Obsolete waltz
"Valse Royale " a French-(Hitlerian) Germany co-production is a very minor movie by highly talented Jean Gremillon ;with few exceptions ,his masterpieces were made between 1937 and 1951.
"light-hearted gallantries" best describes this old-fashioned ,poorly written -with some hints at the French Revolution (?) in the lines to enliven things a bit- comedy (which verges on a musical).
A handsome Austrian officer (Henry Garat) is in love with a (chic) pastry cook(Renée Saint-Cyr);but,in the wake of a misunderstanding,he is forced to marry her sister (Mila Parely ,an actress confined in parts of not-so-attractive women(see "La Belle Et La Bete");unlike in Ophuls' much superior "Liebelei",the problem of a misalliance is not even mooted :a pastry cook marrying a noble officer ,son of a dignitary ,it does not scandalize anyone .
Full of finer feelings , even in 1935,this screenplay seemed straight out of the ark.As for Gremillon,fortunately, greater things were to follow.
"light-hearted gallantries" best describes this old-fashioned ,poorly written -with some hints at the French Revolution (?) in the lines to enliven things a bit- comedy (which verges on a musical).
A handsome Austrian officer (Henry Garat) is in love with a (chic) pastry cook(Renée Saint-Cyr);but,in the wake of a misunderstanding,he is forced to marry her sister (Mila Parely ,an actress confined in parts of not-so-attractive women(see "La Belle Et La Bete");unlike in Ophuls' much superior "Liebelei",the problem of a misalliance is not even mooted :a pastry cook marrying a noble officer ,son of a dignitary ,it does not scandalize anyone .
Full of finer feelings , even in 1935,this screenplay seemed straight out of the ark.As for Gremillon,fortunately, greater things were to follow.
- dbdumonteil
- Sep 26, 2012