Great Waltz

Director: Julien Duvivier, Josef von Sternberg

Overview

This film relates the life story of Austrian "Waltz King" Johann Strauss. Fernard Gravet stars as Strauss, while Luise Rainer is Poldi Vogelhuber. Poldi is the wife of Strauss, but she is forced to sit and sulk as her husband carries on a lengthy affair with opera singer Milza Korjus.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/29/2007
UPC:	4897007031146
Original Release:	0000
Source:	Castaway Pictures
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Sales rank:	31,360

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Luise Rainer	Poldi Vogelhuber
Miliza Korjus	Carla Donner
Hugh Herbert	Julius Hofbauer
Lionel Atwill	Count Hohenfried
Curt Bois	Kienzl
Henry Hull	Franz Joseph
Leonid Kinskey	Dudelman
George Houston	Schiller
Al Shean	Cellist
Minna Gombell	Mrs. Hofbauer
Bert Roach	Vogelhuber
Greta Meyer	Mrs. Vogelhuber
Herman Bing	Dommayer
Alma Kruger	Mrs. Strauss
Sig Rumann	Wertheimer
Christian Rub	Coachman
Fernand Gravey	Johann Strauss
Dimitri Tiomkin	Composer

Technical Credits

Walter Reisch

Samuel Hoffenstein

Bernard H. Hyman	Producer,Producer
Walter Reisch	Screenwriter
Samuel Hoffenstein	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Great Waltz
1. I'm Glad I'm Fired [20:24]
2. The Performance Is Not Over [19:21]
3. A Tale of the Vienna Woods [12:59]
4. Love at Grinzing Garden Restaurant [20:25]
5. A New Opera at Imperial Theatre [12:57]
6. There's the Wave We Call Again [17:07]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Great Waltz
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Scene Selections
Subtitles
English
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese

Editorial Reviews

Schmaltzy and at times silly it may be, but The Great Waltz is still fine entertainment. The culprit, as is so often the case, especially with biopics, is the screenplay. The life of Strauss it envisions is fanciful, created really only so that there would be an excuse for showing off the composer's gorgeous, swirling music. Thus, Waltz tends to mark time in between numbers, which would be a serious liability were it not for the engaging performances of its trio of stars. As Strauss, Fernand Gravet turns in a good, solid performance and demonstrates a very decent singing voice. Luise Rainer uses her considerable dramatic talent to good effect in a part that could have easily been walked through, and Milza Korjus portrays Rainer's rival with flair and a wonderful vocal prowess. There's also fine comedic support from Hugh Herbert and the other players in general are a plus. Julien Duvivier directs with the intention of giving the eye its money's worth, and he takes full advantage of the gorgeous sets and costumes, as well as of Joseph Ruttenberg's lively yet dreamy camerawork. It's all as corny as can be, but it's hard to resist.