- The Smiling Lieutenant
Infobox Film | name = The Smiling Lieutenant
image_size =
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director =Ernst Lubitsch
producer = Ernst Lubitsch
writer =Hans Müller (novel)Leopold Jacobson (operetta)Felix Dormann (operetta)Samson Raphaelson (screenplay)Ernest Vajda (screenplay)
Ernst Lubitsch (uncredited)Jacques Bataille-Henri (dialogue: French version) (uncredited)
starring =Maurice Chevalier Claudette Colbert Miriam Hopkins
music =Oscar Straus
cinematography =George J. Folsey
editing =Merrill G. White
distributor =Paramount Pictures
released = 1 August 1931
runtime = 89 min.
language = English
country = USA
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id = 1:110694
imdb_id = 0022074"The Smiling Lieutenant" is a 1931 Paramount film nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture . Made in thePre-Code era, it was written bySamson Raphaelson andErnest Vajda , from the operetta "Ein Walzertraum ", byLeopold Jacobson andFelix Dormann , which in turn was based on the novel "Nux der Prinzgemahl" byHans Müller . It was directed byErnst Lubitsch .Plot
The movie stars
Maurice Chevalier ,Claudette Colbert ,Miriam Hopkins ,Charles Ruggles andGeorge Barbier . It is a romantic comedy concerning the love of a Princess for a soldier, and the love of the soldier for another woman. The Lieutenant (Chevalier) while standing in formation before a parade honoring the visiting royal family of Flausenthurm takes an opportunity to smile at his girlfriend in the crowd.Unfortunately the smile is intercepted by the Princess of Flausenthurm, and an international incident is narrowly avoided by having them marry. The Lieutenant continually sneaks away from his dowdy bride to visit his girlfriend (Colbert) who decides to confront the princess. She finds her to be deeply in love, and decides to save the marriage by giving the princess a makeover ("Jazz up your lingerie!") The results are a complete success as the Lieutenant follows his satin clad, cigarette puffing bride into the bedroom and closes the door- only to open it and give the audience a last song and a suggestive wink.
Cast
*
Maurice Chevalier as Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn
*Claudette Colbert as Franzi
*Miriam Hopkins as Princess Anna
*Charles Ruggles as Max
*George Barbier as King Adolf XV
*Hugh O'Connell as Niki's Orderly
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