast & crew

The Song of Songs Cast & Characters

Marlene Dietrich leads the cast as Lily Czepanek, with Brian Aherne as Richard Waldow and Lionel Atwill as Baron von Merzbach. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian; 8 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Song of Songs

· 4 more
From the director

More from Rouben Mamoulian

More films directed by Rouben Mamoulian: Porgy and Bess, Silk Stockings, Summer Holiday and Rings on Her Fingers.

Full filmography
Plot

The Song of Songs Plot Summary

What happens in The Song of Songs from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

An innocent peasant girl, Lily, Marlene Dietrich is bereft of family after the death of her elderly father. Her aunt, Mrs. Rasmussen, Alison Skipworth, who owns a book shop, reluctantly takes in Lily, but treats her more as a servant than as a niece. The naturally affectionate girl attracts the attention of a local sculptor, Brian Aherne who flirts with her and invites her to his atelier, suggesting she pose for him. Lily demurs, but suffering under the ill-willed scrutiny of her aunt, she reconsiders and consents. In posing in the nude for Richard she discovers her womanhood, and incidentally, falls in love with the penurious artist. The artist finds himself ill-equipped to respond fully to Lily’s overwhelming passion for him.

Full summary

The whole story of The Song of Songs, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Song of Songs Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Song of Songs.

The Song of Songs (1933) ORIGINAL TRAILER
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Song of Songs?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
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  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actress portrays the innocent peasant girl Lily?

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FAQ

The Song of Songs FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Song of Songs, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Song of Songs?

The Song of Songs runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

When was The Song of Songs released?

The Song of Songs was released on July 19, 1933.

Who directed The Song of Songs?

The Song of Songs was directed by Rouben Mamoulian.

More films by Rouben Mamoulian

Who is in the cast of The Song of Songs?

The Song of Songs stars Marlene Dietrich as Lily Czepanek, Brian Aherne as Richard Waldow and Lionel Atwill as Baron von Merzbach, among 8 credited actors.

Does The Song of Songs have a post-credit scene?

No. The Song of Songs has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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