The Chocolate Soldier

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Movie
Original title The Chocolate Soldier
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1941
length 102 minutes
Rod
Director Roy Del Ruth
script Leonard Lee , Keith Winter
production Victor Saville for MGM
music Bronislau Kaper , Herbert Stothart
camera Karl friend
cut James E. Newcom
occupation

The Chocolate Soldier is an American film operetta with Nelson Eddy and Risë Stevens from 1941. The screenplay is based on the stage comedy The Guardsman , the English version of the play A Testőr ( Eng . The bodyguard ) by Ferenc Molnár . The libretto and title are borrowed from the English version of the German operetta Der bravere Soldat by Oscar Straus , which is itself based on the comedy Helden (original: Arms and the Man ) by George Bernhard Shaw .

action

Karl Lang and Maria Lanyi are the shining stars in the Viennese operetta sky. The two spirited stars also get along very well in their private lives and therefore only got married a few months ago. But the marriage is not as harmonious as the two had hoped. Maria would like to have a career at the opera and finally sing serious music. Karl thinks this is a quirk and suspects Maria of cheating on him. To test their loyalty, he dresses up as a Russian bodyguard with the romantic name Vassily Vassilievitch, complete with Cossack trousers and a long beard. Maria is soon blown away by the daring Vassily, which only encourages Karl to doubt Maria's loyalty. In the end, the misunderstandings dissipate and Karl and Maria swear eternal love.

background

The collaboration between the screen couple Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy proved increasingly costly for MGM . Their joint films, invariably expensively produced operettas, the production costs of which could escalate to as much as 2,200,000 US dollars, as in the case of Maienzeit , found less and less approval among cinema viewers. By 1941 at the latest, it was clear to everyone involved that the collaboration was coming to an end after the last two films were only earning small profits. With The Chocolate Soldier , the studio made a half-hearted attempt to build Nelson Eddy as a solo star. The basic requirements for success were few. Eddy was notorious for his wooden screen presence, which had earned him the nickname The Singing Capon . Now it should be enough for a script based on the well-known comedy The Guardsman , the English version of the play A Testőr ( Eng . The Body Guard ) by Ferenc Molnár , in which Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne celebrated one of their greatest stage successes in 1924 . The main female role went to the well-known soprano of the Metropolitan Opera , Risë Stevens, who had no previous film experience. In the end, the audience and critics alike were surprised by the finished film. Nelson Eddy revealed his previously carefully hidden talent for light comedy, and Risë Stevens showed a charming portrayal as well as a lot of presence and charisma.

criticism

Bosley Crowther , not yet a friend of Nelson Eddy, called the actor in his review in the New York Times a big surprise as an over-the-top Russian.

Archer Winsten loved Risë Stevens in the New York Post . She basically plays the kind of role that is normally reserved for Jeanette MacDonald, but would sing better, look better, appear much more natural and also be much younger than this ( She [has] taken the spot ordinarily reserved for Jeanette MacDonald, But she is bigger, younger, less dental, sings as well or better, and is not so cute ).

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1942 , the film received nominations in the following categories:

  • Best camera (black and white film)
  • Best Original Score (Musical)
  • Best tone

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