The Merry Widow

Ernst Lubitsch had no equal when it came to crafting sophisticated comedies. One of the first Hollywood directors known and revered by the public, his “Lubitsch touch” represented the pinnacle of intelligent humor.

While not as polished as Lubitsch’s best film (the 1932 Trouble in Paradise), The Merry Widow (1934) still towers over other comedies. Herman G. Weinberg writes in his book The Lubitsch Touch, “This time the first ‘Lubitsch touch’ came right under the credit titles as a magnifying glass sought in vain to find the tiny mythical kingdom where the action takes place.”

Though ostensibly based on the operetta of the same name (which Erich von Stroheim used as the basis for his 1925 silent film), Lubitsch and screenwriters Ernest Vajda and Samson Raphaelson essentially threw out the plot and started from scratch. Jeanette MacDonald is the wealthy widow who owns 52 percent of every cow in the tiny European country of Marshovia. Maurice Chevalier is the playboy prince who is given the task of wooing her back from Paris, so her riches will remain in the kingdom.

Supported by an outstanding cast of character actors — including Edward Everett Horton, Una Merkel, Sterling Holloway, and Hermann Bing — The Merry Widow is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and a feeling of nostalgia for a golden age of screen comedy.

The Merry Widow
(1934; directed by Ernst Lubitsch; cable)

Friday, January 28 at 12:30 p.m. eastern on Turner Classic Movies