LOVE ME TONIGHT (USA/1932)

Maurice Chevalier had become quite a star at Paramount Studios under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch (The Love Parade, The Smiling Lieutenant, One Hour With You) . The premier director of romantic comedies and operettas was preparing to shoot one of his masterpieces, Trouble in Paradise, so the producers suggested Armenia-born Rouben Mamoulian. He had just had a huge success at the helm of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Chevalier was skeptical because Mamoulian had never directed a musical, but a meeting with the director provided reassurance. This third pairing of Chevalier and the beautiful Jeanette MacDonald is now referred as "the best musical of the 1930s" and perhaps Chevalier's best vehicle.

Love Me Tonight is based on a French play by Paul Armont, a twist on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming. Chevalier is Maurice, a lusty tailor who travels to a countryside chateau to collect monies owed by a viscount to a number of Parisian tradesmen. To avoid embarrasment, the viscount (comedian Charlie Ruggles) introduces Maurice as a friend and a baron. Maurice plays along because, outside the chateau, he met and fell in love with a lovelorn princess (MacDonald) and plans to woo her. The direction by Mamoulian, who alternated between film and stage, is unrelentingly innovative, featuring a highly mobile camera, a rare early zoom shot, split screen, fast and slow motion sequences, and unusual camera angles. One of the early musical numbers is often referred as among the best ever filmed, as the tune of "Isn't It Romantic?" travels from a tailor shop to a taxi cab, to a moving train, to a marching platoon of soldiers and to a gypsy caravan until it reaches the chambers of the love-deprived princess. The already established chemistry between Chevalier and MacDonald is undeniable, and the supporting cast (including a young Mirna Loy) is first class. Most of the music score and the wonderful songs were written by Rodgers and Hart. Standouts include "Mimi", the dreamy title tune, and the hilariously witty "The Son of a Gun is Nothing but a Tailor".