Hitchcock frequently dismissed this film as the worst he ever made – it falls into the "lowest ebb" of his career that film analysts often refer to (the films he made, often reluctantly, between 1930 and 1934). It is always interesting to hear film-makers and film stars passing comment on their own work, particularly when naming their most and least favourite titles. What never ceases to amaze me is the way they often pick completely the wrong film to call their worst. Jack Benny despised The Horn Blows At Midnight; Frank Sinatra believed The Kissing Bandit was the nadir of his career; Michael Caine rated Ashanti as the absolute bottom of his acting barrel
yet in every case, they've picked on the wrong movie. And so it is with Waltzes From Vienna. Hitchcock may have been unhappy whilst making the film, and dismayed at the finished product, but in all fairness it is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests.
Johann Strauss Jr (Esmond Knight), or Schani as he calls himself, is a fairly talented young musician living under the immense shadow of his father, Johann Strauss Sr (Edmund Gwenn). Strauss Sr is a fearsome tyrant of a man, a musical legend with an ego as big as his reputation. Schani spends much of his time teaching his sweetheart Rasi (Jessie Matthews) to play the piano, and writing tunes which he dedicates to her. One day, he is approached by the wealthy Countess Helga Von Stahl (Fay Compton) who wants him to compose a waltz to go with some lyrics she has written. Rasi is engulfed with jealousy as her beloved Schani spends all his time with the Countess. And Schani himself is racked with self-doubt about his ability to come up with a suitable tune. His father has made him feel somewhat inept as a musician and he is totally convinced he isn't up to the job. In the end, Schani almost accidentally produces the Blue Danube waltz a piece of music so spine-tingling, so perfect, that it becomes an instant sensation, much to the chagrin of his father.
There are stories of Hitchcock unleashing his frustration upon his actors during the production, often bullying them and forcing them to work unthinkable hours to get the film completed on time and on budget. If these rumours are true, it is a credit to the actors that they give such generally likable performances. Knight and Matthews are a little wooden as the lovestruck leads, but Gwenn is simply fantastic as the domineering Strauss Sr and Compton delivers a memorable turn as the designing Countess. There is a nice element of comedy in the film, and scene for scene the whole thing has been worked out cleanly and economically from start to finish. Perhaps Hitchcock's main beef with this film is that it is a soft, light-hearted romance with some features of a musical. He always was at his best doing man-on-the-run thrillers or black comedies. It is a very uncharacteristic film, and perhaps the master of suspense couldn't find anything to set his pulse racing in such material. However, my advice is: give Waltzes From Vienna a go. It's a good deal better than you might anticipate!
Johann Strauss Jr (Esmond Knight), or Schani as he calls himself, is a fairly talented young musician living under the immense shadow of his father, Johann Strauss Sr (Edmund Gwenn). Strauss Sr is a fearsome tyrant of a man, a musical legend with an ego as big as his reputation. Schani spends much of his time teaching his sweetheart Rasi (Jessie Matthews) to play the piano, and writing tunes which he dedicates to her. One day, he is approached by the wealthy Countess Helga Von Stahl (Fay Compton) who wants him to compose a waltz to go with some lyrics she has written. Rasi is engulfed with jealousy as her beloved Schani spends all his time with the Countess. And Schani himself is racked with self-doubt about his ability to come up with a suitable tune. His father has made him feel somewhat inept as a musician and he is totally convinced he isn't up to the job. In the end, Schani almost accidentally produces the Blue Danube waltz a piece of music so spine-tingling, so perfect, that it becomes an instant sensation, much to the chagrin of his father.
There are stories of Hitchcock unleashing his frustration upon his actors during the production, often bullying them and forcing them to work unthinkable hours to get the film completed on time and on budget. If these rumours are true, it is a credit to the actors that they give such generally likable performances. Knight and Matthews are a little wooden as the lovestruck leads, but Gwenn is simply fantastic as the domineering Strauss Sr and Compton delivers a memorable turn as the designing Countess. There is a nice element of comedy in the film, and scene for scene the whole thing has been worked out cleanly and economically from start to finish. Perhaps Hitchcock's main beef with this film is that it is a soft, light-hearted romance with some features of a musical. He always was at his best doing man-on-the-run thrillers or black comedies. It is a very uncharacteristic film, and perhaps the master of suspense couldn't find anything to set his pulse racing in such material. However, my advice is: give Waltzes From Vienna a go. It's a good deal better than you might anticipate!