Le Chant de la Louisiane

Mario Lanza only did 10 movies, and only two with Kathryn Grayson. She could not get along wt him due to his temper and alcohol abuse. That is a real shame as the two together on the Oscar-nominated "Be My Love" was pure magic. (It lost to "Mona Lisa" in another crash of Academy voters.) Current moviegoers can hear Lanza sing in Zodiac or The Polar Express, but why settle for one song when you can enjoy a half dozen by this wonderful tenor.

Those who think of Pavarotti when they think of tenors, will be surprised by Lanza's looks. He is more like Sly Stallone with good looks that the typical rotund singer.

This movie was a joy to behold as it was funny and sweet. The great David Niven (Separate Tables, Eye of the Devil) was fantastic.

I've watched this film more than 50 times, and as much as I watch as much as I like best. Mario Lanza was just unique, I agree that he did not educated his voice enough, but his natural voice was so wonderful, none of the best tenors hadn't his magnificent voice, is enough to know that Mo. Toscanini said that was "The Voice of the Century". This film is fresh and light and romantic, Mario's performance of "Be my love" as a duet is nice too, and "Madame Butterfly duet" is the greatest I've ever heard. David Niven, J. Carroll Naish and Rita Moreno, each one in the role they played are just wonderful too. Mario Lanza should be in the opera stage but if so, common people didn't had the opportunity to be delight with opera.

Mario Lanza's second film bursting with energy and musical talents with Kathryn Grayson in old New Orleans. Mario is discovered by David Niven and teamed up with Kathryn and they are the Toast of New Orleans. Mario is the scruffy seaman and his partner J. Carrol Nash, who provides the comedy. The music includes arias from Aida, Madame Butterfly, and La Boheme, etc. Mario does imitations of various people and this is a delight to all. The glorious voice of Lanza still lingers on!

"Toast of New Orleans" is an interesting little period musical, an admirable vehicle for Mario Lanza and his opera songs. This is my third Lanza musical after "Because You're Mine"(1952) and "For the First Time"(1959) and so far it is my favorite.

In spite of being an MGM musical, "Toast of New Orleans" is more in line with the nostalgic period froths and extravaganzas that were common at the Fox studio. The Technicolor and period costumes here are as enchantingly garish and gorgeous as those at Fox. Lanza plays a Bayou fisherman who is discovered by David Niven and falls in love with a fellow opera star named Suzette played by Kathryn Grayson. I found their love scenes somehow cold and unmemorable; however, the songs "Be My Love," and some arias from Madame Butterfly, Carmen, and La Traviata are sublimely potent and unforgettable.

Using the formula that worked so well in "That Midnight Kiss," Mario Lanza, this time one Pepe Duvalle, is again discovered by someone with connections to the opera world while he's singing his heart out doing his normal job. Here he's a bayou fisherman, but after the loss of their boat, Pepe and his Uncle Nicky (J. Carrol Naish) head to New Orleans to look up the opera director (David Niven) who offered Pepe an opportunity after hearing him in the village when Pepe joins his prima donna (Grayson) in song. Pepe finds himself in love with the somewhat cold diva, who is being pursued by Niven.

Lanza is in fine form as a crude, loud, uneducated man who, in order to fit into New Orleans society and the opera world, has to learn manners, as well as how to dance and dress. A natural actor, he makes his complete transformation believable. He sings Jose's aria from "Carmen" beautifully, and this film introduces his hit, "Be My Love" to audiences, which he sings with Grayson. With the diminutive soprano, he also does "Libiamo" from "La Traviata." In the days in which this story is set, a singer like Grayson would have sung "Traviata," though audiences aren't used to hearing a fluttery coloratura sing it any longer. The two perform the love duet from "Madama Butterfly" as well - an absolutely horrid choice for Grayson, calling for a much weightier voice. Obviously the repertoire was chosen with Lanza in mind. Had MGM not used "Lucia" in "That Midnight Kiss," they could have perhaps used it here. Grayson gets to use her high extension in "Je suis Titania," but the rest of the aria suffers from pitch difficulties.

Lanza really helped to commercialize opera in the United States, but he did it without the help of MGM. Is it necessary for Niven to give the wrong explanation for the duet "La ci darem la mano?" And why, during the Butterfly duet, which is total foreplay, does Grayson constantly try to get away from Lanza? No matter her personal feelings, she was on stage playing a role.

Grayson looks lovely in an assortment of magnificent gowns and hats, and if her voice doesn't match Lanza's, it doesn't mean she could not have sung opera, which is often the criticism. There is definitely a place for coloratura sopranos in the opera world - just not singing with spinto tenors.

J. Carrol Naish plays an embarrassing, annoying stereotype as Uncle Nicky; Niven is wonderful, if underused, and his perfect voice and smooth manners are in great juxtaposition to Lanza's bumbling Pepe. James Mitchell, known to soap opera audiences now as Palmer Courtland on "All My Children" has a good featured part as a friend of Pepe's from the bayou, and he and a very young Rita Moreno, who's in love with Pepe, do a spirited dance number.

Lanza's reign at MGM was disappointingly short, and yo-yo dieting and drinking would claim his life nine years after this film. But what years, in which he gifted the world with his fresh, passionate, Italianate sound and thrilled millions of people all over the world.