Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest movies!
Review: Arguably the finest musical; Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hart thought so. It's my favorite in the genre, along with 'Wizard of Oz', 'Sound of Music' and 'All That Jazz'.
A friend, whose favorite was 'Singin in the Rain', now prefers 'Love Me Tonight'.
I can't believe it's from 1932! Stylistically, I think it's as innovative and vivacious as 'Battleship Potemkin', but being a musical, it's much more fun. Loaded with verbal and visual puns, 'Love Me Tonight' is about as sexy as Bob Fosse's work, yet nothing's blatant. The jokes the kids aren't supposed to get will go right over their heads. Perhaps in using Fosse as an analogy I'm comparing apples and oranges, since there's next to no dancing in 'Love Me Tonight'. On second thought, the entire film is, in a sense, a dance. A smart fairytale romance (there's an oxymoron!). Light as a feather, yet profound.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful DVD of a unique masterpiece
Review: Can't add much to what others have said. The classic Rodgers & Hart songs are great. The stars are great. The endlessly inventive stagings of the songs leave most other movie musicals looking stodgy indeed. A burst of creativity and genius that didn't just expand the ways music could be used on film -- it exploded them. LOVE ME TONIGHT is terrifically funny and entertaining, and even now, it seems ahead of its time.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful DVD of a unique masterpiece
Review: Can't add much to what others have said. The classic Rodgers & Hart songs are great. The stars are great. The endlessly inventive stagings of the songs leave most other movie musicals looking stodgy indeed. A burst of creativity and genius that didn't just expand the ways music could be used on film -- it exploded them. LOVE ME TONIGHT is terrifically funny and entertaining, and even now, it seems ahead of its time.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful DVD of a unique masterpiece
Review: Can't add much to what others have said. The classic Rodgers & Hart songs are great. The stars are great. The endlessly inventive stagings of the songs leave most other movie musicals looking stodgy indeed. A burst of creativity and genius that didn't just expand the ways music could be used on film -- it exploded them. LOVE ME TONIGHT is terrifically funny and entertaining, and even now, it seems ahead of its time.
Rating:
Summary: It deserves all the stars in the world
Review: Frankly...upon buying this dvd, I had high hopes...but they were all surpassed by the material...I only had seen the young (well not so young, because he arrived to Hollywood in 1929, when he was over forty years old) Maurice Chevalier in Lubitsch's marvelous "The Smiling Lieutenant" (1931) and "The Merry Widow" (1934), both great landmark films & big achievements.... but "Love Me Tonight" is THE "Gem" of "The Crown's Jewels." This must be the greatest pairing of Chevalier and MacDonald... Having not seen either "The Love Parade" (1929) nor "One Hour With You" (1932), I cannot say it 100% sure...but I'm pretty sure anyway. I feel that if it wasn't for this musical, there wouldn't be a "Gigi", "My Fair Lady", "The Harvey Girls", "Easter Parade"...or whatever...this one is the grandparent of all movie musicals...either transferred from Broadway or not...it's just perfect. A masterpiece by the great Rouben Mamoulian. I even must say, hardly enough, that in my innermost self...I feel this even tops other Pre-Code all-time-fave of mine (which is not a musical) from the same year (1932), "Trouble in Paradise", Lubitsch's masterpiece. I was amazed by the Pre-Code dialogue & situations, the finesse of the screenplay treatment, the witty dialogues, the fantastic numbers by Chevalier, MacDonald, et al: "Isn't it Romantic", "Lover", "Mimi", "I'm an Apache", the innovative opening sequence: "The Song of Paree", "Love Me Tonight"...Really, when I read again on the dvd's package back that Leslie Halliwell said about it: "The most fluently cinematic comedy musical ever made"...the statement is true, absolutely!!! and in its actual 89 minutes version ('cos it underwent several cuts for its re-release) "Love Me Tonight" is still THE LANDMARK MUSICAL OF ALL TIME. I had never seen this film before, never-ever, only read (a lot) about it...and words are short of praise to this marvel... Chevalier, MacDonald, never have been better (alone or together)....Myrna Loy looks so ravishing, such a "coquette" as the Countess...C. Aubrey Smith at his authoritative best as the Duke....Charlie Ruggles, deliciously "mischevious" as Monsieur le Vicomte (The Viscount)...the three elderly aunts, played flawlessly by Elizabeth Patterson, Blanche Frederici and Ethel Griffies.....and last but not least...the great Charlie Butterworth utterly funny as a Count, pretending Jeanette. By the way both stars characters bear their same names... they're Maurice (the tailor) and Jeanette (the Princess)....It's a treat!!...I cannot say enough to praise this film. The transfer is beautiful...the image quality (from 1932) is better than Criterion's transfer of "Trouble in Paradise" (from the same year)...It looks sharp, with much contrast, in glorious black and white. The Bonuses are real wonders...Chevalier singing "Louise"... Jeanette giving a sensuous, tongue-in-cheek rendition of "Love Me Tonight" (Hollywood on Parade)....The audio commentary is precise, great, by Miles Kreuger...One has to watch the film really twice (with and without the audio commentary)...'cos the latter is absolutely very good. The Screen Play Excerpts of the Deleted Scenes...are simply wonderful to undertsand the original story as it was intendend to be. And the Production Documents and Censrorship Records, is plain-simply necessary material, to understand not only the reason of the cuts this gem underwent, during the Production Code's Reign, after 1934 (for its 1949 re-release)....but all the trouble that went on during its filming in 1932. Music Lovers, Early Talkies lovers, Jeanette & Maurice Lovers, Pre-Code fans....do yourself a favour and buy this DVD immediately. This DVD is worth every dollar it costs...I hope Universal Pictures will continue giving the copyrights the've got on the thirties Paramount movies, to Kino Video, Criterion, et al...'cos there's still too much to be restored and edited on this format (DVD): "The Smiling Lieutenant" (1931), "The Story of Temple Drake" (1933), "Peter Ibbetson" (1935), etc..
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I wasn't so sure about this movie before I saw it-- movies of that time are generally a little slow and static.. But once I saw it I was really suprised at how fresh & enjoyable it was. Forget this was made in 1932-- you'd never know it if someone hadn't told you. The way the camera freely moves & zooms, fades, etc., it was really years ahead of its time. And Kino really got a good looking print too for this DVD. The dialogue is smart & funny, the songs are memorable/catchy (and you might even know the song "Isn't It Romantic?") and time just flies while watching it... This movie really is one of the better musicals.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I wasn't so sure about this movie before I saw it-- movies of that time are generally a little slow and static.. But once I saw it I was really suprised at how fresh & enjoyable it was. Forget this was made in 1932-- you'd never know it if someone hadn't told you. The way the camera freely moves & zooms, fades, etc., it was really years ahead of its time. And Kino really got a good looking print too for this DVD. The dialogue is smart & funny, the songs are memorable/catchy (and you might even know the song "Isn't It Romantic?") and time just flies while watching it... This movie really is one of the better musicals.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! [X 100!]
Review: JEANETTE [to Myrna]"Do you ever think of ANYTHING but MEN!?"
MYRNA [replies boldly]: " Yes, .....SCHOOLBOYS!" [As for the line about 'a peach must be eaten .......' WELL!] THAT's the kind of delightful precode humor in this special, spectacular - and extremely advanced for its period MUSICAL BON-BON by the Great ROUBEN MAMOULIAN. SIMPLE TALE of tangled identities - a Princess, a Tailor, a few eccentric relatives, and a Stag! [As in Stag Hunt] - 'Auntie Mame's' foxhunt owes quite a lot to this special episode, counterpointing the stag - ala bambi music - versus the thundering hooves of the hunt ..... then there's 'Solitude' - Chevalier's 'not so trusty' steed .... this one laid the foundation - a riot. ALSO, Miss Jean-ette's [that's correct not je-net - but Jean-ette] unique way of stopping a train ..... and what a babe - err, lady for that period ... so's Miss Loy - exquitely gowned in contemporary costumes for that period. From the unuslay percussive ala "Triplets of Belleville" opening - through Chevalier's trend setting "American In Paris" flaunt through the neighborhood - We know we're in for something special - zoom shots, slow motion, fast motion - it's all here - even a 'soldier's chorus' similar to the "Evita" group warbelling furiously. DELIGHTFUL DVD - with LOTS OF EXTRAS - including trailer, gallery shots, two music 'videos' - JUST PERFECT. NOW, just where is the other MACDONALD/CHEVALIER outing - Merry Widow"? Would be nice. AND this one - although pre-code - is kidsafe ..... SUCH FUN TO BEHOLD! Jeanette MacDonald also shows WHAT it meant to be a STAR - prfect teeth, smile, profile, hair - it's all there - just look!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD presentation
Review: Kino has done a wonderful job with the DVD presentation of this great film. The transfer is excellent, with only a few speckles, and excellent shadow detail. Blacks look rich and vibrant, and the whites look brilliant. Suprisingly, for a 71 year old movie, there is hardly any grain, and I am watching this film on a 50 inch screen. Even the stock Paris footage looks amazing and clean. There are hardly any jump cuts, except for the cuts instigated by hard-line censor Breen for subsequent reissues. The frames show remarkable stability. In summary, I was extremely surprised. The soundtrack does not quite match the quality of the video. However, all the dialogue is very clear, with an occasional hiss on the mono soundtrack. Let's not forget the age of the film.
The commentary by Miles Kreuger is about a 4 out of 5. He is very interested in the film, and the works of director Mamoulian, and is informative, especially in matters regarding the horrendous cuts inflicted by the post-code censor. He seems to know alot about the cast, especially the supporting cast. However, do we really need to know the birth date and the life story of an actor who has a very minor role, that is, only occupies seconds of screen time. Hopefully, Miles may improve in subsequent audio commentaries.
Congratulations Kino, and thanks for allowing cinephiles to finally view this film at home.
Rating:
Summary: Like champagne
Review: Like champagne, the musical comedy "Love Me Tonight", is light, bubbly, and improves with age. It's hard to fathom that this delightful movie was made over 70 years ago because it looks and feels fresh and contemporary. Rouben Mamoulian directs with verve complemented by the vibrant black and white photography of Victor Milner. Master composer Richard Rodgers creates lovely, wistful melodies that stay with you. And the erudite lyricist Lorenz Hart infuses his sophisticated lyrics with wit, charm, and innuendo. The two leads, Maurice Chevalier as the smitten tailor, and Jeanette MacDonald, as the royal object of Chevalier's affection, have seldom been more appealing. Here's a toast to the delectable artists who cultivated the sparkling, effervescent classic "Love Me Tonight".
| 
