The Great Waltz is a 1938 biographical film of the life of Johann Strauss II. It starred Luise Rainer, Fernand Gravet (Garvey) and Miliza Korjus. Rainer received top billing at the producer's insistence, but her role is comparatively minor as Strauss' wife, Poldi Volgelhuber. It was the only starring role for Korjus, who was a famous opera soprano and played one in the film.
Joseph Ruttenberg won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Korjus was nominated for Supporting Actress and Tom Held for Film Editing.
Toscha Seidel, the Russian virtuoso violinist, was hired especially to dub the solos on the soundtrack for Johann Strauss (Fernand Gravet)and began a new career working as a concert master at MGM and other studios.
