The Merry Widow (1934)

Set in 1885 in the fictional country of Marshovia. A rich widow (Jeanette MacDonald) owns 52% of the country's wealth. When she relocates to Paris, a hedonistic soldier (Maurice Chevalier) is sent to avert his homeland's financial ruin by seducing her. Based on the popular operetta by Franz Lehar (itself based on the play L'ATTACHE D'AMBASSADE by Henri Meilhac) previously filmed in a silent version in 1925 (and again in 1952) and directed by Ernest Lubitsch (CLUNY BROWN). I'm not a big fan of operetta or either MacDonald or Chevalier but I found this absolutely delightful. Chevalier is tolerable and MacDonald hadn't yet transformed into the singing Norma Shearer she would later become at MGM after being paired with Nelson Eddy. Imbued with a saucy wit, the Lubitsch "touch" is light as a feather and as bubbly as a glass of champagne. With Edward Everett Horton, Una Merkel, George Barbier and Minna Gombell.