Starring Ramon Novarro, Evelyn Laye, Charles Butterworth, and Una Merkel
Directed by Dudley Murphey
Music by Sigmund Romberg; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
As we discussed earlier this month, operetta made a comeback on the big screen in the mid-30's thanks to the success of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy's vehicles from MGM and Columbia's for Grace Moore. Evelyn Laye was beloved stage actress on England's West End, but her one try at Hollywood was in the disastrous flop One Heavenly Night from 1931. Novarro's MGM contract was ending, but they decided to give him one more go at stardom, hoping to make him and Laye the next MacDonald and Eddy. How did they fare in this story of a ballerina who loves an archduke? Let's begin with a tinkling music box over the credits and a white ballerina twirling on and see...
The Story: Emperor Franz Josef (Henry Stephenson) has arranged for his nephew, the Archduke Paul Gustave (Novarro), to marry a princess. Paul really loves the Countess Zarika Rafay (Rosalind Russell), but the Emperor hates her family. Franz doesn't mind him seeing women, providing they're outside of the royal courts. Paul claims he's in love with one of the ballerinas they're watching, Lisl Gluck (Laye). She's always getting into trouble for watching her pianist fiancée Toni Berngruber (Donald Cook).
Lisl is relieved she's merely a decoy while he spends time with the Countess. She's not as happy at first when he insists she live in the royal palace, until he agrees to produce Toni's ballet. They eventually get to know each other better as she reveals the music of the ballet to them, and after spending an evening at the local carnival, fall in love. Not only is Toni jealous, but there's also their class to consider. His marrying a ballerina won't sit well with his family, and his uncle reminds him to consider his country before he makes the sacrifice.
The Song and Dance: Lovely, romantic, and quite funny, especially for an operetta. No wonder Laye was considered one of the great beauties of the English stage well into the 50's. She's sweet and delicate as the so-so ballerina who finds herself falling for a duke in spite of herself. Merkel and Butterworth liven things up considerably as Lisl's best friend Fanni and her sweetheart, the dour carriage driver Willy, and Russell's appropriately haughty the few times we see her. Edward Everett Horton is back too, this time more appropriately as a fussy baron (this time with considerable sideburns). Glorious costumes and sets lavishly recreate the Austrian empire of the 1880's, with stunning gossamer bustle gowns for the ladies and elaborate uniforms for the men.
Favorite Number: The big hit here was "When I Grow Too Old To Dream." It remains a Romberg standard to this day, and the movie shows us why twice. Lisl gives us the lyrics the first time while singing it wistfully at the Archduke's home. Later, she and Paul perform it as one of their major duets. The other is the title song, which is one of the ones they write together at his home. Willy sings about how he prefers "My Old Mare" Mitzi to any girl in the world...including Franni tooting on a horn behind him. Franni and Lisl dress up at the Duke's home to parody a lady of the opera, "The Noble Duchess." The Duke is a lot more amused than you might think with their satire. Novarro and Laye sing the comic "There's a Riot In Havana" while out with Franni and Willy at a local nightclub.
Trivia: Sadly, the movie was such a huge flop, Laye went back to England and wouldn't do another movie for a decade (and never again in Hollywood), and Novarro was relegated to lesser studios.
What I Don't Like: This is about as typical of an operetta as you can get, from the middle-European setting to the schmaltzy story. I do give them credit for going with a fairly mature bittersweet ending, but the rest of the movie is one big cliché. Fans of the genre have seen this type of mawkish melodrama in everything from Maytime to The Student Prince. Speaking of...yeah, if you haven't guessed, you really need to be a fan of operetta to enjoy this one. If you aren't into the genre or old-fashioned romances, this is not the place for you.
The Big Finale: Fortunately, I am a fan of operetta. If you love Novarro or the supporting cast or the genre, this is a romantic treat that deserves to be rediscovered.
Home Media: Sadly, this is another one that seems to be TCM only at the moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment