The Smiling Lieutenant main backdrop
The Smiling Lieutenant main poster

The Smiling Lieutenant

Visit website

6.9/10 • 59

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

View Credits
  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

View Reviews
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 backdrop
  • The Smiling Lieutenant backdrop

Recommendations

  • Presence main backdrop

    Presence

    6.0

  • Army of Shadows main backdrop

    Army of Shadows

    7.9

  • Gigi main backdrop

    Gigi

    6.2

  • Nitrate Flames main backdrop

    Nitrate Flames

    9.0

  • Safe House main backdrop

    Safe House

    6.5

  • Joker main backdrop

    Joker

    8.1

  • Poor Things main backdrop

    Poor Things

    7.7

  • Dune: Part Two main backdrop

    Dune: Part Two

    8.1

  • The Godfather main backdrop

    The Godfather

    8.7

  • The Shining main backdrop

    The Shining

    8.2

  • Get Out main backdrop

    Get Out

    7.6

  • A Simple Favor main backdrop

    A Simple Favor

    6.6

  • Oppenheimer main backdrop

    Oppenheimer

    8.1

  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga main backdrop

    Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

    7.5

  • Alien main backdrop

    Alien

    8.2

  • The Shawshank Redemption main backdrop

    The Shawshank Redemption

    8.7

  • Longlegs main backdrop

    Longlegs

    6.6

  • Bullet Train main backdrop

    Bullet Train

    7.4

  • Avatar main backdrop

    Avatar

    7.6

  • Mickey 17 main backdrop

    Mickey 17

    6.9

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