The Smiling Lieutenant_
"Maurice Chevalier laughing and loving again in Ernst Lubitsch's sparkling cocktail of romantic merriment"
An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.
Starring
Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Filmin
1 country
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Cast
Maurice Chevalier →
Maurice Chevalier stars as Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn in The Smiling Lieutenant.
Maurice Chevalier →
Year context
The Smiling Lieutenant was released 95 years ago in 1931.
Overview
An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.
The Smiling Lieutenant is a Comedy, Romance film with a runtime of 1h 29m.
CAST (18)
Maurice Chevalier
Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn
Claudette Colbert
Franzi
Miriam Hopkins
Princess Anna
Charles Ruggles
Max
George Barbier
King Adolf XV
Hugh O'Connell
Niki's Orderly
MA
Maude Allen
Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Granville Bates
Bill Collector (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley
Count Von Holden (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery
Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
LH
Ludwig Heinsich
Man (uncredited)
CM
Cornelius MacSunday
Emperor Franz Josef (uncredited)
Elizabeth Patterson
Baroness Von Schwedel (uncredited)
JR
Janet Reade
Lily (uncredited)
WS
Werner Saxtorph
Joseph (uncredited)
KS
Karl Stall
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Robert Strange
Colonel Rockoff (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim
Arresting Officer (uncredited)
STUDIOS (1)
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
89 min (1h 29m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.8/10 (65 votes)
Popularity
5
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Smiling Lieutenant about?
An amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.
How long is The Smiling Lieutenant?
The Smiling Lieutenant has a runtime of 89 minutes (1h 29m).
Who stars in The Smiling Lieutenant?
The cast of The Smiling Lieutenant includes Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, Charles Ruggles, George Barbier.
What is the rating of The Smiling Lieutenant?
The Smiling Lieutenant has a rating of 6.8 out of 10 based on 65 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Comedy
Romance