Gräfin Mariza (1958)

Countess Mariza takes little interest in her estate in Hungary. The impoverished Count Michael has started work there as its steward, but has not yet secured his position with a contract. Nevertheless, he brings in the harvest, which might otherwise spoil, though he thinks little of the countess he has never met. Only the old servant Ferdinand practices a welcome song with the village children every day for the countess, whose arrival Michael no longer believes in. When Ferdinand sends word to Mariza that she must not come to the estate under any circumstances, she immediately sets off with her maid, Franzi. She arrives at the estate and is enthusiastically welcomed by Ferdinand. Prince Dragomir has also arrived; Mariza still calls him Uncle Dragomir, as she used to, and he immediately proposes to her. Surprised that she cannot even escape admirers at her own estate, she has a magazine print an announcement of her engagement to a man named Kolomán Zsupán—a name she borrowed from the operetta The Gypsy Baron, unaware that a real man by that name exists. She hopes this will finally bring her some peace from her admirers. Life on the estate frees Mariza, and she puts on one of her simple dresses, the kind she used to wear, and runs barefoot through the fields. The steward comes across her and mistakes her for one of the estate’s maids. He is charmed by her easygoing manner. He falls in love with her, having never managed to speak to the countess despite asking several times. She keeps up the pretense, calls herself Etelka, and secretly meets Michael several times. He gives her red boots and confesses his love. Meanwhile, in Budapest, the penniless Kolomán Zsupán is once again trying to cadge money and cigars from his best friend, Istwan. He is so deeply in debt to his tailor and various cafés that no one will extend him credit anymore. With his last bit of money, he buys a lottery ticket, which promptly wins him a prize sheep. The young Lisa has also had such luck and wins a ram. Since the ram and the sheep have always been kept together, they refuse to be separated now, either, and soon Kolomán and Lisa become a couple as well. They are delighted when, all of a sudden, Kolomán’s creditors become extremely accommodating and readily provide food for the couple and their animals. But when Lisa reads in the newspaper that Kolomán is supposedly engaged to Countess Mariza, she packs her things and her ram and leaves. Kolomán decides to seek out his unknown fiancée. Lisa has gone to Mariza’s estate to pour her heart out to her brother—who is none other than Michael. Mariza surprises them both and thinks Lisa is Michael’s bride. She has the red boots returned to him and now publicly celebrates her engagement. Kolomán promptly appears at the celebration and is persuaded to play Mariza’s fiancé until she leaves, since Mariza offers to pay off his debts. At the same time, she treats Michael condescendingly and humiliates him; he, in turn, turns away from her. Before long, Kolomán and Lisa get together and clear up the misunderstanding. Mariza also witnesses their confessions and now knows that Lisa is Michael’s sister. She explains all the mistaken identities and deceptions to Michael, but he points out that he never loved Mariza—only Etelka. A short time later, Mariza returns to him in her simple dress and barefoot, and asks him for her boots. The two are reconciled.