Main Cast: Fay Compton, Jessie Matthews, Edmund Gwenn, Esmond Knight, Frank Vosper
Release Year: 1933
Country: UK
Run Time: 80 minutes
Plot
Anxious to finish off his contract with British International Pictures, Alfred Hitchcock agreed to direct Waltzes from Vienna, a schmaltzy musical about "waltz king" Joseph Strauss and his son Joseph Jr. Edmund Gwenn stars as the elder Strauss, with Esmond Knight as his talented progeny. The crux of the film is the intense rivalry between the two Strausses, which is somehow resolved by the inaugural performance of Joseph Junior's "The Blue Danube." Displeased with his work in this film, Hitchcock at one point threw up his hands and confessed to his actors "I hate this sort of stuff. Melodrama is the only thing I can do." Hitch regarded Waltzes in Vienna and his silent Champagne as his worst films, and never directed anything like them again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robert Hale - Ebezeder; Hindle P. Edgar - Leopold; Charles Heslop - Valet; Marcus Barron - Drexter; Billy Shine Junior; Bertram Dench; Sybil Grove - Mme. Fouchett; B.M. Lewis; Cyril Smith; Betty Huntley Wright - Maid
Waltzes from Vienna is a 1934film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film was also called Strauss' Great Waltz. The film tells the story of the writing and performance of The Blue Danube. According to Hitchcock:
“
Waltzes from Vienna gave me many opportunities for working out ideas in the relation of film and music. Naturally every cut in the film was worked out on the script before shooting began. But more than that, the musical cuts were worked out too.
”
Hitchcock told François Truffaut that this film was the lowest ebb of his career. He only agreed to make it because he had no other film projects that year, and wanted to stay working. He never again made a musical film.
Waltzes from Vienna was also a popular Ruritanian style musical, which is sometimes still performed by amateur companies due to its large chorus.
