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Rating: 4 out of 5
Have you ever flirted with someone that took it the wrong way? We all have been there when we might smile at someone only to get a reaction we didn’t expect. Hell, I know I have. Times where I thought an innocent smile put me in a world of trouble. Then the graveling to your current girl saying, “Baby, it was just a smile. Please don’t be mad, it was just a smile. I can’t smile at people now.” Oh, the world of dating and love.
The Smiling Lieutenant is directed by Ernst Lubitsch and written by Samson Raphaelson and Ernest Vajda. The movie comes from the operetta Ein Walzertraum by Oscar Straus. Lubitsch and Raphelson present a musical comedy that has a love triangle and misunderstanding like no other. Taking place in Vienna, the film focuses on Lieutenant Nikolaus “Niki” von Preyn (Chevalier) and his charming smile. When his friend Max (Ruggles) tells him about a girl, he has met (even though he is married), Niki and Max venture to where she is playing. Niki sees the beautiful violinist named Franzi (Colbert) and falls in love with her immediately. The pair spend the day together with Niki convincing Franzi to stay with him through breakfast ending with a song about breakfast. You got to love a song about bacon, eggs, and pancakes.
The King of Flausenthurm arrives in Vienna with his very, very sheltered and naive daughter, Princess Anna (Hopkins). Niki has his guards stand at attention in the street for their arrival. Across the street, Franzi flirts heavily with Niki. Niki, not paying attention, smiles, and winks at Franzi just as the royal carriage passes by. Anna catches both the smile and wink and believes they were meant for her. She also believes that Niki was making fun of her. The incident makes headlines, and Niki is called before the king for disciplinary action. Noting that the king is easily sweet-talked, he realizes that telling the truth would not be helpful. Niki claims that he smiled at Anna because he found her beautiful, and because of this, he forgot his duty (Playa move right there). Thrilled by his charming ways, Anna forgives him, and the king appoints him to be his main adjutant while in Vienna, along with marring the princess. With love for a girl in his heart and the princess’s love waiting for him, Niki quickly finds out that smiling at all-girls isn’t what it is cracked up to be.
While watching the movie, I noticed that the premise of the story is quite common, but for the time and era that the film was made, it was quite sexual and a little flashy towards the end. First, let’s talk about the story. It’s funny how one small action can change someone’s world. The main character Niki is in love with his girl. Dude is at his work standing at attention but smiling/winking at his girl across the street and then boom, that smile/wink turns into an arrest and then a marriage. How the hell does a wink and smile get you arrested and then marriage? You know how many men would be in jail if they smiled at a girl or princess. Pretty much all of us. Also, in the story, it reminds you of familiar stories of today of how a person goes from being so uptight to finally be hot. The princess is so conservative and has no sense of fashion or sex appeal. She was sheltered, and it shows in all the ways. Yet, we think she is doing the marriage just because but she really does love Niki, which is odd because they really don’t know each other. While talking to Niki’s former girlfriend, she learns that she needs to “Jazz up her lingerie.” After the transformation, Niki falls in love with her. Once again, familiar story today.
What actually propels this movie is the comedy and dialogue between all the characters. Without it, this would just be a dull movie, but I have to say that I actually laughed a few times. My favorite scene is actually at the end of the film. After the princess gets advice about how to capture Niki’s heart, she sets her plan in motion. As Niki comes home sadden, he walks upstairs to his room and grabs his bottle of wine. He hears the piano playing downstairs, and as he looks in the princess’ room, to see her smoking and playing the piano like she’s in the club. You go, girl. Niki quickly runs upstairs back to his room and smells the wine. He takes another drink and then runs back downstairs to the princess’ room and opens the door. The princess is now dressed in a mighty sexy lingerie. Even I have to admit that my jaw dropped. Niki leaves the room and runs back upstairs and drinks some more wine. He runs back downstairs to the princess’ room again and opens up the door. This time, the princess is dressed in an elegant dress. That is when Niki falls in love with her. A perfect scene that is funny and amazing ending.
Another example of dialogue between the characters that is pretty funny is when Niki and Princess Anna get married. They have this great discussion about winking that is taken so far out of context that I don’t even know what to say.
- Princess Anna: Married people don’t wink?
- Lieutenant Niki: Yes. They wink, but not at each other!
- Princess Anna: Well, what’s the use of getting married?
- Lieutenant Niki: All the philosophers, for 3,000 years, have tried to find that out, and they failed. And I don’t think we’ll solve that problem tonight. Good night.
As for the cast, Maurice Chevalier as Lieutenant Nikolaus “Niki” von Preyn is as entertaining as ever. Chevalier plays his characters with such charm and wittiness. He plays Niki as “Mr. Steal Yo Girl.” When his friend, Max, comes and asks him for advice because he likes Franzi, but he is married, Niki seems so uninterested. When Niki sees Franzi, he is immediately smitten, yet “Mr. Steal Yo Girl,” tells Max that Franzi is like his current wife. When Max asks to explain, “Mr. Steal Yo Girl,” says, and I quote, “just picture your wife 15 years younger, 20 pounds lighter, her hair dyed, her nose operated on which equals the same girl.” That’s cold-blooded but smooth-talking G shit right there. We call that a BOSS MOVE!!
Claudette Colbert as Franzi is great and supposed to be the object of desire. She is cute and has a little wild side to her character. When you sing about “Jazz Up Your Lingerie,” you have a little freaky side to you. Besides that, I thought she was a normal girl in the film and really nothing to gawk at.
Miriam Hopkins, as Princess Anna is by far one of the most interesting characters. Hopkins plays her role as the naive but very sheltered princess that knows nothing of how the world really works. As she puts it, “I don’t know very much about life. I got all my knowledge out of the Royal Encyclopedia. A special edition arranged for Flausenthurm, with all the interesting things left out.” Boy, does it show. She has no idea what a wink meant and takes great offense to it. It is quite comical by today’s standards, but she was willing to have Niki arrested. Hopkins does a fantastic job with her final transformation. Like I said earlier, even I said, “DAMN!”
I will say that the songs in this one weren’t as memorable. Some songs are famous, and some that slip the mind really quick. The first song that I liked was “Toujours l’Amour in the Army.” It was an interesting song, but the highlight of it is when the main characters sing Ra-ta, ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta, ta… It is quite funny. The second song that is interesting is “Breakfast Table Love.” Now I never sang a song to a girl comparing her to breakfast, let alone eggs or bank, but when you can pull it off, that is some skills. Girl, you are as thick as oatmeal. I would say the most memorable song in the whole film is “Jazz Up Your Lingerie.” Damn Franzi just put Princess Anna on blast with how she dressed and how she wasn’t sexy. The song is pretty catchy, with both women singing and playing the piano. It is probably one of the best songs in the whole movie.
The Smiling Lieutenant is a delightful and entertaining movie to watch. It is an enjoyable film that has many laughs and some catchy songs. Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, and Miriam Hopkins are fun in their respective roles as the story unfolds. As a classic from the 1930s, this movie is very great to watch. Anyone who watches this movie will be entertained.
