The genre began in the late 1920s, but its roots stretch back into the tradition of nineteenth century Viennese operettas.
[1] During the 1930s the trend spread to Britain, where a number of Operetta films were made (often in co-productions with German or Austrian studios), France and the United States.
Many German émigré film-makers following the Nazi rise to power in 1933 were able to find work in other countries because of their experience in the genre.
[2] In the United States, a popular run of Operetta films were made starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.
In Britain the 1934 Richard Tauber film Blossom Time was a major hit, spawning a number of imitations.