Starring Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Lupino Lane, and Lillian Roth
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Music by Victor Schertzinger; Lyrics by Clifford Grey
Novarro wasn't the only non-American star appearing in a big original operetta that year. Major French headliner Maurice Chevalier made his American sound debut in Innocents of Paris. Though it did fairly well at the box office, critics eviscerated it as dull and cheap. Paramount wanted a classier follow-up and turned to Ernst Lubitsch, already well-known for his sexy silent comedies and epic dramas. Jeanette MacDonald, then a rising stage ingenue, also made her film debut here. How does the first operetta made expressively for the big screen look today? Let's begin in Paris, with Count Alfred (Chevalier) and his latest conquest, and find out...
The Story: After Alfred's conquest nearly shoots herself and her husband tries shooting him, he's called back to the tiny principality of Sylvania by Queen Louise (MacDonald). Louise would enjoy running her country more if everyone from her maid Lulu (Roth) to her cabinet officers wasn't so obsessed with her finding a husband. She want to reprimand Alfred, but is so taken by his charm and candor, she ends up marrying him instead. Alfred finds marriage to a queen disappointing; she has all the royal duties, leaving him with nothing to do. Now she needs a loan from another country or they'll go into bankruptcy, unless he appears as a happily married man at the opera.
The Song and Dance: Like the next Chevalier-MacDonald musical Love Me Tonight, critics have crowed about this one for years. They're right here, too. Lubitsch expertly weaves musical numbers with the frothy story in a way that's revolutionary for backstage-obsessed 1929. There's a naughty vibe with all the locked doors and closed window shades, giving us a hint of things that still couldn't be shown even then. Everyone puts in sensational performances, including MacDonald in her first film, ace British comic Lupino Lane as Alfred's valet, and sassy Lillian Roth as the Queen's loyal maid. Heck, even Afred's dog gets a part of "Paris Stay the Same" and a comic storyline of his own. There's stunning costumes and sets, too, including some amazing gowns, fur-trimmed day dresses, and barely-there frilly negligees for MacDonald.
Favorite Number: Alfred laments his being called back from all the luscious ladies of France in "Paris, Stay the Same." His valet Jacques picks it up as he sings about missing the maids of Paris, and even his dog barks to the females of his species. MacDonald first performs the rhapsodizing "Dream Lover" as her maids help her into the bath and prepare her for her daily duties. She does a tearful reprise later before the ball, when Alfred threatens to return to Paris. He claims he'll do "Anything to Please the Queen" after they meet and sparks fly. MacDonald's joined by her army in their uniform for the rousing "March of the Grenadiers," while Chevalier laments about his boredom to the dog and the camera in "Nobody's Using It Now." Lane and Roth enjoy their own type of romance when they perform an acrobatic soft shoe to "Let's Be Common."
What I Don't Like: The second half has a lot of problems, the worst of which is the story hasn't dated well. Nowadays, the Queen would either take Alfred as her full partner and share the duties with him, or he'd accept that she has the right to rule and leave her to it. It slows down here too as the subplot with the loan kicks in. Alfred's not the only one who gets bored at this point. Frankly, the story comes as more than a little chauvinistic and can leave a slightly sour taste, despite Lubitsch's skill in hiding and revealing sexual details. There's also times when this being an early talkie kicks in with an occasional bit of stiff dialogue or camera that stays in one place for too long.
The Big Finale: Even with the dated story, this is still a delightful operetta with four excellent performances by the leads and a director who knows how to make music on film work. A must for fans of Lubitsch, the stars, or early sound films.
Home Media: Only on DVD as part of the Criterion Eclipse Lubitsch Musicals collection that also includes The Smiling Lieutenant, Monte Carlo, and One Hour With You.
No comments:
Post a Comment