Just a Gigolo (1978)

Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo (original title)

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R
2h 27min
Drama
16 Nov 1978 (West Germany)
Movie

5.4 (1,151)

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After World War I, a war hero returns to Berlin to find that there's no place for him--he has no skills other than what he learned in the army, and can only find menial, low-paying jobs. He decides to become a gigolo to lonely rich women.

Director:

David Hemmings

Writers:

Stars:

Reviews:

Photos and Videos

BERLIN IN THE 1920s ... A time of change, a time of upheaval. Paul von Pryzgodski (David Bowie, Labyrinth) was a young man whose life had led him to expect heroism, but instead, he found failure - failure in the Great War, failure at trying to find a career, failure at nearly every relationship that comes his way until he meets the Baroness and discovers there is one profession at which he can excel.

This offbeat German melodrama directed by David Hemmings stars David Bowie as Paul, a young Prussian War veteran who returns home to Berlin after World War I. After drifting from job to job, Paul eventually finds his niche renting himself out as a dancer for war widows who long to forget their sadness. Kim Novak (Vertigo) sizzles as a sad widow, with German bombshell Maria Schell as Paul's mother and Sydne Rome as his old sweetheart-turned-cabaret singer. Marlene Dietrich makes a poignant cameo (it was her last film role) as an aging baroness, singing the title song, aka Schoner Gigolo, armer Gigolo.

Still of David Bowie (I) and Sydne Rome in Just a Gigolo (1978)

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34 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	David Bowie	...	Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski
	Sydne Rome	...	Cilly
	Kim Novak	...	Helga von Kaiserling
	David Hemmings	...	Captain Hermann Kraft
	Maria Schell	...	Pauls Mutti Frau von Przygodski
	Curd Jürgens	...	Prince
	Marlene Dietrich	...	Baroness von Semering
	Erika Pluhar	...	Eva
	Hilde Weissner	...	Aunt Hilda
	Werner Pochath	...	Otto
	Rudolf Schündler	...	Oberst Gustav von Przygodski
	Evelyn Künneke	...	Frau Aeckerle (as Evelyn Künnecke)
	Friedhelm Lehmann	...	Major Alexander von Müller
	Karin Hardt	...	Frau Uexkull
	Bela Ernyey	...	Von Lipzig (as Bela Erny)
	Gudrun Genest	...	Frau Von Putzdorf
	Rainer Hunold	...	Lothar
	Christiane Maybach	...	Gilda
	Martin Hirthe	...	Director
	Reinhard Kolldehoff	...	Max, Cillys Agent (as Rene Kolldehoff)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Ulrich Bödecker	...	Mampe-Flasche (uncredited)
	Mircea Crisan	...	French Mayor (uncredited)
	Dietrich Frauboes	...	Priest (uncredited)
	Ursula Heyer	...	Greta (uncredited)
	Lotti Huber	...	Frau Aeckerles Freundin (uncredited)
	Klaus Jepsen	...	Bottle Dispatcher (uncredited)
	Arno Jürging	...	Lynne (uncredited)
	Y Sa Lo	...	Carolin (uncredited)
	Lola Luigi	...	Passantin (uncredited)
	Günter Meisner	...	Betrunkener Arbeiter (uncredited)
	Peter Schlesinger	...	First man in bath (uncredited)
	Wieland Speck	...	Blond Gigolo (uncredited)
	Charles Hans Vogt	...	Toni (uncredited)

Directed by

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David Hemmings

Written by

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Ennio De Concini	...	(writer) &
Joshua Sinclair	...	(writer)

Ted Rose	...	(story) (uncredited)

Rolf Thiele	...	(collaboration on screenplay) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Joshua Sinclair	...	co-executive producer / producer
Rolf Thiele	...	producer

Music by

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Günther Fischer

Cinematography by

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Charly Steinberger

Editing by

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Siegrun Jäger
Alfred Srp

Production Design by

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Peter Rothe

Costume Design by

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Mago
Ingrid Zoré

Makeup Department

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Karin Bauer-Hurst	...	makeup artist
Antony Clavet	...	makeup and hair (as Anthony Clavet)
Alfred Rasche	...	makeup artist
Ingrid Thier	...	makeup artist

Production Management

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Axel Bär	...	unit manager
Lutz Winter	...	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Eva-Maria Schönecker

...

assistant director

Art Department

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Wolfgang Kallnischkies	...	props
Mario Stock	...	props

Sound Department

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Gunther Kortwich	...	sound
Doug E. Turner	...	re-recording mixer

Special Effects by

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Erwin Lange

...

special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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Rudolf Hartl	...	gaffer
Gernot Köhler	...	assistant camera
Rolf von Der Heydt	...	still photographer (as Rolf van der Heydt)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Brigitte Friedländer-Rodriguez

...

wardrobe

Music Department

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John Altman	...	music arranger: songs
Frank Barber	...	music arranger: songs
Irving Caesar	...	composer: song "Just A Gigolo"
Leonello Casucci	...	composer: song "Just A Gigolo"
Jack Fishman	...	music arranger: songs / music supervisor

Additional Crew

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Charlotte Laeuffer-Roll	...	production accountant
Rory Maclean	...	assistant to the director / production assistant
Herbert F. Schubert	...	choreographer
Ingrid Windisch	...	production assistant

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
Gofilex (1979) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
Tedderwick Films (1979) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Roadshow Films (1979) (Australia) (theatrical) (as 'Just A Gigolo')
Sagitario Films (1979) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
United Artists Classics (1981) (United States) (theatrical)
Citadel Films (1981) (Canada) (theatrical)
Marquis Video (1982) (Canada) (VHS)
Telecas Japan (1983) (Japan) (theatrical)
VCL (1983) (Australia) (video) (as 'Just A Gigolo')
Paramount Video (PV) (1986) (Japan) (VHS)
M6 (1987) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
M6 (1989) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
Dex Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
Shout! Factory (2021) (Canada) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
Shout! Factory (2021) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
EuroVideo (1981) (West Germany) (VHS)
Pidax Film (2022) (Germany) (DVD)
Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Umbrella Entertainment (2021) (Australia)
Water Bearer Films (United States) (VHS)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Cosmodigital (post-production)
Cosmodigital (restored version)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords	implied-sex man-believed-dead-is-alive trench-warfare wedding-reception berlin-germany See All (38) »
Genres	Drama
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:18 Australia:M Canada:G (Québec) France:Tous publics Iceland:12 Netherlands:AL New Zealand:R16 Sweden:15 United Kingdom:AA United Kingdom:15 (video) United Kingdom:12 United States:R West Germany:12 (f)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Just a Gigolo (West Germany) Just a Gigolo (United States) Just a Gigolo (Canada, English title) Just a Gigolo (Ireland, English title) Just a Gigolo (United Kingdom) See more »
Runtime	147 min
Country	West Germany
Language	English German
Color	Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio	1.66 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono
Filming Locations	Berlin, Germany See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	The last on-screen appearance by Marlene Dietrich. German press reports claimed she was paid $250,000 for two days' work. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Marlene (1984). See more »
Soundtracks	Just a Gigolo See more »
Crazy Credits	"And featuring, with great pride, MARLENE DIETRICH" See more »

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