The operetta opens with the sally character called hannah already a widow. The merry widow 1952 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The merry widow was a lavishlystaged production shot on a long schedule 19 weeks, very unusual for the time with a large cast of extras. When a small kingdoms main tax payer leaves for paris, its king dispatches a dashing count to win back her allegiance.
By far the most expensive and opulent of the trio, the merry widow replaces the likes of mae murray and maurice chevalier with clotheshorse lana turner and bohunk fernando lamas in the hopes that. Jeanette macdonald in the merry widow 1934 ernst lubitsch in the merry. A playboy prince from a small country is forced to court a wealthy widow in order to ensure that her. Enfin veuve is a 2007 french comedy film directed by isabelle mergault and starring michele laroque and jacques gamblin. Film adaptations of the merry widow were released in. Jeanette macdonald sings the merry widow waltz french duration. Mar 23, 2014 the film the merry widow considerably changes the original lehar operetta which was, in turn, based on the 1861 french play lattache dambassade and adapted for the musical stage by leo stein and victor leon. The librettists, viktor leon and leo stein, based the story concerning a rich widow, and her countrymens attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband on an 1861 comedy play, lattache dambassade the embassy attache by henri meilhac. Maurice chevalier as danilo with the opening number by franz lehar and lorenz hart, jeanette macdonald slipping in as the mysterious widow, from ernst lubitschs celebrated 1934 version of the merry widow view the tcmdb entry for the merry widow 1934. The merry widow from palmerhughes accordion course, book 2.
In 1980, she made a guest appearance as a film star in the sitcom only when i laugh. The wonderful cast includes jeanette macdonald at her loveliest as sonia, the widow in question, maurice chevalier. With michele laroque, jacques gamblin, wladimir yordanoff, tom morton. Mar 09, 2016 the merry widow 1952 originally undertaken in 1925 with a remake in 1934, this was the third and final adaptation of the franz lehar operetta. The merry widow is a 1934 film adaptation of the operetta of the same name by franz lehar. Moira lister started her career on the stage in south africa. The merry widow was originally a german language operetta by franz lehar. These are the bare bones of the film s narrative setup, which. A very merry widow at the london coliseum column opera. The french critic jean douchet has proposed lubitschs 1919 german silent film the oyster princess as the first movie musical, citing that films. Websters new eno merry widow can be considered a valiant and very entertaining nearmiss, but hopefully will prove a box office hit. The merry widow is so lighthearted, so frivolous, so silly, so deeply committed to gaity and enjoyment that its a masterpiece of froth.
Nelson eddy liked to listen to the 78 recording of jeanette singing the merry widow waltz. The chemistry between stars maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald seems as. Una merkel previously appeared as queen dolores in the 1934 film version of the merry widow 1934, starring maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald. She is at last free to love the man shes been seeing on the sly for the past two years. Boston lyric operas the merry widow isnt so merry the. Later series of this programme were titled the very merry widow and how.
Whether in alan melvilles television programmes in the 1960s such as the whitehall worrier and the very merry widow, or in ealing films or in a. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The film the merry widow considerably changes the original lehar operetta which was, in turn, based on the 1861 french play lattache dambassade and adapted for the musical stage by leo stein and victor leon. Filled with good intentions, they have decided to stay be her side to help her. A guide to the very merry widow, the 1967 1969 tv sitcom. Across profound generational shifts in popular taste, it remains to this day the most performed operetta of all time, which at the time of its birth 1905, december 30th was a more competitive title than you might think. Warner archive restores the merry widow the new york times. Annemarie has just lost her husband in a car accident. Mar 24, 2019 the merry widow spread from vienna to berlin and hamburg, and then to london and broadway, on a spectacular opening night at the new amsterdam theatre in 1907. The merry widow is an ernst lubitsch movie starring jeanette macdonald and maurice chevalier.
T his version of the merry widow based on the popular franz lehar operetta and directed by the great ernst lubitsch was the second of three made by mgm film studios. Let joy be unconfined a prince from a small kingdom courts a wealthy widow to keep her money in the country. The merry widow was composed in 1905, shortly after a. When her orphaned granddaughter laurence emilie dequenne turns up looking for a place to stay, she gives the naive young woman some instruction on marriage to the rich and terminal as a means of selfenrichment. She gets on his nerves and he does not attract her any. The chemistry between stars maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald seems as tasty as a french pastry. Ballet version of merry widow presented the new york. Franz lehars operetta the merry widow depends very much on frocks and a fluent staging to help its hit tunes furnish a whole evening in. Renee jane birkin is a wealthy widow several times over. Zetas own wife valencienne and the french attache to the embassy, count. The australian ballet presents the merry widow, a production filled with tangled affairs, narrow misses and jealous lovers. Released by metrogoldwynmayer, the film stars mae murray, john gilbert, roy darcy, and tully marshall, with prefame uncredited appearances by joan crawford and clark gable. At the very end, the widow and her glamorous paramour run off to boston to open a pub not in the original libretto.
While it is not my favorite film from the screen pa. Ernst lubitschs the merry widow is the fourth collaboration between maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald that i have seen. To be performed correctly it needs a full roster of principal artists with the personal charisma and vocal beauty to bring these hackneyed yet wellloved old tunes to life. Alt film guide london stage star and olivier henry v leading. Stroheim clashed with mgm, which actually went so far as to offer him a cash bonus to finish the film on time, only for stroheim to ignore the studio and go over budget as usual. Jeanette macdonald and maurice chevalier as sonia and danilo probably only ernst lubitsch could have made a film that amounts to profound fluff. You know this romantic pair theyve been together three times before. The dry gin and french vermouth bring the lady down to earth. Oct 30, 2007 whether in alan melvilles television programmes in the 1960s such as the whitehall worrier and the very merry widow, or in ealing films or in a succession of west end and touring comedies, the. Dec 18, 2017 that leaves the merry widow as the only one of the three that is far more relaxed in its themes, even if it does include a bunch of greedy men trying to win the hand of heiress to plunder her fortune. For a limited time, get your first 4 months of audible membership for just. A frenchlanguage version was produced at the same time and released in. Relieved that her failed marriage is at an end, annemarie now sees the chance to meet her lover more often, and is looking forward to being. Annemarie lives an easy life with gilbert, a rich plastic surgeon.
It starred lana turner singing voice was dubbed by trudy erwin and fernando lamas. This viennese operetta is one of the famous of the 19th century and the most popular that franz lehar ever created. I wont spoil any of the humor and will just say that there are many lightly hilarious moments peppered throughout the film. The merry widow 1925 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Let joy be unconfined a prince from a small kingdom courts a. The merry widow spread from vienna to berlin and hamburg, and then to london and broadway, on a spectacular opening night at the new amsterdam theatre in 1907. That leaves the merry widow as the only one of the three that is far more relaxed in its themes, even if it does include a bunch of greedy men trying to win the hand of heiress to plunder her fortune. Jeanette macdonald sings the merry widow waltz french. At the time this movie was filmed 1934, it was done so in english and in french. Originally undertaken in 1925 with a remake in 1934, this was the third and final adaptation of the franz lehar operetta. As in the 1925 and 1952 film versions, almost the entire plot is changed from the. The 1925 silent film disappeared entirely for decades, not to be seen again until it was reclaimed by turner classic movies.
The merry widow is based on victor leon and leo steins french book, lattache dambassade which was initially translated into german and subsequently english. Pontevedro, her native country, will be left bankrupt if she weds a foreigner. She gets on his nerves and he does not attract her. When mgm released the 1952 remake of the merry widow, the studio ceased further distribution of the earlier versions so as not to compete with the remakes box office take. The merry widow 1934 film the merry widow is a 1934 film adaptation of the operetta of the same name by franz lehar. A winsome waltz have you ever had diplomatic relations with a woman. Marshovia, a small european kingdom, is on the brink of bankruptcy but the country may be saved if the wealthy american crystal radek, widow of a marshovian, can be convinced to part with her money and marry the kings nephew count danilo. This is prime lubitsch, one of my two favorites that he directed.
For those who enjoy operettas beauty and bubble, opera australias the merry widow is a dream come true. The 1925 silent film disappeared entirely for decades, not to be seen again. The merry widow waltz is a recurring theme in the 1943 films shadow of a doubt, directed by alfred hitchcock and scored by dimitri tiomkin, as well as in heaven can wait by ernst lubitsch. Lister also appeared on various other british tv series such as danger man and the avengers the seethrough man, 1967. My all time favourite movie, watched it again yesterday. It was directed and produced by ernst lubitsch and starred maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald. Jul 25, 2017 the last teaming of jeanette macdonald, maurice chevalier and director ernst lubitsch.
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