Musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra
On the eve of World War I a decadent empire led by a corrupt aristocracy is interested solely in its own perpetuation. Heir to a noble but insolvent family line, Prince Nucki (Erich von Stroheim) is a part-time Viennese playboy and full-time disappointment who must choose between a bride with a substantial dowry, played by ZaSu Pitts, or happiness with the innkeeper’s daughter, played by Fay Wray. Known for his perfectionism, and for pushing producers well beyond their budgetary patience, director Stroheim and his troubled production attracted press in the trades of the day as newsworthy as the final film itself. “The trials and tribulations of getting Wedding March to a screen are unique in an unique industry,” said Variety. “It has taken something like two years and over a million.” Of the two separate features eventually released, The Wedding March is the only one that remains, but it boasts enough pomp, color, and apple-blossom-laden love scenes to fill two films on its own.
Restoration by Paramount Pictures
Introduction by Andrea Kalas, Jeffrey McCarty, and Victoria Riskin
Underwritten by Leather Gloves by Fratelli Orsini
Copresented by SFFILM