1h 42min | Musical, Romance | 29 December 1939
Director: Reinhold Schünzel (as Reinhold Schunzel)
Stars: Nelson Eddy, Ilona Massey, Charles Ruggles.
Ernst Matray ... choreographer
Albertina Rasch ... ballet choreographer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031074/
Watched online; ok print.
I must not have watched very well: I don't remember anything that needed a choreographer. Oh, yeah, the Scheherazade number; didn't really grab my attention. And, indeed, I fell asleep often, and restarted the film at least 3 times.
Good singing, including a duet from Carmen.
Story seems to show Cossacks/white Russians as more heroic/victimized than the revolutionaries, but doesn't delineate well the history of the revolution vs. WW I. (I'm sure it was confusing at the time, but this was made 20 years later.) Of course, this isn't a documentary; the primary focus is on the romance, and on their lives before, during and after the war.
I don't feel too guilty about giving this only 6, given that I was not fully attentive. I previously rated it the same.
MGM, dir. Schunzel; 6+
6Sep2019 Update: bought a copy & glad I did. This is charming: lots of songs. There is a fair amount of dancing, but mostly social. NE as hero is always welcome; he's disguised as a student, not a worker. IL is good for this role.
6Sep2019 Update: bought a copy & glad I did. This is charming: lots of songs. There is a fair amount of dancing, but mostly social. NE as hero is always welcome; he's disguised as a student, not a worker. IL is good for this role.
