Champagne Waltz is a 1937 American comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Gladys Swarthout, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. The theme of the film was inspired by the eponymous hit song, written in 1934, by the compositional pair Con Conrad and Ben Oakland.[1] It is one of five movies produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Swarthout, a very popular Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano. The studio was attempting to build on the popularity of Grace Moore, another opera singer, who had also expanded her talents into movies.[2] The film's sets were designed by the art director Ernst Fegté working with Hans Dreier. The costume designer was Travis Banton.
| Champagne Waltz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | A. Edward Sutherland |
| Written by | Don Hartman Frank Butler Billy Wilder Hy Kraft |
| Produced by | Harlan Thompson William LeBaron |
| Starring | Gladys Swarthout Fred MacMurray Jack Oakie Fritz Leiber |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | Paul Weatherwax |
| Music by | Multiple contributors including Oscar Hammerstein |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThis is a light musical with elements of screwball comedy. It documents the rivalry between a Vienna Waltz studio and the American jazz band that moves in next door. Franz Strauss is stressed because his waltz palace is losing business to the jazz club. Fred MacMurray is the trumpet-playing headliner. He pretends to be the US Consul when he encounters Swarthout, the daughter of the waltz studio owner. He changes the story to be an icebox salesman in order to continue wooing Swarthout. Meanwhile, Oakie is falling for a countess who sold him a fake silver service.[3]
Cast
edit- Gladys Swarthout as Elsa Strauss
- Fred MacMurray as Buzzy Bellew
- Jack Oakie as Happy Gallagher
- Frank Veloz as Larry
- Yolanda Casazza as Anna
- Herman Bing as Max Snellinek
- Fritz Leiber as Franz Strauss
- Vivienne Osborne as Countess Mariska
- Frank Forest as Karl Lieberlich
- Ernest Cossart as Waiter
- Benny Baker as Flip
- James Burke as Mr. Scribner
- Maude Eburne as Mrs. Scribner
- Maurice Cass as Hugo
- Guy Bates Post as Lumvedder
- Michael Visaroff as Ivanovitch
- Rudolph Anders as Emperor Franz Joseph
- Stanley Price as Johann Strauss
- Tommy Bond as Otto, Singing Student
- Carol Adams as Dancer
Reception
editTime gave the movie a poor review as a "heavy-handed musical naively designed to combine the best features of jazz with those of the Viennese waltz."[2]
See also
edit- Rose of the Rancho (1936)
- Give Us This Night (1936)
- Romance in the Dark (1938)
- Ambush (1939)
References
edit- ^ "THE CHAMPAGNE WALTZ". Fleischer AllStars. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ a b "Champagne Waltz (Paramount)". Time magazine. January 25, 1937. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
The perennial and expensive effort to make a Grace Moore out of Gladys Swarthout seemed to have more logic some time ago when Miss Moore was a more important box-office draw.
- ^ Champagne Waltz, Picture Show Souvenir, Paramount Studios, (booklet provided to movie patrons)