The Wedding March (1928)

Director:

Erich von Stroheim

Writers:

Harry Carr (writer)
Erich von Stroheim (writer)

Release Date:

6 October 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young impoverished aristocrat falls in love with an inn-keepers daughter, but has to marry money.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Parade | Parental Relationship | Franz Josef | Social Satire

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Erich von Stroheim	...	Nicki / Prince Nickolas von Wildeliebe-Rauffenburg
Fay Wray	...	Mitzi / Mitzerl Schrammell
Matthew Betz	...	Schani Eberle - the Butcher
Zasu Pitts	...	Cecelia Schweisser
George Fawcett	...	Prince Ottokar von Wildeliebe Rauffenburg
Maude George	...	Princess Maria - Nicki's mother
George Nichols	...	Fortunat Schweisser - the Industrialist
Dale Fuller	...	Katerina Schrammel - Mitzi's mother
Hughie Mack	...	Eberle - the Wine-grower
Cesare Gravina	...	Martin Schrammell - Mitzi's father
Sidney Bracey	...	Navratil
Anton Vaverka	...	Emperor Franz-Josef

Also Known As:

Hochzeitsmarsch (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A Marcha Nupcial (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Bryllupsmarchen (Denmark) [da]
Häämarssi (Finland) [fi]
L'homme de fer (2 partie de Symphonie nuptiale) (France) (second part title) [fr]
La marcha nupcial (Spain) [es]
La symphonie nuptiale (France) [fr]
Luna di miele (Italy) [it]
Pulmamarss (Estonia) [et]
Sinfonia nuziale (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Color (Two-strip Technicolor) | Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Filming Locations:

Selig Studio - 1845 Allesandro Street, Edendale, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Erich von Stroheim] [janitor]When Mitzi goes to the church to pray, a janitor is seen removing candle wax from the floor.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Honeymoon (1928)

Soundtrack:

PARADISE (The Love Theme)

Excellent morality tale - one of the silent screen's finest achievements.

This is one of von Stroheim's finest works and one of the crowning glories of the silent screen. It is worthy of being cited among the ten or twenty best silent films ever made. The story is simple. Impoverished Prince agrees to marry for money but meanwhile falls in love. He is forced to enter a loveless marriage as is she - the clear message that marriage without love is a sacrilege is beautifully presented. Fay Wray and von Stroheim in the leads are quite fine. Zasu Pitts in the small role of the wealthy woman he marries is sweet and sympathetic, though on screen for only a few scenes. If there had been an Academy then, this surely would have been nominated for Best Film, Direction, Cinematography and Editing. In these departments the film shows itself quite extraordinary and superbly realized. There is even a short early Technicolor sequence (reds, blues and browns) detailing a Corpus Christi procession in 1914 Vienna. The organ score of the video release is accompanied by orchestral parts and sound effects. All in all, very worth seeing. Masterfully conceived and executed.