the smiling lieutenant

Lubitsch’s films privilege self-contained moments of constructive hedonism, sexual thrill and musical spectacle. Add the first question. Made and released during the Depression, THE SMILING LIEUTENANT offered welcome escapism for a public reeling under too real economic woes. Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. But this one was The Smiling Lieutenant, a very oddly-structured romcom (a feature, not a bug) seeing as Chevalier is almost immediately in a relationship with Claudette Colbert, but then he gets in hot water with visiting aristocrats, thinks he can charm/Bugs Bunny himself out of it, and finds out what happens when a princess takes a shine to him. The Smiling Lieutenant Maurice Chevalier's randy Viennese lieutenant is enamored of Claudette Colbert's freethinking, all-girl-orchestra-leading cutie. The Smiling Lieutenant Photos View All Photos (7) Movie Info. 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. Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert light up the screen in this charming musical comedy The Smiling Lieutenant directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Was this review helpful to you? An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side. Fast, free delivery. The international incident is narrowly averted by having them get married. To make amends, he is forced to marry Hopkins but he is not about to be tied down to a life of luxurious boredom and slips out in the commoner's uniform of straw hat and tuxedo for a night on the town every chance he gets; in the meantime, the flustered King comforts his lonesome daughter by playing chess in her boudoir! An unhappily married couple try to come between a happy one. In Vienna, Lieutenant Nikolaus "Niki" von Preyn (Maurice Chevalier) meets Franzi (Claudette Colbert), the leader of an all-female-orchestra. [3], Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed. Peter Bart: How To Build A Film Critic For The Post-Pandemic Age, It’s official, the best Oscar year ever is… – watch Jump Cut #4. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. Title: The queen of mythical Sylvania marries a courtier, who finds his new life unsatisfying. She falls for Niki, marries him (he has no choice in the matter), and whisks him off to Flausenthurm. "Lubitsch in the Thirties: All Talking! "Blue-Ribbon Pictures of 1931: Harvey, James (1998) "Romantic Comedy in Hollywood: From Lubitsch to Sturges", p. 22. 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. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. All Singing! Curiously enough, Chevalier had been unusually loyal to Colbert instead of his usual roving self and it is only on the latter's advice (and her involvement in Hopkins' jazzy makeover) that he finally abides willingly to his marital duties. ", Film Comment 8, p. 21. The Smiling Lieutenant Synopsis. The City Editor of a sleazy tabloid goes against his own journalistic ethics to resurrect a twenty year old murder case... with tragic results. [5] For Andrew Sarris, The Smiling Lieutenant stands between the "lilting lyricism" of Love Parade and the "tempered ironies"[6] in Trouble in Paradise. Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. Romance. Share. The Smiling Lieutenant was nominated by AMPAS for Best Picture of 1931/32, and NYT included it in its 1931 "Ten Best" list. [1], The film was not made under pleasant circumstances: the shift to the Astoria, New York, studios accounts for the sense of confinement on set. Storyline Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. Sarris, Andrew (1972). ", The results are a complete success as the Lieutenant follows his satin-clad, cigarette-puffing bride into the bedroom and closes the door – only to open it and give the audience a last song and a suggestive wink. N… Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam. Hal Leonard Corporation. The Smiling Lieutenant: Princess Anna The first of three films Hopkins made with Lubitsch 1931 24 Hours: Rosie Duggan 1931 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Ivy Pearson 1932 Two Kinds of Women: Emma Krull 1932 Dancers in the Dark: Gloria Bishop 1932 The World … The ultimate Superjoke is that at the end of the film, "the wrong girl gets the man". 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". The Smiling Lieutenant is a delightful and entertaining movie to watch. Price Match Guarantee. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. Let me explain the plot first and then we’ll hit that. Certificate: Passed A crusading newspaper editor tricks his retiring star reporter into covering one last case. The naive Princess assumes offense, leading the lieutenant to convince her that he slighted her because she is thought to be very beautiful. Maurice Chevalier’s randy Viennese lieutenant is enamored of Claudette Colbert’s freethinking, all-girl-orchestra-leading cutie. The Smiling Lieutenant DVD. Lubitsch encouraged their dispute that suited their characters on screen.[3]. Director: Ernst Lubitsch Writers: Leopold Jacobson (operetta), Felix Dormann (operetta), Hans Müller (novel), Ernest Vajda (screenplay), Samson Raphaelson (screenplay), Jacques Bataille-Henri (dialogue) and Ernst Lubitsch "The Lubitsch touch" was all the rage at the start of Hollywood's Talkie era, which is why musical trifles such as this one or the preceding THE LOVE PARADE (1929) – skilfully made and pleasantly risqué though they might be – ended up being major Academy Award contenders for a spell. A countess flees to Monte Carlo on the day of her wedding, where she is courted by a count posing as a hairdresser. Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. This FAQ is empty. Da Capo Press, New York. Lubitsch also played referee between Colbert and Hopkins, who were determined to be shot from the same angle. Crime, Certificate: Passed Franzi, much more experienced in the ways of the world, gives Anna lessons on how to win the affections of her husband. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. 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. This was the first of three films directed by Lubitsch and starring Miriam Hopkins. 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. DVD Price: $20.95. That was the Lubitsch touch." They soon fall in love with each other. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no late fees, ever. A woman cannot decide between two men who love her, and the trio agree to try living together in a platonic friendly relationship. [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. My wife is a nice, wonderful woman. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Smiling_Lieutenant&oldid=1007895143, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 13:55. Description. [7] When the film resurfaced, the "general elation" was followed by "an inevitable let down" due to technical problems. Thompson, Kristin (2005) "Herr Lubitsch Goes To Hollywood: German and American Film After World War I", p. 126. ), pub. 4 of 5 people found this review helpful. King Adolf and his daughter Princess Anna from the neighboring kingdom of Flausenthurm drive by, and Anna intercepts a wink meant for Franzi. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) is an especially welcome element of the set, given that it was for many years thought to have been lost. Written by 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.> Comedy, Certificate: Passed 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. Rent The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert on DVD and Blu-ray. Synopsis 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. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Ellipsis, Hollywood | Tags: Claudette Colbert, Ernst Lubitsch, Maurice Chevalier, Miriam Hopkins, Paramount pictures, The Smiling Lieutenant | Leave a Comment . A simple wink, intended by Austrian palace guard Lt. Nikolaus von Preyn (Maurice Chevalier) for … Franzi, much more experienced in the ways of the world, gives Anna lessons on how to win the affections of her husband. Forced to marry the Princess, Chevalier despairs at her lack of charm. Use the HTML below. Ernst Lubitsch - Wikipedia During the pre-code Hollywood of the early 1930s, she appeared in The Smiling Lieutenant , The Story of Temple Drake , and Design for Living , all of which were box-office successes and critically acclaimed. Shop The Smiling Lieutenant [DVD] [1931] at Best Buy. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. [8] Billy Wilder defines the touch in relation to The Smiling Lieutenant: "It was the elegant use of the Superjoke. Of everything you watch ; tell your friends films privilege self-contained moments of constructive hedonism, sexual and. Some catchy songs and decides to respond to his infidelities in kind 1999 Hollywood... Flausenthurm to find his girlfriend musical, it will disappoint to Flausenthurm new,... Franzi, much more experienced in the ways of the world, gives Anna lessons on how to back... By a count posing as a hairdresser marries a courtier, who finds his new life.. 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