Starring Nelson Eddy, Illona Massey, Charlie Ruggles, and Frank Morgan
Directed by Reinhold Schunzel
Music and Lyrics by various
This was the second of Nelson Eddy's three solo vehicles at MGM. Like The Chocolate Soldier, this one has a stage pedigree. It was a hit in London, and though the stage show never came to the US, MGM still thought the robust story of a Russian Cossack prince who falls for a revolutionary was perfect for Eddy's virile presence and robust baritone. Were they right, or should this tale of love and intrigue in Old Russia be left in the barracks? Let's begin with the Cossacks, lead by Prince Peter Karagin (Eddy), as they take their leave for a night on the town and find out...
The Story: Karagin is smitten with the beautiful singer Lydia Marakova (Massey) at the Cafe Balaiaka in St. Petersburg. Hoping to remain near her, Karagin passes himself off as a poor music student and gets to know her family and friends. He's so impressed with her voice, he bullies opera director Ivan Dancheoff (Frank Morgan) into giving her an audition. Peter's less amused when his orderly Nikki Poppov (Ruggles) uses his money to impress Lydia's maid Masha (Joyce Compton).
Peter manages to win Lydia over, until her brother Dimintri (Dalies Frantz) is stampeded to death by Peter's Cossack troop after giving a speech in the street speaking out against the nobility. Her father Marakov (Lionel Atwill) brings a gun to Lydia's opera debut and intends to shoot Peter and his father the General (C. Aubrey Smith). Marakov pulls back when the General announces that Germany has declared war on Russia, but his fellow revolutionary Leo Proplinkski (Abe Biberman) does it anyway. Though the General survives, Lydia is arrested anyway. Peter has her released, but the damage is done. He now knows that she shares her father's revolutionary sentiments.
He and his men end up in World War I, fighting in the trenches. After the Russian Revolution overturns the old nobility, Peter winds up as a singer in a Russian-themed cabaret run by Nikki and Masha. He's never forgotten Lydia, though, and hopes she'll come for their Russian New Year's celebration...
The Song and Dance: Some decent performances in this tale of music and revolution in old Russia. Massey's not bad in her first lead role as the strong-willed beauty who must decide if she wants to follow her revolutionary beliefs or her heart. Eddy handles the comic moments well enough, especially when he's scolding Nikki over his spending on Masha, and he has some excellent music. Compton and Ruggles have some adorable moments together when they're flirting with each other, and Smith and Atwill make the most of their limited roles as the lovers' very different fathers. Gorgeous costumes, too, especially with all the elaborate outfits in the Russian New Year finale.
Favorite Number: The first real number is "Ride, Cossacks, Ride." Eddy's big male chorus number as they make their way to St. Petersburg, hoping for at least wine and women, gives us our first look at robust Peter and his lusty men. They also give us "Life for the Tsar" as they join the women of the town at the cafe. "Tanya" is our introduction to Massey at the cafe. She sings and dances with a male chorus, flirtatious but supremely intense. Massey joins the eager Cossacks afterwards for the Russian drinking song "Gorko" as they all vie to be considered her favorite. She gets "At the Balalaika" from the original English show back at the nightclub.
Massey, Eddy, and the Chorus get bits of a few numbers from Carmen during her opera audition, including her "Chanson Boheme" and his "The Toreador Song" and the duet "Si Tu M'Aime." Eddy and his men through "Song of the Volga Boatman." Massey's number at the opera, "Shadows In the Sand," was taken from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic suite Scheherazade. Eddy performs a moving "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve in the trenches, even as bombs fall around them. Massey's solo during the war years is another genuine Russian song, "Dark Eyes." Morgan sings "Land of Dreams" with a male trio at the cafe in Paris. Eddy sings two Russian numbers, "Flow, Flow Your Love" and "Wishing Episode" for the intrigued crowd at the Cafe Balalaika. Massey returns for the New Year finale, "Magic Of Your Love" from Franz Lehar.
What I Don't Like: Eddy doesn't have anywhere near the kind of chemistry with Massey that he did with MacDonald, or even Rise Stevens in his next solo vehicle The Chocolate Soldier. She's lovely but a bit frigid. I also wish they'd used more of the original show. Onstage, the Russian prince fell for a ballerina, and the story was told in flashback. Too bad MGM couldn't have tried that. Might have made the cliched story a little more interesting. All of the original songs were cut but "At the Balalaika," too. Since this seems to be the only filming of this show on either side of the Atlantic, I would love to hear the rest of them.
The Big Finale: Worth checking out for fans of Eddy, operetta, or old-fashioned romantic melodramas.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, the former in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives.
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