Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse

Once upon a time, there was a young prince who wanted to fulfill his greatest wish: to marry a princess! One night, there was a violent storm, and someone knocked on the castle gate. A princess stood before the king, who opened the door. She was soaked to the skin and did not look noble at all, but she insisted that she was a real princess. Not wanting to see her son unhappy again, the queen devised a plan. She prepared a bed for the young woman with mountains of mattresses and blankets, but placed a pea on the floor. In the morning, the princess wakes up feeling terribly bruised, having slept on something hard all night.

Directed by Alf Zengerling, Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse leans on a strong ensemble — Karl Michael Balzer, Alvy Becker, Kurt Lauermann — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about family titles of 1953.