Tweet One Night With You (1948)

I was given a nice stash of British films last month by a kind Nitratevillain, last night was my first chance to settle in and start watching them. First up was One Night With You, a 1948 Terence Young directed musical, starring lyric tenor Nino Martini and Patricia Roc, and featuring a stellar supporting cast of stalwart British (and one American) character actors.

The plot does not bear serious scrutiny, it's as featherweight as are the plots to most musicals--just go with it. Plot deficiencies, however, are more than made up for by the film's quirky wit and sparkling performances. Both Martini and Roc are pleasant and affable (that Martini fella can sing, too), Stanley Holloway is hilarious (his performance is completely silent), and Irene Worth shines as a caustic leading lady of the Italian screen. Christopher Lee has a small part; he's so young I initially did not recognize him, but spotted his name in the closing credits and had to rewatch to confirm that it was, indeed, that Christopher Lee. The final scene is a wonderful Buster homage moment, which I will not spoil for you.

A big wave of the feather boa for One Night With You, highly recommended.

Nino Martini and Patricia Roc

I like One Night with You too and second Frederica's comments about the performances and the ending. Holloway's performance is center stage for about ten minutes despite being silent. (The two stars don't appear until about twenty minutes into the movie.) In plot, it is probably most like a 1930s screwball comedy. Bonar Colleano, who I am most familiar with as playing loud Americans in British World War II films, is too far over the top for me as an excitable Italian and both of the leads are a little old for their parts. But those are minor points and I would still recommend it.

Nino Martini and Patricia Roc

I like One Night with You too and second Frederica's comments about the performances and the ending. Holloway's performance is center stage for about ten minutes despite being silent. (The two stars don't appear until about twenty minutes into the movie.) In plot, it is probably most like a 1930s screwball comedy. Bonar Colleano, who I am most familiar with as playing loud Americans in British World War II films, is too far over the top for me as an excitable Italian and both of the leads are a little old for their parts. But those are minor points and I would still recommend it.

Yes, it is something like screwball comedy, but the humor is very dry and without the frantic screaming usually associated with screwball. The NYTimes reviewer (no byline, so I don't know who it was) dismissed the film as boring when it was released in the U.S., as if I needed more reasons to ignore film critics. I have to correct my original post: I just discovered that Bonar Colleano was also American, so that makes two Americans (Colleano and Irene Worth) in the film, not one. I had also never even heard of Nino Martini before this film, which makes me go all blushy since he had a respectable film and an equally respectable operatic career.

I had also never even heard of Nino Martini before this film, which makes me go all blushy since he had a respectable film and an equally respectable operatic career.

You mean you never saw The Gay Desperado?

I had also never even heard of Nino Martini before this film, which makes me go all blushy since he had a respectable film and an equally respectable operatic career.

You mean you never saw The Gay Desperado?

No, and with a title like that, you'd think I would have.

The NYTimes reviewer (no byline, so I don't know who it was) dismissed the film as boring when it was released in the U.S., as if I needed more reasons to ignore film critics.

That made me curious so I checked the Variety review from London and see it was also negative:

Remake of the seven-year-old Italian picture, "Fuga a Due Voci," this was hardly worth the time, trouble and expense. As a first venture into stories with music for Two Cities by producer Josef Somio, it is unfortunate and will earn no dividends. ... Definitely not worth exporting to America.

The NYTimes reviewer (no byline, so I don't know who it was) dismissed the film as boring when it was released in the U.S., as if I needed more reasons to ignore film critics.

That made me curious so I checked the Variety review from London and see it was also negative:

Remake of the seven-year-old Italian picture, "Fuga a Due Voci," this was hardly worth the time, trouble and expense. As a first venture into stories with music for Two Cities by producer Josef Somio, it is unfortunate and will earn no dividends. ... Definitely not worth exporting to America.

Huh. And here was me thinking it would be a wonderful little amuse bouche for Cinecon, although I have no clue if it's available in 35mm, where it's held, or what rights/restrictions might be. It is (or was) available as a VHS through the Bel Canto Society, the reviews there are far more positive. Perhaps it needed to age a bit, like a good wine.
http://www.belcantosociety.org/store/pr ... cts_id=470" target="_blank

I had also never even heard of Nino Martini before this film, which makes me go all blushy since he had a respectable film and an equally respectable operatic career.

You mean you never saw The Gay Desperado?

No, and with a title like that, you'd think I would have.

It's a coincidence I'm sure, but we've been getting a lot of people visiting these days and most of them ask about THE GAY DESPERADO -- it's one of their favorite films. And I show them the original souvenir book of the film from the original release and everybody wants a copy, which I'm always reluctant to do. But yesterday, I realized, that since Milestone owns the rights to the film, we can do this! (D'oh.)

So, thanks to our intern Zack, if you go to our website at http://milestonefilms.com/products/gay-desperado-the at the bottom of the page with the red link, you can download a copy of the souvenir book for The Gay Desperado.