Product Details

• Actors: Luise Rainer, Fernand Gravey, Miliza Korjus, Hugh Herbert, Lionel Atwill
• Directors: Josef von Sternberg, Julien Duvivier, Victor Fleming
• Writers: Gottfried Reinhardt, Samuel Hoffenstein, Vicki Baum, Walter Reisch
• Producers: Bernard H. Hyman
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302120519
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,603 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood operetta at its best, November 25, 2001

By 

Matthew Spady "800rsd" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Waltz (A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Masterpiece Reprint) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Take the story of a man torn between two women, add the music of Johann Strauss and the scenery of 1840's Vienna and you have The Great Waltz, an irresistible cream puff of a movie. Miliza Korjus-rhymes with gorgeous and she is-portrays the fictional opera singer Carla Doner in a delicious performance that verges on May West camp, murmuring most of her lines through a perpetual full-toothed grin and waltzing herself giddy while singing absolutely impossible sounding obliggatoes to Strauss's walzes-never loosing a beat and never out of breath! Luise Rainer's innate sweetness and vulnerability are perfect for Poldi, Strauss's devoted wife. Watch her silent reaction when she realizes that the song she thought he wrote for her was actually intended for Madame Doner-incredible acting. On the other hand, Fernand Gravet, as Strauss, is unexceptional and a bit bland. Among the excellent supporting cast, Hugh Herbert as the befuddled music publisher and Curt Bois as the comic, but wise violinist are outstanding. The movie does require a temporary suspension of belief. It is full of improbabilities, including the all-female orchestra that performs Tales of the Vienna Woods in a biergarten--wearing evening gowns, Madam Doner's apparent ability to glance at a piece of music once and perform it word and note perfect (the citizens of Vienna take this one step further by singing along even though the waltzes in question have yet to be published!), and the most peculiar version of Die Fledermaus ever performed. If you are looking for historical accuracy or musical purity, this is not your movie, but if you want a delightful Hollywood operetta, you can't do much better than The Great Waltz.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASIA ON STRAUSS., October 1, 2002

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Waltz (A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Masterpiece Reprint) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The highly fictionalized fantasia on the life of the great Johann Strauss. This 1938 film is a sacher torte of pleasure for anyone who loves his music and, in the lead, Fernand Gravet does a commendable job acting-wise. The very attractive - albeit large-boned - Polish soprano Miliza Korjus sings with a truly brilliant voice & she became the object of intense jealousy from M-G-M's reigning diva, Jeanette MacDonald! Because it was decided that there wasn't room for two Prima Donnas at the studio, the firmly established MacDonald was kept on the payroll while the European Korjus virtually went into American obscurity. Backgrounds for the film were shot in Chino, California. It is rumoured that portions of this underrated gem was indeed directed by Josef Von Sternberg.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars vocal and musical masterpiece, March 7, 2000

By 

hillard m. sachs - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Waltz (A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Masterpiece Reprint) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

the voice of miliza korjus is the most redeeming reason for having this video. She was a rare gift to the vocal world...and hated by Jeanette Macdonald, because she knew Ms Korjus had a better voice and was most certainly more beautiful! It is not to be missed for the glorious singing of Miliza Korjus!