THE MERRY WIDOW

US, 1934, 99 minutes. Black and white.
Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette Mac Donald, Edward Everett Horton, Una Merkel, George Barbier, Sterling Holloway, Donald Meek, Herman Bing.
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

The Merry Widow is based on the operetta by Franz Lehar. It had been filmed as a silent feature in 1925. This version gets the Lubitsch romantic style as well as MGM production values.

Maurice Chevalier had appeared in a number of films in the early 1930s in France and in the United States. Jeanette MacDonald? was at the beginning of her career as the queen of operetta at MGM during the 1930s. There is a comic performance by Edward Everett Horton as well as by Una Merkel as the Queen of Marshovia.

The film is set in the 19th century, in one of those middle-European small countries and kingdoms (as in The Prisoner of Zenda). The film shows the country in dire financial needs, fifty-two percent of the taxes being paid by a rich widow (Jeanette Mac Donald). She is feted in the kingdom, and Count Danilo (Maurice Chevalier), a ladies’ man, breaks into her apartment with attempts at seduction.

When the widow leaves for Paris, taking her money with her, the king and his queen are alarmed, the ambassador in France is concerned – and Count Danilo is sent to persuade the widow to bring the money back.

In Paris, he is more than a ladies’ man, and encounters the widow in this kind of context, not recognising her immediately. However, when he goes to an official function, he recognises her, is attracted to her. She wants to teach him a lesson even though she is in love with him.

There is a lot of lavish black and white photography and sets – with the film winning an Oscar for production design.

The famous songs from The Merry Widow are featured, with Chevalier and Mac Donald presenting them well. There is a lavish ball sequence for the Merry Widow Waltz.

Ernst Lubitsch had made many films in Germany, came to Hollywood and for fifteen years made a number of very stylish-looking films. They included Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of 1932 as well as the Jack Benny comedy against Hitler, To Be or Not To Be.

The film was remade in the early 1950s with Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas.

1. The popularity of Franz Lehar’s operetta? Adapted for the 1930s? For the screen? The inclusion of the key songs? The Merry Widow Waltz?

2. The black and white photography, the production design, costumes, décor?

3. The kingdom of Marshovia, the 19th century? The small European countries – in financial difficulties? The attitude of the king, a bumbling man? The queen, more of a comic character? Supporting the king?

4. Count Danilo, Maurice Chevalier’s charm? His behaviour with women? His being attracted to Madame Sonia? Going to her room? His proposal? Her rejection? His taking the job of going to Paris? His role in the army? His subordinates? The king’s reliance on him? His encounters in Paris with the ambassador? His going with the women, the night? His encounter with Sonia, in the context with the women? His encountering her at the function? His ability to come through the difficulties? The attraction, the dancing, the singing? Her teaching him a lesson? In love with him? The return to Marshovia, the happy ending?

5. Madame Sonia, the widow, the money? The initial encounter with Danilo? Her going to Paris, leading the merry life? With the women? The encounter with Danilo? The function, the ambassador and his concern? The encounters with Danilo, in love? The singing? The return? The happy ending?

6. The comic behaviour of the ambassador? Edward Everett Horton’s comic style, his double takes, being taken aback?

7. Mischka? His role at the embassy? In arranging things? Getting things mixed up? The valet? The other minor characters in the kingdom? In Paris?

8. The more permissive style – at the time that the American industry was bringing in the Motion Picture Code? The amoral atmosphere? The frivolity? The soufflé kind of musical comedy?