Tonight or Never [Blu-ray]

Overview

Though frequently credited to impresario David Belasco, the play upon which Tonight or Never is based was actually penned by Lili Havatny. Gloria Swanson stalks through the proceedings as an opera prima donna who goes through men like tissue paper. While on holiday in Venice with her elderly fiance Ferdinand Gottschalk, Swanson becomes intrigued by one of her admirers, Melvyn Douglas (in his film debut). One evening Douglas manages to corner the heroine in her lavish apartment, whereupon she becomes convinced that he's merely a gigolo interested in her money. But -- ha-ha -- the last laugh is on Swanson when Douglas reveals that he's a representative of the Metropolitan Opera, determined to sign her to a contract. Produced by Sam Goldwyn, Tonight or Never represented the end of the first phase of Gloria Swanson's talkie career; she subsequently announced her "retirement" but was back before the cameras two years later.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/28/2023
UPC:	0089859908729
Original Release:	1931
Source:	Vci Entertainment
Language:	English
Time:	1:20:00
Sales rank:	27,748

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gloria Swanson	Nella Vago
Melvyn Douglas	Jim Fletcher
Ferdinand Gottschalk	Rudig
Alison Skipworth	Marchesa Bianca San Giovanni
Robert Greig	The Butler
Greta Meyer	The Maid
Warburton Gamble	Count Albert von Gronac
Boris Karloff	The Waiter

Technical Credits

Samuel Goldwyn	Producer
Mervyn LeRoy	Director

Editorial Reviews

Tonight or Never may not be a classic, but it does feature the delectable Gloria Swanson giving the lie to the rumor that she couldn't cut it once the talkies came in. Her career may indeed have petered out, but that has more to do with changing tastes than with the star's inability to handle dialogue. Indeed, Swanson is a thorough delight in Tonight (as she was in many of her post-silent films), spewing out comic lines with ease and putting a flirtatious spin on words, and even parts of words, that is a joy. She may have been a little old for the part of a terribly young opera singer, but one buys her. She also looks sensational in her Coco Chanel costumes. Swanson is well matched by the young Melvyn Douglas, demonstrating that he could more than hold his own with a star of Swanson's league and ability. Alison Skipworth is her usual amusing self, and there's even a chance to catch a pre-Frankenstein Boris Karloff in a comedic bit. Unfortunately, the good cast has to struggle with material that is only so-so and direction that is merely adequate. The film belies its stage origins and could have benefited from an approach that took the talkier scenes and found a more cinematic way of presenting them.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler