The Merry Widow

A small kingdom called Monteblanco. The American dancer Sally O'Hara arrives on tour. Crown Prince Danilo falls for her, but the king will not allow him to marry a commoner. Believing she has been thrown over, Sally marries old Baron Sadoja, whose money is what keeps the kingdom standing. The baron dies on the wedding night. Sally goes to Paris, becomes the richest widow in the world, and Danilo is sent after her again, this time to bring the money back to the kingdom. Erich von Stroheim directs the silent film; a hundred and thirty-seven minutes, with Mae Murray as Sally and John Gilbert as Danilo. It is adapted from Franz Lehár's operetta, though Stroheim pulled the story where he wanted it, fighting with MGM and with Mae Murray throughout the shoot. It was still one of the biggest earners of its day.