Tonight or Never

Gloria Swanson was a great star and her talkie films of the early 1930s were vastly underrated. Tonight or Never is a nice comedy that pits opera star Swanson against maybe gigolo Melvyn Douglas. She's a great singer but she lacks passion because she has never been in love. Douglas is the protégé of a countess (Alison Skipworth), but is secretly in love with Swanson.

Swanson is wonderful, even though she does not sing--a major fault of the film--as the naive opera star. Douglas is suave; Skipworth is (as always) hilarious. And Ferdinand Gottschalk is wonderful as Swanson's teacher.

Swanson should have had a major talkie career. She made the transition in the smash hit The Trespasser and made a series of delightful talkies before she hung it up in 1934. Her voice is so wonderful. It's ironic that a silent star would have such a terrific voice. As in Indiscreet, Swanson proves to be a star actress----one of the greats.

Robert Greig, Greta Meyer and J. Carroll Naish co-star. And remember the motto: our spaghetti is longer than our name!

This film is truly a classic, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Nella Vago(Gloria Swanson), a young singer, performs an operatic debut in Venice but discovers her reception disappointing. She is critized by her instructor (Ferdinand Gottschalk) claiming her voice lacks warmth and feeling. A mysterious young man stalks her everywhere, (Melvyn Douglas) who is really a talent scout for the Met. The cast with Gloria Swanson("Sunset Blvd." with Wm. Holden) and Melvyn Douglas and Boris Karloff who had gained famed as being the Frankenstein Monster made this film a great success during the early 1930's. Karloff gave a very good performance as a high classed waiter with no horror expressions on his face. It was a great picture during that period of time and is worth viewing.

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.

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.

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.