''The Merry Widow'' is a 1925 American silent

romantic drama Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

film directed and written by

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

. Released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

, the film stars

Mae Murray Mae Murray (born Marie Adrienne Koenig; May 10, 1885 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "Th ...

, John Gilbert,

Roy D'Arcy Roy D'Arcy (born Roy Francis Giusti; February 10, 1894 – November 15, 1969) was an American film actor of the silent film and early sound period of the 1930s noted for his portrayal of flamboyant villains. He appeared in 50 different films ...

, and

Tully Marshall Tully Marshall (born William Phillips; April 10, 1864 – March 10, 1943) was an American character actor. He had nearly a quarter century of theatrical experience before his debut film appearance in 1914 which led to a film career spanning alm ...

, with pre-fame uncredited appearances by

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

. The film is based on the

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

's 1905 operetta of the same name, and was its second film adaptation, the first being a 1918 Hungarian film directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

. A print of the film still survives, and the end sequence shot in two-tone

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

is available online.

Plot

As described in a film magazine reviews, Prince Danilo meets Sally the dancer and, when he proposes marriage, his uncle, King Nikita I of Monteblanco and Queen Milena object because she is a commoner. Sally marries Baron Sadoja, an old wealthy roue who later dies from a stroke. Prince Danilo’s parents now encourage the marriage. A slurring remark is the cause of a duel between the cousins and Danilo is wounded, sacrificing his cousin whom he believes Sally loves. Crown Prince Mirko is assassinated and Danilo becomes heir to the throne. Sally visits Danilo at the hospital and asks him to marry her.

Cast

as Sally O'Hara * John Gilbert as Prince Danilo Petrovich *

as Crown Prince Mirko *

Josephine Crowell Josephine Boneparte Crowell (January 11, 1859 – July 27, 1932) was a Canadian film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 90 films between 1912 and 1929. Biography Crowell was born in Nova Scotia. Crowell debuted in the ...

as Queen Milena *

George Fawcett George Fawcett (August 25, 1860 – June 6, 1939) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Born in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1860, Fawcett graduated from the University of Virginia. His initial inclination was to ...

as King Nikita I *

as Baron Sixtus Sadoja *

Edward Connelly Edward Connelly (December 30, 1859 – November 21, 1928) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Connelly had a Broadway theater career going back to the Victorian era. His Broadway credits include ''The Wild Du ...

as Baron Popoff (ambassador)

Uncredited

Selected cast that were uncredited: * Helen Howard Beaumont as Chorus girl *

Gertrude Bennett Gertrude Barrows Bennett (September 18, 1884February 2, 1948), known by the pseudonym Francis Stevens, was a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction.''Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965'' by Eric Lei ...

as Hard-Boiled Virginia * Bernard Berger as Boy *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. After a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain, he performed in more than 320 films between 1909 and 1942. Early lif ...

as Danilo's footman * Estelle Clark as French barber *

Albert Conti Albert De Conti Cadassamare (29 January 1887 – 18 January 1967), professionally billed as Albert Conti, was an Austrian-Hungarian-born Italian-American film actor. Life Born in the village of Gorizia (now, part of Italy), Conti achieved mode ...

as Danilo's adjutant *

D'Arcy Corrigan D'Arcy Corrigan (2 January 1870 – 25 December 1945) was an Irish lawyer who became an American film character actor. Life and career D'Arcy Corrigan was born in County Cork, playing over 50 film roles from 1925–1945. His early career incl ...

as Horatio *

as Extra *

Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...

as Orchestra leader *

Anielka Elter Anielka Elter (1901-1958 in Kent, England) was a Czechoslovak motion picture actress who made films in Berlin, Germany and Hollywood. Career Elter was a film star in Berlin before arriving in America from Poland. She had her first success in Am ...

as Blindfolded musician * Dale Fuller as Sadoja's chambermaid *

as Ballroom dancing extra *

Edna Tichenor Edna Frances Tichenor (April 1, 1901 – November 19, 1965) was an American film actress whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1920s, affecting an onscreen vamp persona. She is perhaps best recalled for three roles ...

as Dopey Marie * Zalla Zarana as Frenchie Christine * Edna Simms as Ballroom dancing extra

Production

The film was shot over twelve weeks with a budget of $592,000. Filming was tense as Mae Murray and the film's director, Erich von Stroheim, did not get on well. After production,

decided it could no longer work with the director after he added sexually explicit scenes and changed the operetta's libretto.

Reception

Upon its release, the film was both a critical and box office success. Critics praised Murray's dramatic skills while also noting that von Stroheim had "made an actress out of Miss Murray". According to MGM records ''The Merry Widow'' took in approximately $1.081 million in theater rentals from the United States and Canada, an additional $852,000 from foreign rentals, and earned a profit of $758,000.Scott Eyman, ''Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer'', Robson, 2005 p. 99

Other adaptations

''The Merry Widow'' was adapted for the screen in 1934, 1952, 1962, and 1994.

References

External links

* * * *
Fritzi Kramer, ''The Merry Widow'', a Silent Review
at moviessilently.com, with stills {{DEFAULTSORT:Merry Widow, The 1925 films 1925 romantic drama films 1920s color films American romantic drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films based on operettas Films directed by Erich von Stroheim Films produced by Irving Thalberg Silent films in color Films set in the 1900s Films set in Europe Films with screenplays by Benjamin Glazer 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films