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| re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 07:05 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 06:49 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm - BroadwayTonyJ 06:02 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
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| Yes, it was a pre-code film, but audiences saw the whole thing in 1932. When they revived it some years later after the Hays code started really being enforced around 1934, about 8 minutes, were trimmed and presumed lost. Included was a reprise of "Mimi" during that segment of other characters singing it done by Myrna Loy, which was trimmed apparently because her costume was deemed too revealing. Some of the rest of the scenes are, to some extent, able to be read or are talked about as additional features on some of the DVD releases. But like "The Magnificent Ambersons", another favorite film of mine which had even more major deletions, what remains is a wonderful film. "Singin' in the Rain" is also another with songs (older ones) integrated into a funny and well-written storyline. The big "Broadway Rhythm" section is actually kind of extraneous, but there to show off Gene Kelly. It also catapulted Cyd Charisse to stardom with her dazzling presence and dancing. But it's long -- I've seen the film so many times, that sometimes I skip or step out of the room during it. But well-done, of course. But since the film takes place in 1927, in a way it points out by comparison just how innovative the direction and cinematography of 1932's "Love Me Tonight" and also 1929's "The Love Parade" were, among other early films. McDonald and Chevalier really have some sexy chemistry in the "The Love Parade, especially their first scene together -- where she is reading of his indiscretions while he waits his judgment; she is alternatively smiling, hiding it to show proper decorum, sizing him up, running out of the room to.... fix her hair, powder her cheeks, look in the mirror, run off, then Stop and compose herself as the proper Queen she is supposed to be. Then eventually both sing a wonderfully risque song about meting out his "punishment" in "Anything to Please the Queen", which is full of double entendres, shared looks, smiles and a lot of sexual innuendo. It's just great, and McDonald is so commanding and wonderful in her debut film acting and singing alongside Chevalier's charming rogue. There's also Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair" that was written for the movies, another original musical and a very good one, too. Plus "Meet Me In St. Louis" is superb, and also the many wonderful musicals done at 20th Century Fox which started to be available to been seen again once the video age started. Many of those Alice Faye or Betty Grable starrers with Carmen Miranda Vivian Blaine/June Haver//John Payne/Don Ameche/Charlotte Greemwood are a lot of fun, and many of them were written for the screen. I especially like "That Night In Rio" with Don Ameche great in a duel role (although that's a remake of Maurice Chevalier's also fun "Folies Bergere", later remade for Danny Kaye as "On the Riviera"). "Love Me Tonight" especially is certainly of the 30s, but like most of the Astaire-Rogers films, it is timeless in its ability to entertain and delight its audiences. |
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| re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm | |
| Posted by: notung 09:49 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm - PlayWiz 06:49 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
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| What remains is wonderful, indeed. And Myrna Loy, as always, is a delight (despite her limited screen time). Hoping that a complete print will be discovered and restored one day. | |
| Link | Myrna Loy "Mimi" reprise |
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| re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 07:48 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm - PlayWiz 06:49 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
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| The musical numbers in Folies Bergere de Paris are dazzling and the best feature of the movie. Chevalier and Sothern at that stage in their careers are not yet all that adept with witty dialogue, but I do like the film. I love On the Riviera. Kaye is terrific, better than both Chevalier and Ameche. Gene Tierney is also excellent. And then there's Gwen Verdon. The 1945 State Fair is beautifully acted and sung. I also like the 1940 Down Argentine Way and the 1941 Sun Valley Serenade. Meet Me in St. Louis is a great film, Americana at its best, beautifully photographed, designed, and directed. Holiday Inn is another fine 40's musical with a mostly original score except for the interpolated "Easter Parade". The chemistry betwen McDonald and Chevalier was palpable. Besides Love Me Tonight, my next favorite film of theirs is The Merry Widow. |
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| re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 09:41 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 09:26 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm - BroadwayTonyJ 07:48 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
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| Some really wonderful films you mention! Plus Lubitsch's direction is just so surprising and original. I watched the silent film version of "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" recently which doesn't feature the famous Romberg score but a new very effective one by Carl Davis, and it does have wonderful performances by Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer and Jean Hersholt. Those directorial choices of Lubitsch were just stunning, especially that shot of the lovers in that field of flowers blowing around. The actors were so good and Novarro so naive, trusting, handsome, energetic -- Shearer so vital, charmingly believable, sympathetic, and so sexily actively checking out Novarro's front and back, and Hersholt endearingly being the sheltered Prince's only real friend and advisor, just really still registered for a silent film made in 1927. There was another Lubitsch film, a sex comedy recently rediscovered and shown on TCM - highly recommend called "So This Is Paris" with Monte Blue and Lilyan Tashman, which is pretty hilarious and again showcases Lubitsch's brilliant surprising direction. This also has a sequence at a nightclub, while silent, besides the musical track, really points the way to how later musical production numbers in the sound era could be filmed. I like all of those Chevalier, Ameche and Kaye films on the same plot. I've only seen them once apiece at this point, and I believe Ameche really surprised me with his acting in it. I knew he was charming, good-looking and a good singer, but his two characterizations were very different, and I thought very impressive. I love Ann Sothern too, excellent singer and actress who should have been given better musicals at her studio. Gene Tierney was gorgeous and a wonderful actress. Alice Faye is a little underused in that film as Ameche's parts are really the focus, though Carmen Miranda is always a treat, especially in 20th Century Fox Technicolor. |
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| "dual' role, not "duel", I mean. nm | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 07:06 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Try "Love Me Tonight" - it's incredibly witty, funny, tuneful and delightful nm - PlayWiz 06:49 pm EDT 08/25/21 | |
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