Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Screenplay: Samuel Hoffenstein, George Marion Jr., Waldemar Young
Based on a Play by: Léopold Marchand, Paul Armont
Starring: Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles, Charles Butterworth, Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith
Country: USA
Running Time: 89 min
Year: 1932
BBFC Certificate: PG
Rouben Mamoulian is a director who helped legitimize sound filmmaking, showing audiences at the time that it was more than a gimmick and could be used alongside the cinematic techniques that had been perfected in the silent era. Early sound films had been largely static, stage-bound affairs, due to the unwieldy recording equipment used back then.
Mamoulian, himself, hailed from a stage background, but he wanted to push boundaries in film as he had in the theatre. He produced several highly regarded films in the late 20s, 30s and early 40s but, largely due to conflicts with producers (Mamoulian was strong-willed and fiercely independent) his career fizzled out during the 50s and he returned to the stage.
One of the films Mamoulian made during his most successful period was Love Me Tonight, released in 1932. Starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, who had appeared together in Ernst Lubitsch’s The Love Parade three years prior, it’s considered to be one of the greatest movie musicals of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Indicator are giving Love Me Tonight its much-needed UK Blu-ray premiere this month. I got hold of a copy to see what the fuss was about.
The film is set in Paris. It tells the story of Maurice Courtelin (Chevalier), a charming but down-on-his-luck tailor who’s owed a hefty sum by a wealthy aristocrat, Viscount Gilbert de Varèze (Charles Ruggles). Determined to collect his due, Maurice ventures to the Viscount’s grand chateau, only to find himself embroiled in a whirlwind of mistaken identities and romantic entanglements.
To avoid incurring the wrath of his uncle, the Duke d’Artelines (C. Aubrey Smith), Gilbert tells him that Maurice is a Baron. The tailor goes along with this and is swept into a lavish party for the Duke’s beautiful niece, Princess Jeanette (MacDonald). Despite their contrasting social backgrounds and Jeanette’s initial distaste for Maurice’s hungry advances, the pair eventually spark an undeniable connection. Jeanette, yearning for escape from her sheltered life, is captivated by Maurice’s wit and joie de vivre, while Maurice falls head over heels for her charm and grace.
However, the couple’s blossoming romance is threatened by a series of near-misses and misunderstandings, fueled by the machinations of wannabe suitor Count de Savignac (Charles Butterworth), the Viscount and his scheming family.
Maurice’s true identity hangs precariously in the balance, and he must ultimately choose between confessing his deception and risking Jeanette’s heart, or maintaining his charade and facing the consequences.
Love Me Tonight is an absolute joy of a film that I wish I’d seen sooner. It exudes charm and is also surprisingly risque for its time, being full of enjoyably suggestive dialogue as well as a few moments of eyebrow-raising states of near-undress. It proved a little too raunchy for the censors though, who forced the film to be cut for its 1949 re-release. Sadly, the excised eight minutes are now believed to be lost.
Being a musical, the songs are a vital element and they’re fantastic here, with catchy melodies and wonderfully witty lyrics that often contain amusing double entendres. The songs are used in some ambitious and ingenious ways too. The famous ‘Isn’t it Romantic’ number, most notably, travels from Maurice to a customer, then a passing gentleman, a taxi driver, a song-writer, a troop of soldiers etc. until eventually arriving at Jeanette, establishing the bond between her and Maurice before they’ve even met.
The legendary songwriting duo Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart were asked by Mamoulian to write the songs before the script, to ensure they were instrumental in developing the story and characters, rather than being tacked on as is often the case. Hart was also asked to write some extra dialogue in rhyming couplets, to smooth the transitions into the songs.
The film, even away from the songs themselves, has a musical quality to its rhythm, movement and style. The way the story dances around classic themes rather than telling a complex, unique narrative even has a song-like feel. This was clearly a conscious decision from Mamoulian, who has stated that “the whole of Love Me Tonight is a poem, everything is rhythm”.
Mamoulian makes great use of sound in general too. The opening scene, in particular, turns the sounds of the city waking up into a rhythmic symphony. Much comedy is also mined from the ridiculous sounds and unified dialogue of Jeanette’s three meddling aunts.
Mamoulian throws in some nice visual flourishes too, with a fun use of slow motion, mirrors, shadows and split screen. The latter appears in a unique sequence where the central couple sing a duet whilst sleeping in separate rooms. This device can be seen in later romantic comedies such as Pillow Talk and When Harry Met Sally.
If I were to aim any criticism at the film it would be that the story is far from original so offers little in the way of surprises. When the central couple get together in the later stages of the film, it can get a little cloying too, though it’s so overbaked I think it may be poking fun at on-screen romance.
Overall though, Love Me Tonight is a sheer delight from start to finish. It’s an ebullient, often naughty but utterly charming musical that has the power to win anyone over.
Film: 
Love Me Tonight is out on 15th January on Region B Blu-Ray, released by Indicator. It looks nice with very little damage and pleasing contrast. The audio shows signs of its age but is likely as good as it’ll get.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
– 2023 restoration from a 4K scan
– Original mono audio
– Audio commentary with writers and critics Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (2023)
– Isn’t It Romantic? (2023, 27 mins): in-depth discussion of Rouben Mamoulian’s classic musical by writer and critic Geoff Andrew
– Hollywood on Parade excerpts (1932, 3 mins): Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald perform musical numbers from the film for the newsreel series
– Original theatrical trailer
– Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
– New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Limited edition exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Philip Concannon, a selection of archival interviews with Mamoulian, and film credits
– UK premiere on Blu-ray
– Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme provide an excellent commentary that blends background information on the filmmakers with a little analysis. It’s well-informed and intelligent yet enjoyable and easy to listen to.
Geoff Andrew opens his piece by describing the film as one of the best Hollywood musicals ever made then proceeds to talk about what makes it special. It’s a worthwhile addition to the set which will be of particular interest to those that don’t have the patience for the full audio commentary.
You get a couple of Hollywood on Parade performances of songs from the film too. These are a nice bonus, if hardly vital to the set.
In the booklet, Philip Concannon provides an essay that begins by discussing how Rouben Mamoulian helped bring some of the cinematic prowess of the silent era to the burgeoning but largely static, stagey early musicals. He goes on to to talk about the film and its qualities in general and also includes a tantalising sample of lyrics from one of the songs that was cut by the censor back in the 40s. Following this, there is a trio of archival pieces about Mamoulian, which are all worth a read. The final piece, a short extract from an interview between Andrew Sarris and the director, is particularly valuable.
So, Love Me Tonight is given the treatment it deserves by Indicator, with a handsome transfer and a handful of valuable supplements. Don’t let this disc pass you by.
Disc/Package: 