That Lady in Ermine (1948)

A farcical fantasy musical, despite the fact that a number of songs were deleted in the final cut. Although Lubitsch alone was given official credit as the director, in fact, he died part way through filming, being replaced by the quite different Otto Preminger. Preminger has taken a lot of heat for the deficiencies of the film, which many believe would have largely been avoided if Lubitsch could have finished it. Nonetheless, it still offers sumptuous gowns and surroundings, especially when Betty Grable is in the spotlight. Betty stated this was her least favorite film she did. But, I say she shouldn't be ashamed of her part, nor of the film as a whole......Some of you may be turned off by the fantasy of wall portraits of ancestors coming alive around midnight, and cavorting through the castle. This aspect somewhat reminds me of a rather similar plot device used in "I Married a Witch" and the later musical "Brigadoon". Both these other films featured people or ghosts who had lived some centuries before suddenly reappearing. The one was well received by contemporary audiences, while the other, like the present film, was not. My impression is that, today, the present film enjoys a greater regard by many viewers. It's currently available on DVD and free at YouTube. I saw it on FXM...... Betty plays both her current self, as Countess Angelica, of mythical Bergami, in SE Europe, as well as Francesca: her look-alike distant ancestor of 300 years ago, and whose portrait hangs in the main hallway of the castle. Around midnight, Francesca and the other portrait ancestors may become animated and descend to the floor, where they may frolic with each other. Since Angelina and Francesca look the same, except perhaps their clothes, one has to keep on their toes to make sure which they are currently looking at, or whether it's Angelica in a dream by Hungarian Colonel Teglash(Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) I'm still not certain about some cases......Of the several songs "Ooh! What I'll do to that Wild Hungarian" is good, and is sung by Francesca(or is it Angelina) near the beginning , and again at the finale, accompanied by dancing by the portrait ancestors. At one point , Francesca(I assume) sings "The Melody Has to be Right" to a sleeping Angelina(I assume). At the climax when Angelina and Col. Teglash are cementing their love for each other, they sing and dance to the Academy Award nominee; "This is the Moment", which is quite charming.......Cesar Romero has the role of Angelina's temporary husband(to be annulled). As usual, in the end, he winds up the loser in the romance department despite being quite handsome, probably dictated by his Latino heritage. Walter Abel is second in command, under Teglash or the Duke(the latter 300 years ago)., who bosses him around.

The final film for Ernst Lubitsch, completed by Otto Preminger after Lubitsch's untimely death during production, is a juggling act of sophistication and silliness, romance and music, fantasy and costume dramatics. In a 19th century castle in Southeastern Europe, a Countess falls for her sworn enemy, the leader of the Hungarian revolt; she's aided by her ancestor, whose painted image magically comes to life. Betty Grable, in a long blonde wig adorned with flowers, has never been more beautiful, and her songs are very pleasant. Unfortunately, this script (by Samson Raphaelson, taken from an operetta by Rudolf Schanzer and E. Welisch) is awash with different ideas that fail to mesh--or entertain. The results are good-looking, but unabsorbing. *1/2 from ****

If you have the opportunity to catch this one on TV (It's in American Movie Classic's library, I believe, and doesn't appear to be available on video.) and you're a fan of Ernst Lubitsch, don't expect much evidence of his famous "Touch." Herr Lubitsch died before completing very much of this production and the directing reigns were turned over to Otto Preminger. Apparently the studio felt that an artist whose ancestral origins shared to some degree those of Mr. Lubitsch was the proper person to complete this project. My own impression of the final results makes the passing of the talented Mr. Lubitsch a great misfortune for all concerned. As I watched it on a TV broadcast several years ago I stared in amazement at what seemed an extraordinarily clumsy and heavy-handed attempt to tell what is, essentially, a fairy story for adults. There are definitely elements to enjoy and Betty Grable is, as always, appealingly lovely in Technicolor and has a lively and natural presence as an actress. But Mr. Preminger's reputation, without later critically praised films, such as "Anatomy of a Murder," was not greatly enhanced by the final cut of this film.

I really enjoyed this Lubitsch movie with Betty Grable. It made quite a change from her usual "musicals", and I cannot again understand why there have been no videos or DVDs made of it. Younger viewers who don't even know who Betty Grable is will surely appreciate this Lubitsch movie. Here's hoping!