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ComedyRomance

The Smiling Lieutenant

- 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.

Release Date : 1931-08-01

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Maurice Chevalier

Character Name : Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn

Original Name : Maurice Chevalier

Gender : Male

Claudette Colbert

Character Name : Franzi

Original Name : Claudette Colbert

Gender : Female

Miriam Hopkins

Character Name : Princess Anna

Original Name : Miriam Hopkins

Gender : Female

Charles Ruggles

Character Name : Max

Original Name : Charles Ruggles

Gender : Male

George Barbier

Character Name : King Adolf XV

Original Name : George Barbier

Gender : Male

Hugh O'Connell

Character Name : Niki's Orderly

Original Name : Hugh O'Connell

Gender : Male

Maude Allen

Character Name : Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Original Name : Maude Allen

Gender : Female

Granville Bates

Character Name : Bill Collector (uncredited)

Original Name : Granville Bates

Gender : Male

Harry C. Bradley

Character Name : Count Von Holden (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry C. Bradley

Gender : Male

Carrie Daumery

Character Name : Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Original Name : Carrie Daumery

Gender : Female

Ludwig Heinsich

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Ludwig Heinsich

Gender : Male

Cornelius MacSunday

Character Name : Emperor Franz Josef (uncredited)

Original Name : Cornelius MacSunday

Gender : Male

Elizabeth Patterson

Character Name : Baroness Von Schwedel (uncredited)

Original Name : Elizabeth Patterson

Gender : Female

Janet Reade

Character Name : Lily (uncredited)

Original Name : Janet Reade

Gender : Female

Werner Saxtorph

Character Name : Joseph (uncredited)

Original Name : Werner Saxtorph

Gender : Male

Karl Stall

Character Name : Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)

Original Name : Karl Stall

Gender : Male

Robert Strange

Character Name : Colonel Rockoff (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Strange

Gender : Male

Charles Wagenheim

Character Name : Arresting Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Wagenheim

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-05-04

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.