CriterionCast

The Eclipse Viewer – Episode 12 – Lubitsch Musicals

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This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor are joined by special guest Lauren LoGiudice to talk about Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals, four charming and hilarious pre-Code amusements from the late 1920s and early 1930s.

About the films:

Renowned as a silent film pioneer and the man who refined Hollywood comedy with such masterpieces as Trouble in Paradise, The Shop Around the Corner and To Be or Not to Be, Ernst Lubitsch also had another claim to fame: he helped invent the modern movie musical. With the advent of sound and audiences clamoring for “talkies,” Lubitsch combined his love of European operettas and his mastery of film to create this entirely new genre. These elegant, bawdy films, made before strict enforcement of the Hays morality code, feature some of the greatest stars of early Hollywood (Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins), as well as that elusive style of comedy that would thereafter be known as “the Lubitsch touch.

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Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:16:07)

The Love Parade (00:16:08 – 00:38:04)

Monte Carlo (00:38:05 – 00:51:04)

The Smiling Lieutenant (00:51:05 – 01:08:27)

One Hour With You (01:08:28 – 01:33:49)

Conclusion (01:33:50 – 01:48:38)


Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

ES08_Lubitsch


Episode Links:

Director Overview:

Box Set Reviews:

The Love Parade:

Monte Carlo:

The Smiling Lieutenant:

One Hour With You:

The Hays Code (discussed toward the end of the episode)


Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman 

Contact us:

David Blakeslee

David hosts the Criterion Reflections podcast, a series that reviews the films of the Criterion Collection in their chronological order of release. The series began in 2009 and those essays (covering the years 1921-1967) can be found via the website link provided below. In March 2016, the blog transferred to this site, and in August 2017, the blog changed over to a podcast format. David also contributes to other reviews and podcasts on this site. He lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan and works in social services. Twitter / Criterion Reflections