Full of flourishes by director ernst lubitsch, count danilo maurice chevalier delighting in the prospect of visiting the club in paris, featuring lorenz harts new english lyric for the tune from franz lehars 1905 operetta, in the merry widow, 1934. Jun 25, 2018 the merry widow won the academy award for best art directionset decoration. The new ernst lubitsch confection, a witty and incandescent rendition of the merry widow, had its first public hearing on this earth last night at the astor, where it was presented amid the. In the plot, jeanette macdonald is the superwealthy young widow who possesses the principal funds in the fictitious tiny country of the tiny kingdom of marshovia. I was unable to get a copy of the merry widow 1934, directed by ernst lubitsch and starring jeanette macdonald and maurice chevalier for viewing this time around. The merry widow is a 1934 film adaptation of the operetta of the same name by franz lehar. May 01, 2008 more than a century after it caused a sensation, the merry widow is still muchloved and endlessly revived.
May 03, 2018 my first full day of movie viewing at the 2018 tcm classic film festival started out on a joyous note with the merry widow 1934, starring jeanette macdonald and maurice chevalier. Sep, 2018 it took me two tries to watch the merry widow, the jeanette macdonaldmaurice chevalier precode adaptation of the famous operetta. It started off just so damn twee and i realized i wasnt in the mood, so i put it away and went back a few weeks later. Maurice chevalier and jeanne macdonald give excellent performances. At the time this movie was filmed 1934, it was done so in english and in french. It was directed and produced by ernst lubitsch and starred maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The merry widow 1934 flickers in timeflickers in time. It balances the field by making the heroine a widow therefore sexually. Along with dantes inferno and the merry widow also made in 1934, i think this film is the reason the censorship hays code was rigidly enforced. Stream free the merry widow full movie online on marvel biggest. If you enjoy this complete collection please consider helping our other 1920s and 1930s artists projects. Incomplete discographies of 1920s 1930s artists for a list of our already complete collections of 1920s and 1930s artists see. Complete discographies of 1920s 1930s artists jeanette macdonald collection 19291934 complete.
The merry widow 1934 stream and watch online moviefone. The merry widow was composed in 1905, shortly after a major scandal involving the nation of montenegro. The merry widow 1934 cast and crew the kingdom of marshovia is so small that one of its richest citizens, madame sonia jeanette macdonald, is responsible for paying more than half of its taxes. Stage versus screen the metropolitan opera will be celebrating new years eve with franz lehars the merry widow in a new production starring soprano fleming. It is easy to see why this merry widow did poorly at the box office. You can find a list of projects that are incomplete at. Cedric gibbons and fredric hope won the films only oscar for their sumptuous set design. The merry widow is frequently revived in vienna and is part of the vienna volksoperas repertory. Besides lubitsch, the many involved include ernest vajda and samson raphaelson on the book. Toronto film society presented the merry widow 1934 on sunday, april 25, 1982 in a double bill with easter parade as part of the season 34 sunday afternoon film buffs series, programme 10. The third film version of franz lehars 1907 operetta, the merry widow 1934 was the first talking version, and thus the first to take full advantage of lehars glorious music. Mar 24, 2019 the merry widow spread from vienna to berlin and hamburg, and then to london and broadway, on a spectacular opening night at the new amsterdam theatre in 1907.
Stage versus screen the metropolitan opera will be celebrating new years eve with franz lehars the merry widow in a. Warner archive restores the merry widow the new york times. Nine years after producing a nontalking film based on the franz lehar operetta, mgm mined the same material again, this time as a musical comedy. Based on franz lehars operetta, the merry widown is an. The merry widow is a 1934 musical comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch, starring maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald. The life and times of the merry widow the new york times. The merry widow ernst lubitsch has here brought the field of operetta to the level of popular taste.
Based on franz lehars operetta, the merry widown is an amusing and intelligent film. This is prime lubitsch, one of my two favorites that he directed. Una merkel is on hand again, annd inexplicably wasted as the widow s bland companion. Join sign up keep track of your favorite shows and movies, across all your devices. A lubitsch production of the merry widow, with jeanette. Media in category the merry widow 1934 film the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. Favorite films of 1934 flickers in timeflickers in time.
The volksopera released a complete live performance on cd, interpolating the cancan from offenbachs orpheus in the underworld, which was copied in many other productions worldwide. The black and white film of that name was made in 1934. I loved the film when i saw it several years ago and am fairly confident it would have placed in the top five if i had seen it. Let joy be unconfined a prince from a small kingdom courts a wealthy widow. Across profound generational shifts in popular taste, it remains to this day the most performed operetta of all time, which at the time of its birth 1905, december 30th was a more competitive title than you might think. The tiny nation of pontevedro is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the dashing count danilo must rescue his country by marrying the newly widowed and fabulously wealthy. The merry widow dvdr 1934 warner archive collection. Her husband was by far the richest man in the tiny principality of marshovia, and sonia now pays 52% of the countrys taxes.
The plot and the approach of the 1934 the merry widow have very little in common with the 1925 version. In 1885, king achmed george barbier strives to protect the financial interests of his small, poor kingdom of marshovia in central europe. The merry widow 1934 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jun 23, 20 from left, jeanette macdonald, maurice chevalier and minna gombell in the merry widow 1934, ernst lubitschs take on a 1905 franz lehar operetta previously adapted twice to film.
Jeanette macdonald singing the haunting song vilia from franz lehars operetta the merry widow. Released 1934, the merry widow stars maurice chevalier, jeanette macdonald, edward everett horton, una merkel the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 39 min, and received a score of out of 100. The monarch of marshovia sends a romantic count to paris to woo back the merry widow whose vast wealth is vital to running the tiny kingdom. The merry widow 1934 full movie 123movies free watch online with english subtitles. Franz lehar, author of the merry widow, on librarything. I wont spoil any of the humor and will just say that there are many lightly hilarious moments peppered throughout the film. Never long away from new york the eponymous heroine of franz lehars the merry widow returns on wednesday night to take up residence. The merry widow was the first of five films i saw on friday, april 27th. George hall on why the merry widow remains muchloved and. Ernst lubitsch directs the 1934 musical comedy the merry widow, based on the 1905 operetta by franz lehar. Such is the plot of franz lehars operetta the merry widow, set in one of those middleeuropean nevernevercountries. Nov 28, 1976 for a widow of 71, hanna glawari certainly gets around.
Step into the ballrooms of paris and join us for our production of the merry widow a lighthearted production filled with tangled affairs, narrow misses and jealous lovers. Mae murray and john gilbert spiteful reunion from the merry widow 1925 duration. Jeanette macdonald sings vilia from the merry widow. The merry widow 1934 the kingdom of marshovia is so small that one of its richest citizens, madame sonia jeanette macdonald, is responsible for paying more than half of its taxes.
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