Live improvised score by Matt Hagen + Mike Fried
Ernst Lubitsch directed some of Hollywood’s greatest comedies—Trouble in Paradise (1932), Ninotchka (1939), and To Be or Not to Be (1942) among them—but made some of his best films early in his career in his native Germany. Take, for instance, The Wildcat (Die Bergkatze), a madcap farce about a charming lieutenant (Paul Heidemann) who is captured in the mountains by bandits, including our title character (silent superstar Pola Negri). Peter Bogdanovich said it was one of the five funniest films ever made, describing it as “an uproarious, hard-edged antimilitary spoof.”
Visually, the film is a feast, particularly in its 21st-century restoration. The set of Fort Tossenstein was built on location in the Bavarian Alps, while the décor is something out of a German fairy tale. Both exteriors and interiors look as if they’re made out of vanilla frosting. Many shots are framed by all manner of mattes to alter the image size: slashing diagonals, ovals, keyholes, scalloped edges, and more.
Amazingly, the film bombed in Germany and was never distributed in the U.S., despite the filmmaker’s high regard for it: “This picture had more inventiveness and satirical pictorial wit than many of my other pictures,” Lubitsch said. “But I found the German audiences in no mood to accept a picture which satirized militarism and war.”
Matt Hagen is a Burlington, Vermont-based musician whose sound is as layered and unhurried as the Green Mountain seasons. His music varies from instrumental, genre bending guitar to intimate storytelling, with a voice that feels lived-in and genuine. A fixture in Vermont’s independent music scene, Matt has earned recognition, trust, and respect as a standout voice in Burlington’s vibrant creative community. Whether performing at premier clubs, intimate local venues, headlining events, supporting main stage acts, or tucked into a quiet corner of the city, he brings a rare authenticity that resonates long after the last chord fades. A seasoned songwriter, bandleader, and eclectic collaborator, Hagen writes and performs in a palatable fashion while unafraid to wander into strange sonic territory. It’s music made for people who listen closely.