(104 mins.) Released 1932-08-13
Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Stars: Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles, Charles Butterworth
comedy, musical, romance
originally posted 5 Oct 2017 16:03
I remember this movie fondly, especially for an early musical. But it deserves the high score without considering its age.
.
This is the 5th Maurice Chevalier movie in my collection, paired with Jeanette MacDonald for the 4th time. But this time the director is Rouben Mamoulian, and we trade the Lubitsch Touch for the Mamoulian's joy and genius. Plus the great songwriters Rodgers and Hart, and 6 character actors who flesh out the cast sumptuously (in billing order: Charles Ruggles, Charles Butterworth, Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith, Elizabeth Patterson and Robert Grieg). Paramount's sets (and effects) and costumes add well too.
.
Joy and Genius part 1: The opening, as Paris awakens, and makes more and more noises, they mingle rhythmically, eventually turning into a song with MC greeting his fellow merchants and praising Paris. After a couple of transactions in his shop, he begins singing Isn't It Romantic, one of R&H's best standards. His customer takes it out of the shop, and it's picked up by a cabbie, a composer, a traincar full of soldiers, a gypsy violinist, the whole gypsy camp, and finally JM at her uncle's nearby estate.
.
When MC arrives at that estate the next day (seeking to collect fees due him by Ruggles, a nephew of JM's uncle), he is introduced as a baron to dodge the debt. The next morning we have various residents of the estate singing Mimi, which MC sang to JM on the prior afternoon, and must have sung the night before to the assembled guests and residents of the estate.
.
J&G, pt2: As the wealthy are wont to do, they go on a stag hunt, giving MC the horse no one would dare ride. The hunt takes an unusual turn, and the wonderful score by Rodgers enhances the story enormously. (According to the commentary track, Rodgers had never written a film score before, and enjoyed it. Wikipedia lists 19 R&H stage shows before this film.)
.
At the costume ball that night, MC entertains the party with a dramatic song, The Poor Apache. Mamoulian lights the performance from below, so MC's movements are exaggerated by his much larger shadow. Mamoulian applied the same lighting to an earlier scene with 3 dowagers lamenting JM's single status (conjuring up a husband?)
.
After a scene in the garden when JM finally realizes she loves MC as he loves her, we see them in their separate beds dreaming (and singing the title song) about each other, including a split screen shot joining them together. (Pillow Talk (1959, Gordon) and Indiscreet (1958, Donen) would also use split screen to unite their couples in bed.)
.
We get one more viral song when the house discovers (by his confession) that MC, The Son of Gun is Nothing But a Tailor. The residents, guests and staff spread the word via song.
.
J&G, pt 3: We close with a reprise of Love Me Tonight, voiced by both, over a beautifully double-exposed montage of MC leaving in disgrace and JM agonizing that she's rejecting the man she loves. She gives him a long head start, and he's on a speeding train, but she catches up with him on horseback, and we get a dramatic conclusion. The way Mamoulian shoots JM's heroic stance from below is worthy of The Fountainhead (1949c Vidor).
.
Many scenes are filmed outdoors, at the Paramount Ranch according to the IMDb entry, and the variety of exterior versus interior enhances the film. Many song lyrics are modified to the action of the moment - while still rhyming, thank you very much. (Such a shame that Hart was too troubled to continue his partnership with Rodgers, but Hammerstein benefited from the new union.)
.
Paramount, dir. Mamoulian; 8+
