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IMDbPro

The Great Waltz

  • 19381938
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
71,696
11,106
Fernand Gravey, Miliza Korjus, and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
In 1845 Vienna, Johann Strauss II - Schani to his friends - would rather write and perform waltzes than anything else, this at a time when a waltz is not considered proper society music. After he is fired from his clerical bank job because of his preoccupation with composing, he decides to follow his passion and form an orchestra. After some famed opera singers, including Carla Donner, hear his music, they expose Schani's music to the masses, to royalty and to music publisher Julius Hofbauer. As such, Schani becomes the toast of Vienna. With his new found musical fame, Schani's life, which includes his work in the European Revolutions, changes. He becomes torn for his love for his loving and faithful wife Poldi Vogelhuber and his more emotionally passionate but somewhat destructive love for Carla Donner, who herself is involved with Count Anton Hohenfried.
Play trailer4:35
1 Video
24 Photos
BiographyDramaMusic
In 1845 Vienna, Johann Strauss II (Fernand Gravey) - 'Jonahi' to his friends - would rather write and perform waltzes than anything else, this at a time when a waltz is not considered proper... Read allIn 1845 Vienna, Johann Strauss II (Fernand Gravey) - 'Jonahi' to his friends - would rather write and perform waltzes than anything else, this at a time when a waltz is not considered proper society music. After he is fired from his clerical bank job because of his preoccupation ... Read allIn 1845 Vienna, Johann Strauss II (Fernand Gravey) - 'Jonahi' to his friends - would rather write and perform waltzes than anything else, this at a time when a waltz is not considered proper society music. After he is fired from his clerical bank job because of his preoccupation with composing, he decides to follow his passion and form an orchestra. After some famed o... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
71,696
11,106
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Julien Duvivier
      • Victor Fleming(uncredited)
      • Josef von Sternberg(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Gottfried Reinhardt(original story)
      • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
      • Walter Reisch(screen play)
    • Stars
      • Luise Rainer
      • Fernand Gravey
      • Miliza Korjus
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Julien Duvivier
      • Victor Fleming(uncredited)
      • Josef von Sternberg(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Gottfried Reinhardt(original story)
      • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
      • Walter Reisch(screen play)
    • Stars
      • Luise Rainer
      • Fernand Gravey
      • Miliza Korjus
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 51User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 4:35
    Trailer

    Photos24

    Fernand Gravey, Miliza Korjus, and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Fernand Gravey in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Miliza Korjus and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Fernand Gravey in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Fernand Gravey, Miliza Korjus, and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Miliza Korjus in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Miliza Korjus and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Curt Bois and Luise Rainer in The Great Waltz (1938)
    Fernand Gravey in The Great Waltz (1938)
    The Great Waltz (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Luise Rainer
    Luise Rainer
    • Poldi Vogelhuber
    Fernand Gravey
    Fernand Gravey
    • Johann Strauss
    • (as Fernand Gravet)
    Miliza Korjus
    Miliza Korjus
    • Carla Donner
    Hugh Herbert
    Hugh Herbert
    • Hofbauer
    Lionel Atwill
    Lionel Atwill
    • Count Hohenfried
    Curt Bois
    Curt Bois
    • Kienzl
    Leonid Kinskey
    Leonid Kinskey
    • Dudelman
    Al Shean
    Al Shean
    • Cellist
    Minna Gombell
    Minna Gombell
    • Mrs. Hofbauer
    George Houston
    George Houston
    • Schiller
    Bert Roach
    Bert Roach
    • Vogelhuber
    Greta Meyer
    Greta Meyer
    • Mrs. Vogelhuber
    Herman Bing
    Herman Bing
    • Dommayer
    Alma Kruger
    Alma Kruger
    • Mrs. Strauss
    Henry Hull
    Henry Hull
    • Franz Josef
    Sig Ruman
    Sig Ruman
    • Wertheimer
    • (as Sig Rumann)
    Christian Rub
    Christian Rub
    • Coachman
    Ernie Alexander
    • Revolutionary
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Julien Duvivier
      • Victor Fleming(uncredited)
      • Josef von Sternberg(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Gottfried Reinhardt(original story)
      • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
      • Walter Reisch(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Toscha Seidel, the Russian virtuoso violinist, was hired especially to dub the solos on the soundtrack for Johann Strauss (Fernand Gravey) and began a new career working as a concert master at MGM and other studios.
    • Quotes

      Johann 'Schani' Strauss II: Thanks for firing me, Mr. Wertheimer. Goodbye, you worms!

    • Connections
      Featured in Another Romance of Celluloid (1938)
    • Soundtracks
      Tales From the Vienna Woods, Op.325
      (1868) (uncredited)

      Music by Johann Strauss

      Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

      Hummed by Fernand Gravey as it is being composed

      Sung by Miliza Korjus

      Played as background music often

    User reviews51

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    The Great Waltz is Wunderbar
    Perhaps the number one Hollywood musical film of all time. "Gorgeous Korjus" was coined and used by Louis B. Mayer to promote her film career, which understandably would be short. Not only is she gorgeous in GW but turns in an excellent acting performance which drew an academy award nomination. Her acting role rivals or exceeds consummate actress and two-time academy award winner, Luise Reiner. Displaying the temperament of a real primadonna, Miss Korjus turns on her good and bad sides when you least expect it. Vocal waltzes are extremely difficult to sing and Korjus with her coloratura soprano does admirably. Frenchman Fernand Gravet is believable as Strauss (as far as the film is believable) and ably supported by the likes of Lionel Atwill and Hugh Herbert along with many others, few of whom have a Teutonic accent, but we still have a romantic view of old Vienna. It is not a factual biography, which is stated at the beginning of the film, but there are elements of truth in the composite of Strauss the Elder and Strauss the younger as performed by Gravet (Strauss the Younger was a womanizer and while married actually had a liaison with an opera singer, among others). The Vienna Woods segment is pure joy. Strauss playing Tales from the Vienna Woods on his violin and Carla Donner singing in accompaniment's, their whirling dancing, ending up on the ground, where Strauss goes no further and wistfully admits "Carla, I'm married." The audience, I think, expects a tantrum from Donner at this revelation, but she gracefully takes it in stride and fools us once again with her unpredictability! This scene, to me, was the high point of an exceptional film of the type we shall never see again.
    helpful•30
    2
    • guidon7
    • Jan 2, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Life of Johann Strauss
    • Filming locations
      • Chino, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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