The Merry Widow (1952 film)
The Merry Widow is a 1952 film adaptation of the 1905 operetta of the same name by Franz Lehár. It starred Lana Turner (whose singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin) and Fernando Lamas.
| The Merry Widow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Curtis Bernhardt |
| Written by | Franz Lehár (operetta) Victor Léon (libretto) Leo Stein (libretto) Sonya Levien William Ludwig |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Starring | Lana Turner Fernando Lamas |
| Cinematography | Robert Surtees |
| Edited by | Conrad A. Nervig |
| Music by | Jay Blackton (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | September 5, 1952 |
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,417,000[1] |
| Box office | $4,500,000[1][2] |
The film received two Oscar nominations: for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Color (Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis, Arthur Krams) and Best Costume Design, Color.[3] Paul Francis Webster provided revised lyrics for a greatly abridged score of the operetta conducted by Jay Blackton.
Plot
The young widow Crystal Radek is invited to Marshovia, a small European kingdom, to attend the unveiling of a statue in honour of her deceased husband. The royal coffers are seriously in need of her money so the king sends out count Danilo to seduce her.
Cast
- Lana Turner as Crystal Radek
- Fernando Lamas as Count Danilo
- Una Merkel as Kitty Riley. Merkel played Queen Dolores in the 1934 film version.
- Richard Haydn as Baron Popoff
- Thomas Gomez as the King of Marshovia
- John Abbott as the Marshovian ambassador
- Marcel Dalio as the police sergeant
- King Donovan as Nitki
- Robert Coote as Marquis de Crillon
- Lisa Ferraday as Marcella
- Joi Lansing as a Maxim's girl (uncredited)
Gwen Verdon and Matt Mattox performed specialty dances choreographed by Jack Cole.
Reception
According to MGM records, the film made $2,232,000 in the US and Canada and $2,268,000 overseas resulting in a profit of $27,000.[1]
References
- The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- See also 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954 and 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
- "NY Times: The Merry Widow". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2008-12-21.