Called by admirers “The Great Schmaltz,” The Great Waltz is one of the most delightful of pompous, ornamental extravaganazas, based on the story of young Johann Strauss when he wrote waltzes for his passion, the prima donna Carla Donner. It was directed by Julien Duvivier at the start of his short American period, photographed in an appropriately dizzying swirl by Joseph Ruttenberg (who won an Academy Award), orchestrated by Dmitri Tiomkin, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, and performed by an international cast including Fernand Gravet from Paris, Luise Rainer from Vienna, coloratura Miliza Korjus from Budapest, and our own Hugh Herbert. It was Louis Mayer's penchant for Strauss that set the fire under this hot production by MGM.