Jules Duvivier directed this opulent, highly fictionalized musical film about Johann Strauss II. "The Great Waltz" stars Luise Rainer, Fernand Gravet and Miliza Korjus.
Strauss II married several times, but none of his wives were named Poldi Vogelhube. She is most likely modeled on Strauss' third and last wife. The Carla Donner character, with whom Strauss falls in love, did not exist. Strauss did form an orchestra, however, consisting of friends at the tavern, and did play at Dommayer's Casino. He also was involved in the revolution on the side of the revolutionaries.
None of these biographical facts are the point of this movie - it's about the beautiful music, the singing, and the romance. There it succeeds, and the film was an enormous success, especially in the European markets.
Luise Rainer gives a lovely performance as Poldi, who faces losing her beloved husband to another woman, and Gravet is an effective Strauss. Thalberg gave the European coloratura Korjus, who plays operatic diva Carla Donner, a contract on the basis of one of her recordings. We can assume it wasn't a recording of her singing Die Fledermaus.
Korjus was a good bet for Hollywood - she was beautiful, glamorous, a good actress and a good singer, with a few caveats. She had a lovely quality to her voice, glorious pianissimos, and her technique was adequate, but her coloratura high notes were straight and screechy. Her singing of Die Fledermaus toward the end of the film is massively off-pitch - it's surprising the recording was not re-done.
The best scene in the film is Strauss and Donner going through the Vienna Woods and Strauss coming up with the Tale of the Vienna Woods while listening to the birds and hearing the different rhythms as they travel. A very fun scene.
An incredibly expensive film with beautiful music, costumes and dancing.
Strauss II married several times, but none of his wives were named Poldi Vogelhube. She is most likely modeled on Strauss' third and last wife. The Carla Donner character, with whom Strauss falls in love, did not exist. Strauss did form an orchestra, however, consisting of friends at the tavern, and did play at Dommayer's Casino. He also was involved in the revolution on the side of the revolutionaries.
None of these biographical facts are the point of this movie - it's about the beautiful music, the singing, and the romance. There it succeeds, and the film was an enormous success, especially in the European markets.
Luise Rainer gives a lovely performance as Poldi, who faces losing her beloved husband to another woman, and Gravet is an effective Strauss. Thalberg gave the European coloratura Korjus, who plays operatic diva Carla Donner, a contract on the basis of one of her recordings. We can assume it wasn't a recording of her singing Die Fledermaus.
Korjus was a good bet for Hollywood - she was beautiful, glamorous, a good actress and a good singer, with a few caveats. She had a lovely quality to her voice, glorious pianissimos, and her technique was adequate, but her coloratura high notes were straight and screechy. Her singing of Die Fledermaus toward the end of the film is massively off-pitch - it's surprising the recording was not re-done.
The best scene in the film is Strauss and Donner going through the Vienna Woods and Strauss coming up with the Tale of the Vienna Woods while listening to the birds and hearing the different rhythms as they travel. A very fun scene.
An incredibly expensive film with beautiful music, costumes and dancing.