Liebeswalzer Review: A Bubbly, Slightly Messy 1930s Musical Romance

If you are looking for something deep to change your life, Liebeswalzer is definitely not that movie. You should watch this if you like light fluff, old black-and-white sets, and people breaking into song for no real reason at all.

It is basically a bottle of champagne that someone left open for ninety minutes. If you hate old-fashioned romance or reading subtitles, you will probably be bored out of your mind in ten minutes.

I watched this late last night and my eyes are still a bit tired from the flickering of the old film. Willy Fritsch has this smile that looks like it belongs on a toothpaste advertisement from 1930. He plays Archduke Bobby, which is just a funny name to say out loud if you think about it too much.

The plot is one of those classic things where a royal person wants to escape their duties. Bobby is supposed to marry a Duchess, but he decides he’d rather go to London and act like a normal guy. This leads to him meeting Lilian Harvey, who plays Eva.

Lilian Harvey is like a little pixie on screen. She moves so fast and her voice is very high-pitched, almost like she just inhaled a tiny bit of helium before the director yelled action. They have this chemistry that feels very sweet, even if it’s totally unrealistic.

There is a scene in a music shop that I really liked. They are playing around with a piano and the energy is just so high. It feels less like a rehearsed movie and more like two people actually having a good time together. 🎷

One thing that really stood out to me was the Die Weintraub Syncopators. They are this jazz band that shows up and they are honestly the best part of the whole movie. They do these little tricks with their instruments that made me lean forward to see if I saw it right.

The music is very catchy, especially the main waltz song. I found myself humming it today while making toast, which is usually a sign that a movie got stuck in my head. It is much more cheerful than something like Der Zarewitsch, which can be a bit heavy sometimes.

The audio is a bit crunchy, though. Since this was made in 1930, the sound technology was still pretty new and everyone sounds like they are talking through a tin can. Sometimes the background noise is louder than the actors, which is kind of annoying if you aren't used to it.

There are some really strange reaction shots in this movie. One guy, I think it was Karl Etlinger, makes a face at a plate of food that lasts about five seconds too long. I couldn't tell if he was supposed to be hungry or confused.

Also, the sets look very obviously like they are made of cardboard and paint. In the palace scenes, you can almost see the shadows of the crew on the walls if you look closely at the corners. I kind of like that, though, because it feels like a stage play you can take home with you.

The pacing is a bit weird too. The first half moves really fast and then the middle just sort of... hangs there. It’s like the movie forgot it had a plot and just wanted to show people dancing for twenty minutes straight.

• The waltz scenes are very pretty but go on forever.
• Willy Fritsch wears a lot of very fancy hats.
• The ending is exactly what you think it will be.

I noticed that the way they filmed the car scenes is pretty funny. The background moves at a different speed than the car, making it look like they are driving 100 miles per hour while sitting perfectly still. It reminded me of some of the goofy effects in Dangerous Curve Ahead.

The dialogue is simple, but it works. Hans Müller and Robert Liebmann wrote it to be light, and they didn't try to be too clever. Sometimes simple is better when you just want to see a prince fall in love with a girl who sells sheet music.

There is a lot of shoving in this movie too. People are always pushing each other out of rooms or into chairs. It’s that old style of physical comedy that feels a bit rough today, but it made me chuckle once or twice.

If you’ve seen Snow White, you know how these old stories like to rely on pure innocence. Liebeswalzer has that same feeling where nobody is actually a bad person. Even the people trying to stop the romance are just sort of grumpy rather than evil.

"A waltz is just a conversation set to music, don't you think?"

I think I read that line in a different review, but it fits here perfectly. The whole movie feels like a long, breezy conversation that doesn't really matter but makes you feel good anyway. It's definitely better than some of the boring dramas from the same year.

One specific detail I loved was the wallpaper in the Archduke’s room. It has these tiny birds on it that look hand-painted. It’s a small thing, but it shows that someone actually cared about how the room looked, even if the walls were wobbly.

Is it a masterpiece? No way. But it’s a very human movie from a time when sound was a brand new toy for filmmakers. They were clearly having a blast trying to figure out how to make a musical work on camera.

The movie gets noticeably better once the band starts playing. Before that, it’s a lot of people standing around in stiff suits looking nervous. Once the music kicks in, everyone loosens up and the movie starts to breathe.

I’ll probably forget most of the plot by next week, but I’ll remember the way Lilian Harvey looked when she was trying to act surprised. She has these big eyes that do all the work for her. 🥂

It is a bit of a shame that we don't make movies this light anymore. Everything now has to be a "cinematic universe" or have a dark twist at the end. Here, the biggest problem is just a guy trying to get out of a wedding.

If you can find a decent copy, give it a go. Just don't expect the sound to be perfect. My speakers were buzzing during the high notes, but maybe that was just my old TV acting up again.

Anyway, it's a nice little trip back to 1930. Just a prince, a girl, and a very good jazz band. That’s all you really need for a Tuesday night.