Viennese waltzes, the Alps, and Bing Crosby? The classic crooner who made “White Christmas” famous may seem like the one that doesn’t belong in that group, but he made a movie called “The Emperor Waltz” in 1948. Also starring Academy Award-winner Joan Fontaine, this movie is a beautiful tribute to Vienna of the early 20th century. It was directed by Billy Wilder, who was educated in Vienna, but this tribute to his birth city turned out very differently from what he had originally planned.
An American in Austria
American traveling gramophone-salesman Virgil Smith (Crosby) goes to Vienna to peddle the new invention. Having ascertained that the country’s reception to new inventions is determined by the Austrian emperor’s purchases, he determines to sell Emperor Franz Joseph (Richard Haydn) on the “talking machine.” While Virgil is waiting for his appointment with the emperor, the other people in the waiting room mistake the gramophone for a bomb.
Tiffany Brannan
Author
Tiffany Brannan is a 24-year-old opera singer, Hollywood historian, vintage fashion enthusiast, and journalist. Her classic film journey started in 2016 when she and her sister started the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society to reform the arts by reinstating the Motion Picture Production Code. Tiffany launched Cinballera Entertainment in June 2023 to produce original performances which combine opera, ballet, and old films in historic SoCal venues. She's written for The Epoch Times since 2019 and became the host of a YouTube channel, The Epoch Insights, in June 2024.
