"Love Me Tonight" is a clever mix of comedy, romance, song and satire with a first-rate cast. The story takes place in France around the time of the film – 1932. It's an early talkie that still shows some difficulty with the technical aspects. But one soon overlooks that by the engaging story. It's a lively, happy, fun and funny story. And, it employs an unusual script device in places – rhyming dialog exchanges. These usually lead into a song. The satire is the exposé of the remnants of French royalty and of high society households. Here they are mostly idle rich leading empty, bland lives, or hedonistic lifestyles. And their compliant, consenting household staff. From the reviews I've read, it seems that many viewers missed the satire. Yet, it's a core aspect of the screenplay, and what makes the comedy work that much better. The first irony may be unintentional. While it takes place in France, the only person who even has a French accent is the male star, Maurice Chevalier.The cast is outstanding. Chevalier plays the young tailor, Maurice, and looks much younger than his 44 years of age at the time. Jeanette MacDonald is very good as Princess Jeanette, and Myrna Loy is good as Countess Valentine. But the comedy of this funny hodgepodge is clearly in the corner of the three men of royalty. Charles Butterworth is hilarious as Count de Savignac; Charles Ruggles is laughably despicable as Viscount Gilbert de Varéze; and C. Aubrey Smith tops them all as Duke d'Artelines. The set, scenery and cinematography are smashing, especially for the time. The opening scene is brilliant. It's use of sounds and panning camera shots is one of the most clever, engaging pieces of syncopation and rhythm I've ever seen on film. The film is directed by Russian emigrant director/writer Rouben Mamoulian. He did such diverse films as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in 1931, "Queen Christina" in 1933, "Golden Boy" in 1939, "The Mark of Zorro" in 1940, "Blood and Sand" in 1941, and "Silk Stockings" in 1957. I don't like to give away the story in my reviews, but I must divulge one very hilarious scene. It's a musical number near the end that involves many of the cast, including especially the family servants and staff. "The Son of a Gun is Nothing but a Tailor," takes off when Maurice admits to the three elderly aunts that he is not a blue blood, but is merely a tailor. The word spreads fast and one after another of the family and staff chime in with their indignant lines in song. The butler blackened his boots at night, but he was nothing but a tailor. The laundress washed his BVDs, but they were for no one but a tailor. It's a real howl as each person in turn shows expressions of real disdain and humiliation at having served a tradesman and commoner. The film has a number of very good songs. Chevalier does most of the singing, and MacDonald joins in a couple of numbers. Richard Rodgers composed the music, and Lorenz Hart wrote the lyrics. Here are some funny lines from the film. The duke to the viscount: "You impertinent jackanapes. Liar! Cheat!" Viscount: "You'll be insulting me in a moment." Duke: "Nitwit! Numbskull! Nincompoop!"Maurice to Princess Jeanette: "Tell me, do you live out here?" Princess: "I often wonder." Maurice: "No, I mean do you 'live' around here?" Princes: "I heard you."Jeanette, riding on a horse alongside the speeding train locomotive: "Stop the train." Engineer: "What's the trouble?" Jeanette: "I love him." Engineer: "That's not a railroad problem."

The Princess says she's 22 years old, but she's so sad and she can't sleep at night... so the doctor recommends she must find a boyfriend "of his age". The answer, of course, is Maurice Chevalier, who was 44 at the time. Say no more.Chevalier performing the young man he was 20 years ago, with his terrible voice and his terrible jokes that make us want him dead from minute one.Is there any movie where he dies a terrible death? I'd love to watch that one!Finally, the songs could have been written by my cat: "Good morning, Mrs Bendix, and how is your appendix?". Oh, really? Yes, really, THAT bad.

This film is so good that even Jeannette MacDonald can't spoil it and that's saying something. Usually I can take or leave Chevalier, mostly leave, but here he is at least bearable. Busby Berkley gets a lot of credit for staging musicals but Rouben Mamoulian, who got there first, is no slouch if anybody asks you. The film begins BRILLIANTLY with a first a completely Silent track then slowly, imperceptibly, as Paris wakes up sounds begin to insinuate themselves in Rhythm. Soon Chevalier enters the scene and both walks through and contributes to the sound and in under five minutes he is established as a tailor and one who has been stiffed by a viscount (Charlie Ruggles) thus kick-starting a plot which sees Chevalier journey to Ruggles' château. The transition is handled equally brilliantly as Chevalier, in his shop, begins to sing Isn't It Romantic, which is taken up by a delivery man and various pedestrians until it arrives at the train which will whisk Chevalier to the château and a meet-cute with MacDonald. It's a great cast, Myrna Loy, Elizabeth Patterson, C. Aubrey Smith, Charlie Ruggles, Charles Butterworth. Oh, I nearly forget. There's also a gem of a score by Rodgers and Hart. A true classic.

This is one incredible charming musical/comedy, from the early '30's. And that coming from a non-musical fan of course says a lot.It's not a musical with big dance acts, feather costumes, or anything of that sort but just a movie that happens to feature songs in it, which is the sort of musical approach I prefer. The characters would often burst into singing in the middle of the movie, which of course sounds totally ridicules but it's so charming and the songs are so nice that it attributes to what it is that makes this movie so irresistible, joyful and entertaining to watch. This is really not the sort of movie you would expect from the guy who had previously directed "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" before this movie.Maurice Chevalier didn't had the best signing voice, also of course due to his accent and also especially compared to different genre actors from the same time period. Same goes for most of the actors within this movie. But I sort of like that he isn't perfect in his signing. It seems to fit the movie and its style.The movie has got some nice cheerful innocent humor in it. The great fun but of course simple written script, contributes to the whole fun feeling and atmosphere of the movie.The movie doesn't necessarily really has a typical '30's style and more seems ahead of its time. It also makes this movie feel less outdated than most others, especially from the same genre, movies.The cinematography is really amazing at times. It moves a lot, with pans and also zooms. It makes the cinematography in parts pretty original and innovating for its time. The movie also features some other 'tricks', such as split-screen and slow-motion, among other things. Perhaps this has to do with the Russian origin of director Rouben Mamoulian. His style seems more innovating than most of his fellow Hollywood colleagues from the same time period. It all adds to the atmosphere and unique quality of the movie. It of course also helps that the movie is set in France and Paris. It always has been the best backdrop for these sort of movies. There also was obviously put some effort and money into the sets of the movie. Some real quality entertainment! This is as good as they can get.10/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/