A fine performance of a good operetta. The singing of Rene Kollo is especially good, and he looks great, even in fake oriental makeup. His rendition of "Dein ist mein Ganzes Herz", the hit tune from the show, is far better than the version recorded by Giuseppe di Stefano. Dagmar Koller as Princess Mi is delightfuly athlethic, with some amusing and faintly erotic dance numbers. The rest of the cast is OK. Birgit Pitsch-Sarata looks fabulously Viennese as Lisa, but is not quite the singer she ought to be as the female lead.
The camera work is not quite up to the standards of US musical films of the era and the direction by Authur Maria Rabenault is occasionally awkward, but the photography is crisp and colorful and the setting in a pseudo-Siamese country is visually appealing, if not authentic either to the operetta or the period.
Lehar's story of the clash between oriental and western culture may have resonated with audiences of post-WWI Vienna, but today, it seems a bit dated. Still, much of the music is wonderful, and if you like this sort of thing, it is worthwhile just to hear Rene Kollo at his youthful best.
