the smiling lieutenant

The princess learns of this and decides to confront Franzi. I’ve seen my wife legitimately angry in possibly three, maybe four times in the five years we’ve been together. Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. It is an enjoyable film that has many laughs and some catchy songs. The Smiling Lieutenant was nominated by AMPAS for Best Picture of 1931/32, and New York Times included it in its 1931 "Ten Best" list. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. An unhappily married couple try to come between a happy one. The Smiling Lieutenant was Paramount's biggest grosser of 1931. Due to an ongoing copyright dispute with the silent-film version, The Smiling Lieutenant remained out of circulation for years and was considered as a lost film until a print was discovered in Denmark in the 1990s. Eyman, Scott (2000) "Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise. Colete for Lily, but in "Smiling Lieutenant", Chevalier unconditionally accepts his forced romance with Anna. Watching “The Smiling Lieutenant” is like being present for the birth of the movie musical. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. John Oswalt , Lubitsch's third great musical is perhaps his most immoral, along with "One Hour With You". While on patrol, Lieutenant Nikolaus “Niki” von Preyn (Chevalier) winks at his beautiful love interest, Franzi (Colbert). The Smiling Lieutenant was adapted by Samson Raphaelson and Ernest Vajda (Lubitsch collaborators on Broken Lullaby and The Merry Widow), from Oscar Strau’s operetta Ein Walzertraum (“A Waltz Dream”), itself based on Hans Müller-Einigen’s novel … The Smiling Lieutenant is a delightful and entertaining movie to watch. An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side. She sang and played piano in the Ernst Lubitsch musical The Smiling Lieutenant (1931), which was the year's 10th domestic box-office success. Adapted from the 1907 operetta The Waltz Dream by Leopold Jacobson and Felix Doermann with music by Austrian composer Oscar Straus and Hans Muller’s novel “Nux der Prinzgemahl”, which was made into a silent German film also titled The Waltz Dream in 1926. London", p. 169. Hal Leonard Corporation. What was it that so enraged her? Nominated for an Academy Award as best picture, this musical, set in 19th-century Vienna, starred Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, and Miriam Hopkins. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. “Lieutenant” amounts to one of … It was written by Samson Raphaelson and Ernest Vajda from the operetta Ein Walzertraum by Oscar Straus, with libretto by Leopold Jacobson [de] and Felix Dörmann [de], which in turn was based on the novel Nux, der Prinzgemahl ("Nux the Prince Consort") by Hans Müller-Einigen. When a small kingdom's main tax payer leaves for Paris, its king dispatches a dashing count to win back her allegiance. The Smiling Lieutenant is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, and released by Paramount Pictures. A charming moment of song from Ernst Lubitsch's 1931 film, The Smiling Lieutenant. With Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, Charles Ruggles. Barrios claims that "Lubitsch and Chevalier were invincible". As a result, the soldier has no choice but to marry the royal lady and move with her to the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm. Passed | 1h 33min | Comedy, Romance, Musical | 1 August 1931 (USA) An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side. The Smiling Lieutenant is a 1931 romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, and Miriam Hopkins.. Chevalier is Lieutenant Nikolaus "Niki" von Preyn, a carefree Austrian officer who enjoys romancing the ladies and has recently entered into a romance with Franzi (Colbert), a charming violin player. [2] It was also named the year's "Best Ten" by The New York Times, along with Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and F. W. Murnau's Tabu.[4]. Price Match Guarantee. View production, box office, & company info. Maurice Chevalier’s randy Viennese lieutenant is enamored of Claudette Colbert’s freethinking, all-girl-orchestra-leading cutie. A crusading newspaper editor tricks his retiring star reporter into covering one last case. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Hall, Mordaunt. Add it to your Watchlist to be notified when it becomes available. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) is a treasure trove of a film for a classic movie lover. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Was this review helpful to you? Synopsis: Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The infectiously giddy The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) was surprisingly created during a time of extreme emotional duress for its director and star. "Lubitsch in the Thirties: All Talking! Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. The film often recalls the lilting grace of Lubitsch's "The Love Parade" but it also looks ahead to the ironic romantic triangle of Lubitsch's lauded masterpiece "Trouble in Paradise".Here, Chavalier's Lieutenant Niki is torn between an aristocratic princess Anna (Miriam Hopkins) and a working class violinist Franzi (Claudette Colbert), the same way Herbert Marshall's Gaston in "Trouble in Paradise" must choose either Kay Francis's wealthy Madame Colete or his fellow thief, Miriam Hopkin's Lily. Romantic entanglements and jealousies confuse the scheme. Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert light up the screen in this charming musical comedy The Smiling Lieutenant directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The Smiling Lieutenant (DVD) : A Viennese lieutenant is enamored of a freethinking, all-girl-orchestra-leading cutie. During a visit by King Adolf (Barbier), his plain daughter Princess Anna (Hopkins) mistakes a smile meant for Franzi to mean that Niki is interested in her. Other articles where The Smiling Lieutenant is discussed: Ernst Lubitsch: Transition to sound: …was a box-office success was The Smiling Lieutenant (1931). ", Film Comment 8, p. 21. Retaining the elemental contours of the Strauss operetta and a good deal of its music, it presents songs few in number and definitely American and vulgar in character. The Smiling Lieutenant. We can imagine young screenwriter Billy Wilder studying this film in hopes of understanding 'the Lubitsch touch.' The queen of mythical Sylvania marries a courtier, who finds his new life unsatisfying. While standing in formation before a parade honoring the visiting royal family of Flausenthurm, Niki takes the opportunity to wink at Franzi in the crowd. Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam. Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert light up the screen in this charming musical comedy The Smiling Lieutenant directed by Ernst Lubitsch. From "The Smiling Lieutenant" (1931). But the film's charm or brilliance lies in its joyous musical numbers and songs, and its ironic immoral look at its characters. Never one to allow for too solemn an occasion, director Ernst Lubitsch uses the moment to crack a ‘does the curtain match the drapes’ joke. At first, Niki is happily fond of Franzi who is introduced to him by his friend Max (Charlie Ruggles, who played one of rejected suitors in "Trouble in Paradise"). Use the HTML below. The naive Princess assumes offense, leading the lieutenant to convince her that he slighted her because she is thought to be very beautiful. I mention this because my wife was livid after the end of The Smiling Lieutenant. A gentleman thief and a lady pickpocket join forces to con a beautiful perfume company owner. The ultimate Superjoke is that at the end of the film, "the wrong girl gets the man". The adoptive father of a young woman is horrified to learn she plans to marry the son of the man who accidentally killed her aunt years before. The Lieutenant sneaks away from his bride to wander the streets of Flausenthurm to find his girlfriend. Thompson, Kristin (2005) "Herr Lubitsch Goes To Hollywood: German and American Film After World War I", p. 126. The Smiling Lieutenant - DVD-R (1931) for $19.00 from OLDIES.com Comedy Maurice Chevalier laughing and loving again in Ernst Lubitsch's sparkling cocktail of romantic merriment - … There is, for instance, an irony and immorality in the lovely number "Jazz Up Your Lingerie", as Princess Anna tries to emulate Franzi in order to look sexy for Niki. Watching “The Smiling Lieutenant” is like being present for the birth of the movie musical. "The Smiling Lieutenant" remains Lubitsch's most underrated musical. … "Blue-Ribbon Pictures of 1931: Harvey, James (1998) "Romantic Comedy in Hollywood: From Lubitsch to Sturges", p. 22. From the woman who fawned over Trouble in Paradise and One Hour with You, she could hardly contain her anger at the film’s story. It has the “Lubitsch touch,” as it was directed by the revered director Ernst Lubitsch; is quite Pre-Code in its content and is a musical, though it is not chockful with songs. It was also named the year's "Best Ten" by The New York Times, along with Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and F. W. Murnau's Tabu. A pilot falls in love with a woman he believes is heading cross country to become a maid, little suspecting that she's actually a princess. Let me explain the plot first and then we’ll hit that. A simple wink, intended by Austrian palace guard Lt. Nikolaus von Preyn for girlfriend, Franzi, is accidentally intercepted -- and misread -- by the visiting Princess Anna. Yet complications ensue when the sexually repressed princess of the fictional kingdom of Flausenthurm, played by newcomer Miriam Hopkins, sets her sights on him. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. Not many people have seen it. Franzi follows and enjoys a brief affair with Niki before Anna finds out. In sets, camerawork, background music, alternations of sound and silence, thus the film reaches a certain level that makes The Love Parade and Monte Carlo look comparatively stilted". It deserves to be seen and compared with Lubitsch's later works, particularly "Trouble in Paradise.". The Smiling Lieutenant Photos View All Photos (7) Movie Info. “Charming lightweight musical.”. The Smiling Lieutenant ( 1931) The Smiling Lieutenant. Yet complications ensue when the sexually repressed princess of the fictional kingdom of Flausenthurm, played … [2], The notion of "The Lubitsch Touch" is used to describe the visual comment or joke that becomes a trademark or signature of Lubitsch's films. Da Capo Press, New York. He's crazy about her and is smiling at her while on duty in the street. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no late fees, ever. Rent The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert on DVD and Blu-ray. Summoned to account for the crime of smiling at the visiting princess (Miriam Hopkins), Viennese soldier Niki (Maurice Chevalier) rolls the dice with her father the king (George Barbier), in Ernst Lubitsch's The Smiling Lieutenant, 1931.> Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, and Miriam Hopkins are fun in their respective roles as the story unfolds. 8 Reviews 250+ Ratings You might also like The Smiling Lieutenant Ernst Lubitsch, Ernest Vajda and Samuel Raphaelson form a plenty smart trio working behind a camera. [8] Billy Wilder defines the touch in relation to The Smiling Lieutenant: "It was the elegant use of the Superjoke. Lubitsch was still in the stages of mastering sound-on-film technology and combining it with narrative: James Harvey acclaims that "technically The Smiling Lieutenant is the most accomplished of Lubitsch's early sound films. Barrios claims that "Lubitsch and Chevalier were invincible". The Smiling Lieutenant ★★ ½ 1931Flirting at the wrong time/wrong place can get a guy into big trouble. The Smiling Lieutenant is a 1931 American musical comedy movie directed by Ernst Lubitsch and was based on the 1905 novel Nux, der Prinzgemahl by Hans Müller-Einigen and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1932. Possibly three, maybe four times in the ways of the movie musical has to marry the Lieutenant sneaks from., with an upbeat attitude that often throws people off abandons Mme Princess demands has. Underrated musical let me explain the plot first and then there was one big. Brilliance lies in its joyous musical numbers and songs, and Miriam Hopkins, who were determined to very! 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