Bitter Sweet (1940 film)
Encyclopedia
Bitter Sweet is a 1940 Technicolor
American
musical film
directed by W. S. Van Dyke
, based on the operetta
by Noel Coward
and previously filmed in 1933; see Bitter Sweet (1933 film)
. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Cinematography
and the other for Best Art Direction
by Cedric Gibbons
and John S. Detlie
.
, the story focuses on the romance between music teacher Carl Linden (Nelson Eddy
) and his prize pupil Sarah Milick (Jeanette MacDonald
).
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
directed by W. S. Van Dyke
W. S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong "Woody" Van Dyke, Jr. was an American motion picture director.-Early life and career:...
, based on the operetta
Bitter Sweet
Bitter Sweet is an operetta in three acts written by Noël Coward and first produced in 1929 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. It ran for a very successful 967 performances....
by Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
and previously filmed in 1933; see Bitter Sweet (1933 film)
Bitter Sweet (1933 film)
Bitter Sweet is a musical romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and released by United Artists in 1933. It was the first film adaptation of Noel Coward's 1929 operetta Bitter Sweet. It starred Anna Neagle and Fernand Gravey, with Ivy St. Helier reviving her stage role as Manon.It tells the story...
. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
and the other for Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
by Cedric Gibbons
Cedric Gibbons
Austin Cedric Gibbons was an Irish American art director who was one of the most important and influential in the field in the history of American film. He also made a great impact on motion picture theater architecture through the 1930s to 1950s, the period considered the golden-era of theater...
and John S. Detlie
John S. Detlie
John Stewart Detlie was an American motion picture art director/set designer in Hollywood from 1937 thru 1942....
.
Plot
Set in late 19th century ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the story focuses on the romance between music teacher Carl Linden (Nelson Eddy
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
) and his prize pupil Sarah Milick (Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
).
Cast
- Jeanette MacDonaldJeanette MacDonaldJeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
as Sarah Millick, later Sari Linden - Nelson EddyNelson EddyNelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
as Carl Linden - George SandersGeorge SandersGeorge Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
as Baron Von Tranisch - Ian HunterIan Hunter (actor)Ian Hunter was a British character actor.Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include That Certain Woman with Bette Davis, The Adventures of Robin Hood , The Little Princess and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
as Lord Shayne - Felix BressartFelix BressartFelix Bressart was a German-American actor of stage and screen.Felix Bressart was born in East Prussia, Germany and was already a very experienced stage actor when he had his film debut in 1928. He started off as a supporting actor, e.g...
as Max - Edward AshleyEdward AshleyEdward Ashley was an Australian actor.-Selected filmography:* Underneath the Arches * The Villiers Diamond * Pride and Prejudice * Spies of the Air * Waxwork -External links:...
as Harry Daventry - Lynne CarverLynne CarverLynne Carver was an American film actress. She appeared in 42 films between 1934 and 1953.Actress Lynne Carver was born Virginia Reid Sampson on September 13, 1916, in Douglas, Arizona...
as Dolly - Diana LewisDiana LewisDiana "Mousie" Lewis was an American film actress and a MGM contract star.Born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Lewis began her film career in All the King's Horses and worked steadily over the next few years, usually in minor roles...
as Jane - Curt Bois as Ernst
- Fay HoldenFay HoldenFay Holden , was a British-born American-based actress. She was known as Gaby Fay early in her career....
as Mrs. Millick - Sig RumanSig RumanSig Ruman was a German-American actor known for his comic portrayals of pompous villains.-Life and career:...
as Herr Schlick (as Sig Rumann) - Janet BeecherJanet BeecherJanet Beecher born Janet Meyersburg was a stage and screen actress. Was a supporting player and lead on the Broadway stage. A near beauty, she later moved into motion pictures in the 1930s as a character actress. Her sister was actress Olive Wyndham. She was married twice first to Harry R....
as Lady Daventry - Charles JudelsCharles JudelsCharles Judels was a Dutch-born American film actor. He appeared in 137 films between 1915 and 1949. He also did extensive work as a voice-over actor in animated films, notably as the voice of Stromboli in Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes short Porky's Garden.He was...
as Herr Wyler - Veda Ann BorgVeda Ann BorgVeda Ann Borg was an American film actress.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Borg was the daughter of Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant and Minna Noble. She became a model in 1936 before winning a contract at Paramount Pictures. A car crash in 1939 necessitated drastic reconstruction of her face by...
as Manon - Herman BingHerman BingHerman Bing was a German-American character actor and voice actor.Herman Bing was also the brother of Gus Bing .-Biography:...
as Market Keeper - Greta MeyerGreta MeyerGreta Meyer was a German actress in motion pictures beginning in the silent film era. She performed for almost seventy years...
as Mama Luden
Soundtrack
- I'll See You Again
- Written by Noel CowardNoël CowardSir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonaldJeanette MacDonaldJeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
and Nelson EddyNelson EddyNelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
- Written by Noel Coward
- Polka
- Written by Noel Coward
- Played at the party and danced to by the guests
- If You Could Only Come With Me
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
- What Is Love
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
- Reprised at Schlick's
- Kiss Me
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald
- Tokay
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Nelson Eddy and the patrons at the cafe
- Love In Any Language
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald at the cafe
- Partly dubbed by Ann Harriet Lee
- Dear Little Cafe
- Words and Music by Noel Coward with additional lyrics by Gus KahnGus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
- Reprised by Jeanette MacDonald
- Words and Music by Noel Coward with additional lyrics by Gus Kahn
- Ladies Of The Town
- Written by Noel Coward and Gus Kahn
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald and 2 uncredited female singers
- Una voce poco fa
- From Gioacchino RossiniGioacchino RossiniGioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
's The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music... - Danced by a dancing ensemble
- From Gioacchino Rossini
- Zigeuner (The Gypsy)
- Written by Noel Coward
- Sung by Jeanette MacDonald in the operetta finale