Watch The Merry Widow For Free

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Von Stroheim comes back with another after "Foolish wives", black comedy, this time about a romance involving both princes of fictional kingdom of Monteblanco. Romance firstly between a prince and a dancer, soon dancer and an old lecherous baron, soon widow and a crown prince… How do I make you understand…? Two princessssss…or simply princes are through the movie acting like boys in the sandpit, rivals fighting for the prize toy, out of love or out of greed. The object of their affections is rejected, because of the class difference, by Prince Danillo, who still loves her truly. Prince Mirko really starts trying only after our little lady out of anger and out of pity marries a very old and rich baron and soon becomes the merry widow. Very rich widow let me add. It's about people trapped in the knot of aristocratic rules of engagement, woman who cannot speak her mind, it is about stupid pride that makes it impossible to communicate in any relationship and primal pride disabling our males' minds. It is also entertaining and easy to watch until the very happy end. Maybe too happy.

lier/Despite this film having the same title as the 1934 Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald movie, it bears no real similarity other than the characters names and title. Otherwise, they really are completely unalike. I have no idea if the '34 version has anything to do with the operetta, though apparently the 1925 one only has a passing similarity. John Gilbert plays a Prince in a fictional European nation. His rival is the nasty Roy D'Arcy--his cousin the Crown Prince. Both are army officers and womanizers who both fall for a pretty American (Mae Murray). However, she just finds them both annoying at first. However, Gilbert's charms win her over--and hers win him as well and he decides to marry her--even if Princes are NOT supposed to marry commoners. But on the day of their wedding, Gilbert is a no-show--having been convinced to give up the folly of marrying her. Naturally she is heart-broken and the ULTRA-super creepy Baron (Tully Marshall) offers to marry her. After all, he is a major foot fetishist and she has the most exquisite feet!! Ick! You'd even more icky when you see the aging Marshall who looks a bit like death warmed over! Fortunately for Murray, the new husband dies on their wedding night. I say fortunate because he looked like the type who might eat or strangle her! I mean he is REAAALLY creepy!! Now this lady is now a rich Baroness and quite a welcomed member of royal society.So now that Murray is somebody, what will happen? Will she once again fall for Gilbert's promises and virile ways or will she tell him to get lost? Well, it sure looks like the latter as she now is cozying up to the snake-like Crown Prince--as nasty piece of work he is! Plus, the more Gilbert pursues her, the more she puts him in his place. But, when she announces her plans to marry the Crown Prince, Gilbert goes nuts and attacks him--which leads to them arranging to fight a duel. Will Gilbert survive to win the widow or will he soon be assuming room temperature? Tune in to this film and find out for yourself.The film is exceptionally well made--with gorgeous sets, lovely matte paintings and lots of cool costumes. It's obvious that MGM spared no expense for this production, though I was surprised that Louis B. Meyer allowed Erich von Stroheim to helm this project considering his reputation for waaay over-excess (with his bazillion-reeled epic "Greed" being pared down by an angry studio just a few years earlier). Regardless, the film looked great and was quite enjoyable--one of the better silents I have seen.By the way, at the 127 minute mark, get a load of Murray's headdress--it's a riot.

"Manhattan Follies" dancer Mae Murray (as Sally O'Hara) attracts much male attention while touring the "Kingdom of Monteblanco," especially from sexually aggressive John Gilbert (as Danilo Petrovich) and Roy D'Arcy (as Prince Mirko). Soon, Mr. Gilbert's lunging leers turn to love, and Ms. Murray succumbs to his charms. However, Royal rulers Josephine Crowell (as Queen Milena) and George Fawcett (as King Nikita I) are against Gilbert's proposed marriage. Feeling jilted, Murray marries grotesque banker Tully Marshall (as Sixtus Sadoja), who promptly kicks the bucket. Newly rich, Murray becomes "The Merry Widow" of Paris. There, Mr. D'Arcy seems to win her affections, but Gilbert hasn't given up the courtship.With this film, big-spending director Erich von Stroheim showed he could make an entertaining and innovative crowd-pleaser; his previous "Greed" (1924) had run over-budget (and over eight hours). But, although they had their hoped-for hit, MGM had also had enough of Mr. Stroheim; still, he departed on a high. "The Merry Widow" also helped rejuvenate Murray's fading career, albeit briefly. The cast is superlative, with D'Arcy essaying one of his most memorable roles. Perfectly representing Stroheim's famous foot fetish, Mr. Marshall is one of silent filmdom's forgotten treasures. Most of all, the flicker put Gilbert on the road to superstardom, which he cemented with a winning performance in "The Big Parade" (later in 1925).Spotting Clark Gable and Joan Crawford as extras isn't as easy as counting Stroheim's foot references.******** The Merry Widow (8/26/25) Erich von Stroheim ~ Mae Murray, John Gilbert, Roy D'Arcy, Tully Marshall

It may be a matter of taste but as much as I like and admire Erich Von Stroheim work before and behind the camera, his reputation as a `genius' doesn't seem justified by the films themselves.Certainly Merry Widow is filmed with great style and the opulent design is certainly diverting. Also the decision to turn the story from light opera to fairly heavy drama is completely in keeping with Von Stroheim 's own rather cynical outlook. But I find his obsessive dwelling on details can make for a slow and even tedious viewing experience, especially in the first half which seems to spend an inordinate amount of time setting the relationship between the dashing, irreverent but humanist Prince Danilo Petrovich (Gilbert - in wonderful form) and the pompous, tight lipped and distinctly perverse Crown Prince Mirko (Roy D'Arcy).with scenes prolonged far longer than their dramatic weight justifies. Also where the film attempts a lighter tone, the effect is of a concrete soufflé, with every glance and double entendre painfully spelt out.However this is still a satisfying film as a whole, especially in the second half where we finally have some DRAMA. Here in sequence after sequence we finally start to understand Von Stroheim's reputation as he examines the decaying Royal family under a particularly unflattering microscope. The tryst with the blindfolded musicians is a particularly memorable scene. Having heard of Mae Murray's terrible treatment of the Von and others in her career, I had a tough time warming to her in this, but I have to admit she gives a great performance as Sally O ' Hara, an innocent who's mistreatment at the hands of the family almost ruins her life. Roy D'Arcy makes an indelible impression as the creepy Mirko, his every gesture filling one with disgust.But for my money it's Gilbert's work that makes this film worthwhile. One of the very finest of silent actors, the expressiveness of his eyes, the tenderness of his playing and bearing throughout make his character completely convincing and his torment over loosing Sally a felt and poignant loss.