The story concerns one widow, Sonia (Jeanette MacDonald), a beautiful young woman who owns 52% of the small kingdom of Marshovia. Sonia lives a life consisting of black dresses, black shoes, black corsets and black veils...even a black dog. Sonia decides to flee to the gay city of Paris, and swaps her dull attire for a new wardrobe, and a new outlook.
The King of Marshovia (Edward Everett Horton) and his flirtatious Queen (Una Merkel) decide to dispatch the handsome Count Danilo (Maurice Chevalier) to Paris in order to woo Sonia and her millions back into Marshovia...but Sonia has a few tricks up her own sleeves!
Filled with the timeless music of Franz Lehar's score, THE MERRY WIDOW is joyously directed by legendary Ernst Lubitsch, and Jeanette MacDonald literally sparkles in designer Adrian's lavish costumes.