Love Me Tonight

Infobox_Film
name = Love Me Tonight


imdb_id = 0023158
writer = Samuel Hoffenstein
George Marion Jr.
Waldemar Young
starring = Maurice Chevalier
Jeanette MacDonald
Charles Ruggles
Charles Butterworth
Myrna Loy
director = Rouben Mamoulian
producer = Rouben Mamoulian
distributor =
released = August 13, 1932
runtime = 104 min.
language = English
country =USA
budget =

"This is an article about a film. For the song see Love Me Tonight (song)"
"Love Me Tonight" is a 1932 musical comedy film which tells the story of a penniless nobleman who moves a tailor to whom he owes money into his chateau and passes him off as nobility. It stars Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles, Charles Butterworth and Myrna Loy. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian.

The movie was adapted by Samuel Hoffenstein, George Marion Jr. and Waldemar Young from the play by Paul Armont and Léopold Marchand.

It features the classic Rodgers and Hart songs "Isn't it Romantic?", "Mimi", and "Lover" (the last of these is not sung romantically as it often is in nightclubs, but comically, as Jeanette MacDonald tries to control an unruly horse that she is riding). The staging of "Isn't It Romantic?" was revolutionary for its time, combining both singing and film editing, as the song is passed from one singer (or group of singers) to another, all of whom are at different locales.

In 1990, "Love Me Tonight" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

Parisian tailor Maurice Courtelin (Maurice Chevalier) poses as a baron in order to collect the unpaid bills a local aristocrat (Charlie Ruggles) have been piling up. On his way to the castle, he has a confrontation with haughty Princess Jeanette (Jeanette MacDonald). When he arrives at the castle, he charms the various denizens, including Jeanette's chattering aunts and her man-hungry cousin Valentine (Myrna Loy). Jeanette is resistant towards the newcomer, but eventually falls for his charms, telling him she will love him no matter who he is or where he is. When he helps her redesign an outfit, he confesses to her that he's really a tailor. The entire household is outraged, and Maurice leaves. As he takes the train back to Paris, Jeanette realizes her mistake and follows him on horseback. He tells her to stay away, so she stands in front of the train. When the train stops, Maurice jumps out and they embrace as smoke from the train envelops them.

DVD

"Love Me Tonight" was released through Kino International DVD on November 25 2003. Extra features included screenplay excerpts of deleted scenes, audio commentary by Miles Kreuger (Founder and President of the Institute of the American Musical, Inc. and also a good friend of Rouben Mamoulian), production documents, censorship records, and performances from Maurice Chevalier ("Louise") and Jeanette MacDonald ("Love Me Tonight") from the 1932 short "Hollywood on Parade". There are no existing pre-Code uncensored versions of the original film.

External links

*imdb title|0023158
* [http://www.jeanettemacdonaldandnelsoneddy.com/films/jeanette/jm-loveme.htm Love Me Tonight] at Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy: A Tribute