The Merry Widow (1962 film)

The Merry Widow (German: Die lustige Witwe) is a 1962 Austrian-French musical film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Peter Alexander, Karin Hübner and Gunther Philipp.^[1] It is based on the 1905 operetta The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár.^[2]

The Merry Widow
Directed by	Werner Jacobs
Written by	Janne Furch Viktor Léon (libretto) Leo Stein (libretto)
Based on	The Merry Widow 1905 operetta by Franz Lehár Victor Léon (libretto) Leo Stein (libretto)
Produced by	Herbert Gruber
Starring	Peter Alexander Karin Hübner Gunther Philipp
Cinematography	Friedl Behn-Grund Rudolf Sandtner
Edited by	Arnfried Heyne
Music by	Franz Lehár (operetta) Johannes Fehring
Production companies	Sascha Film Critérion Film
Distributed by	Constantin Film
Release date	20 December 1962 (1962-12-20)
Running time	110 minutes
Countries	Austria France
Language	German

It was shot at the Sievering Studios in Vienna. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Fritz Jüptner-Jonstorff and Alexander Sawczynski.

Plot summary

The story follows the wealthy widow Hanna Glawari (Karin Hübner), who has inherited a vast fortune from her late husband. Her wealth makes her a coveted prize, particularly for the debt-ridden fictional kingdom of Pontevedro, whose economy depends heavily on keeping Hanna's fortune within its borders. When Hanna travels to Paris, the Pontevedrin ambassador Baron Zeta (Harald Maresch) becomes concerned that she might marry a foreigner, taking her millions out of the country and causing economic catastrophe for Pontevedro.

To prevent this disaster, Baron Zeta enlists the help of Count Danilo Danilovitsch (Peter Alexander), a charming but irresponsible attaché at the Pontevedrin embassy. Danilo is tasked with wooing Hanna and convincing her to marry a fellow countryman - preferably himself. However, Danilo's mission is complicated by his pride and his genuine feelings for Hanna, whom he had loved years earlier before her first marriage.

Meanwhile, a subplot unfolds involving the flirtatious Valencienne (Geneviève Cluny), the young wife of Baron Zeta, who is conducting a secret affair with the French officer Camillo (Darío Moreno). Their romantic entanglements threaten to create a diplomatic scandal that could overshadow the main mission of securing Hanna's fortune for Pontevedro.

As the story progresses through a series of elaborate balls, garden parties, and musical numbers, Danilo must overcome his stubborn pride and Hanna must look past his apparent fortune-hunting motives. The climax occurs at Hanna's grand soirée, where misunderstandings about money and love are finally resolved. The film concludes with the traditional operetta ending: true love triumphs, the kingdom's financial crisis is averted, and all the romantic complications are happily resolved through a series of strategic marriages and revelations.

Cast

• Peter Alexander as Danilo
• Karin Hübner as Hanna
• Gunther Philipp as Hugo
• Maurice Teynac as André Napoleon Renard
• Geneviève Cluny as Valencienne, Revuestar
• Germaine Montero as Anna, Wirtin von "Chez Anna"
• Ernst Waldbrunn as Testamentsvollstrecker
• Harald Maresch as Baron Zeta
• Herbert Kersten as Dr. Martin
• Helmut Lex as Jack Bromfield
• Darío Moreno as Camillo, Valenciennes Mann