Ramon Novarro is the heir to King Gustav von Seyffertitz, a virtual prisoner at the castle. His only real friend is his tutor, Jean Hersholt, who tells him that they are going to Heidelberg University, where he finds friendship in one of those drinking groups, and love in tavern wench Norma Shearer. But royalty must suffer so us plebes can feel good about our lot. So duty calls, and an arranged marriage, and Seyffertitz kicks the bucket; Novarro actually has to go work for a living as king.
Well, boo hoo. Sigmund Romberg had turned this into his biggest hit, 608 performances, and so MGM bought the rights to the straight play and not Romberg's music. Eventually they handed it to Lubitsch (with some uncredited direction by John Stahl). It's actually quite entertaining with its score by Carl Davis; Novarro is very fresh-faced, and just shy of unbearably naive. Production values are magnificent. John Alton shot the German footage, and the Lubitsch touch and Andrew Marton's editing define a character in five seconds. It's as fine a popcorn movie as ever was made. And Norma Shearer got compensated for not becoming Queen of wherever it was by becoming Queen of MGM, marrying Irving Thalberg the week this movie premiered.
Well, boo hoo. Sigmund Romberg had turned this into his biggest hit, 608 performances, and so MGM bought the rights to the straight play and not Romberg's music. Eventually they handed it to Lubitsch (with some uncredited direction by John Stahl). It's actually quite entertaining with its score by Carl Davis; Novarro is very fresh-faced, and just shy of unbearably naive. Production values are magnificent. John Alton shot the German footage, and the Lubitsch touch and Andrew Marton's editing define a character in five seconds. It's as fine a popcorn movie as ever was made. And Norma Shearer got compensated for not becoming Queen of wherever it was by becoming Queen of MGM, marrying Irving Thalberg the week this movie premiered.