The Smiling Lieutenant

1931 89 min ★ 6.8 Comedy, Romance

An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.

Cast

Maurice Chevalier

Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn

Claudette Colbert

Franzi

Miriam Hopkins

Princess Anna

Charles Ruggles

Max

George Barbier

King Adolf XV

Hugh O'Connell

Niki's Orderly

Maude Allen

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Granville Bates

Bill Collector (uncredited)

Harry C. Bradley

Count Von Holden (uncredited)

Carrie Daumery

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Details

Director

Ernst Lubitsch

Screenplay

Samson Raphaelson

Tagline

"Maurice Chevalier laughing and loving again in Ernst Lubitsch's sparkling cocktail of romantic merriment"

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Production

Paramount Pictures

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

May 4, 2024

★ 7/10

How many films are you ever going to watch that have songs rhyming "liver" with "quiver" - or that quote Emperor Napoleon's last words before entering exile on Elbe - "so long!"? "Niki" (Maurice Chevalier) is a happy-go-lucky military officer in love with "Franzi" (Claudette Colbert) and all is set fair with their lives until a state visit to the Emperor by the princess "Anna" (Miriam Hopkins) lan...