So much average

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

An incorrigible ladies' man is sent to Paris to lure a wealthy widow back home, where her taxes will keep their tiny country solvent. Of the three Lubitsch-Chevalier-MacDonald teamings, this may be the funniest, although it is extremely difficult to choose. It's definitely the most beautiful to look at, with sumptuous sets, beautiful costumes and exquisite cinematography. Maurice and Jeanette were a wonderful team in the early days of the Hollywood musical and this film is a terrific example of their appeal. Jeanette never looked more ravishing than she does in this film. Beautiful Franz Lehar & Lorenz Hart tunes (including the stunningly staged "The Merry Widow Waltz")are the icing on this Lubitsch cake.

I absolutely adore the operetta and this 1934 film is a real pleasure. It is not quite as good as the operetta, which is my favourite operetta of all time alongside Der Fledermaus, but there are so many things to love. The film looks splendid. I personally love the fashions, while the photography is stylish and the sets beautiful. The performances are first rate, Maurice Chevalier is charming and naughty and Jeanette MacDonald is a revelation. The story is told with style and polish, and the script is witty and acerbic. Two things especially made this film work. One is Lehar's music, which is absolutely magnificent, the overture and the music in the waltz scene show a master at work as does the beautiful Vilja. The other is Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant direction, this film has a rather risqué directorial approach that you see in every scene and this worked. Overall, this film is pleasure and if you love classic film or operetta or both(that's where I fit) I recommend you see The Merry Widow. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Lubitsch, Lehar and Larry (Hart) are an unbeatable parlay in this entry where the only jarring notes are those leaving the mouth of Jeannette McDonald and heading for the stratosphere pursued by a pack of Labradors. Enough people love the voices of McDonald, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, etc to neutralize my antipathy but if only they could have used someone who could sing and not screech - impossible, I accept, at the time because in 1934 the likes of Peggy Lee, June Christy, Dinah Shore etc were not available for operetta. That cavil -albeit a major one - aside this is one of the most sophisticated, witty, lavish musicals that ever came down the pike. Samson Raphaelson supplied a gem-encrusted 'Book' and Larry Hart turned in some of his finest lyrics. Decor, costumes, camera movement all score heavily and the waltz sequence is so fluid and captivating it reveals Busby Berkley as merely a traffic cop with a train set. There was more than a touch of the ham in Chevalier but if we try to ignore the worst excesses of the two leads there is a lot to enjoy from the supporting players and simply the overwhelming STYLE of the thing.

The great Ernst Lubitsch clearly understood the material in which "The Merry Widow" was based. Being European himself, he clearly identified with this delightful Franz Lehar operetta that had been charming audiences throughout the years. Mr. Lubitsch places the action in the small country of Marshovia, in central Europe. The director had an eye for the great spectacle he presents for us. Mr. Lubitsch greatest achievement is that he seems to have his camera waltzing all the time. The result is an amazing triumph for MGM.In fact, the glorious sets one admires in the film are breathtaking. For a film made in 1934, the art directors, Cedric Gibbons and Gabriel Scognamillo recreate the royal palace of Marshovia in amazing detail, as well as the Paris scenes with an elegance and good taste that shows the resources of the studio that didn't spare anything. The black and white cinematography of Oliver Marsh enhances the Lubitsch style. Adrian's gowns look luxurious and the editing of the film by Francis Marsh give the film continuity without ever making the action appear forced or staged.The pairing of Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald was an match that seems to have been made in haven. Both actors are a delight to see. Mr. Chevalier with his French accent and mannerisms make his Count Danilo the charmer he is. The beautiful Ms. MacDonald is mysterious at first, when we meet her, then as she has fallen in love, changes her attitude and realizes Danilo is the man for her.The secondary roles are played with great panache by the genial Edward Everett Horton, who as the ambassador to Paris, is under orders to have Sonia, the wealthy woman, accept Danilo and return to Marshovia with all her money. George Barber plays the King Achmed and the incomparable Una Merkel is seen as Queen Dolores.The Merry Widow waltz received a great production number in which about a hundred couples are seen dancing around Sonia and Danilo, first in white tuxedos and gowns and later in black ones. Later all the couples are mixed together creating such a rich moment. By today's standards that sequence couldn't have been done, or it must have cost a fortune, or perhaps would have digitally mastered in order not to pay dancers to appear dancing in the movie.Let's just be thankful there was a man with a vision, Ernst Lubitsch, and let's be grateful for his vision and his legacy.