''The Last Waltz'' (French:''La dernière valse'') is a 1936 French-British

operetta film Operetta films (German: Operettenfilm) are a genre of musical films associated with, but not exclusive to, German language cinema. The genre began in the late 1920s, but its roots stretch back into the tradition of nineteenth century Viennese ope ...

directed by

Leo Mittler Leo Mittler (18 December 1893 – 16 May 1958) was an Austrian playwright, screenwriter and film director. Mittler was born in Vienna to a Jewish family. He attended the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, University of Music and Per ...

, and starring

Jean Martinelli Jean Martinelli (15 August 1909 – 13 March 1983) was a French actor who appeared in over 50 French films between 1933 and 1983, mostly in supporting roles. One of his few international films was Alfred Hitchcock's classic film ''To Catch a Thie ...

, Jarmila Novotna, and

Armand Bernard Armand Bernard (born Armand Joseph Bernard; 21 March 1893 – 13 June 1968) was a French comic actor and composer known mainly for his prolific work in film. Selected filmography * '' Le traitement du hoquet'' (1918) * '' The Little Cafe ...

.Feigelson p.47 It was based on the 1920 operetta ''

The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group the Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as the Band's "farewell concert a ...

'' by Oscar Straus. It was made at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios.Szczepanik & Vonderau p.141 It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. Dur ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Robert Gys Robert Gys (1901–1977) was a French art director.O'Shaughnessy p.238 Selected filmography * '' Imperial Violets'' (1924) * '' The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (1925) * ''Miss Europe'' (1930) * ''Dance Hall'' (1931) * '' The Dream'' (1931) * '' ...

. A separate version was also released in Britain.

Cast

as Le comte Dimitri * Jarmila Novotna as La comtesse Véra-Élisabétha Opalinsky *

as Le vieux général * Gerald Barry as Le prince Paul * Josephine Huntley Wright as Babouchka * Alla Donell * Gautier-Sylla * Robert Goupil * Robert Guillon *

Betty Huntley-Wright Betty Huntley-Wright (3 December 1911 – 27 May 1993) was a British actress and vocalist. Daughter of the comic actor Huntley Wright, she had a long career on stage, chiefly in comedy and pantomime, and in film, radio and television. Later she ...

Charlotte Lysès Charlotte Lysès (17 May 1877 – 7 April 1956) was a French stage and film actress.Capua p.124 Selected filmography * ''The Heir of the Bal Tabarin'' (1933) * ''One Night's Song'' (1933) * '' La dame de chez Maxim's'' (1933) * '' The Rosary'' (1 ...

Marthe Mellot Marthe Mellot (16 February 1870 – 13 August 1947) was a French film actress. Marthe Mellot was born in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, Nièvre, France, and died in Paris. Selected filmography * '' Feu Mathias Pascal'' (1925) * ''That Scoundrel Morin ...

Pierre Piérade Pierre Piérade (born Pierre Émile Gaston Adelgeist; 14 November 1884 – 1 August 1937) was a French comedian, music hall performer, and stage and film actor.Hardt p.242 Selected filmography * '' Little Lise'' (1930) * ''American Love'' (1931) ...

* Paul Sheridan * Nora Souané

References

Bibliography

* Kristian Feigelson. ''Caméra politique: cinéma et stalinisme''. Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle, 2005.

External links

* 1936 films 1936 musical films French musical films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Leo Mittler Films shot at Billancourt Studios Operetta films Films based on operettas French multilingual films Remakes of German films Films set in Russia Films set in the 1900s French black-and-white films Films scored by Oscar Straus British musical films British black-and-white films 1936 multilingual films 1930s British films 1930s French films French-language musical films {{musical-film-stub