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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authentic Vienna on location, not a studio backlot in the U.S., June 18, 2008
This review is from: The Waltz King [VHS] (VHS Tape)
BEHIND THE SCENES & TRIVIA: This made for television project was aimed at a more adult audience than the typical Disney project. Walt Disney personally gave the green light to the project, but after his death these type of projects were not part of the new managments idea of Disney anymore, and that is a shame. Walt had a much broader variety of film product than most people realizze today. The script he approved was by Disney studio writer Maurice Tombragel. Maurice came to the Disney Studios, already succesful at network television writing for popular westerns such as Bat Masterson, and stayed at the company for 9 years. His scripts for Disney included the theatrical release "Moon Pilot", as well as episodes of the weekly Disney show including "Bristle Face", and but he started with episodes of the well written "Elfego Baca". He based the Waltz King script on a story by Fritz Eckhardt. As was the practice by Walt Disney at the time, the film crew, supporting cast, costumers, art directors, set builders and decorators were all local people from the community where the project was filmed with the exception of the writer a few of the actors and the director. Walt strove for authenticity and culture in this program and it showed. The entire picture was filmed on location in Vienna, Austria and at the Wien Film Rosenhuget Studios in Vienna. The music was arranged and conducted from the works of Strauss by Helmuth Froschauer, and performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The show was filmed to be a two-episode show on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on NBC, and premiered on October 7 & November 3 of 1963. The two episodes were edited together as a 94 minute movie and released theatrically overseas. It aired as a television repeat on the Walt Disney show on August 1 & 8, 1971. It was released in the movie edited version to the VHS rental market in 1986, and as of this date has not been released again. This would be highly worthy of a DVD release, and I heartily recommend.
THE PLOT: Drama, romance, in this bio-pic. This movie was so good, I only wish I had seen it sooner. It is the biography of Johann Strauss, Jr., the famous Viennese composer. Strauss was raised in the shadow of his famous father, a successful composer of his own right. Senior Strauss forbids his son to seek music as a career, feeling the negative side of celebrity and a musician's life is harmful. As his son attempts to seek this career the father's fear turns into jealousy as he tries to use is extensive connections in the music worked to sabotage his son and he forces his son to leave home. As junior becomes a starving musician and selling violin lessons for food while he writes, he meets a famous woman opera singer, who begins to help him in his career to undo the damage of his father. Strauss will have to work even harder to be the famous Waltz King, and find love. I really enjoyed this film in my recent viewing. The city of Vienna and its concert halls combined with the period costumes are stunning in their beauty, and would almost steal the show if it had not been for the terrific script and acting. And the music, the wonderful music... Even if you are not a fan of classical music it will sweep you away.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Waltz King - King of Music, December 12, 2004
This review is from: The Waltz King [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The city of Vienna has never looked more beautiful or the music of Johann Strauss, Jr. sounded more thrilling than they do in this filmed biography of THE WALTZ KING. Johann Sr. (Brian Aherne), a successful composer, forbids his precocious son (nicknamed "Schani") to pursue a similar career in music. When Schani (Kerwin Matthew) sells his first composition to a beautiful opera singer (Senta Berger) and subsequently falls in love with the diva, the elder Strauss, angry and jealous, forces his son to leave home. Struggling to survive as a violin teacher in order to pursue his aspirations as a composer/conductor, the youth finds his artistic efforts sabatoged at every turn by his domineering father. But the elder Strauss greatly underestimates his son's talents, determination, and will to succeed!
Running Time = 94 minutes/Color
Great encouragement for all those who wish to pursue a career in music to persevere. (7 and up)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE this film, December 27, 2006
This review is from: The Waltz King [VHS] (VHS Tape)
My siblings and I watched this film over and over as young kids. It's not the type of movie you'd expect little children to enjoy, but we did. I fell in love with Johann Strauss Jr. and wished I were the beautiful, talented Henriette. I memorized all the songs in the film. For years, it has been my dream to visit Vienna. Most people want to go to Vienna to see "The Sound of Music" sights, but after you watch "Waltz King," those will be the only scenes in your mind. Beautifully done. I'm waiting with bated breath for the DVD!
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