Waltzes from Vienna

Plot synopsis:
Waltzes from Vienna begins the sound of the fire brigade horn and the clip-clop of horses’ hooves, as the firemen race towards a fire at Ebezeder’s Café. Upstairs from the café, Resi and Schani are oblivious to the danger, lost in a love duet that concludes with Schani telling Resi that he has dedicated his newest song to her. At the same time, Schani’s music attracts the attention of the Countess Helga von Stahl, who is shopping in the dressmaker’s store next door. Schani and Resi’s romantic interlude is interrupted by Leopold, a baker in Resi’s father's café who is in love with Resi, as he awkwardly climbs up the ladder to save her. Schani and Leopold argue over who will save Resi from the fire, but Leopold eventually wins and hauls Resi over his shoulder and down the ladder, causing her to lose her skirt on the way. Resi races to the dressmaker’s shop to get away from the laughter of the onlookers. Schani retrieves Resi’s skirt and then stumbles into the dressmaker’s in search of Resi, where he meets the Countess. When the Countess learns that Schani is an aspiring musician, she proposes that he set some of her verses to music. As the Countess offers Schani her card, Resi enters the room and becomes immediately suspicious of the Countess’s intentions.
With the romantic triangle set up, the next scene sets up the conflict between Schani and his father. At orchestra rehearsal, in which Schani plays second violin under his father’s baton, Schani gets himself in trouble when he insults his father’s music to his stand partner. The elder Strauss overhears and demands that Schani perform one of his own compositions for the members of the orchestra. Strauss Sr. then ridicules his son’s waltz and tells him he could never have a career as a composer, inciting Schani to quit the orchestra.
Excited by his newfound freedom and the commission from the Countess, Schani visits Resi at her father’s bakery to tell her his news. Resi initially berates Schani and informs him that, if he wants to marry her, he will have to give up music and take over the bakery. However, when she reads the Countess’s lyrics, she is drawn into the music, singing the opening of The Blue Danube waltz to Schani. Their moment of composition is interrupted when Resi’s father arrives to give Schani a tour of the bakery. As Schani and Ebezeder walk into the basement, a memorable and unusual scene of musical composition begins. While Schani looks around, the tune that Resi sang begins to evolve. Two men throwing bread back and forth inspire the second phrase of the melody; a man tossing croissants into a box creates the offbeat rhythm of the waltz. The rhythm of the dough mixing machine provides Schani with the second main theme of the first waltz. As he tells the begrudging Leopold to go faster, this second theme turns into the beginning of the second large section of piece, at which point Schani runs upstairs, exclaiming to Resi that he has finished the composition. He then rushes off to tell the Countess that he has composed the perfect waltz to accompany her verses.
The next scene opens with Schani playing the final measures of the waltz to the Countess. After he finishes, she kisses him and then apologizes profusely, explaining that she was overwhelmed by his wonderful music. Schani then plays the second section of the waltz while her hand rests possessively on his shoulder, which, through a dissolve, becomes Resi’s hand. After thanking Resi for coming up with the phrase, Schani agrees to dedicate the song to her. As the scene fades away, the page with Schani’s dedication to Resi flips up to reveal another page with the same title, but dedicated to the Countess.
The duplicitous dedication is discovered when Resi hears Schani and the Countess playing the waltz for the publisher, Anton Drexler. Schani runs after Resi to explain and they reconcile only when Schani tells her that he will give up his music to work in the bakery. However, Schani is clearly miserable in his new job and he fights with Resi when he receives an invitation from the Countess to attend St. Stephen’s Festival. Resi tells Schani that, if he attends, it will mean the end of their relationship. Meanwhile, the Countess plots a ruse that will cause Strauss Sr. to be late for the festival so that Schani can take his father's place to conduct his new waltz.
As Schani conducts The Blue Danube at the festival, all of the film’s conflicts come to a climax. The Countess detains the elder Strauss by asking the dancers at the festival to play to his ego, requesting that he play his waltzes over and over for their pleasure in a back room. Strauss Sr. finally arrives to find that his son has taken his place, performing for an enthusiastic audience. Meanwhile, Resi laments that Schani betrayed her by coming to the festival at the Countess’s command.
Following the performance, the elder Strauss angrily tells his son that he had not authorized the performance, as the Countess had led him to believe. Schani leaves the festival in confusion and the Countess follows him home where they share another kiss. However, the romantic moment is interrupted by the Count, who, upon learning where the Countess had gone, left the party in a rage. Fortunately, Resi arrives in time to sneak in the back and replace the Countess, who then walks back up the front stairs to surprise her husband, as the crowd outside hums The Blue Danube Waltz.

Tags: romantic

Review:
This is a fairly entertaining pre-War cheaply made British musical comedy which sadly fails in a number of ways: it was the 3rd film with Jessie Matthews and Edmund Gwenn, and definitely the least satisfying of them; it was Hitchcock directing a non-thriller with his heart not in it; Hitchcock and Matthews didn't get on, and it showed in his screen treatment of her - Britain's top singing and dancing star at the time; and a ridiculously fictitious plot.
Hitch thought it was the worst film he'd ever made and Jessie thought it was "perfectly dreadful".It was an adaptation of a London musical stage play which apparently ran for over a year: Johann Strauss II played by Esmond Knight wants to be a composer like his father, I (Gwenn), who is arrogantly dismissive of his talents throughout.
On the other hand, Hitchcock seemed to be mining the One Hour With You stylistic vein a lot of the time albeit in a cheaper but still pleasant British way, there were some nice sets and of course there was Louis Levy's orchestrations for The Blue Danube to admire when it arrived.
The less said about how II was supposed to have composed it here, the better!It's a pleasant enough 76 minutes for someone like me who isn't a Hitchcock completist, but probably will be a real chore if you are..
Other than the fact it doesn't seem like a Hitchcock movie, it's a nice little story about the younger Strauss struggling for the respect of his father with a nice bit of romance and jealousy thrown in on the side.
The most amusing scene for me was when the younger Strauss was coming up with the music for his waltz at the bakery.
The stars are Jessie Matthews as Rasi, the daughter of a confectioner, Esmond Knight as Strauss Jr., and Edmun Gwenn as Strauss Sr. Also notable are Fay Compton as the countess, Frank Vosper as the count, and Robert Hale as the confectioner.What makes this film notable is that the director is Alfred Hitchcock.
Thus begins the triangle.Almost as a subplot, we get the adversarial relationship between the father and son since the film really focuses on the "love story." Although Hitchcock always thought this film his worst, there is much to enjoy.
Gwenn, for all his billing, gets less screen time than Matthews, Knight, and even Fay Compton..
Strauss's Great Waltz will go down as your most atypical Alfred Hitchcock film.
The Hitchcock stamp is definitely not on this one.But it is the only musical in his career so you would think something better would have come from it, especially since he had the United Kingdom's number one musical star at the time Jessie Matthews.
Her singing and dancing talents may have been left on the cutting room floor.The story was covered far better in MGM's high gloss film, The Great Waltz.
Young Johann Strauss, Jr. is considered by his father to be the least promising of his offspring and the senior Strauss Edmund Gwenn ridicules his efforts at composing at every opportunity.
Young Strauss who is Esmond Knight in this film has even gone to work in a bakery, in real life Strauss wanted his son to be a banker.Countess Fay Compton however encourages Knight's genius and we all know what happened after that.The musical with book and lyrics by Guy Bolton had a nice run on the London Stage.
Disagree with Hitchcock, Waltzes from Vienna is not his worst film.
The music sparkles with beauty and energy throughout, while Edmund Gwenn gives a great performance, Jessie Matthews is charming enough and there's also the Blue Danube scene which is by far the highlight of the film.
The comedy scenes are rather forced and are played too broadly, while the story has a little charm but can be a little dull and silly, with some underdeveloped characters and relationships- that of Johann and Rasi is rather un-engaging- and sub-plots that serve little point and the script is on the talky side.
Overall, one of Hitchcock's weakest but not his worst like he considered it to be, of the films of his personally seen there are at least 6 or 7 that are worse.
Strauss' Great Waltz meanders through a story about the inspiration behind The Blue Danube.
'Waltzes from Vienna' is Alfred Hitchcock's only musical and he directed this because he didn't have any other projects to choose from, and by that time he was still under the contract with British International Pictures.
The film is probably most notable of the use of combining the editing with the flow and rhythm of the music.Sweet little movie which proves that masterful director can turn quite shallow script into somewhat enjoyable entertainment..
Young composer Esmond Knight (as Johann "Schani" Strauss) goes to work in a bakery.
Their relationship must survive interfering father Edmund Gwenn (as Johann Strauss) and tempting older woman Fay Compton (as Helga von Stahl).
Watching the bakers toss rolls, as well as mix batter, inspires Mr. Knight to write "Strauss' Great Waltz" (the US title of this film).
The British cast and director Alfred Hitchcock have reputations greater than this dull affair.*** Waltzes from Vienna (3/34) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Esmond Knight, Jessie Matthews, Edmund Gwenn, Fay Compton.
After watching almost every Hitchcock film I have to agree with old Hitch himself it was his worst.
While Alfred Hitchcock did tell Francois Truffaut this film was "the lowest ebb" of his career, evidence on screen suggests nothing so dramatic.
Two words come to mind here, neither what you associate with Hitchcock: "pleasant" and "inconsequential."In 19th century Vienna, young Schani (Esmond Knight) dreams of a composing career.
Unfortunately, his father Johann Strauss (Edmund Gwenn) is already Vienna's most successful composer and doggedly committed not to be superseded by his son.
Can a crafty countess (Fay Compton) with amorous designs and a knack for lyrics help Schani break through?"My father's a great man, you know, but great men are very peculiar," Schani says."Like all great men, he has a peculiar dislike of hearing youth knocking at the door," the countess replies.Alternately titled "Waltzes From Vienna" or "Strauss' Great Waltz," this was based on a musical stage production, "the great London Alhambra success" as we are informed in the opening titles.
After agreeing to adapt the musical, Hitchcock decided to take nearly all the songs out, leaving his film's singing star, Jessie Matthews as Schani's sweetheart, with little to do but bat her eyes and look hurt.
The conflict is likewise labored, with Gwenn glowering enviously in nearly every scene he is in.Hitchcock enthusiasts point out, correctly, that "Waltzes From Vienna" is an important step in the evolution of his cinematic style.
As a director, he became quite the composer, and so naturally, making a film about a composer can't but anticipate some of that development.But when the principal act of musical composition we see on screen involves Schani watching rolls being tossed in a bakery, it's hard to take matters seriously.
Vosper had no confusion what kind of film he was making; Hitchcock seems less sure, and here is one time ambiguity was not his friend..
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).
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.
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.
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.
Perhaps Hitchcock's main beef with this film is that it is a soft, light-hearted romance with some features of a musical.
A Great Musical Film by Hitchcock.
I love the scenes where Esmond Knight develops his music by watching workers arrange the bread and other food."Fear" is one of the major elements in a Hitchcock film.
In this film, we see the fear of being ignored, fear of failure, fear of losing someone you love." Edmund Gwenn was brilliant as Johann Strauss Sr. We can really see his fear through his actions and emotions.
Perhaps even a back number." This is mentioned before Young Strauss plays his music in front of his father and other composers in the middle of the film.
Like Gwenn's character Johann Strauss Sr, Hitchcock did think about his future years as a filmmaker.
Jessie Matthews (Rasi) fears that she may lose Young Strauss to Countess Helga (Fay Compton).
Even though Hitchcock wasn't really interested in this project, still he put a great deal of effort into this film through the script and the direction.Like I mentioned before, another thing I love about this film is the personal elements applied by Hitchcock.
For Example, the scene where Rasi's father comes and talks to Rasi about Johann Strauss Jr (Esmond Knight).
He hasn't his heart in it." This is like Hitchcock saying "I am not interested in making musicals.
But she cunningly used the idea of providing a successful music career to Strauss Jr. so that she could eliminate the love relationship between Strauss Jr. and Rasi.
When Rasi tries to leave Strauss Jr. in the middle of the film, Strauss Jr. comes to her and tells her that he loves her and he sacrifices his whole music career for her by becoming a baker.
It must be noted that Strauss Jr. becomes a successful music career "mainly" because of Rasi.
It was Rasi who gives the "music tune" of success to Strauss Jr. Not Countess Helga.
Despite all the conflicts, the deep romantic feelings they (Strauss Jr. and Rasi) have for each other brings them back together in the end.I liked performances especially from Jessie Matthews, Esmond Knight, and Edmund Gwenn.
Esmond Knight {Johann Strauss Jr} was only adequate in the role and Jessie Matthews' singing ability was very much under-utilised, as was the opportunity to use more of the entertaining music of the Strauss family.
What makes the film worth watching is the great performance of Edmund Gwenn as the angry, jealous and dark Johann Strauss Sr. Fittingly, he has the last word in the film when he finally relents and signs his name for a young autograph hunter.
All-in-all, it's a film that makes no real demands but is worth having as an example of a very unusual sortie into the genre of the romantic musical by Hitchcock.
Although it contains none of the Hitch touches we had come to expect from his silent and early sound career (unusual camera angles and editing tricks), and is the least Hitchcockian of any of his films, it is an assured and confident directorial effort.It is fun to compare this to MGM's THE GREAT WALTZ of four years later.
We have the same concocted group of characters: young Strauss, his bake shop fiancé, Rasi, and a countess, forming a love triangle.
WALTZES centers around the composition of ON THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE, while MGM's film centers around the creation of TALES OF THE VIENNA WOODS.Although Jessie Matthews (who is facially reminiscent of Ida Lupino, also a rising UK star of the era), is lovely as Rasi, she is no match for Luise Rainer in the MGM version.
Esmond Knight in WALTZES is equally forgettable as Fernand Gravet in the MGM film as Strauss Jr. Edmund Gwenn is fine as the intolerant patriarch.Hitch directs as if he were Ernst Lubitsch, whose elegant and humorous hand with lavish films in 19th century European Graustarkian settings dominated the early 1930s.
Note that Korngold was one of the adapters of the Strauss music for the film.The print I viewed, which was in impeccable condition, timed at 1:16:40.To sum up, this is a lovely confection and lots of fun.
Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock wasn't the right choice for this first film version of the story of composter Johan Strauss, played here by the handsome but bland Esmond Knight.
Edmund Gwenn gives the best performance as Johann Strauss the Elder but he's barely in the film.
And by 'musical numbers' I mean Esmond Knight playing the piano or being inspired to write "The Blue Danube" thanks to some bakers throwing some bread rolls around.
I don't know how historically accurate Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 operetta biopic "Waltzes from Vienna" is, but the hypothesis that Johann Strauss' "Blue Danube" might never have existed because of a juvenile romance with the baker's daughter, adds a delightful little twist to its already iconic dimension.
Indeed, it is like imagining that Leonardo Da Vinci wanted to paint a beautiful woman but she couldn't make it, so he picked Mona Lisa, sometimes, historical events come close to never exist, and if you have a hard time imagining what our universal musical heritage might have been had Johann Strauss traded his piano for a baker's hat, imagine what history might have been had Hitler been accepted in that Painting School.Still, when the film starts, we know "The Blue Danube" will exist and will become the most universally known Waltz tune, immortalized by cartoons and by a certain movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, as to convey the poetic symbiosis between the space vessel, a man's creation, and the universe, waltzing in sheer harmony.
And the most entertaining aspect of "Waltzes from Vienna" is to tell the genesis of this iconic melody, regardless of historical accuracy, when reality becomes legend, print the legend.So, Johann Strauss (Esmond Knight) tries to make a name for himself, a twice difficult task because his name also belongs to his father (Edmund Gwenn) who's one of the greatest composers of Vienna, famous for the "Lorelei" and the "Radetzky March", and because the paternal aura inevitably overshadows the son, and affect his self-confidence.
Junior has no more confidence in his talent, and his romance with the lovely but directive, Rasi (Jessie Matthews) doesn't help.
So even though Strauss can't equal his father's stature, in the worst case, he'll marry a beautiful woman, so much for self-motivation.So a kick from fate was much needed and it finally came with Countess Helga Von Stahl (Fay Compton) who asks him to compose a melody out of a poem she dedicated to the Danube.
From this point, there's a funny vaudeville aspect in that love triangle whose only 'tragic' aspect lies on the way it threatens the existence of a masterpiece to come, that and many other factors like Strauss Sr.' reluctance to play for such pointless lyrics, the Countess' husband jealousy (the film's comic-relief), and even Strauss is his own enemy, thinking of giving up if the price to pay is Rasi' love.
In a way, the film questions the notion of ambition and the misguiding effect of love but I might give more credit to the film than needed to, it's less a character study than the fun and enjoyable chronicles of the making of a music, and I don't think it tries to do more than that.Hitchcock himself considered it as one of the lowest points of his career and It's true there are some bits of overacting and under-acting, and the lead protagonist doesn't strike for his charisma, but it didn't bother me because the real star of the film is "The Blue Danube", and the movie is never as exciting as when you see the things that made its creation possible.
"The Blue Danube" is the film's central piece and we only get little bits of this much loved melody, never completely sung or hummed, not until the climax finally features the whole thing and that's the emotional pay-off we all waited for.And since cinema is a world of images, 'show and tell' you know, the ending was the perfect way to conclude Johann Strauss' journey without any words.
So you see, "Waltzes from Vienna" might belong to Hitch' period as British Gaumont contract-director and not be consider as part of his canon (it was his last musical film) but it can be seen as an enchanting interlude before serious things start with his next-project "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and not the least, in terms of music's use.
In fact it is probably beneficial that an unromantic like Hitchcock filmed it, for in the hands of another it might have become too sappy, but as it stands, Hitchcock appears to know which moments are the cheesiest, and never lingers on them.Strauss Jnr. is an aspiring classical musician, and son of a renowned one, Strauss Snr. He is in love with a bakers daughter Resi, yet tempted by the Countess, who has connections which would help him become famous.
I'm not sure if "The Blue Danube" bakery composure was intended as humour or not, I guess so, but either way it was great interplay between sound and image, which seems to be what Hitchcock most took out of this film.
It's in a fire, caused in a bakery, owned by Jessie Mathews father,played by Robert Hale,I think, that his works are being discovered by fay Compton as the countess, that she tries to help him to become famous.This causes jealousy with Mathews and pressures him to give up his career for her and works in a bakery.