Starring Nelson Eddy, Rise Stevens, Nigel Bruce, and Florence Bates
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Music and Lyrics by various
This is the last of three vehicles Nelson Eddy did at MGM without Jeanette MacDonald. It's also the first movie for popular Metropolitan Opera soprano Rise Stevens, whom Eddy personally selected as his leading lady. This started life as the smash hit Broadway musical of 1909...but it was based on the George Bernard Shaw play Arms and the Man, and he was extremely crotchety when it came to adaptations of his work. Instead of dealing with him, MGM stuffed the songs around another play they already owned. How does this work as a retelling of the non-musical play The Guardsman? Let's begin at a theater in Vienna, where the recently married stars Karl Lang (Eddy) and Maria Lanyi (Stevens) are staring in a production of The Chocolate Soldier, and find out...
The Story: They're both jealous of the opposite sex paying attention to them. Karl becomes really upset, though, when he learns Maria wants to give up musicals and star in opera. He disguises himself as a passionate Russian singer, Vassily Vassilvich, to test her faithfulness. She at first turns away his overtures, then seemingly embraces them. Karl thinks he's lost his wife's affections forever, but Maria isn't as taken in by his playacting as he thought...
The Song and Dance: Once again, the leads and the lavish production carry the day. Eddy's Russian accent is slightly less absurd than his Mexican accent from The Girl of the Golden West, but he's still having more fun than usual as the jealous husband who masquerades as someone more passionate to prove his wife's faithfulness. Stevens, with her saucy manner and twinkling eyes, is funny enough to make me wish she did more theatrical films (her later appearances were all on TV). MGM once again goes all out, with gorgeous gowns for Stevens and lavish Russian-style costumes with acres of fabric for Eddy's impersonation and during the onstage-show.
Favorite Number: We open onstage with songs from the actual Chocolate Soldier. A huge chorus dances and pirouettes to the title song and "Tiralala," while Karl and Maria come onstage after bantering in their dressing rooms for the latter. Karl sings the Russian number "Song of the Flea" as Vassily at the Double Eagle club to seduce and impress Maria. She's more of the latter than the former.
He gets the caressing "While My Lady Sleeps" later in an attempt to serenade Maria. They perform the hit ballads "Sympathy" and "My Hero" in the Chocolate Soldier sequences later. The chorus comes in with "Thank God the War Is Over," while a king orders his men to "Seek the Spy." Maria initially sings the opera number "Evening Star" at home; Karl later plays it on a piano and performs it in English. Maria also gets another aria, "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta douce voix" from the opera Samson and Delilah.
Trivia: This was nominated for Best Sound Recording, Best Cinematography - Black and White, and Best Music: Scoring of a Musical Picture.
The Guardsman, which this is based on, originally debuted on Broadway in 1924. The 1931 film version carried over its legendary original stars, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. It would be the only time they appeared together on-film. The original stage Chocolate Soldier has been revived on Broadway many times since 1909, mostly recently in 1947, and remains popular with opera and light opera companies.
What I Don't Like: Although Bates has a few funny moments, this may well be a two-person show. No one else registers, including Bruce as Karl's best friend. I wish Shaw hadn't been so picky about how his plays were represented. The sumptuous onstage sequences are so well-done, I'd love to see what MGM could have done with the original, full show. (Stevens starred in a TV version of the original Chocolate Soldier in 1955.)
The Big Finale: If you love Eddy, Stevens, opera, or operetta, this is one confection you'll want to remain faithful to.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, the former from the Warner Archives.
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