User Reviews

MGM's second version of 'The Merry Widow', this time using the music of Lehar's operetta and starring Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier in the roles previously filled by Mae Murray and John Gilbert in the silent movie.

Jeanette MacDonald is a revelation here if you've only seen her in the films which teamed her with Nelson Eddy from 1935 and 1942. Her Sonia is sparky, flirty, and naughty, and naturally in beautiful voice as ever. Maurice Chevalier brings his considerable Gallic charm to the role of Count Danillo, while familiar character faces of the period flesh out the supporting cast (Edward Everett Horton, Donald Meek, Una Merkel, Sterling Holloway).

The film looks sumptuous, with beautiful sets and striking black and white photography. Definitely one of the key musicals of the 1930s.

Ernst Lubitsch directed some of the sweetest and funniest sex comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. He was fortunate enough to do three films with Maurice Chevalier and Jeannette MacDonald. They are all charming, but the last one may be the best. Here he took the best known operetta of Franz Lehar and turned it into a superb musical comedy, with new lyrics to tunes like "Maximes", "the Merry Widow Waltz", and "Girls, girls, girls, girls, girls" by Lorenz Hart. At the same time he maintained his marvelous sense of fun - something that may be very much missing from Eric Von Stroheim's earlier, silent film version (that became a study in Balkan politics).

THE MERRY WIDOW was composed in 1905, shortly after a major scandal involving the nation of Montenegro. This land still exists, and (with Serbia) retains the now useless joint name of Yugoslavia - the Balkan state that once faced Italy and combined eight countries. Montenegro was a kingdom in 1905, and it's ruler had a Crown Prince named Danilo, who created major scandal by his doings in Paris. Lehar, a Viennese composer (and so, one who usually made fun of the Slavic states) took the story and the name of the Crown Prince, retaining the setting in the embassy in Paris. In Lehar's operetta, the homeland of Pontrevekkio (note how it sounds like Montenegro) is on the verge of bankruptcy, unless the richest widow in the country (Sonia) marries a citizen of the state. She is being pursued by eligible Frenchmen in Paris, so the Pontrevekkian embassy decides to have Count Danillo, a member of the staff there, romance and marry her. The complications that ensue are amusing. Lehar's music is not as waltz oriented on the whole as Johann Strauss II, except for the famous "Merry Widow" number. Most of the tunes have more of a Parisian flair, and one ("Vilia") has a lovely haunting effect. It remains his most popular operetta, although he was to do "THE COUNT OF LUXEMBURG" and "THE LAND OF SMILES" as well.

Montenegro did complain (like the Japanese complained about Gilbert and Sullivan's THE MIKADO). The major change in the book nowadays is the name is usually not Pontrevekkio, but Marshovia. When Von Stroheim did his silent version, he concentrated on the Balkan politics involving the Crown Prince, his "cousin" Prince Danillo, Sonia, her rich, insane husband, and the throne. The cast in that had been quite stunning for a 1925 movie, with John Gilbert as Danillo, Roy D'Arcy as the grinning, sadistic Crown Prince, Mae Marsh as Sonia, and Tully Marshall as the sexually mad Baron who weds Sonia (and suffers a stroke on their wedding night). Full of sexual ideas (Marshall has such a foot fetish that he dies having his nose in Marsh's pumps), the highpoint was the waltz, wherein Gilbert and Marsh realize their love to Lehar's strains (the music at that point of the silent version was always the Lehar "Merry Widow" Waltz). It remains a masterpiece of silent cinema (and another proof of Von Stroheim's peculiar genius), but it is not a light hearted as the operetta it was based on.

Lubitsch is different. He has fun showing what little Marshovia is like, with sheep and goats appearing all over the streets and in the public buildings. The King (George Barbier) is aware that his wife (Una Merkle) is less than satisfied with him, and has a famous "freudian" moment when he returns without warning to get his ceremonial sword, grabs one, and finds he can't get the belt around his girth. He returns to his antechamber, and confronts Lt. Danillo with his wife. King Achmet is upset, but his solution - he'll cover up the scandal but sends Danillo to Paris.

There are many good moments: Danillo's trial for treason is one. So is Ambassador Popoff (Edward Everett Horton) having his aide (Herman Bing) translate a coded message from King Achmet, which basically calls him a blockhead. And, yes, the film chemistry between Maurice and Jeannette is retained, as in their three other movies. But they could not have made more films together. Nolan disliked Chevalier - he had a habit of pinching her. Chevalier thought she was a hypocrite, because (at the time) she was having an affair with Gene Raymond (whom she eventually married). When she was teamed with Nelson Eddy, she and Eddy happened to be quite close friends, which is why their total film output together is eight films.

I notice that Clark Gable had some kind of cameo appearance here (it is not in the billing). Two years later he and Jeanette would appear together in SAN FRANCISCO.

When Jeanette MacDonald left Paramount and signed with her new studio of MGM it was her wish that she not do any more films with Maurice Chevalier. Though the three films she did for that studio with him were very successful, the two of them did not get along at all. She thought he was a rake, he thought she was frigid.

So imagine her chagrin when she learned that her first MGM film, The Merry Widow which has some great songs for a soprano she would be co-starred once again with Chevalier. He wasn't exactly thrilled either, it was known he was hoping to do the film with Grace Moore. But they both went back to work for Ernst Lubitsch who had guided them in The Love Parade and One Hour With You. Lubitsch got the best out of them, especially Jeanette. There are some who say her work at Paramount with him is far superior to anything she would do at MGM, even with Nelson Eddy.

Jeanette's the richest woman in the tiny kingdom of Marshovia, her taxes bankroll the kingdom. But she's bored there and cynical about all the men courting her for her money. The king and queen of Marshovia, George Barbier and Una Merkel, want to keep her Marshovian money in Marshovia so they send the most romantic guy they know, captain of the guard Maurice Chevalier as Count Danilo who cuts quite a romantic figure and romantic swath among the ladies.

Of course he falls in love, but he's still got a roving eye and in his own way Maurice is as cynical as Jeanette. It will take some doing to get these two together.

The Merry Widow had its American premiere on Broadway in 1907 and ran for 416 performances. The basic numbers of the score that Franz Lehar wrote are retained. My favorite is one of the best operetta numbers ever written for a soprano, Vilia. Jeanette sings it beautifully as she does the famous Merry Widow Waltz. And who could sing about the joys of courting Girls Girls Girls while hanging out at Maxim's than Maurice Chevalier?

Lubitsch does a grand job at getting some real comic moments out of Edward Everett Horton as the Marshovian Ambassador in Paris who together with Herman Bing. I do so love the scene where Bing is translating the diplomatic codes for Horton with the king's editorial comments.

Chevalier and MacDonald never worked together again, but they certainly went out on a high note (no pun intended) with The Merry Widow.

This film is nothing short of glorious. Before films decided they had to be realistic they had style, and Lubitsch was the style king. Everything about this film is sumptuous and beautiful, and the Oscar winning art direction of Cedric Gibbons and Fredric Hope is truly magnificent. Not bad either are the gowns of Adrian.

MacDonald and Chevalier are excellent together, there is great support from Edward Everett Horton - and who will ever forget the magic scenes between Chevalier and the king and the queen - irresitably played by Una Merkel and George Barbier. The script is witty and a little naughty ("I know what to do with her but I'm too old"), the cinematography breath-taking and the music gorgeous.

But the star of the show is Lubitsch - the mass waltz scene is magnificent, the depiction of MacDonald's mourning clothes (all black - even the dog!) and their transformation into white is astonishing and, just when you think the plot is running out of steam, he gives us an hilarious ending that is unforgettable.

If you ever get a chance to see this on the big screen, run don't walk to the cinema. A perfect 10.

In the early years of the sound era Paramount produced a number of Ruritanian musical comedies, innuendo-filled romances set in often-fictional European countries, heavily in the mould of turn-of-the-century operettas. Most of them starred Maurice Chevalier and/or Jeanette MacDonald, and most of them were directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The Merry Widow, made at MGM some time after the original wave of movies had hit their peak and tailed off, reunites the two stars and director in a musical that is actually based on a genuine turn-of-the-century operetta by Franz Lehár. Was this a perfect partnership or a dead horse being flogged?

Although I'm not too familiar with the original operetta, it seems the biggest survivor from it is Lehár's music, which contains many a fine and vaguely familiar tune. The plot has been given a makeover by frequent Lubitsch screenwriters Ernest Vajda and Samson Raphaelson, that is very typical Vajda/Raphaelson material, a frothy comedy of errors that seems to take place in a land where adultery has the status of a national sport. There seems to have been a bit of simplification and truncation to make way for the musical numbers however. For example, we get the lengthy "Tonight Will Teach Me to Forget" and surrounding business telling us MacDonald is besotted with Chevalier, but their only scene together before that is not substantial enough to suggest such a spark has been struck. The English lyrics were written by the great Lorenz Hart, so it's a pity Jeanette MacDonald's voice is at its most indecipherably operatic.

The Merry Widow finds Lubitsch at his most stylised and baroque, with lots of deeply layered shot compositions reminiscent of his old studio-mate Josef "von" Sternberg's work. His musical sensitivity is more pronounced than it was in his earlier musicals, for example a burst of strings timed to a door opening on Jeanette MacDonald, or a line of dancers viewed from above seeming to filter down the screen, probably more than anything a sign of the game being upped by Busby Berkely and the Astaire and Rogers musicals. As usual however Lubitsch's forte is his comedic sensibility. For The Merry Widow a lot of scenes key scenes are stolen by some comic diversion, such as a shocked Edward Everett Horton grabbing at the coffee pot while offscreen MacDonald and Chevalier are realising who each other are. It's funny stuff but it does blunt the romantic angle somewhat. And it's not as if Lubitsch couldn't balance soaring romance with vibrant comedy (see for example the brilliant 1932 piece Trouble in Paradise).

Happily, Maurice Chevalier hasn't lost his touch. There aren't too many songs for him here, but his flair for comedy has not lost its edge. He is simply superb in the scene where he induces MacDonald and the king to pretend that the three of them are having some jolly conversation. MacDonald too is acting well, although I do just wish her vocals were a little clearer. As usual there is a fine crop of characters here. George Barbier is the best of the bunch, very much getting into the spirit of things in what is one of his most prominent parts. On the other hand Sterling Holloway is underused and the normally-excellent Edward Everett Horton doesn't seem quite his usual self.

All in all, The Merry Widow is a pretty-looking but rather disappointing affair. It doesn't really recapture the old magic of The Love Parade or The Smiling Lieutenant. Nor does it, I suspect, do much justice to Franz Lehár. By now the movie musical had moved on and far better stuff was being done elsewhere. MGM knew how to make a finely crafted production (well-deserved honourable mention for Cedric Gibbons and Frank Hope's gorgeous art direction), but this one just doesn't have enough heart and soul behind it.

The great Ernst Lubitsch clearly understood the material in which "The Merry Widow" was based. Being European himself, he clearly identified with this delightful Franz Lehar operetta that had been charming audiences throughout the years. Mr. Lubitsch places the action in the small country of Marshovia, in central Europe. The director had an eye for the great spectacle he presents for us. Mr. Lubitsch greatest achievement is that he seems to have his camera waltzing all the time. The result is an amazing triumph for MGM.

In fact, the glorious sets one admires in the film are breathtaking. For a film made in 1934, the art directors, Cedric Gibbons and Gabriel Scognamillo recreate the royal palace of Marshovia in amazing detail, as well as the Paris scenes with an elegance and good taste that shows the resources of the studio that didn't spare anything. The black and white cinematography of Oliver Marsh enhances the Lubitsch style. Adrian's gowns look luxurious and the editing of the film by Francis Marsh give the film continuity without ever making the action appear forced or staged.

The pairing of Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald was an match that seems to have been made in haven. Both actors are a delight to see. Mr. Chevalier with his French accent and mannerisms make his Count Danilo the charmer he is. The beautiful Ms. MacDonald is mysterious at first, when we meet her, then as she has fallen in love, changes her attitude and realizes Danilo is the man for her.

The secondary roles are played with great panache by the genial Edward Everett Horton, who as the ambassador to Paris, is under orders to have Sonia, the wealthy woman, accept Danilo and return to Marshovia with all her money. George Barber plays the King Achmed and the incomparable Una Merkel is seen as Queen Dolores.

The Merry Widow waltz received a great production number in which about a hundred couples are seen dancing around Sonia and Danilo, first in white tuxedos and gowns and later in black ones. Later all the couples are mixed together creating such a rich moment. By today's standards that sequence couldn't have been done, or it must have cost a fortune, or perhaps would have digitally mastered in order not to pay dancers to appear dancing in the movie.

Let's just be thankful there was a man with a vision, Ernst Lubitsch, and let's be grateful for his vision and his legacy.

Another frothy musical from Ernst Lubitsch, set in the kind of fairytale principality that never existed outside of the minds of Hollywood screenwriters. Chevalier and MacDonald reunite for the fourth time for a romantic entanglement filled with songs and misunderstandings in which the outcome is never in doubt. Lubitsch directs with flair and the charming Chevalier revels in the spotlight, but while lovers of frothy musicals will love every moment, those more resistant to the genre's charms might feel it all looks a little too familiar.

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.

Nine years after producing a non-talking film based on the Franz Lehár operetta, MGM mined the same material again, this time as a musical comedy. The Studio would give the film its trademark opulent treatment, with production values of the highest order. Celebrated lyricist Lorenz Hart was engaged to write words for the music. And, to make absolutely certain of success, director Ernst Lubitsch and stars Maurice Chevalier & Jeanette MacDonald were reunited to duplicate their previous triumphs at Paramount Studios.

If, ultimately, the film does not have quite the effervescence of Lubitsch's previous pictures, this is probably understandable. MGM, while wonderful with epics and dramas, often took an unnecessarily heavy-handed approach to subjects which should have been given a lighter, airier treatment. Also, the film was released a few months after the imposition of the Production Code, which obviously had a significant effect upon the movie's final persona.

Chevalier & MacDonald continue the on screen relationship already well established in their earlier films: she, the rather aloof and powerful female who needs a good man; he, the social inferior who wins her with his enormous Gallic charm. Their singing is vivacious & charming and sometimes you can almost understand her words.

Unlike the 1925 version of THE MERRY WIDOW, there is no villain here to provide dramatic tension. The costars, however, provide much comic amusement. Foremost among them is waspish Edward Everett Horton, very funny as Marshovia's nervous Ambassador in Paris. Rotund George Barbier & sprightly Una Merkel make the most of their small roles as the diminutive nation's conniving King and flirtatious Queen.

Some of the smaller roles are also humorously cast: Sterling Holloway as Chevalier's loyal orderly; Donald Meek as the King's gossipy valet; and Herman Bing as Horton's dramatic factotum.

Movie mavens will recognize Akim Tamiroff as the head waiter at Maxim's & Arthur Housman as a drunk (what else?) trying to gain entry into that establishment, both uncredited.

Forget that this classic film was made forty years ago! You will also forget that it is in black and white from the moment that 'the curtain goes up' because of the wonderfully convincing performances and the romance of the music - just surrender to it - even the make-believe fantasy of the story; be a fly on the wall and let yourself be swept along as the scenes unfold at good pace.This is beautifully directed by Lubitsch whilst Vajda and Raphaelson have produced a great script.MGM built some wonderful sets - the opulence of the King of Marshovia's palace is fun with the lovely cast crowns on the huge doors ( a bit 'Wizard of Oz'ish'!) and the great dance sequences at the Embassy Ball may have influenced others 20 or so years later for 'My Fair Lady'. There are some lovely humourous touches and every performance is polished right down to the gypsy violinist. The music is wonderful but at the top of the credits are performances by Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier which are totally believable. We need to remind ourselves that when this was made in 1934 the film industry was not long into its infancy and despite the absence of all of today's surround sound - the distraction of colour -and all the technical 'advances' - this is a little masterpiece. You can hear clearly every word (what a refreshing change from todays films!!)and this delightful Lehar masterpiece rolls along on the great and convincing performances with the romance atmosphere of the music tugging at your heartstrings. Those without hearts or strings give this a miss - but sadly if you do I believe that you will be incomplete because you will have denied yourself the thrills,fun and fantasy of a delightful, beautifully performed 'once upon a time' romance.

Director Ernst Lubitsch's last collaboration with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald!

It's an entertaining tale about a womanizing Count (Chevalier, of course) who is "ordered" to court a rich widow (MacDonald), that pays more than 50% of the taxes in the small country of Marshovia, so that she won't leave the country.

When Chevalier's character is caught in the Queen's (Una Merkel) bedroom, the King (George Barbier) ignores it because of the importance of the mission.

But the main comic element stems from the fact that Chevalier's character has fallen in love with Fifi, who unbeknownst to him is actually the widow Sonia (MacDonald) trying to find happiness in the Paris nightclub Maxime's, before he must undertake his mission.

Excellent support provided by the always reliable Edward Everett Horton; Sterling Holloway also appears. Songs sung by both leads with lyrics by Lorenz Hart (of Rodgers & Hart, before Rodgers & Hammerstein).

Cedric Gibbons shared one of his many Oscars with Frederic Hope (his only statuette) for Art Direction.

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.

A moderately diverting musical the enjoyment of which probably hinges on how much you like its stars, Maurice Chevalier and Jeannette MacDonald. I don't particularly care for either, and I especially HATE that shrill, warbly style of singing that MacDonald was so famous for, so I'm perhaps not the target audience for this movie.

The most fun to be had comes from George Barbier and Una Merkel as the ding-a-ling king and queen of a fictional country. Ernst Lubitsch adds some witty directorial flourishes here and there, but nothing like what he would bring to his later and much better films like "Ninotchka" and "The Shop Around the Corner."

The film's opulent production design is a character in and of itself, and won Cedric Gibbons and Fredric Hope the 1934 Oscar for Best Art Direction.

Grade: B

In 1885, the East European kingdom of Marshovia can only survive if French-accented playboy Maurice Chevalier (as Danilo) marries American soprano Jeanette MacDonald (as Sonia). The two are mutually attracted as Ms. MacDonald mourns her deceased husband, but Mr. Chevalier doesn't know what she looks like under the traditional widow's veil. He is sent to Paris to find her and finds himself attracted to a woman who happens to be MacDonald. Pretending to be a flirty playgirl named "Fifi", MacDonald is turned on by Chevalier but turned off by his playboy manner. Love will find a way...

"The Merry Widow" was lavishly produced by MGM and directed by Ernst Lubitsch with his usual touch, but the co-stars are an acquired taste, today. Chevalier was partnered with MacDonald for her successful debut in "The Love Parade" (1929) and they made several films together. This one, their last, didn't ring up receipts at the box office like the studio anticipated. The studio had great critical and financial success with "The Merry Widow" in 1925 and some with Lana Turner's version in 1952. Still, this version can be appreciated for the results of its budget, and Mr. Lubitsch's direction.

***** The Merry Widow (10/11/34) Ernst Lubitsch ~ Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Edward Everett Horton, Una Merkel

This is why Hollywood use the expression "The Lubitsch Touch". Almost every film made by that most delightful of directors was sprightly and hilarious and sexy, and this is one of his most delightful. It's the best version filmed.

Maurice Chevalier is of course just as attractive as a man can be, and Jeanette MacDonald is wonderfully funny and sexy (why oh why did she ever team up with Nelson "The Singing Capon" Eddy? With Chevalier she was enchanting, with Eddy you wanted to slap her), and the supporting cast is delightful. Wonderful script, wonderful score, fabulous thirties-period costumes, all in all a delight.

I absolutely adore the operetta and this 1934 film is a real pleasure. It is not quite as good as the operetta, which is my favourite operetta of all time alongside Der Fledermaus, but there are so many things to love. The film looks splendid. I personally love the fashions, while the photography is stylish and the sets beautiful. The performances are first rate, Maurice Chevalier is charming and naughty and Jeanette MacDonald is a revelation. The story is told with style and polish, and the script is witty and acerbic. Two things especially made this film work. One is Lehar's music, which is absolutely magnificent, the overture and the music in the waltz scene show a master at work as does the beautiful Vilja. The other is Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant direction, this film has a rather risqué directorial approach that you see in every scene and this worked. Overall, this film is pleasure and if you love classic film or operetta or both(that's where I fit) I recommend you see The Merry Widow. 10/10 Bethany Cox

No need to add to the many reviews finding this a delightful, well made film. It is every bit that. Yet, this film violates one of the principles of truth in filming. It is NOT the Lehar Merry Widow. At best it is a distant cousin. To be sure, the film uses some of the music, albeit in odd places. and uses the names of some of the characters.

One of the plot elements of both the Lehar and the Lubitsch is the need for the tiny country to have the widow marry to keep her millions in the country's bank. The male lead is Danilo in both but in Lehar he is a playboy count. Here he is a bold captain. In Lehar, the leads were lovers in the past. Here they are newly met. And so it goes.

From the standpoint of faithfulness to the Lehar work, a work which still enraptures, this film is a travesty. Yet, it is a delightful travesty. Too bad they did not give it a different name.

Only some pictures reach the top to become a 7th. art masterpiece and this is certainly one of them. The music, the plot, the dialogs, the "mise en scène", the fashions, the direction, the players,...everything in this film is gorgeous. Everything fits so perfectly that one may think by viewing this movie that making a film is easy. Witty, intelligent, charming,...a perfect film in every way. I can imagine as a young girl watching The Merry Widow and being transported to this happy musical world in the silver screen. The Merry Widow waltz number is a prodigy of grandeur and coordination. A round film from the beginning to the end. Lubitsch touch at his best. Simply great.

Is is possible to rate a movie zero? This movie is one of the worst. The Lehar Merry Widow is full of great charm, a lovely plot and, of course, wonderful music. Some of the music survives -although ill presented- but the plot has been butchered and the charm is all gone. Is is simply awful.

Maurice Chevalier is miscast -he is fine in many roles, but not this one. Jeanette MacDonald does not have the right voice, and I have never before seen Edward Everett Horton detract from a movie. Think of how good is was in the Astaire-Rodgers musicals.

The sets and costumes have a heavy, unpleasant look which is the opposite of what the operetta calls for.

I have to rate it was a complete failure.

the music's the thing in this treatment of the light opera favorite. mcdonald was never better, voice and looks. ditto chevalier, acting in a role tailor-made for him. talk about a film having everything...the comedy, handled by old pros, such as sterling holloway, geo. barbier, una merkel, billy gilbert, henry armetta, donald meek, minna gombel. stupendous sets with dance scenes that were a lasting tribute to those who put them together. but as i said, the music, withal, is the thing. chevalier's "girls, girls, girls", "maxim's"; mcdonald's "delia" (was there ever a sweeter, more poignant song?), "merry widow waltz" and three or four other numbers. a truly great film. regrettably enough, mcdonald today is better remembered for the nelson eddy team-ups; personally, i prefer her with chevalier. they made at least four great musicals , the "widow" topping them all.

An incorrigible ladies' man is sent to Paris to lure a wealthy widow back home, where her taxes will keep their tiny country solvent. Of the three Lubitsch-Chevalier-MacDonald teamings, this may be the funniest, although it is extremely difficult to choose. It's definitely the most beautiful to look at, with sumptuous sets, beautiful costumes and exquisite cinematography. Maurice and Jeanette were a wonderful team in the early days of the Hollywood musical and this film is a terrific example of their appeal. Jeanette never looked more ravishing than she does in this film. Beautiful Franz Lehar & Lorenz Hart tunes (including the stunningly staged "The Merry Widow Waltz")are the icing on this Lubitsch cake.

THE MERRY WIDOW (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1934), produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch, is a musical-comedy based on the 1905 operetta by Franz Lehar, though the movie is more Lubitsch than Lehar. Marking the fourth and final screen collaboration of Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, and their only one together for MGM, many rate this their very best. Although their previous efforts for Paramount: THE LOVE PARADE (1929); ONE HOUR WITH YOU (1932) and LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932) have their own style of significance and flavor, depending on one's choice of favorites, THE MERRY WIDOW at times seems more like THE LOVE PARADE with more extravagance and gloss than the Paramount productions. Lubitsch, who happened to direct their first two, offers more in regards of familiarity in witty comedy along with some surprising twist of events, yet slightly disappoints in regards to brief song passages rather than satisfactory five minutes or more of tuneful melodies.

The story opens in "The Kingdom of Marshovia in the year 1885," a Central European country north of Roumania (so small it's found as a dot on the map through a magnifying glass) where Madame Sonia (Jeanette MacDonald), a widow wearing black gown with veil over her eyes, is spotted by Captain Danilo (Maurice Chevalier), an officer of the royal guard marching down the street with the other soldiers. A popular ladies man, Danilo bribes guards and dog (with food, of course) to climb over the garden wall to make the acquaintance with the widow to receive the answer of "if" and "when" they should meet again. Sonia shows no interest in the conceded young man and sends Danilo on his way. Through the passage of time, Sonia finds her diary with nothing posted, and decides that there's "a limit to every widow" by leaving Marshovia for the merry life in Paris. Being the richest widow in the world and controlling 52 percent of Marshovia's financial security, King Achmet (George Barbier) submits Danilo, having caught him alone in the boudoir of his very young wife, Queen Dolores (Una Merkel), to Paris with instructions to romance the merry widow Sonia and bring her back to Marshovia. Unaware of her identity, it so happens Danilo has already made the acquaintance of Sonia at Maxim's, under her guise of Fifi. After Fifi leaves him, Danilo disappears on a drunken binge. After being brought to Popoff (Edward Everett Horton), ambassador of Marshovia of diplomatic relations, he sobers him up to resume his mission with Sonia, whom, to his surprise at the Embassy Ball, turns out to be Fifi from Paris. Situations occur later that find Danilo facing a court martial and other series of unforeseen events.

The motion picture soundtrack is as follows: "Girls, Girls, Girls" (sung by Maurice Chevalier); "Vilia," "Tonight Will Teach Me to Forget," "The Merry Widow Waltz" (all sung by Jeanette MacDonald); "I'm Going to Maxim's" (sung by Chevalier); "The Merry Widow Waltz" (MacDonald); "I'm Going to Maxim's" (Chevalier); "Can-Can Dance," "Girls, Girls, Girls" (Chevalier); "The Merry Widow Waltz," "I Leave Maxim's to You," "Widows Are Gay," and "The Merry Widow Waltz." Of the song interludes, the most memorable happens to be "The Merry Widow Waltz" with numerous couples dancing down the hallway of mirrors. Chevalier and MacDonald dance briefly in a couple of scenes which make one wish for some more of the same. Other members in the cast of thousands include Minna Gombelle (Marcelle); Sterling Holloway (Mischka, Danilo's Orderly); Ruth Channing (Lulu); Donald Meek (The Valet); Herman Bing (Zixipoff); Henry Armeta and Akim Tamiroff.

Previously filmed by MGM (1925) starring Mae Murray and John Gilbert, under the direction of Erich Von Stroheim, this MERRY WIDOW is totally different from the original silent screen adaptation, yet more faithful to the 1934 sound adaptation when remade once more by MGM (1952), adding lavish Technicolor starring Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas and Una Merkel (in a different character role of Kitty Kiley), this 1934 edition is most memorable due to the Franz Lehar melodies and its fine cast. Because of the latter remake, the 1934 edition was sold to television with a new title of "The Lady Dances" The original title at 99 minutes was later restored when distributed to video cassette/DVD and cable television's Turner Classic Movies.

Though MacDonald was to have much more success at MGM (1934-1942, 1948), especially her eight film pairing opposite Nelson Eddy, Chevalier would resume his career in European cinema before returning to Hollywood in the late 1950s, with his most memorable role being the 1958 Best Picture winner of GIGI. Yet this is Chevalier and MacDonald at their prime and THE MERRY WIDOW being an exceptional operetta for them to end their partnership as a motion picture screen team. Have a merry time with this one. (****)