Love Me Tonight

About this event

Dir. Rouben Mamoulian. 1932, 88 mins. U.S. 35mm. With Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles. This complete and total comic delight of the early sound era, featuring music by Rodgers & Hart, is a constant dazzler from the always innovative Rouben Mamoulian (Applause, Dr. Jekyll and Mr, Hyde, Becky Sharp), whose cinematic experimentation knew no bounds or genre. Here, he dives into the Ruritanian musical, casting early-thirties superstar Maurice Chevalier as a jovial tailor who tries to collect on a bill from a Count—and falls in love with a princess. From its opening sequence, with the camera floating over the rooftops and through the streets of Paris (Paris, Hollywood, that is), Love Me Tonight was the first truly modern movie musical. The songs (including “Mimi” and “Isn’t It Romantic”) are perfectly integrated into the narrative, and Mamoulian showed how to turn a theatrical form into a cinematic experience. Tickets: $17.50 / $12 senior and students / $10 youth / free for MoMI members. There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.

Description from movingimage.org