Tonight and Every Night
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Tonight and Every Night |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1945 |
| length | 92 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Victor Saville |
| script |
Abem Finkel , Lesser Samuels |
| production | Victor Saville |
| music |
George Duning , Marlin Skiles , Morris Stoloff , Jule Styne |
| camera | Rudolph Maté |
| cut | Viola Lawrence |
| occupation | |
| |
Tonight and Every Night , also known as Music Box Girls , is a 1945 American film musical directed by Victor Saville and starring Rita Hayworth and Janet Blair . The play Heart of the City by Lesley Storm served as a template .
action
London during the Second World War : Despite numerous attacks by German bombers on the British capital, the traditional theater “Music Box” never misses a performance - for many it is the only entertainment that can distract from the terrible everyday life of the war. When a new dancer named Tommy Lawson tries his luck at an audition, the two American show girls Rosalind Bruce and Judy Kane support him, who are immediately convinced of his talent. They teach him the dance steps, after which he is accepted into the dance troupe. From now on they dance together evening after evening and deliver an acclaimed show.
When the American pilot Paul Lundy visits a performance, he is enthusiastic about Rosalind and really wants to get to know her. When suddenly the alarming sirens go off and both the dancers and the audience have to flee into the basement, he sees his chance with Rosalind. But she declines his invitation to a rendezvous with thanks. After the attack, Rosalind and Judy visit a nearby restaurant where Paul is waiting for them with champagne . Then Rosalind begins to go out with Paul regularly. But when he lures her into his apartment on a false pretext, she feels betrayed and no longer wants to see him. When they meet again, Paul begs them to forgive him. Since he has to leave London for an assignment, he hopes that Rosalind will be waiting for him. Given this and her own feelings for him, she forgives Paul and kisses him goodbye. Tommy, who is also in love with Rosalind, tries meanwhile to drown his heartache in alcohol. Judy witnesses his suffering and, for her part, is depressed because she fell unhappily in love with Tommy.
After his return, Paul wants to propose marriage to Rosalind, but he is immediately summoned to the headquarters of his superior who sends him on a secret mission. Two weeks go by without Rosalind receiving any news from Paul. She starts to think he has forgotten her. When she receives a message from Paul's father Gerald, asking to meet her after the performance, Rosalind is convinced that Gerald was sent to her by his son to end their relationship. She is relieved when she learns from Gerald that there is a secret operation behind Paul's silence. He shows her a Bible that his son sent him. When he opens the book to a marked place, a line is underlined that indicates an engagement. Instead of Paul, Gerald now proposes to Rosalind and welcomes her to his family. A short time later, Tommy finds out about the engagement and predicts that Rosalind will soon be leaving the Music Box. Shortly thereafter, Paul returns and opens Rosalind that he with her in Canada , the honeymoon would like to spend. However, until Tommy congratulates her and insists she leave, Rosalind doesn't want to leave the company.
Judy, who is still attached to Tommy, follows him to a pub to talk him through. They come closer and toast Rosalind and Paul. But their moment of happiness only lasted for a short time when German planes drop their bombs again. Rosalind and everyone else are devastated when they find the bombed pub and learn that Judy and Tommy have lost their lives. Despite the tragedy, the show continues and Rosalind tearfully sings Judy's biggest hit, Tonight and Every Night .
background
Tonight and Every Night is one of the few film musicals with a tragic ending. It is based on the play Heart of the City , with which writer Lesley Storm set a monument to London's famous Windmill Theater. The Windmill Theater put on a performance every night during World War II, despite German bombing. For legal reasons, the theater was renamed "Music Box" in the film.
For the director undertook Columbia Pictures the British director Victor Saville, who also joined as executive producer in appearance. Martha Mears dubbed leading actress Rita Hayworth for her vocal performances. Since Hayworth was pregnant while filming, her dance numbers to the choreographies of Jack Cole had to be shot first before her pregnancy showed too much. As the shoot progressed, emphasis was placed on hiding Hayworth's growing belly behind clothing, furniture, and props . She also worked for the first time with costume designer Jean Louis , who later also designed her famous robes for her title role in Gilda (1946).
Music and dance numbers
- What Does an English Girl Think of a Yank? ( Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn ): performed by Rita Hayworth with the voice of Martha Mears; danced by Hayworth, Jack Cole and other dancers
- You Excite Me (Styne / Cahn): performed by Hayworth with the voice of Martha Mears; danced by Hayworth and other dancers
- Anywhere (Styne / Cahn): sung by Janet Blair ; later played on the xylophone with Hayworth dancing in the background
- Largo al factotum ( Gioachino Rossini ): danced by Marc Platt
- The Boy I Left Behind (Styne / Cahn): sung by Blair and performed by Hayworth with the voice of Martha Mears
- Cry and You Cry Alone (Styne / Cahn): performed by Hayworth with the voice of Martha Mears; danced by Hayworth, Platt and other dancers
- Tonight and Every Night (Styne / Cahn): Performed by Hayworth with the voice of Martha Mears
reception
publication
Tonight and Every Night premiered in the United States on January 9, 1945 . The reviews were generally positive at the time. Only the songs were often classified as too weak for a musical, although the film music and the song Anywhere were nominated for an Oscar . The film was not as successful at the box office as Hayworth's hit musical Es tanzt die Göttin (1944), but it still made a profit. In Germany, Tonight and Every Night was first shown on television on November 18, 1995.
Reviews
For Bosley Crowther of the New York Times , Tonight and Every Night was a “very beautiful and sentimental romantic film musical”, the plot of which, thanks to “a clever script” and Victor Saville's “careful direction”, never sank to “sentimental pathos”. Rita Hayworth is "adorable" and shows "charisma and talent". Marc Platt's high jumps should "help him to fame in Hollywood". Crowther also praised “the film's extraordinary equipment” and “the elegant and subtle use of subtle colors in the backdrops and costumes”.
Variety mentioned "a particularly weird dance performance" by Rita Hayworth and Janet Blair, in which they dance in front of their beds in woolen men's underwear. This is "very original and implemented excellently by both artists". Marc Platt in turn delivers "a sensational debut". His dance interpretation of a speech by Hitler was "a real highlight". The US magazine Time stated that “the naive little plot” could easily have been lost in an environment of “colorful and imaginative musical numbers”. That this is not the case is "partly due to the credible and brilliant performances of Bowman and Hayworth, but mainly due to the excellent direction of the British Victor Saville". He staged the story “in a simple way and with considerable authenticity”.
"Unusual musical with a gloomy historical background, against which the happy ending seems to be quite artificial," said the lexicon of international films in retrospect . According to Craig Butler of the All Movie Guide , Tonight and Every Night is "all in all a mediocre little musical, but with elements that are well worth seeing". The main attraction is "the enchanting, wonderful Rita Hayworth". Her "sheer physical beauty and charisma" are "simply heavenly". The music by Jule Styne, however, is "surprisingly boring" and the lyrics by Sammy Cahn are "at best useful". Also, the script “despite its 'serious' setting and some 'tragic' moments is generally rather weak, especially when it comes to the dialogues”. In addition to Hayworth, "the excellent dancing" by Marc Platt, "the restrained, yet captivating direction" by Victor Saville, "a stunning, unobtrusive color spectrum" and "the imaginative camera work" by Rudolph Maté provide compensation.
Awards
At the 1946 Academy Awards , Tonight and Every Night was nominated for an Oscar in the two categories of Best Score in a Musical and Best Song ( Anywhere ) . George E. Stoll's music on vacation in Hollywood was awarded as best film music , while Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein won the trophy for best song with It Might as Well Be Spring from Love Fair .
Web links
- Tonight and Every Night at the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Tonight and Every Night at Turner Classic Movies (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. Jeremy Arnold on tcm.com
- ↑ “A very pleasant and sentimentally romantic musical film […] by the grace of some able script writing and Mr. Saville's directorial care, the story never drops to maudlin pathos. […] Miss Hayworth is fetching […] she puts forth some radiance and talent. [...] Mr. Platt's flying leaps in this picture should carry him to Hollywood heights. A glowing word, too [...] for the film's exceptional decor, for the svelte and subtle use of subdued colors in settings and costumes. " Bosley Crowther : 'Tonight and Every Night,' Film Musical, With Hayworth, at the Music Hall . In: The New York Times , March 9, 1945.
- ↑ “Comedy specialty handled by Hayworth and Janet Blair […] is neatly contrived and excellently presented by the two performers. Marc Platt [...] makes a sensational debut and his finale stepping to a haranguing speech by Hitler is a showstopper. " See Tonight and Every Night . In: Variety , 1945.
- ↑ “In a setting of colorful and imaginatively jivey musical numbers, this ingenuous little tale might easily, and happily, have been pretty well lost. That it is not lost is due in part to plausible and polished performances by Bowman and Hayworth, but mostly to British-born producer Victor Saville's excellent direction. [...] Saville has told his story simply, with a minimum of gush, and considerable authenticity. " See The New Pictures . In: Time , February 12, 1945.
- ^ Tonight and Every Night. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 2, 2020 .
- ↑ “ Tonight and Every Night is overall a middling little musical, but it does have a number of elements that make it worth watching [… T] he main reason for watching Tonight is the presence of the bewitching, glorious Rita Hayworth. [...] for her sheer physical beauty and presence are simply heavenly. […] The Jule Styne score is surprisingly pedestrian, and the Sammy Cahn lyrics are at best, serviceable. And the screenplay, despite its 'serious' setting and some 'downbeat' moments, is weak overall, particularly where the dialogue is concerned. […] She's aided enormously by Marc Platt's sensational dancing, […] Victor Saville's low key but engaging direction, a color spectrum that is dazzling without being overpowering and Rudolph Maté's imaginative camerawork. " Craig Butler, cf. omovie.com