Love Me Tonight

A superb musical, outstripping the possible influences of René Clair and Lubitsch, to whose work this has been compared. A tale of the gradual dawn of romance between 'the best tailor in Paris' (Chevalier) and a haughty princess (MacDonald), the film is a stylish masterwork of technical innovations, and a delirious result of Mamoulian's desire to incorporate movement, dancing, acting, music, singing, décor and lighting into a cogent cinematic whole. The songs develop the action and characters, the dialogue is witty and rhythmic, and the entire film, with its fine score by Rodgers and Hart, is a charming, tongue-in-cheek fantasy that never descends into syrupy whimsy.