From Rouben Mamoulian, the legendary director of City Streets, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Song of Songs, Queen Christina, Becky Sharp, The Mark of Zorro and Silk Stockings, comes a madcap musical tour de force of infectious melody, effortless vivacity and ceaseless invention from first frame to last. Building on a foundation of songs by Rodgers and Hart (Babes in Arms, Pal Joey), Mamoulian shepherds Maurice Chevalier (The Merry Widow) and Jeanette MacDonald (Rose-Marie) through this exuberant romp. Carefree tailor Maurice (Chevalier) leaves a backlot Paris where music literally radiates from every shop, sidewalk and boudoir to collect on a past-due bill at a recalcitrant aristocratic client’s family chateau. Mistaken for royalty, Maurice runs a gauntlet of lunatic blue-bloods, including love-happy Myrna Loy (The Thin Man) and screwball icon Charlie Ruggles (Bringing Up Baby). But it is Princess Jeanette’s (MacDonald) closely guarded heart that Maurice desires and it will take every ounce of his ingenious pluck to woo her without revealing his well-meaning romantic deception.
