Sidney Howard's translation of Ferenc Molnar's celebrated Viennese trifle, OLYMPIA could manage only 39 performances at Broadway's Empire Theatre from October 16 of 1928, but at a moment when lavish middle-European sex comedies were in fashion following the Oscar winning success of GIGI (15 May 1958), it seemed the nearly ideal chance to use the very French Maurice Chevalier in another comic-worldly European role, even if he was to pretend to be a very Viennese Austrian prince.
In point of fact, the film was the brainchild of Italian producer Carlo Ponti as a vehicle for his wife, Sophia Loren; one of four interesting films she released that year, starting with the HELLER IN PINK TIGHTS (if the very German Marlene Dietrich could make a classic Western in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, why not the very Italian Sophia?) and ending with her ultimately Oscar winning performance in LA CIOCIARA (aka TWO WOMEN). Joining Loren and Chevalier above the title (with the then always winningly nasty Angela Lansbury below it) was the very American John Gavin (remember what a 1920's "Arrow Collar Man" was supposed to look like? Gavin had those looks wed to a personality once reputedly to have prompted his sister to refer to him as "Mr. Park Bench").
This seemingly bizarre international group (hardly the first or last time such casting would be attempted) requires no more suspension of disbelief than the basic premise - not so far from real life as many, unfamiliar with the actual loves and marriages of both Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his one-time heir, Franz Ferdinand or royals of our own century might suppose - of a royal falling in love (in this case through a series of misunderstandings) with a commoner.
The casting of John Gavin as the commoner however, while not calling upon him to attempt anything beyond his range of comfort, caused the greatest variation from the original play in making the love interest not an Austrian officer but a visiting American businessman. For the most part the rewrite works, even though credited adapters/screenwriters Walter Bernstein & Karl Schneider (said to have had help from Ring Lardner, Jr. - only Molnar and Howard receive screen credit!) occasionally slips up in knowing only the "history" learned on stage or screen (the reality of the tragedy at Mayerling he has a character refer to had little or nothing to do with the romantic fantasy told in the once popular play and movie).
Impeccably set and costumed in the most lavish possible style, the film offers audiences willing to go along a charming hour and a half vacation from reality - only ultimately marred by the changing times and tastes which allow us to question the silly imposed "romantic happy ending." The film would be far better had the producer and writers had the courage to allow duty to prevail (as it had, ironically, in the supposedly more frivolous make believe world of THE PRISONER OF ZENDA!). Loren herself would be involved in another romantic turn-of-the-century farce which found a more satisfying resolution to a similar situation five years later in LADY L - with another American, Paul Newman!).
Still, established Hollywood director Michael Curtiz, nearing the end of a 50 year career that included everything from CASABLANCA to WHITE Christmas was a decent choice to pull all these international elements together, and if the musical element (two very nice songs by minor names) weren't quite Lerner & Loewe, they were almost exactly what the romantic trifle called for - especially when Chevalier sings and the orchestra swells.
Far from perfect, but also far from the worst in a very good year for Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren. Worth taking a look at if you're in the mood for romantic illusion from a generally first rate - even occasionally out of place cast. The supporting players are uniformly superb.
In point of fact, the film was the brainchild of Italian producer Carlo Ponti as a vehicle for his wife, Sophia Loren; one of four interesting films she released that year, starting with the HELLER IN PINK TIGHTS (if the very German Marlene Dietrich could make a classic Western in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, why not the very Italian Sophia?) and ending with her ultimately Oscar winning performance in LA CIOCIARA (aka TWO WOMEN). Joining Loren and Chevalier above the title (with the then always winningly nasty Angela Lansbury below it) was the very American John Gavin (remember what a 1920's "Arrow Collar Man" was supposed to look like? Gavin had those looks wed to a personality once reputedly to have prompted his sister to refer to him as "Mr. Park Bench").
This seemingly bizarre international group (hardly the first or last time such casting would be attempted) requires no more suspension of disbelief than the basic premise - not so far from real life as many, unfamiliar with the actual loves and marriages of both Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his one-time heir, Franz Ferdinand or royals of our own century might suppose - of a royal falling in love (in this case through a series of misunderstandings) with a commoner.
The casting of John Gavin as the commoner however, while not calling upon him to attempt anything beyond his range of comfort, caused the greatest variation from the original play in making the love interest not an Austrian officer but a visiting American businessman. For the most part the rewrite works, even though credited adapters/screenwriters Walter Bernstein & Karl Schneider (said to have had help from Ring Lardner, Jr. - only Molnar and Howard receive screen credit!) occasionally slips up in knowing only the "history" learned on stage or screen (the reality of the tragedy at Mayerling he has a character refer to had little or nothing to do with the romantic fantasy told in the once popular play and movie).
Impeccably set and costumed in the most lavish possible style, the film offers audiences willing to go along a charming hour and a half vacation from reality - only ultimately marred by the changing times and tastes which allow us to question the silly imposed "romantic happy ending." The film would be far better had the producer and writers had the courage to allow duty to prevail (as it had, ironically, in the supposedly more frivolous make believe world of THE PRISONER OF ZENDA!). Loren herself would be involved in another romantic turn-of-the-century farce which found a more satisfying resolution to a similar situation five years later in LADY L - with another American, Paul Newman!).
Still, established Hollywood director Michael Curtiz, nearing the end of a 50 year career that included everything from CASABLANCA to WHITE Christmas was a decent choice to pull all these international elements together, and if the musical element (two very nice songs by minor names) weren't quite Lerner & Loewe, they were almost exactly what the romantic trifle called for - especially when Chevalier sings and the orchestra swells.
Far from perfect, but also far from the worst in a very good year for Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren. Worth taking a look at if you're in the mood for romantic illusion from a generally first rate - even occasionally out of place cast. The supporting players are uniformly superb.