Great Waltz The (1938)

Directed by Julien Duvivier with a screenplay by Samuel Hoffenstein (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)) and Walter Reisch that was based on a story by Gottfried Reinhardt this fictionalized biography-drama of Vienna’s Johann ‘Schani’ Strauss II features Fernand Gravet (aka Gravey) as the prolific composer who is perhaps best known for his waltz The Blue Danube aka “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”. Several of Strauss’s compositions waltzes and operas were given lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II (The Lady Objects (1938)) for Gravet and/or Miliza Korjus as opera singer Carla Donner from Budapest to perform. The operatic Korjus earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for her film debut which was also (effectively) her only movie role. Luise Rainer plays Strauss’s delicate yet not too fragile wife Poldi (née Vogelhuber); she apparently tolerated her husband’s indiscretions like his affair with Carla depicted in this film. Cinematographer Joseph Ruttenberg won his first Oscar (on his first nomination) for his swirling camera work and Tom Held’s Editing was also nominated.

Quirky Hugh Herbert plays Strauss’s music publisher Julius Hofbauer Lionel Atwill plays Count Anton ‘Tony’ Hohenfried who covets Carla Leonid Kinskey plays Dudelman Herman Bing plays the proprietor Otto Dommayer who first gave Strauss a chance to play his music in public Alma Kruger plays Strauss’s mother (Poldi’s understanding mother-in-law) Henry Hull plays Franz Josef who would become Emperor of Austria after the uprising during which this film’s story shows he’d encountered Strauss Sig Rumann plays the banker who fires the future composer at the beginning of the story and Christian Rub plays the coachman who (in this movie at least) helped Johann and Carla compose the recognizable “Tales from the Vienna Woods” also during the Austrian revolution.

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