S4E03 - The Smiling Lieutenant [1931] with Jonathan Mackris

UC Berkeley PHD student Jonathan Mackris joins us to discuss Lubitsch’s 1931 musical THE SMILING LIEUTENANT! In this episode, we cover Maurice Chevalier’s career and charisma, the film’s mildly troubled production, the entrance of the highly consequential Samson Raphaelson to the Lubitsch stable of collaborators, Lubitsch’s increasingly ambitious use of montage, the questionable musical abilities of various lead characters, and much more.

Edited by Rylee Cronin.

We have a Discord!

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NEXT WEEK:

Will Sloan joins us to discuss THE MAN I KILLED (aka BROKEN LULLABY.) For details as to where to find this film, check out our resources page.

WORKS CITED:

Eclipse Series essay on The Smiling Lieutenant by Michael Koresky

Billy Wilder’s Explanation of the Lubitsch Touch

Romantic Comedy in Hollywood by James Harvey