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Why so much hype?

Pretty Good

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This classic comedy by acclaimed director Ernst Lubitsch (author of such films as "To Be or Not to Be" or "Ninotchka") displays brilliant humour, catching songs and incredibly modern points of view without ever leaving the vintage atmosphere of the time it was filmed.The issue of unfaithfulness is addressed in a way one would not suppose in a 1930's feature. Far from giving the viewer moral lessons, the movie leaves several doors open and even asks the public what would they do in a case like the one presented. The breaking of the fourth wall in doing so is another modern aspect that will take modern viewers by surprise (a very nice surprise, by the bye).No morals, no precepts, a lot of irony and sensibility; all disguised in evening dresses, bow ties, Art Deco, classic cars and that fantastic vaudeville style. Don't judge it by its age or fashion: many present films are not as modern as this is.

When discussing the concept of the "integrated musical" names that first come to mind are Kelly/Donen and Vincente Minnelli. But wasn't Lubitsch really the pioneer? While this isn't as impressive as his almost effortlessly wonderful "The Merry Widow", it's so well put-together and flows pretty seamlessly (until the last act, that is) for a film made in the early sound period. Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette McDonald are the married couple crazy about each other, that is, until McDonald's old friend Mitzi comes to visit. What follows is another delicious look at marriage from the master of the romantic comedy Lubitsch. The tunes flow well even if I'm not a huge fan of opera. The camera technique is sharp and fluid. The performances are good. But the final act isn't. After a delightful merry go-round it all drags to a weird conclusion.

Jeanette Macdonald is perhaps best known these days for her series of films with Nelson Eddy in the late 1930s/early 1940s, but this is a good example of her previous teaming with that naughty French export Maurice Chevalier.'One Hour With You' features several great songs plus a fluffy plot around a married couple and misunderstood flirtations - helped a lot by other cast members Genevieve Tobin, Roland Young, and Charles Ruggles. Chevalier's charming persona is served well here in asides to the camera and a couple of great solo numbers, while Macdonald is sparky, beguiling, and a real tease.

I taped this one off UK TV in 1988 on the off chance it was good, kept it and have seen it about 10 times since. I wonder if a remastered DVD would be a little less murky as this is in places. Although a notch down from "Trouble in Paradise" it would still make it a worthy bookend, same director in Lubitsch, same studio, same year, same lightheartedness. Or maybe a triple bill with "Love me tonight", Mamoulian's masterpiece for my money, or a foursome with Sternberg's "Blonde Venus" if you feel in an even more arty mood.The plot is pretty straightforward, turning the unfaithful wife and cuckolded husband scenario on its head with Roland Young (and his maid) pleased at the situation instead of demanding a duel to the death with Chevalier. The climax seems a little awkwardly handled, but ultimately the end credits plus a final snatch of the theme make it OK. And the music is brilliant and witty, helped by Paramount's brash Orchestra producing some marvellously angular but tuneful interpretations - even with the background noises (and similar in this respect also to the non-musical TIP).Lubitsch re-used the plot from his film "The Marriage Circle", a silent with Adolphe Menjou, and although it has some fine moments is nowhere near as classy as the talkie version is. Being silent it has a completely different ambiance, but it's fun guessing where the songs should go.All of the a/m films are sublime and should be on prescription!