The Merry Widow

It’s 1885 in the tiny fictional southern European kingdom of Marshovia and the state leadership is perturbed after rich widow Sonia (Jeanette MacDonald) takes a trip to Paris: should the attractive young woman, who pays a full 52% of all taxes in the country, fall in love in Paris and leave the country for good, Marshovia will face bankruptcy. Guardsman Danilo (Maurice Chevalier) is sent on a secret mission to Paris to win Sonia’s heart and bring her back; as the queen’s lover, he is well suited to the task. The plan is to arrange an evening where Ambassador Popoff (Edward Everett Horton) is to bore Sonia to such an extent that Danilo’s appearance will feel like salvation. Edward Everett Horton played a significant role in making Lubitsch’s last and most lavish musical into his most funny one at the same time.