Merry-Go-Round (1923 film)

Did You Know?

• The film was the eighth most successful at the box office in the United States and Canada that year.
• The Film Daily ranked it the year's second best film.
• Von Stroheim's name was expunged from the credits, but premiere viewers knew he had conceived the film.

Plot

Count Franz Maxmilian, attached to the Austrian court of Emperor Francis Joseph, is mandated by the Emperor to marry Gisella, the daughter of the Minister of War, whom he does not love. He meets Agnes, an innocent organ-grinder in Vienna's amusement park, and feels a strong attraction. After the hated marriage is solemnized, war is declared and the count goes to the front. His unloved spouse dies, and he returns to renounce his title and marry the organ-grinder.

Pre-Production

Paul Kohner, Universal's manager for overseas publicity, approached von Stroheim after the success of Blind Husbands with proposals for a new project. Kohner, a Bavarian émigré, shared a nostalgia for Europe with von Stroheim, and the topic of pre-war Vienna stirred von Stroheim's memories. A story took shape around the Prater amusement park and its Merry-Go-Round. Producer Irving Thalberg encouraged von Stroheim to write the script but insisted von Stroheim not be cast, allowing Thalberg to replace him as director without recasting. Von Stroheim and his agent reluctantly consented. Thalberg vetted the screenplay, paid $5,000 for the scenario, and insisted each scene be pre-timed to ensure an acceptable length.

Production

Production began on 25 August 1922. On 6 October 1922, after six weeks, Universal removed von Stroheim and replaced him with Rupert Julian. Shooting finished on 8 January 1923. The production was marked by conflicts between Universal executives and von Stroheim over content, scheduling and budget. Unit production manager James Winnard Hum was daily on set. Von Stroheim cultivated a 'them vs. us' atmosphere among his staff, many from Foolish Wives. Hum felt von Stroheim was stalling. Delays included a derailed prop streetcar, overloaded electrical system, an inebriated Norman Kerry, disaffected extras, and a search for an orangutan. Thalberg was authorized to terminate von Stroheim. Upon his departure, Julian took over with most of the crew and cast intact. The relative contributions of von Stroheim and Julian remain in dispute; estimates of scenes completed by von Stroheim range from about a third to 25 percent. Few of his directed scenes were incorporated.

Theme

Merry-Go-Round marks the earliest appearance of a female protagonist as the center of interest in a von Stroheim film, a shift from the male Prussian officer. The character of Count Maximilian is presented as capable of dramatic maturation, less a caricature. Heroine Agnes Urban's emotional struggles are examined with empathy. Von Stroheim's nostalgic recreation of Vienna's Belle Époque serves as a sentimental tribute to the Habsburg monarchy and its ancien regime, whose decline is presented with regret despite acknowledging decadence. His obsession with minute details and rituals extends to arranging the transport of Emperor Franz Joseph's original royal carriage to Hollywood for the film, a tribute to the lost Austrian Empire.