On the very night they met, viennese soldier niki maurice chevalier has wooed violinist franzi claudette colbert, in a rare vocal performance to his pad, where they engage in a song by oscar straus and clifford grey, in ernst lubitschs the smiling lieutenant, 1931. Nominated for an academy award as best picture, this musical, set in 19thcentury vienna, starred chevalier, claudette colbert, and miriam hopkins. The smiling lieutenant gives free rein to maurice chevaliers libido as it drives much of the plotevery time he is in a sticky situation, he charms and flirts his way out of it. Hes crazy about her and is smiling at her while on duty in the street. The smiling lieutenant is a 1931 american precode musical comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch, starring maurice chevalier, claudette colbert and miriam hopkins, and released by paramount pictures it was written by samson raphaelson and ernest vajda from the operetta ein walzertraum by oscar straus, with libretto by leopold jacobson and felix dormann, which in turn was based on the. She had a lot better work coming, but she nails the ingenue bit perfectly. Was miriam hopkins the sexiest precode star of them all. Aug 02, 2017 this feature is not available right now. As is customary for lubitsch, what is left unsaid is about as important as what is spelled out and the smiling lieutenant provides the director several instances wherein to indulge his subtle wit. The plot has a somewhat dippy maurice chevalier marrying a. Design for living is a 1933 american precode comedy film produced and directed by ernst lubitsch and starring fredric march, gary cooper, and miriam hopkins. The smiling lieutenant film by lubitsch 1931 britannica.
Balboa film festival offers rare peek into naughty past. The unabashed sexual energy here came in a few years before the hays code, and its tough to think that much of this film could have been released shortly after it. The entire film is full of such wonderful moments and makes the smiling lieutenant the comedic highlight of this set, aided no doubt by the relative paucity of musical interludes and lubitschs own hand on the screenplay. Since seeing monte carlo 1930 with an absolutely awful jack buchanan opposite.
The result is a brilliantly flowing, musical satire. Oct 03, 2017 while there are some films such as babyface 33 that leaves you gaping with what they suggested, the the smiling lieutenants beauty is that it takes more explicit, and even by todays standards, progressive content and places it within a very simple romantic comedy structure. Gallery of 7 movie poster and cover images for the smiling lieutenant 1931. The smiling lieutenant 1931 the criterion collection. Smiling lieutenant, the 1931 movie clip live for today. Lubitschs european naughtiness would not be entirely rejected. But its what also makes it hold up very well for todays audience. Heres a great precode film from the rom com master ernst lubitsch. The smiling lieutenant gets by when it relies on chevaliers easygoing charms, but another dimension is added by hopkins performance.
This rarely shown but delightful lubitschian film features the alwayscourtly. The smiling lieutenant is a 1931 american precode musical comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch, starring maurice chevalier, claudette colbert and miriam. Ill be honest, claudette colbert is very cute and she made this movie for me. The smiling lieutenant takes place in old vienna, the setting of many later ophuls works. Miriam hopkins, one of the most underrated performers of the studio era, will have her summer under the stars day on thursday, aug. Long thought lost, the smiling lieutenant was rediscovered in an east european vault in the 1970s. Transition to sound was a boxoffice success was the smiling lieutenant 1931. Her normal day consists of waking and baking, eating chips and sleeping on her wonderful bed. The movie starts off with her talking to herself on the top of a still ferris wheel. The smiling lieutenant letterboxd your life in film. Rent the smiling lieutenant 1931 starring maurice chevalier and claudette colbert on dvd and bluray. Turner classic movies will present fourteen miriam hopkins films, including one tcm premiere the samuel goldwyn production of barbary coast and three of hopkins saucy precode vehicles made at paramount. Oct 18, 2012 unfairly best recalled battling for your attention versus bette davis on screen, or perhaps for not landing the role of scarlett ohara in gone with the wind 1939, miriam hopkins should be remembered for the sexy and daring run of precode starring roles she played in the early 1930sthey actually make up fully onethird of her list of film credits.
Lubitsch musicals the love parade the smiling lieutenant one hour with you monte carlo the criterion collection on. The smiling lieutenant is a delightful showcase for its rising female stars, who. The smiling lieutenant 1931 a simple wink, intended by austrian palace guard lt. Nov 02, 2005 balboa film festival offers rare peek into naughty past. For instance, franzi has no concern that nikis now a. The smiling lieutenant gives free rein to maurice chevaliers libido as it drives. Rent the smiling lieutenant 1931 on dvd and bluray dvd. Shes something of a spoiled brat, but you kind of feel sorry for her because niki is such a morally bankrupt sexual opportunist. Lubitsch musicals renowned as a silent film pioneer and the man who refined hollywood comedy with such masterpieces as trouble in paradise, the shop around the corner, and to be or not to be, ernst lubitsch also had another claim to fame. In fact the naughtiness of films like these is what got hollywood the code.
Whether a light musical released today could become one of the highest grossing films of the year is debatable this movie was a massive hit in 1931 and gave ernst lubitsch two best picture nominated films in 1932. Among the contributors to the screenplay was samson raphaelson, who would collaborate. In a way this film made me sad that we do not see films of this sort produced now as while they are fluffy and completely lacking in substance there are few directors who can handle. Maurice chevalier and claudette colbert light up the screen in this charming musical comedy the smiling lieutenant directed by ernst lubitsch. Based on the premise of the 1932 play design for living by noel coward, with a screenplay by ben hecht, the film is about a woman who cannot decide between two men who love her, and the trio agree to try living together in a platonic. The unabashed sexual energy here came in a few years before the hays code, and its tough to think that much of this film could have been released shortly after it was. The smiling lieutenant 1931 directed by ernst lubitsch. Of course, by the end of the film, shes completely warmed up. The smiling lieutenant 1931 letterboxd your life in film. Synopsis lieutenant niki of the austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, franzi. The preparation of the royal bedchamber in the smiling lieutenant is one such scene, that kind of sneaks up on the viewer who doesnt quite get what all the fuss is about. Rent the smiling lieutenant 1931 on dvd and bluray. The smiling lieutenant dvdr 1931 universal studios. This short precode french film some dated it as 1930, not subject to the restrictions of the us hays code, was a promotional piece for the famed folies bergeres in paris, france.
Mar 19, 2018 the smiling lieutenant 1931 is a treasure trove of a film for a classic movie lover. The prehays code sexual innuendos of these films capture a side of the. As a result, the soldier has no choice but to marry the royal lady and move with her to the neighboring kingdom of flausenthurm. Movie nerds who buy into the claudette colbert was a secret lesbian. The smiling lieutenant 1931 ernst lubitsch synopsis. In a way this film made me sad that we do not see films of this sort produced now as while they are fluffy and completely lacking in substance there are few directors who can. Port of call new orleans is a 2009 american crime drama film directed by werner herzog and starring nicolas cage, eva mendes, tom bower, jennifer coolidge, alvin xzibit joiner, val kilmer, and brad dourif.
Balboa film festival offers rare peek into naughty past sfgate. 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 lubitschs the smiling lieutenant, 1931. A simple wink, intended by austrian palace guard lt. The smiling lieutenant jazz up your lingerie youtube. The smiling lieutenant 1931 the smiling lieutenant 1931. The smiling lieutenant 1931, directed by ernst lubitsch, by jon. The smiling lieutenant 1931 posters the movie database. Smiley face, a 2007 stoner flick, follows jane, a regular pothead and aspiring actress. Hopkins most memorable role came in 1935s becky sharp, the first film made in threestrip technicolor and hopkins only oscar nomination. The love parade was not merely a commercial hit but a sound film milestone for the pioneering way lubitsch incorporated songs naturally within scenes. On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost.
His girlfriend follows to continue the romance and, subversively, give princess anna tips on. The smiling lieutenant is a delightful showcase for its rising female stars, who are never more charming. The smiling lieutenant 1931 the smiling lieutenant. While there are some films such as babyface 33 that leaves you gaping with what they suggested, the the smiling lieutenants beauty is that it takes more explicit, and even by todays standards, progressive content and places it within a very simple romantic comedy structure. The smiling lieutenant 1931 is a treasure trove of a film for a classic movie lover. Maurice chevaliers randy viennese lieutenant is enamored of claudette colberts freethinking, allgirlorchestraleading cutie. The love parade the smiling lieutenant one hour with you. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. Smiling lieutenant, the 1931 movie clip how do you. When the romantically unappealing princess of his homeland takes a shine to him, a loyal viennese officer obediently marries her. I wont go any farther, but as you can see just by what i tell you the smiling lieutenant is a film made before the code was put in place.
King adolf and his daughter princess anna from the neighboring kingdom of flausenthurm drive by, and anna intercepts a wink meant for franzi. With the advent of sound and audiences clamoring for talkies, lubitsch combined his love of european operettas and his mastery of film to produce this entirely. However, a frumpy princess named anna miriam hopkins mistakenly believes he is flirting with her. The smiling lieutenant 1931, directed by ernst lubitsch. The smiling lieutenant would go on to be nominated for best picture, losing out to grand hotel 1932. Kate mosely in the cutting edge is just an absolute bitch on skates at the beginning of the film, although it does turn out that she has a deeply buried sweeter, kinder side. Yet complications ensue when the sexually repressed princess of the fictional kingdom of flausenthurm, played by newcomer miriam hopkins, sets her sights on him. A charming moment of song from ernst lubitschs 1931 film, the smiling lieutenant.
There had in fact been earlier films where the movie was played alongside a concert. Jul 08, 2012 the smiling lieutenant 1931 directed by ernst lubitsch in lubitschs third sound feature, maurice chevalier plays a cheerful but bemused hero austrian officer who has the mixed good fortune to win the affections of two equally beautiful women. The smiling lieutenant is a 1931 american precode musical comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch, starring maurice chevalier, claudette colbert and miriam hopkins, and released by paramount pictures. It has the lubitsch touch, as it was directed by the revered director ernst lubitsch.
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