The Merry Widow (1925) + The Merry Widow (1934) on DVD

Get the original film, The Merry Widow (1925) and The Merry Widow (1934) for 20% off their individual prices!

The Merry Widow (1925)



 Starring Murray, John Gilbert, Roy D'Arcy, Josephine Crowell, George Fawcett
Directed by Erich Von Stroheim

Print: black/white
Runtime: 137 min.
Genre: Drama

The Merry Widow with no singing? A silent version of an operetta may seem an unlikely venture, but this vivacious hit proved that the right ingredients make for an irresistible romantic souffle?. Those ingredients include Erich von Stroheim's stylish direction (in his first film after Greed), ex-Ziegfeld bombshell Mae Murray in her best role, a star-making turn for John Gilbert and a mythical European kingdom straight out of fairyland. Murray plays showgirl Sally O'Hara, who's jilted by a prince (Gilbert). On the rebound, she marries a nasty old baron who conveniently keels over on their wedding night, leaving Sally not only merry, but rich enough to attract a bevy of suitors...including the prince, eager to rekindle their flame.




The Merry Widow (1934)

Starring Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette Macdonald, Edward Everett Horton, Una Merkel, George Barbier
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch

Print: Black & White
Runtime:99 min.
Genre: Comedy

Jeanette MacDonald is Sonia, a bubbly widow who owns 52% of every cow and cowtown in the tiny European country of Marshovia. When she relocates to glittery Paris, suave ladies’ man Captain Danilo (Maurice Chevalier) sets out in hot pursuit. His mission: avert his homeland’s financial ruin by bringing Sonia back on the wings of love. But hang on tight, Danilo. Love always flies a delirious course when legendary director Ernst Lubitsch, known for sophisticated wit and a style affectionately dubbed as “the Lubitsch touch” is at the helm. A frothy, high-spirited gem based on Franz Lehar’s operetta, The Merry Widow set the standard for musicals to come. And it confirmed what MGM’s top brass already knew: Jeanette MacDoanld was a major star.