Tonight or Never

In Venice, opera singer Nella Vargo (Gloria Swanson) is a successful diva although her music coach is dissatisfied with her singing. He tells her that she is not putting her heart into her performances. She becomes intrigued with mysterious admirer Jim Fletcher (Melvyn Douglas) and her heart follows.

For most of this movie, I kept imagining Norma Desmond. In an alternate universe, this could be the prequel to that classic. Swanson and her eyes give a compelling performance although I'm not taken with the character. She's such a diva early on. I don't like her at the beginning and it's hard to get into this.

Being a sucker for classic comedies, i really wanted to like this. But it's never a good sign when you start watching the clock instead of the movie. Isn't a comedy supposed to have jokes in it? Do we really need that much time to set up the plot? Ah yes the plot: opera diva can only become truly great after she has found Love. So thinking a night with a handsome gigolo will do the trick and get her booked at the Met, she gives in to her passions. And by golly it works! But then guilt creeps in... I'l stop here so as not to spoil the plot for those who are not discouraged by my review. (It's your own time to waste) Being mercifully short at 82 minutes, it really felt like it lasted quite a bit longer. It has period charm, Swanson and Douglas make a nice enough couple, but the material is too slight to make this into an enjoyable movie.

... and largely succeeds in this Continental romance from director Mervyn LeRoy. Gloria Swanson stars as famous opera singer Nella Vago, the toast of the European music scene who is just finishing a smashing engagement in Vienna. However, some view her style as too technical and lacking real emotion, and so the elusive American market is closed to her. Although engaged to the foppish Count Albert (Warburton Gamble), Nella notices a mysterious male figure that seems to be following her. When Nella heads off to Budapest, she finds that the man, Jim Fletcher (Melvyn Douglas) is on the same train. When she decides to confront him, it may just lead to her finding the emotional footing that she needs. Also featuring Alison Skipworth, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Robert Greig, Greta Meyer, Boris Karloff, and J. Carrol Naish.

Lubitsch had been very successful with a string of European-set romances featuring nobility, artistes, and sophisticates. Sam Goldwyn copies that formula, and while it doesn't all work, enough does to make this worthwhile. Swanson seems an odd casting choice for an opera diva, and thankfully her performances are heard and not seen. Douglas, making his film debut, was carried over from the stage version, and he's perfect. I actually watched this for Karloff, though, who ably plays a small role as a waiter. He was in 14(!!!) movies in 1931, the year of his breakout role in Frankenstein.

Gloria Swanson proves easily here what a good talkie actress she could have been. She is funny and charming, and dressed superbly by Coco Chanel. Melvyn Douglas works well with her, but there is way too much chatter in this adaptation from a hit stage play. The screen-writers didn't seem to realise the kind of expansion they needed to give the piece to make it cinema rather than a filmed stage play. Still, in the lovingly restored print from UCLA that is on the DVD, the film looks great - as does glorious Gloria!

In Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson said, we had faces then.

Well she sure did! Those eyes! Her expressions! In Tonight or Never, she plays an opera diva lacking the one thing that will make her a superstar - feelings! Since it's 1931 you can interpret that as sexual fulfillment.

As a former opera singer myself, I got a kick out of the opening. It takes place in Venice, and we get to hear a soprano with a voice like Minnie Mouse sing the end of Tosca and go flat on the high note. I am forever stunned at what film considered a Tosca voice. I mean, Jeannette McDonald was another one.

Our diva here, Nella Vago, falls for Melvyn Douglas, in his debut, who is living with a former opera diva, supposedly his "aunt."

The film is talky, with lots of innuendo and a seduction scene that can only be described as old-fashioned. Which since it's 1931, it was.

Swanson's wardrobe is to die for. Douglas is very elegant.

We don't have much of the young Gloria in talkies. And, since it's Douglas' debut, and Boris Karloff isn't playing a monster, I recommend it.