This is the very best filmed version of Franz Lehar's delightful operetta. The cast is perfectly matched, the music and songs wonderfully rendered. Though black and white, one rapidly begins to see all the true colors. This is a charmer from Hollywood's Golden Age that holds up well. If you love this great Lehar musical invention, forget the 1952 version, it does not have the vitality of Ernst Lubitch direction, nor does it have a peak Maurice Chevalier nor the enchanting singing voice Jeanette MacDonald. This is the one. You will want to watch this film many times over, as a picker-upper.
Review of The Merry Widow
