The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) on Netflix
In Vienna, Lieutenant Nikolaus von Preyn falls for Franzi, who conducts an orchestra of women. A wink meant for her reaches Princess Anna of Flausenthurm, who insists on marrying him.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb7.1/104,470 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
Lieutenant Nikolaus von Preyn, known as Niki, is in love with Franzi, who leads a band of women musicians in Vienna. While he stands in formation at a parade for the visiting royal family of Flausenthurm, he winks at her in the crowd. Princess Anna catches the gesture and takes offense. Niki tries to make amends by saying he winked because he found her beautiful. The answer charms her more than he meant it to, and she declares she will have him as a husband, threatening to marry an American if she is refused. Franzi watches him return in a royal carriage and leaves him. The Emperor of Austria intervenes, and the lieutenant marries the princess, which prevents an international incident.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- A copyright dispute with the silent-film version kept The Smiling Lieutenant out of circulation for years; it was treated as a lost film until a print was discovered in Denmark in the 1990s.
- Ernst Lubitsch played referee between Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, who each insisted on being shot from the same angle, and he encouraged their rivalry because it suited their characters on screen.
- Maurice Chevalier called his on-screen smiles and winks a "mechanical display of technique" because he was grieving his mother's death while the film was shot.
