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	Merry Widow Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald MGM (Warner), 1993 average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

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The story concerns one widow, Sonia (Jeanette MacDonald), a beautiful young woman who owns 52% of the small kingdom of Marshovia. Sonia lives a life consisting of black dresses, black shoes, black corsets and black veils...even a black dog. Sonia decides to flee to the gay city of Paris, and swaps her dull attire for a new wardrobe, and a new outlook.

The King of Marshovia (Edward Everett Horton) and his flirtatious Queen (Una Merkel) decide to dispatch the handsome Count Danilo (Maurice Chevalier) to Paris in order to woo Sonia and her millions back into Marshovia...but Sonia has a few tricks up her own sleeves!

Filled with the timeless music of Franz Lehar's score, THE MERRY WIDOW is joyously directed by legendary Ernst Lubitsch, and Jeanette MacDonald literally sparkles in designer Adrian's lavish costumes.

Later re-made starring Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas and Una Merkel (refer to my review for this).

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VILIA AND OTHER DELIGHTS.

A bankrupt king orders a nobleman to court a wealthy American widow. For lovers of vintage operettas, this 1934 film is one to cherish. The Franz Lehar masterpiece began life in Vienna in 1905 and it was an instant smash hit. It was first brought to the American stage in 1907, made into a lost silent with Alma Reubens and Wallace Reid in 1912, and brought true stardom to the eccentric Mae Murray in Erich Von Stoheim's 1925 version which co-starred John Gilbert. Grace Moore was originally to play Sonia, but she wouldn't accept second billing to Maurice Chevalier. This sparkling, frothy, funny and tuneful movie is a delight, and MacDonald shows a fine flair for comedy: she snaps off her lines with Lombard-like aplomb and expertise. Chevalier was a huge star at the time, and although he was never too crazy about Jeanette, their pairing here is near perfection.

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A Cinematic Delight

In spite of what's been said of the mutual dislike felt by both stars in real life, Chevalier and MacDonald's chemistry onscreen is absolutely undeniable, and certainly here, they're in top form as Count Danilo and Sonia, the not-so-merry-widow of the title. This is the best filmed version of a romantic "Graustarkian" or "Ruritanian" Operetta (which in this case takes place in the Kingdom of "Marshovia") that I've ever seen, thanks mainly to the "Lubitsch touch". Great dialogue, perfectly paced, expertly cast and with some very funny pre-code risqué situations (most notably the scene, at the beginning of the film, between the king, the queen and Count Danilo, in the formers' bedroom, delightful!). Great supporting cast, especially Edward Everett Horton as the ambassador, George Barbier, as the king, and Una Merkel, what a sexy and flirtatious queen!. MacDonald wears some stunning outfits by Adrian. A must for vintage musical lovers.

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"Are You Pretty, or Beautiful?"

What a line to run by a woman! Wow, that Maurice Chevalier was something else. Jeanette McDonald would have to be made of ice not to melt under his charms, and of course, she succumbs without much of a fight after all.

She's the not-so-merry widow at the outset of our story, the richest widow in this mythical kingdom. Then she bolts and leaves the country for gay Paree (where we see her at her merriest and gayly clad), so a secret diplomatic mission is underway: Captain Danilo must woo her and wed her to keep her millions in the country! Lots of playful intrigue as both he and she pretend to be different people at different times having different feelings than they do, before (sniff!) feelings get hurt and Widow Sonia rejects her suitor. But this is a comedy, so checkmate at last.

Visually a beautiful film, "The Merry Widow" disappointed me musically. I thought Jeanette did not do justice to her songs, although the bits that Maurice had were handled with charm and swagger. It's his picture, really. Having only seen him as an old man in "Gigi", I had no idea what sex appeal he possessed in his youth. I think every man who wishes to be an operator has got to check out this ultra charming man--I'd love to be deceived by him!

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Chevalier vs. McDonald

If in the Lana Turner version many of Lehar's melodies are played by the orchestra (a la Josh Logan's FANNY) while Turner and Fernando Lamas exchange smoldering glances, Ernst Lubitsch similarly downplays the music in this--the classic version of the operetta. And he had two of the 20th century's greatest musical personalities to carry off those signature tunes. Here and there we get full-bore versions of "Vilia" and others, but anyone familiar with the stage score feels a biting disappointment at seeing the screen version at how little of the score remains on screen. Even the famous "Merry Widow Waltz" gets only a minute or two--whereas in any production on the stage worth its salt, you hear that tune about two hundred times, until you're in an altered state. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. Anyhow Chevalier and McDonald are both out of this world and totally attuned to Lubitsch's stylish, comic, "saucy" production, and it might be that he never again worked with two such professional technicians. There are some movie fans who are immune to the charm of MC and JMcD, and they are perhaps best taken in small doses, but after seeing their Danilo and Sonia, you might well forgive them for their sins of haming it up elsewhere, for they are so restrained here. Meanwhile that lush creamy music burns in your brain:

Golden glowing lamps are throwing light above.
While the swaying tune is saying, "Love, Love, Love."
And the feet of dancers sounded as they go.
Don't you hear them say, my dear,
"I love you so?"

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reviews: page 1, 2

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