The Merry Widow 1952
Marshovia, a tiny European kingdom facing bankruptcy, hopes to be rescued when wealthy American Crystal Radek—widow of a Marshovian—agrees to fund the nation if she marries Count Danilo, the king’s nephew. On a diplomatic visit she swaps places with her secretary Kitty. In Paris, Danilo struggles to win the real Crystal, who also appears as the night‑club chorus girl Fifi, complicating his courtship.
Does The Merry Widow have end credit scenes?
No!
The Merry Widow does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.
Meet the Full Cast and Actors of The Merry Widow
Explore the complete cast of The Merry Widow, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.
Gwen Verdon
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
George Davis
Cabbie (uncredited)
Thomas Gomez
King of Marshovia
Robert Coote
Marquis De Crillon
Una Merkel
Kitty Riley
King Donovan
Nitki
Marcel Dalio
Police Sergeant
Richard Haydn
Baron Popoff
Torben Meyer
Station Master (uncredited)
Stuart Hall
Reception Guest (uncredited)
James Logan
Servant (uncredited)
Roger Etienne
Bellhop (uncredited)
Lana Turner
Crystal Radek
George Calliga
Club Patron (uncredited)
John Alban
Club Patron (uncredited)
John Abbott
Marshovian Ambassador
Matt Mattox
Dancer (uncredited)
Dolly Haas
1st Little Girl (uncredited)
Erville Alderson
Cart Driver (uncredited)
Paul Bradley
Club Patron (uncredited)
Fernando Lamas
Count Danilo
Gertrude Astor
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Michael Mark
Chestnut Vendor (uncredited)
Barry Norton
Club Patron (uncredited)
Louis Mercier
French Tour Guide (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo
Reception Guest (uncredited)
June Smaney
Townswoman (uncredited)
Bernard Sell
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Sue Casey
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Shepard Menken
Kunjany
Sig Frohlich
Waitress (uncredited)
Beverly Thompson
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Richard Neill
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Dave Willock
Marshovian Attache (uncredited)
Frank Arnold
Waiter (uncredited)
Edward Earle
Chestnut Vendor (uncredited)
Leota Lorraine
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Philo McCullough
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Club Patron (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt
Scout Leader (uncredited)
Dick Gordon
Club Patron (uncredited)
Loretta Russell
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Foster H. Phinney
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Club Patron (uncredited)
Tom Coleman
Washington Party Guest (uncredited)
Forbes Murray
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis
King’s Page with Pistol (uncredited)
Ernö Verebes
Waiter (uncredited)
Eumenio Blanco
Waiter (uncredited)
Albert Pollet
Waiter (uncredited)
Hal Taggart
Club Patron (uncredited)
Herman Belmonte
Doorman (uncredited)
Paul Cristo
Club Patron (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Ludwig Stössel
Major Domo
Oliver Cross
Club Patron (uncredited)
Al Kunde
Townsman (uncredited)
John Roy
Maitre d' (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway
Waitress (uncredited)
Anne Kimbell
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan
Attendant (uncredited)
Michele Montau
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Norman Stevans
Symphony Spectator (uncredited)
Joseph Marievsky
Russian (uncredited)
Lisa Golm
Queen (uncredited)
Joi Lansing
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Lucile Sewall
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Zina d'Harcourt
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Herman Boden
Dancer (uncredited)
Sujata Rubener
Gypsy Girl (as Sujata)
Lisa Ferraday
Marcella
Bette Arlen
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Oscar Blank
Townsman (uncredited)
Buddy Bryan
Dancer (uncredited)
Toni Carroll
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Perdita Chandler
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Drusilla Davis
Dancer (uncredited)
George Dee
Waiter (uncredited)
Burnell Dietsch
Dancer (uncredited)
Jack Dodds
Dancer (uncredited)
Patricia Edwards
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Everett Glass
Putney (uncredited)
Joseph Glick
Parade Spectator (uncredited)
Marion Gray
Reception Guest (uncredited)
Diane Gump
Dancer (uncredited)
Dolores Haas
2nd Little Girl (uncredited)
Patsy Henry
3rd Little Girl (uncredited)
Erze Ivan
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Patricia Joiner
Suzanne (uncredited)
Tommy Ladd
Dancer (uncredited)
Judy Landon
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Gustave Lax
Washington Party Guest (uncredited)
Esther Ying Lee
Embassy Guest (uncredited)
Meredith Leeds
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Marilyn Malloy
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Edwin Max
Masher at Maxim's (uncredited)
Svetlana McLee
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Nolie Miller
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Gregor Momdjian
Dancer (uncredited)
Ellen Ray
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Edward Rickard
Club Patron (uncredited)
Ann Roberts
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Sally Seaver
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Gale Sherwood
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Bob Stebbins
Messenger (uncredited)
Willetta Smith
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Gene Summers
Girl at Maxim's (uncredited)
Carlo Tricoli
Latki (uncredited)
Marc Wilder
Dancer (uncredited)
Doris Wolcott
Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)
Wanda McKay
Girl at Maxim's
External Links and Streaming Options
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Take the Ultimate The Merry Widow Movie Quiz
Challenge your knowledge of The Merry Widow with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.
The Merry Widow (1952) Quiz: Test your knowledge of the 1952 film The Merry Widow with these ten questions ranging from easy to difficult.
Which actress portrays the wealthy widow Crystal Radek?
Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for The Merry Widow
Read the complete plot summary of The Merry Widow, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.
On a New Year’s Eve in 1899, the King of Marshovia, Thomas Gomez, a small European country grappling with financial trouble, dispatches Marshovia’s ambassador, John Alban, to the United States to invite Crystal Radek, Lana Turner, a wealthy widow, to Marshovia for the unveiling of a statue honoring her late husband, Charlie, a Marshovian native. The king’s true aim is to tap her fortune for the nation’s coffers, so he also enlists Count Danilo, Fernando Lamas, a well-known ladies’ man, to woo her.
Crystal, accompanied by her sharp-witted secretary Kitty Riley, Una Merkel, arrives and quickly finds that no one is quite ready to receive them. They soon witness Count Danilo singing and dancing with the townspeople, a showy display that both charms and unsettles Crystal. The two women report to the palace, where the king orders Danilo to perform for Crystal by singing from the balcony window as she looks out from her bedroom.
Crystal discovers she has been invited largely for her wealth and begins packing to return to America. Yet she cannot deny the pull of Danilo’s charm, and a complicated plan begins to take shape. Because of a mistaken assumption by Danilo, Kitty steps in and allows Crystal’s identity to be borrowed by Kitty, who will pose as the widow Radek. The aim is to keep Crystal safe while testing Danilo’s true feelings.
At a lavish party, Crystal—now playing a treacherous game under the alias of “Fifi”—meets Danilo again. He is immediately captivated, and they retreat to his upstairs living quarters. There, Crystal reproaches him for his lecherous ways, but after a tense moment, she returns, apologizes, and they confess their love for each other. Crystal worries whether Danilo loves her for who she is or for what she represents, while Danilo contemplates the same about Crystal’s hidden identity.
Danilo searches for “Fifi,” while Crystal seeks reassurance that she will be seen for herself, not merely as a wealthy widow. When the truth surfaces—that Crystal is indeed the widow Radek—their bond is strained, and they part ways. The king’s cold decree—>heads will roll—hangs over the palace as consequences loom.
heads will roll
Crucially, Crystal refuses to be a political pawn. She chooses to use her wealth to rescue Marshovia from its debt, deciding to leave once the crisis is resolved. Yet the possibility of a future together remains alive. Danilo, now free from the king’s orders to woo the widow, still declares his love for Crystal, and the two ultimately reunite, choosing each other for who they are rather than for their wealth. In the end, love prevails as Crystal’s generosity helps stabilize the nation, and Danilo’s devotion endures beyond wealth or deception.
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The Merry Widow Themes and Keywords
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The Merry Widow Other Names and Titles
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