Champagne Waltz

Champagne Waltz is a 1937 American comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Gladys Swarthout, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. The theme of the film was inspired by the eponymous hit song, written in 1934, by the compositional pair Con Conrad and Ben Oakland.^[1] It is one of five movies produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Swarthout, a very popular Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano. The studio was attempting to build on the popularity of Grace Moore, another opera singer, who had also expanded her talents into movies.^[2] The film's sets were designed by the art director Ernst Fegté working with Hans Dreier. The costume designer was Travis Banton.

Champagne Waltz
Directed by	A. Edward Sutherland
Written by	Don Hartman Frank Butler Billy Wilder Hy Kraft
Produced by	Harlan Thompson William LeBaron
Starring	Gladys Swarthout Fred MacMurray Jack Oakie Fritz Leiber
Cinematography	William C. Mellor
Edited by	Paul Weatherwax
Music by	Multiple contributors including Oscar Hammerstein
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	February 5, 1937 (1937-02-05)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

This is a light musical with elements of screwball comedy. It documents the rivalry between a Vienna Waltz studio and the American jazz band that moves in next door. Franz Strauss is stressed because his waltz palace is losing business to the jazz club where Fred MacMurray’s band is performing. He pretends to be the US Consul when he encounters Swarthout, the daughter of the waltz studio owner. He changes the story to be an icebox salesman in order to continue wooing Swarthout. Meanwhile, Oakie is falling for a countess who sold him a fake silver service.^[3]

Cast

• Gladys Swarthout as Elsa Strauss
• Fred MacMurray as Buzzy Bellew
• Jack Oakie as Happy Gallagher
• Frank Veloz as Larry
• Yolanda Casazza as Anna
• Herman Bing as Max Snellinek
• Fritz Leiber as Franz Strauss
• Vivienne Osborne as Countess Mariska
• Frank Forest as Karl Lieberlich
• Ernest Cossart as Waiter
• Benny Baker as Flip
• James Burke as Mr. Scribner
• Maude Eburne as Mrs. Scribner
• Maurice Cass as Hugo
• Guy Bates Post as Lumvedder
• Michael Visaroff as Ivanovitch
• Rudolph Anders as Emperor Franz Joseph
• Stanley Price as Johann Strauss
• Tommy Bond as Otto, Singing Student
• Carol Adams as Dancer

Songs

Source:^[4]

• "The Blue Danube Waltz", music by Johann Strauss, lyrics by Leo Robin
• "The Champagne Waltz", music by Con Conrad and Ben Oakland, lyrics by Milton Drake
• "Could I Be In Love?", music by William Daly, lyrics by Leo Robin
• "I'll Take Romance", music by Ben Oakland, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
• "The Merry-Go-Round", by Ann Ronell
• "Paradise In Waltz Time", music by Friedrich Hollaender (as Frederick Hollander), lyrics by Sam Coslow
• "When Is A Kiss Not A Kiss", music by Burton Lane, lyrics by Ralph Freed

Reception

Time gave the movie a poor review as a "heavy-handed musical naively designed to combine the best features of jazz with those of the Viennese waltz."^[2]

See also

• Rose of the Rancho (1936)
• Give Us This Night (1936)
• Romance in the Dark (1938)
• Ambush (1939)