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The Smiling Lieutenant

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6.9/10 • 56

1931-08-011h 29m

ComedyRomance

Maurice Chevalier laughing and loving again in Ernst Lubitsch's sparkling cocktail of romantic merriment

An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.

Directors
Ernst Lubitsch
Writters
Ernst Lubitsch
Editors
Merrill G. White

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Maurice Chevalier

    Maurice Chevalier

    Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn

  2. Claudette Colbert

    Claudette Colbert

    Franzi

  3. Miriam Hopkins

    Miriam Hopkins

    Princess Anna

  4. Charles Ruggles

    Charles Ruggles

    Max

  5. George Barbier

    George Barbier

    King Adolf XV

  6. Hugh O'Connell

    Hugh O'Connell

    Niki's Orderly

  7. Maude Allen

    Maude Allen

    Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

  8. Granville Bates

    Granville Bates

    Bill Collector (uncredited)

  9. Harry C. Bradley

    Harry C. Bradley

    Count Von Holden (uncredited)

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 4, 2024

7/10

How many films are you ever going to watch that have songs rhyming "liver" with "quiver" - or that quote Emperor Napoleon's last words before entering exile on Elbe - "so long!"? "Niki" (Maurice Chevalier) is a happy-go-lucky military officer in love with "Franzi" (Claudette Colbert) and all is set fair with their lives until a state visit to the Emperor by the princess "Anna" (Miriam Hopkins) lands him in hot water. He smiled at her as the carriage carrying her and her father, the King (George Barbier) passed by. His Majesty is outraged at such a diabolical liberty and si "Niki" is duly summoned. Luckily, he can think on his feet and he can also spell, so is spared death and becomes the apple of the princess's eye! Next thing, wedding bells are being readied and he is swept back to their home land of Flausenthurm a married man. "Franzi" follows and they try to keep something illicit going, but "Anna" is no fool and soon we have a sort of reverse love triangle as the two woman and their hapless hero try to work things out in quite an unusual fashion. Oscar Straus and Clifford Grey provide the musical numbers and though they are pretty unremarkable by themselves, they give the charismatic Chevalier a chance to grin quite a lot, wink now and again and for Colbert and Hopkins to shine. The humour is gently paced, and the whole thing looks like it was shot on the sound stage of the "Prisoner of Zenda". Sure, the story is a bit old hat but it has plenty of charisma to keep it going and is worth a watch.

Media

  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster
  • The Smiling Lieutenant poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
romantic rivalrypre-codewink