The Great Waltz (1938): Cast & Plot
The Great Waltz is a 1938 romantic drama directed by Julien Duvivier, starring Alma Kruger as Mrs. Strauss, Fernand Gravey and Herman Bing. It runs 1 hour 44 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 44m (104 min)
- Director
- Julien Duvivier
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Great Waltz About?
The premise of The Great Waltz without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A vibrant musical romance follows renowned composer Johann Strauss as his passionate infatuation with a beautiful singer threatens his marriage. Set against the glittering backdrop of 19th‑century Vienna, his soaring waltzes echo the intensity of love and the peril of risking everything for art.
The Great Waltz Themes & Keywords
· 47 tags- romantic rivalry
- blue danube waltz
- austrian composer
- reference to the danube river
- husband wife relationship
- johann strauss character
- viennese composer
- year 1845
- violinist
- viennese waltz
- prologue
- nickname
+35 more Show fewer
- conducting an orchestra
- becoming famous
- female opera singer
- polka
- casino
- orchestra conductor
- royalty
- debut
- seduction
- kiss
- marriage reception
- signed contract
- march
- arrest
- extramarital affair
- emperor
- composing music
- washerwoman
- printing press
- flash forward
- imperial palace
- long suffering wife
- opera
- strauss waltz
- composer as protagonist
- 1800s
- music publisher
- opera singer
- revolution
- fired from a job
- vienna austria
- musician
- self sacrifice
- austria history
- bank clerk
The Great Waltz Cast & Characters
Alma Kruger leads the cast as Mrs. Strauss, with Fernand Gravey as Johann 'Schani' Strauss II and Herman Bing as Dommayer. Directed by Julien Duvivier; 20 actors are credited in all.
- Director Julien Duvivier
- Alma Kruger as Mrs. Strauss
- Fernand Gravey as Johann 'Schani' Strauss II
-
Herman Bing as Dommayer - Miliza Korjus as Carla Donner
Also Starring in The Great Waltz
· 16 more- George Houston Schiller
- Bert Roach Vogelhuber
- Greta Meyer Mrs. Vogelhuber
- Luise Rainer Poldi Vogelhuber
- Lionel Atwill Count Anton 'Tony' Hohenfried
- Henry Hull Franz Josef
- Sig Ruman Wertheimer
- Minna Gombell Mrs. Hofbauer
- Curt Bois Kienzl
- Bess Flowers
- Frank Mayo Ship's Officer (uncredited)
- Hugh Herbert Julius Hofbauer, Music Publisher
- Christian Rub Coachman
- Leonid Kinskey Dudelman
- Sue Moore Anna - Poldi's Maid (uncredited)
- Al Shean Cellist
More from Julien Duvivier
More films directed by Julien Duvivier: Pépé le Moko (re-release), Diabolically Yours, Highway Pick-Up and The Devil and the Ten Commandments.
The Great Waltz Plot Summary
What happens in The Great Waltz from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Johann ‘Schani’ Strauss II [Fernand Gravey] is dismissed from his bank job and forms a ragtag group of unemployed musicians who snag a slot at Dommayer’s cafe, Herman Bing running the place. The initial audience is small, but when two opera singers, Carla Donner and Fritz Schiller, pass by while their carriage is being repaired, the music swells and draws a larger crowd.
Strauss finds himself swept up in a student protest; he and Carla Donner avoid arrest and escape to the Vienna Woods, where the seeds of a new waltz are planted and the composer begins to shape Tales from the Vienna Woods.
Full summary
The whole story of The Great Waltz, scene by scene
The Great Waltz Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Great Waltz.
How Well Do You Know The Great Waltz?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What job was Johann 'Schani' Strauss II dismissed from before forming his own orchestra?
The Great Waltz Also Known As
7 alternative titles, including “Toute la ville danse” and “Der große Walzer”.
- Also known as
-
- Toute la ville danse
- Der große Walzer
- El gran vals
- Большой вальс
- 翠堤春晓
- A Grande Valsa, შესანიშნავი ვალსი
- Il grande valzer
Seen The Great Waltz?
Movies Like The Great Waltz
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Waltzes from Vienna, Waltz War and The Emperor Waltz.
The Great Waltz FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Great Waltz, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Great Waltz?
The Great Waltz runs 1 hour 44 minutes (104 minutes).
When was The Great Waltz released?
The Great Waltz was released on November 4, 1938.
Who directed The Great Waltz?
The Great Waltz was directed by Julien Duvivier.
More films by Julien Duvivier Who is in the cast of The Great Waltz?
The Great Waltz stars Alma Kruger as Mrs. Strauss, Fernand Gravey as Johann 'Schani' Strauss II and Herman Bing as Dommayer, among 20 credited actors.
Does The Great Waltz have a post-credit scene?
No. The Great Waltz has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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