Monte Carlo (1930)

A countess flees to Monte Carlo on the day of her wedding, where she is courted by a count posing as a hairdresser.

Director:

Ernst Lubitsch

Writers:

Ernest Vajda (adaptation), Hans Müller (play)

Stars:

Jeanette MacDonald, Jack Buchanan, Claud Allister

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jack Buchanan	...	Count Rudolph Farriere
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Countess Helene Mara
Claud Allister	...	Duke Otto von Liebenheim
Zasu Pitts	...	Bertha
Tyler Brooke	...	Armand
John Roche	...	Paul
Lionel Belmore	...	Prince Gustav von Liebenheim
Albert Conti	...	Master of Ceremonies
Helen Garden	...	Lady Mary
Donald Novis	...	Monsieur Beaucaire
Erik Bey	...	Lord Winderset
David Percy	...	Herald

Storyline

Minutes before her wedding to Duke Otto Von Seibenheim, Countess Helene Mara flees, on a whim, to Monte Carlo, where she hopes her luck will save her poor financial state. There, Count Rudolph Farriere is taken by her beauty, but she rebuffs him, not even looking at him. Assuming the guise of a hairdresser, he finally succeeds in seeing her, night and morning. Sparks fly, and love ensues - but can she love a lowly hairdresser? As her finances worsen though, the Duke arrives, and his money and social status seem even more enticing. Shunning Rudolph, will her story follow the operatic "unhappy ending", or can she have it all?

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Plot Keywords:

love | hairdresser | wedding | monte carlo | count | 

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Taglines:

Intimate details on the gay goings-on in the world's pleasure capitol. With the girl who won the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo. (print ad- Evening News, Tonawanda, N. Y. 4 February 1931)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. Its earliest documented telecast took place in Minneapolis Saturday 25 July 1959 on WTCN (Channel 11); its initial Los Angeles telecast took place Friday 29 January 1960 on The Late Show on KNXT (Channel 2), and in New York City it first aired on the Late Show Monday 5 December 1960 on WCBS (Channel 2). Both of these last two particular slots were usually reserved for the most vintage titles in each station's Paramount Library. The restored version of this film was first released on DVD 12 February 2008 as one of 4 features in Criterion's Lubitsch Musicals collection, and has since enjoyed occasional presentations on Turner Classic Movies.

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Goofs

When Rudolph is leaving the Countess's boudoir after kissing her and depositing her on the chaise-lounge, the shadow of the microphone boom can be seen on the door.

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Quotes

Count Rudolph Falliere a.k.a. Rudy the hairdresser: I have a system that can't miss. If I happened to be standing beside a brunette I bet on red. If I am standing next to a readhead I bet on black.
Armand: But suppose you're standing next to a blonde. What do you do then?
Count Rudolph Falliere a.k.a. Rudy the hairdresser: I ask where she lives.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Jeanette MacDonald (1962)

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Soundtracks

She'll Love Me and Like It
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting and W. Franke Harling
Lyrics by Leo Robin
Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Claud Allister

User Reviews

The son of a gun ain't nothing but a Count

This was Jeanette Macdonald's 4th film in all and 2nd for director Ernst Lubitsch – both getting into their sound-stride and both with many classics still ahead of them, after all – their lives had only begun. Print quality on the DVD is marvellous for a 1930 film, making me wonder why it was never shown on UK TV in the days when they used to cater for people like me.

In the gambling dens of Monte Carlo Countess Jeanette pretends to be rich when she's poor and the guy who fancies her, Count Jack, pretends to be poor when he's rich so as to be her hairdresser. Later famous variations in Paramount films were with Chevalier as her (nothing but a) tailor unintentionally masquerading as a Baron in Love Me Tonight directed by Mamoulian and the fake Baron and Countess in the sublime Trouble In Paradise directed by Lubitsch. The story goes in a few unexpected directions but ultimately all's well that ends well – this was the Golden Age of course. Out of the seven songs only Beyond The Blue Horizon and Always In All Ways were truly memorable, but all were listenable to and pleasant. Zazu Pitts was as sadly underused as Jeanette's maid as was Barbara Leonard as Mitzi's in One Hour With You and Jack Buchanan managed to keep it a dark secret why he was such a big star; the film only lost a little momentum at the opera but overall everything worked well. The sets and costumes were relentlessly beautiful – in fact an extremely colourful black and white. Jeanette looked radiant with her gorgeous hair – Roll Over Madonna!

A lovely little film and a window on 1930 – it's not a classic but it was another building block for those to come from Paramount in the next few years.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 August 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Monte-Carlo

Box Office

Budget:

$726,465 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1