Regarding a previous review concerning Joseph Schildkraut as a schemer. This film came out in 1938, the year before Schildkraut was the winner of the best supporting actor award for the Oscar-winning "The Life of Emile Zola." He played Dreyfus in that film and he was anything but a schemer. Ditto 22 years later when he played the memorable father in "The Diary of Anne Frank."
This picture is comical in nature. It takes place in Hungary and we hear the Blue Danube Waltz played at the beginning. Why? Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary until the end of World War 1.
Now that our history lesson is finished, let's get on to the film. It's filled with political satire. William Powell, who made this film in an attempt to get back to work several months later following Jean Harlow's untimely death, plays a butler who is elected to the Hungarian Parliament for the opposing party of the Prime Minister he works for.
Annabella is the married daughter of the P.M. and the two fall in love. Husband Joseph Schildkraut finds out and tries to use this affair to create for himself an important governmental position so that he will not say anything, quietly divorce Annabella and avoid scandal.
Politics is a nasty business. This picture is silly, it could have used the nastiness. Schildkraut could provide fireworks in previous films such as "Marie Antoinette." He doesn't do that here and the film suffers for it.
Henry Stephenson is good as the Prime Minister. He is the definition of the old politician staying in office by saying little. As his wife, Helen Westley is comical.
This picture is comical in nature. It takes place in Hungary and we hear the Blue Danube Waltz played at the beginning. Why? Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary until the end of World War 1.
Now that our history lesson is finished, let's get on to the film. It's filled with political satire. William Powell, who made this film in an attempt to get back to work several months later following Jean Harlow's untimely death, plays a butler who is elected to the Hungarian Parliament for the opposing party of the Prime Minister he works for.
Annabella is the married daughter of the P.M. and the two fall in love. Husband Joseph Schildkraut finds out and tries to use this affair to create for himself an important governmental position so that he will not say anything, quietly divorce Annabella and avoid scandal.
Politics is a nasty business. This picture is silly, it could have used the nastiness. Schildkraut could provide fireworks in previous films such as "Marie Antoinette." He doesn't do that here and the film suffers for it.
Henry Stephenson is good as the Prime Minister. He is the definition of the old politician staying in office by saying little. As his wife, Helen Westley is comical.