The Love Parade (1929)

Director:

Ernst Lubitsch

Writers:

Guy Bolton (writer)
Jules Chancel (play)

Release Date:

1930 (Austria)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Paramount introduces the beautiful, sensational, Jeanette MacDonald! Charming! Sexy! Funny! Romantic! Great entertainment!

Plot:

The queen of mythical Sylvania marries a courtier, who finds his new life unsatisfying.

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Count | Marriage | Maid | Prince

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars.

Cast

Maurice Chevalier	...	Count Alfred Renard
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Queen Louise
Lupino Lane	...	Jacques
Lillian Roth	...	Lulu
Eugene Pallette	...	Minister of War
E.H. Calvert	...	Sylvanian Ambassador
Edgar Norton	...	Master of Ceremonies
Lionel Belmore	...	Prime Minister

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo: [Ben Turpin]The silent movie comedian appears as the cross-eyed lackey who informs Count Renard that the court is ready for him at his wedding.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jacques: [singing] I'll lay the dish here / Ooh, la la la la! / To hold the fish here / Ooh, la la la la! / The serviettes here / And now the cigarettes here / And matches, too. / They mustn't complain. / A little candy / Ooh, la la la la! / A little brandy / Ooh, la la la la! / A bunch of roses / To show the way we entertain / And a little bottle of champagne.

Soundtrack:

Let's Be Common

Anything to Please the Queen

THE LOVE PARADE (Paramount, 1929) directed by Ernst Lubitsch, stars Maurice Chevalier in his second Hollywood musical (the first being INNOCENTS OF Paris in 1929), and his first of four with Jeanette MacDonald as his co-star, making her movie debut. Jeanette plays Queen Louise of the Kingdom of Sylvania who immediately falls in love with Alfred, a popular man with the ladies, and marries this Parisian emissary in order to negotiate a loan from foreign power. After they wed, Alfred soon resents the idea that being married to a queen isn't what's expected, since he has to take all the orders from her and play second fiddle to her kingdom.

In spite of its age, THE LOVE PARADE is still a very good early sound musical, consisted mainly of singing. Tunes include, "Paris, Stay the Same," "Dream Lover," "My Love Parade" and the lavish "March of the Grenadiers," Co-starring Lillian Roth as Lulu, and Lupino Lane as Jacques, as the supporting "comedy relief" secondary couple. They also participate in a lively and funny number, "Let's Be Common."

Running a little under two hours, THE LOVE PARADE was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, with Chevalier earning a nomination as Best Actor, but no wins. Silent comic/ comedian Ben Turpin has one funny bit. Look fast for future film stars, Virginia Bruce, as the lady-in-waiting, and Jean Harlow, as one of the patrons in the ballet theater.

Formerly presented on the American Movie Classics cable channel from January 1989 until September 1996, and to date, never distributed on video cassette or DVD, Bob Dorian, then host of AMC, once mentioned that THE LOVE PARADE became the only movie in which Jeanette MacDonald is seen smoking a cigarette. Now that's an interesting piece of trivia. THE LOVE PARADE is full of comedy wit and unexpected surprises that lead to something else, something one would expect in a Lubitsch comedy. Worth a look. (***)