The Merry Widow

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The Merry Widow

1925

1h 53m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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7 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

When dashing Prince Danilo (John Gilbert) meets lovely follies dancer Sally O'Hara (Mae Murray), he falls madly in love. Unfortunately, so does his cousin, Crown Prince Mirko (Roy D'Arcy). While both vie for her affections, O'Hara chooses Danilo, and the enraptured prince announces their engagement. Unfortunately, due to O'Hara's lowly station in life, the king prevents the union and O'Hara, feeling rejected, takes comfort in the arms of the wealthy Baron Sadoja (Tully Marshall).

Edmund Wilson

The New Republic

07/14/2021

The Merry Widow, especially, is, in some ways, the best American film that the present writer has ever seen.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

07/18/2023

It’s a lush, stylish, witty divertissement that’s often very funny, and manages to reign in the usual diva histrionics.

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Idwal Jones

San Francisco Examiner

06/27/2022

This picture proves that Von Stroheim can direct also to the taste of the general public. The discriminating will find portions of it as gratifying to the palate as caviare and crusty old wine. The pee-pul will like it for a good show.

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Robert E. Sherwood

LIFE

10/06/2021

It is at best a silly, artificial story, but that is of no importance. The main things are Von Stroheim's direction, Von Stroheim's profound knowledge of composition and scenic effect, and John Gilbert's magnificent performance.

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Craig Mathieson

The Sunday Age

01/27/2017

3.5/5

Franz Lehar's opera is transformed by von Stroheim into a work of comic rivalry punctuated by a reductive male gaze, bursts of skittering violence, and eventual redemption

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

02/11/2014

B

Though seemingly a typical Hollywood escapist film it still evokes something more poetical.

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william d

@acsdoug 11/30/2020

They spent some dough on this one, The sets are impressive for this standard melodrama. I suppose Von Stroheim's direction is the standout, but he did allow Roy D'Arcy to give a way-over-the-top performance as the evil Crown Prince.

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@TMProofreader 02/01/2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

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12/21/2012

Stroheim revels in the mind-blowing decadence of the playground of royal existence...

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06/04/2012

Erich von Stroheim was a genius ...

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10/27/2008

My favorite silent film.

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Erich von Stroheim

Director

Mae Murray

Sally O'Hara

John Gilbert

Prince Danilo Petrovich

Roy D'Arcy

Crown Prince Mirko

Josephine Crowell

Queen Milena

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Synopsis

When dashing Prince Danilo (John Gilbert) meets lovely follies dancer Sally O'Hara (Mae Murray), he falls madly in love. Unfortunately, so does his cousin, Crown Prince Mirko (Roy D'Arcy). While both vie for her affections, O'Hara chooses Danilo, and the enraptured prince announces their engagement. Unfortunately, due to O'Hara's lowly station in life, the king prevents the union and O'Hara, feeling rejected, takes comfort in the arms of the wealthy Baron Sadoja (Tully Marshall).

Director: Erich von Stroheim
Producer: Irving Thalberg, Erich von Stroheim
Screenwriter: Erich von Stroheim, Benjamin Glazer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Drama
Release Date (DVD): Mar 8, 2011
Runtime: 1h 53m