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*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Hollywood movies of the 1930s and '40s frequently tried to stir up a rivalry between long-hair classical music and contemporary tunes. I find this attitude bizarre: surely it's possible to enjoy both modern *and* classical music. And if you only like one of the two, surely it makes sense to live and let listen, permitting others to enjoy music you don't choose to hear.'The Champagne Waltz' is an enjoyable and well-made minor musical which unfortunately hangs its plot on that unnecessary rivalry. Paramount is my favourite of the Hollywood studios, the one that produced the funniest comedies of Hollywood's classic era. By my definition, the studio that made the best comedies was the best studio. I find it very intriguing, however, that Paramount churned out many musicals that were proficient and enjoyable, yet never in its entire history did Paramount produce a genuinely *great* musical. The nearest they came was probably 'Holiday Inn'. 'The Champagne Waltz' is delightful froth, but it's nobody's idea of a great musical.Fred MacMurray was in real life a bandleader before his movie stardom, and the script of 'The Champagne Waltz' is shaped to show MacMurray's musical talents. He plays Buzzy Bellew, a brash Yank bandleader who brings his swing band to Vienna (of all places), where they hole up in a nightclub next-door over to a dance palace that favours classical music. The kapellmeister in residence there has the interesting name Franz Strauss, a monicker that evokes the names of at least three classical composers. Strauss is very well played by Fritz Leiber, a classically-trained actor who deserved to be much better known. (Full disclosure: Leiber's son Fritz Jnr was a friend of mine. He told me that Fritz Leiber Snr did all his own instrumental performing in this movie, with no dubbing.) Pretty soon, the brassy music from the swing band is chasing away the patrons of the waltz palace. Strauss's daughter Elsa -- an operatically-trained singer -- goes next door to give Buzzy a piece of her mind. Guess whom she falls in love with.SPOILERS COMING. Fred MacMurray (not a nice guy in real life) usually played affable easy-goers on screen, but here his role has a bit of an edge and he plays it well. The script gives him an opportunity to demonstrate his considerable skill with several instruments. The film's ending is the obvious one, in which the proponents of jazz and classical music decide that both forms can co-exist after all. I was especially pleased with a nice bit at the very end of the film, in which the two bandmasters trade instruments and music. MacMurray takes Leiber's violin and plays a few notes of a classical piece. Not to be outdone, Leiber takes MacMurray's clarinet and blows a hot jazz lick. Cool, man! There's also a nice supporting cast, although Benny Baker (as always) is unfunny, and Maude Eburne (also as always) is so disgusting and annoying that I wanted to push her out the window. Despite their presence, this is a good-not-great musical, expertly directed by the brilliant Eddie Sutherland. I'll rate this movie 7 out of 10.
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