| I Loved a Soldier | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway [1] |
| Written by | John van Druten [1] Grover Jones [1] Lajos Bíró [1] Alice De Soos [1] Melchior Lengyel [1] |
| Produced by | Benjamin Glazer [1] Ernst Lubitsch [1] |
| Starring | Marlene Dietrich [1] Charles Boyer [1] Walter Catlett [1] Lionel Stander [1] Margaret Sullavan [1] |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang [1] |
| Edited by | Unknown |
| Music by | Unknown |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures [1] |
Running time | Unknown |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Language | English [1] |
I Loved a Soldier (also known as Invitation to Happiness) is an unfinished 1936 American romantic-comedy-drama film directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Paramount Pictures. [1] [2] It stars Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Walter Catlett, Lionel Stander, and Margaret Sullavan. [3]
The Paramount picture was intended to be a remake of Pola Negri's 1927 Hotel Imperial , which was based on a play by Lajos Bíró. Film shooting began in early January 1936 where the film was officially named Invitation to Happiness. [4] Early on into the shooting, there was an accident with a gun that injured one of the crew members and almost hit Boyer, singeing his toupée. [4] That same day, the movie's title was changed to I loved a Soldier for unknown reasons. [4]
As a result of problems with the script and on-set altercations between Dietrich and Hathaway, producer Ernst Lubitsch suspended production on the film several weeks into shooting. [4] In March, Paramount announced that they and Dietrich were "amicable and friendly" again, and production of the film would continue with Margaret Sullavan as Dietrich's replacement. [4] Recast with new actors, the film was completed in 1939 under the title Hotel Imperial . [4] No footage shot for I Loved a Soldier was used in the final film and no footage of I Loved a Soldier is known to have survived. [1]
The film tells the story of a young servant girl (Marlene Dietrich) who works at Hotel Imperial. One day, she falls in love with a known customer who turns out be a soldier (Charles Boyer), locally known as the ultimate ladies man. [4]