The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)

Director:

Ernst Lubitsch

Writers:

Leopold Jacobson (operetta) and
Felix Dormann (operetta) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 August 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Musical

Plot:

Lieutenant Niki of the Austrian royal guard has a new girlfriend, Franzi. He's crazy about her, and is smiling at her while on duty in the street...

Plot Keywords:

Wink | Lieutenant | Deception | Infidelity | Lingerie

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Maurice Chevalier	...	Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn
Claudette Colbert	...	Franzi
Miriam Hopkins	...	Princess Anna
Charles Ruggles	...	Max (as Charlie Ruggles)
George Barbier	...	King Adolf XV
Hugh O'Connell	...	Niki's Orderly
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maude Allen	...	Woman Attendant (uncredited)
Granville Bates	...	Bill Collector (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Count Von Halden (uncredited)
Ludwig Heinsich	...	Man (uncredited)
Lon MacSunday	...	Emperor (uncredited)
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Baroness von Schwedel (uncredited)
Janet Reade	...	Lily (uncredited)
Werner Saxtorph	...	Joseph (uncredited)
Karl Stall	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Robert Strange	...	Col. Rockoff (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Arresting Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Ernst Lubitsch

Writing credits
Leopold Jacobson		(operetta "Ein Walzertraum") and
Felix Dormann		(operetta "Ein Walzertraum") (as Felix Dörmann)
Hans Müller		(novel "Nux der Prinzgemahl")
Ernest Vajda		(screenplay) &
Samson Raphaelson		(screenplay)
Jacques Bataille-Henri		(dialogue: French version) uncredited
Ernst Lubitsch		uncredited

Produced by
Ernst Lubitsch	....	producer

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(as George Folsey)

Film Editing by
Merrill G. White		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier		(uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Tuthill	....	sound (uncredited)
Ernest Zatorsky	....	sound (uncredited)

Stunts
Harry Froboess	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Adolph Deutsch	....	musical director (uncredited)
Johnny Green	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Publix Corporation)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount Publix Corporation)

Runtime:

89 min (cut version) | 93 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The operetta by Felix Dormann and Leopold Jacobson opened in Leipzig, Germany, on 31 May 1907. An English version, entitled "A Waltz Dream", with music by Oscar Straus and English book by Joseph W. Herbert, opened in New York City, New York, USA, on 27 January 1908 and ran for 111 performances. It is not known if any of Straus' music from that production was used in this film. The songs, however, had a new lyricist and new titles.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the latter part of the movie Chevalier bounds up a grand staircase painted to appear as marble but the loud clomp-clomp-clomp of his shoes reveals it to be just wood.

Quotes:

Princess Anna: Papa, you may not realize it, but I'm desperate. I'm no longer responsible. I'm capable of anything. If you don't let me have my Lieutenant, do you know what I'm going to do?
King Adolf XV: What?
Princess Anna: I'm going to marry an American!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Kagirinaki hodo (1934)

Soundtrack:

Ach Du Lieber Flausenthurm

the gals win!

Maurice Chevalier is way too hammy in this pleasant comedy. Claudette Colbert shines as the bad girl with a violin. Colbert displays her usual breezy charm AND a nice singing voice. But it's Miriam Hopkins who steals the film as the dowdy princess turned jazz baby. Colbert and Hopkins sing a delightful "Jazz Up Your Lingerie" number which Hopkins reprises on the piano, replete with frizzed hair and cigarette dangling from her lips as she pounds out a snazzy-jazzy version of the song. Hilarious! Hopkins rarely got to show her comic side. She was also funny in Wise Girl. Smiling Lieutenant also has Charlie Ruggles, Elizabeth Patterson, and the delightful George Barbier as Hopkins' papa. Good fun. Watch it for Hopkins and Colbert!!!