Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #769 in VHS
• Released on: 1998-09-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Customer Reviews

Hollywood operetta at its best
Take the story of a man torn between two women, add the music of Johann Strauss and the scenery of 1840's Vienna and you have The Great Waltz, an irresistible cream puff of a movie. Miliza Korjus-rhymes with gorgeous and she is-portrays the fictional opera singer Carla Doner in a delicious performance that verges on May West camp, murmuring most of her lines through a perpetual full-toothed grin and waltzing herself giddy while singing absolutely impossible sounding obliggatoes to Strauss's walzes-never loosing a beat and never out of breath! Luise Rainer's innate sweetness and vulnerability are perfect for Poldi, Strauss's devoted wife. Watch her silent reaction when she realizes that the song she thought he wrote for her was actually intended for Madame Doner-incredible acting. On the other hand, Fernand Gravet, as Strauss, is unexceptional and a bit bland. Among the excellent supporting cast, Hugh Herbert as the befuddled music publisher and Curt Bois as the comic, but wise violinist are outstanding. The movie does require a temporary suspension of belief. It is full of improbabilities, including the all-female orchestra that performs Tales of the Vienna Woods in a biergarten--wearing evening gowns, Madam Doner's apparent ability to glance at a piece of music once and perform it word and note perfect (the citizens of Vienna take this one step further by singing along even though the waltzes in question have yet to be published!), and the most peculiar version of Die Fledermaus ever performed. If you are looking for historical accuracy or musical purity, this is not your movie, but if you want a delightful Hollywood operetta, you can't do much better than The Great Waltz.

A FANTASIA ON STRAUSS.
The highly fictionalized fantasia on the life of the great Johann Strauss. This 1938 film is a sacher torte of pleasure for anyone who loves his music and, in the lead, Fernand Gravet does a commendable job acting-wise. The very attractive - albeit large-boned - Polish soprano Miliza Korjus sings with a truly brilliant voice & she became the object of intense jealousy from M-G-M's reigning diva, Jeanette MacDonald! Because it was decided that there wasn't room for two Prima Donnas at the studio, the firmly established MacDonald was kept on the payroll while the European Korjus virtually went into American obscurity. Backgrounds for the film were shot in Chino, California. It is rumoured that portions of this underrated gem was indeed directed by Josef Von Sternberg.

vocal and musical masterpiece
the voice of miliza korjus is the most redeeming reason for having this video. She was a rare gift to the vocal world...and hated by Jeanette Macdonald, because she knew Ms Korjus had a better voice and was most certainly more beautiful! It is not to be missed for the glorious singing of Miliza Korjus!