1h 45min | Musical | 5 September 1952
Director: Curtis Bernhardt
Stars: Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas, Una Merkel, Richard Haydn.
Jack Cole ... musical numbers creator and stager
bootleg, blurry copy
I don't remember the '34 version well enough to compare more than the leads:
Maurice Chevalier::Fernando Lamas
 |
| Cast album |
Jeanette MacDonald::Lana Turner
EE Horton::Richard Haydn
(In '34 Una Merkel played the Queen, who is either absent or very briefly onscreen in '52; in '52 UM plays companion/secretary to the widow.)
The Soundtracks for this film lists only 4 songs, 2 sung by FL. He sang quite often, and I don't think he repeated those 2 so frequently. At right is a cast album, with additional songs Maxim's and Girls, Girls, Girls and Night, and performance info.
Songs performed (7 chapters, no menu):
- ch1. "Girls, Girls, Girls" FL
- ch1. "Gypsy Music"
- ch1. "Vilia" FL
- ch2. "Night" FL
- ch3. "Maxim's" FL, RH
- ch4. "Can-Can" GV dances
- ch4. "The Merry Widow Waltz" FL, LT
- ch6. "The Merry Widow Waltz" FL, LT reprise
- ch??. "Red as the Rose of Maytime"
Somehow this lacks warmth or charm or something. It's not the music or the staging; that's fine. But LT & FL aren't suited for this, at least not together. Each is certainly beautiful, but I don't care if they get together or not.
It was sort of refreshing that FL was furious when he discovered that LT was actually the wealthy widow, who had been passing for poor while romancing him.
The big dance scenes deserve a better print; this is out officially now, but I doubt I'll buy it. This print looks promising. GV's dance is all too brief, and is only one in this film.
MGM, dir. Bernhardt; 6
