Mayerling (1936 film)

Mayerling
Mayerling
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Anatole Litvak
Written by	Claude Anet (book); Joseph Kessel; Irma von Cube
Produced by	Seymour Nebenzal
Starring	Charles Boyer; Jean Dax; Jean Debucourt; Marthe Regnier; Danielle Darrieux; Suzy Prim
Cinematography	Armand Thirard
Edited by	Henri Rust
Music by	Arthur Honegger
Production; companies	Nero-Film; Mercury Films
Distributed by	Pax Films (US)
Release dates	29 February 1936 (France); 13 September 1937 (US);
Running time	95 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Mayerling is a 1936 French historical drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Seymour Nebenzal from a screenplay by Marcel Achard, Joseph Kessel, and Irma von Cube, based on the 1930 novel Idyll's End by Claude Anet.

The film stars Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux with René Bergeron, Jean Davy, Jean Dax, Jean Debucourt and Gabrielle Dorziat, and Jean-Louis Barrault in a bit part. The film is based on the real-life story of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, his affair with the 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera and their tragic end at Mayerling.

The film was remade twice: once as the 1957 television film Mayerling, also directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Mel Ferrer and Audrey Hepburn, then as the 1968 film Mayerling in color by MGM, starring Omar Sharif, Catherine Deneuve, James Mason, and Ava Gardner.

Plot

Vienna is disturbed by protestors agitating for political change. Crown Prince Rudolph is arrested at a meeting. His father Emperor Franz Joseph insists he get married and settle down. Rudolph reluctantly agrees.

Five years later, Rudolph has become an unhappy playboy. On the night of his wedding anniversary he meets Baroness Marie Vetsera and they fall in love.

Cast

Charles Boyer as Archduke Rudolph of Austria
Jean Dax as Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
Jean Debucourt as Count Taafe
Marthe Regnier as Baroness Vetsera (Helene)
Danielle Darrieux as Marie Vetsera
Suzy Prim as Countess Larisch
Vladimir Sokoloff as Chief of Police
Andre Dubosc as Loschek the Valet
René Bergeron as Szeps
Gabrielle Dorziat as Empress Elisabeth
Raymond Aimos
Gina Manès as Marinka
Yolande Laffron as Stephanie

Reception

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a poor review, describing it as "purposeless" and "a too romantic manner for [his] taste". Greene particularly criticizes the conclusion of the film which he characterized as "a Vienna 'musical' without the music: a pathetic ending". Greene did, however, praise the film's production and acting.^[1]

Restoration

A restored DVD was issued in the U.S. by The Criterion Collection (Essential Art House) on September 15, 2009.^[2]

References

^ Greene, Graham (6 November 1936). "Dodsworth/Mayerling/Fox Hunt". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. Oxford University Press. pp. 113, 115. ISBN 0192812866.)
^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027951/dvd ^{[dead link]} ^{[user-generated source]}

External links

film review
Mayerling at AllMovie
Mayerling at IMDb
Mayerling at Criterion Collection
Film review at New York Times
Mayerling on Lux Radio Theater: January 9, 1939

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[1] Greene, Graham (6 November 1936). "Dodsworth/Mayerling/Fox Hunt". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. Oxford University Press. pp. 113, 115. ISBN 0192812866.)

[2] ttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027951/dvd ^{[dead link]} ^{[user-generated source]}

[1]

[2]

v t e New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film
1937–1977	Mayerling (1937) Grand Illusion (1938) Harvest (1939) The Baker's Wife (1940) No Award (1941–1945) Rome, Open City (1946) To Live in Peace (1947) Paisan (1948) Bicycle Thieves (1949) L'Amore (1950) Miracle in Milan (1951) Forbidden Games (1952) Justice Is Done (1953) Gate of Hell (1954) Umberto D. (1955) The Road (1956) Gervaise (1957) My Uncle (1958) The 400 Blows (1959) Hiroshima My Love (1960) The Sweet Life (1961) No Award (1962) 8½ (1963) That Man from Rio (1964) Juliet of the Spirits (1965) The Shop on Main Street (1966) The War Is Over (1967) War and Peace (1968) No Award (1969–1977)
1978–2000	Bread and Chocolate (1978) The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1979) My American Uncle (1980) Pixote (1981) Time Stands Still (1982) Fanny and Alexander (1983) A Sunday in the Country (1984) Ran (1985) The Decline of the American Empire (1986) My Life as a Dog (1987) Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) Story of Women (1989) The Nasty Girl (1990) Europa Europa (1991) Raise the Red Lantern (1992) Farewell My Concubine (1993) Three Colours: Red (1994) Wild Reeds (1995) The White Balloon (1996) Ponette (1997) The Celebration (1998) All About My Mother (1999) Yi Yi (2000)
2001–present	In the Mood for Love (2001) And Your Mother Too (2002) City of God (2003) Bad Education (2004) 2046 (2005) Army of Shadows (2006) The Lives of Others (2007) 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2008) Summer Hours (2009) Carlos (2010) A Separation (2011) Amour (2012) Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013) Ida (2014) Timbuktu (2015) Toni Erdmann (2016) BPM (Beats per Minute) (2017) Cold War (2018) Parasite (2019) Bacurau (2020) The Worst Person in the World (2021) EO (2022) Anatomy of a Fall (2023)