gavin6942 A prince must woo the now wealthy dancer he once abandoned in order to keep her money in the country in order to keep it from crashing economically.I have never seen the opera, nor any other version of this story, but I feel like this has to be the definitive version, or as close as possible. The elegance of the silent film, the long run time (which doesn't seem that bad). And two great stars of the era: John Gilbert and Mae Murray (though they may not be known outside of movie nerd circles).Everything about this is great from the facial expressions to the costumes. The balance of royalty and a more or less common dancer... these are the sorts of stories that cannot be told anymore.

MartinHafer lier/Despite this film having the same title as the 1934 Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald movie, it bears no real similarity other than the characters names and title. Otherwise, they really are completely unalike. I have no idea if the '34 version has anything to do with the operetta, though apparently the 1925 one only has a passing similarity. John Gilbert plays a Prince in a fictional European nation. His rival is the nasty Roy D'Arcy--his cousin the Crown Prince. Both are army officers and womanizers who both fall for a pretty American (Mae Murray). However, she just finds them both annoying at first. However, Gilbert's charms win her over--and hers win him as well and he decides to marry her--even if Princes are NOT supposed to marry commoners. But on the day of their wedding, Gilbert is a no-show--having been convinced to give up the folly of marrying her. Naturally she is heart-broken and the ULTRA-super creepy Baron (Tully Marshall) offers to marry her. After all, he is a major foot fetishist and she has the most exquisite feet!! Ick! You'd even more icky when you see the aging Marshall who looks a bit like death warmed over! Fortunately for Murray, the new husband dies on their wedding night. I say fortunate because he looked like the type who might eat or strangle her! I mean he is REAAALLY creepy!! Now this lady is now a rich Baroness and quite a welcomed member of royal society.So now that Murray is somebody, what will happen? Will she once again fall for Gilbert's promises and virile ways or will she tell him to get lost? Well, it sure looks like the latter as she now is cozying up to the snake-like Crown Prince--as nasty piece of work he is! Plus, the more Gilbert pursues her, the more she puts him in his place. But, when she announces her plans to marry the Crown Prince, Gilbert goes nuts and attacks him--which leads to them arranging to fight a duel. Will Gilbert survive to win the widow or will he soon be assuming room temperature? Tune in to this film and find out for yourself.The film is exceptionally well made--with gorgeous sets, lovely matte paintings and lots of cool costumes. It's obvious that MGM spared no expense for this production, though I was surprised that Louis B. Meyer allowed Erich von Stroheim to helm this project considering his reputation for waaay over-excess (with his bazillion-reeled epic "Greed" being pared down by an angry studio just a few years earlier). Regardless, the film looked great and was quite enjoyable--one of the better silents I have seen.By the way, at the 127 minute mark, get a load of Murray's headdress--it's a riot.

hcoursen I know that the film suffered from directorial changes back and forth, with Stroheim fired, replaced by Monte Blue, then rehired. The direction is the problem here. The film wanders, boringly and aimlessly, until Gilbert's love for Murray is suddenly kindled in the seduction scene. Suddenly Murray shows us that she can act and Gilbert's pop-eyed stare finds a purpose. Until then, the film has been a series of vaguely related scenes, fading out in what becomes a predictable mannerism. Then, it picks up pace. Gilbert's leaving Murray at the altar (actually in her room all dressed up in her gown) is implausible, as is his later belief that she really prefers the constantly leering Crown Prince D'Arcy. (Didn't his face hurt after a while?). But the duel scene is gripping and the suspension of its outcome effective. Lehar's score, as played and played by the organ, became a bit repetitive. But it called attention to itself primarily because a lot of the film should have tasted the cutting room floor. This one needed a ruthless editing. The scenes in which the king and queen pry apart the enraged cousins, Gilbert and D'Arcy,are hilarious however. I don't think, though, that they were meant as farce.

Ron Oliver A romantic Prince from tiny Monteblanco attempts to woo THE MERRY WIDOW who once loved him when she was a poor dancer.Erich von Stroheim, the Teutonic genius who marched through Hollywood's Silent Days like a conquering general, had his final directorial stint at MGM Studios producing this lavish & brilliant film based on the operetta by Franz Lehár. The visuals are striking, with sets that look like actual locations--a mountaintop village; the Castellano Cathedral; Maxim's in Paris--and the occasional bizarre touch--the blindfolded musicians sharing the Prince's seduction bed, for example--which von Stroheim relished. The acting is flawless, with no need for dialogue. The actors' faces speak all that need be said.Mae Murray & John Gilbert portray the passionate lovers whom Fate (and the plot) contrives to keep apart so successfully. Miss Murray (she and the director loathed each other) powerfully portrays a street-wise performer who, through a series of heartbreaks, becomes a vastly wealthy woman. Gilbert expertly plays a prince whose charm has always gotten him his way. Their scenes together, most particularly the waltz sequences, fairly blaze with unrequited sensual longing and desire.While it is entertaining to wonder what von Stroheim would have done with the role, it is difficult to imagine anyone better than Roy D'Arcy as the simpering, lusting, sneering Crown Prince; he is pure villainy personified and his eventual fate is absolutely justified. Josephine Crowell gives a fine performance as the Queen. Tully Marshall, one of von Stroheim's favorite character actors, adds another portrait to his gallery of grotesques, this time playing a crippled baron with a foot fetish.The wonderful organ score which accompanies the film was arranged & performed by Dennis James.MGM would tackle THE MERRY WIDOW again nine years later and produce a vastly different film, this time directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier & Jeanette MacDonald.