{"id":39826,"date":"2017-12-27T13:34:07","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T20:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39826"},"modified":"2020-12-02T17:20:53","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T00:20:53","slug":"love-me-tonight-1932","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39826","title":{"rendered":"Love Me Tonight (1932)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Nothing could be commoner than a commoner who&#8217;s a tailor!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1-300x237.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-39838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1-128x101.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1-768x607.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Poster-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA tailor (Maurice Chevalier) seeking money owed to him by a spendthrift nobleman (Charles Ruggles) is given the identity of a baron when he arrives at a castle overseen by Ruggles&#8217; ducal uncle (C. Aubrey Smith). Smith&#8217;s nymphomaniac niece (Myrna Loy) immediately makes a play for Chevalier, while Chevalier woos a widowed princess (Jeanette MacDonald) who is also being courted by a count (Charles Butterworth) &#8212; but what will happen when Chevalier&#8217;s lowly tradesman status is ultimately revealed?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cross-Class Romance<\/li>\n<li>Jeanette MacDonald Films<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Maurice Chevalier Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Myrna Loy Films<\/li>\n<li>Romantic Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Rouben Mamoulian Films<\/li>\n<li>Royalty and Nobility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThere&#8217;s much to enjoy about this delightful <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rodgers_and_Hart\">Rogers and Hart<\/a> romantic comedy, directed with flair by Rouben Mamoulian and considered a cinematic musical breakthrough given Mamoulian&#8217;s seamless integration of lyrics into the storyline. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/VinvK-xEhBg\">The film&#8217;s opening sequence<\/a> &#8212; in which a small town outside of Paris slowly comes to life in the morning, eventually forming an ad hoc orchestra of synchronized found-sounds &#8212; is worthy viewing on its own, and nicely kicks off the entirely serviceable storyline of a good-natured tailor (Chevalier) whose generosity lands him in trouble with his fellow tradespeople, and forces him to seek immediate renumeration from Ruggles. <em>Love Me Tonight<\/em>&#8216;s pre-Code credentials are clearly in view throughout, ranging from Loy&#8217;s blunt sexual desires (&#8220;Tell me, do you ever think of anything but men, dear?&#8221; &#8220;Oh, yes.&#8221; &#8220;Like what?&#8221; &#8220;Schoolboys.&#8221;) to many of Rodgers and Hart&#8217;s lyrics, such as during the opening sequence: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Chevalier:<\/strong> How&#8217;s your bakery?<br \/>\n<strong>Baker&#8217;s Wife:<\/strong> I need a beau.<br \/>\n<strong>Chevalier:<\/strong> Where&#8217;s your husband?<br \/>\n<strong>Baker&#8217;s Wife:<\/strong> He needs the dough!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Meanwhile, during the iconic ditty &#8220;Isn&#8217;t it Romantic?&#8221;, Chevalier sings:  <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Kiddies are romantic, and if we don&#8217;t fight, we soon will have a troop!<br \/>\nWe&#8217;ll help the population &#8212; it&#8217;s a duty that we owe to France!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Later, as Princess Jeanette is wooed by a dogged but boring older suitor (Charles Butterworth), double-entendres and word-play abound: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Butterworth: <\/strong> Princess! Jeanette!<br \/>\n<strong>MacDonald:<\/strong> Count, I&#8217;m going to bed!<br \/>\n<strong>Butterworth: <\/strong> I&#8217;ve just come up to join you.<br \/>\n<strong>MacDonald:<\/strong> Join me?<br \/>\n<strong>Butterworth: <\/strong> Join you in a little chat before dinner.<br \/>\n[<em>Later, after Butterworth retreats and falls<\/em>]<br \/>\n<strong>Butterworth:<\/strong> I&#8217;ll never be able to use it again!<br \/>\n<strong>MacDonald:<\/strong> Oh, Count, did you break your leg?<br \/>\n<strong>Butterworth:<\/strong> No, I fell flat on my flute!\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And so on and so on; the script and lyrics are chock-a-block full of amusing sexual inferences and references. The film is also visually innovative throughout. As noted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2185glam.html\">DVD Savant<\/a>: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In [one] song, the dog pipes up with a note (in the right key!) and even a bas-relief on the wall chimes in with a lyric. Yet another tune plays out over an image of Maurice sleeping in his bed. An image of the sleeping Jeanette dissolves in next to him, forming a literal pre-echo of a visual motif in 1959&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20749\"><em>Pillow Talk<\/em><\/a>&#8230; We&#8217;re surprised when a zoom lens is used to zero in on a smokestack in the first scene, and even more intrigued to see a mounted hunting party &#8216;leave quietly&#8217; by galloping away in slow motion. Almost every scene introduces something new.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Definitely check this one out; it&#8217;s my favorite Chevalier-MacDonald film by far. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The delightfully creative opening sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Opening.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Opening.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Opening.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Opening-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Opening-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Innovative cinematic techniques<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematic.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematic.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39834\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematic.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematic-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematic-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Victor Milner&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography2-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography2-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Cinematography-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-3-Women.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-3-Women.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-3-Women.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-3-Women-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-3-Women-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Refreshingly risque and humorous Pre-Code content<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Risque.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Risque.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Risque.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Risque-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Love-Me-Tonight-Risque-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Rodgers and Hart&#8217;s soundtrack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a fine early musical. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#historical\">Historically Relevant<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0023158\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1932\/08\/19\/archives\/maurice-chevalier-and-jeanette-macdonald-in-a-charming-romantic.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/9625\/love-me-tonight\/\">DVD Talk Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2185glam.html\">DVD Savant Review (scroll down to second review)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/82022\/love-me-tonight#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Nothing could be commoner than a commoner who&#8217;s a tailor!&#8221; Synopsis: A tailor (Maurice Chevalier) seeking money owed to him by a spendthrift nobleman (Charles Ruggles) is given the identity of a baron when he arrives at a castle overseen by Ruggles&#8217; ducal uncle (C. Aubrey Smith). Smith&#8217;s nymphomaniac niece (Myrna Loy) immediately makes a play for Chevalier, while Chevalier woos a widowed princess (Jeanette MacDonald) who is also being courted by a count (Charles Butterworth) &#8212; but what will&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39826\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39826"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56029,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39826\/revisions\/56029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}