Not even having all the qualities objectively needed for a smooth Silent-to-Sound transition was enough to keep glamour-puss Gloria Swanson in the Hollywood game. Only three films between this and SUNSET BLVD. in 1950.* So while John Gilbert and Clara Bow remain the poster couple for post-Silent Film career collapse, the major stars who truly thrived on the other side of the synch-soundtrack can be counted your fingers. Samuel Goldwyn made a two-pic deal (later reduced to one) after buying this racy play (staged on B’way by David Belasco shortly before his death) about a talented soprano who needs to ‘experience love’ before she’ll become a true artist. Enter ‘gigolo’ Melvyn Douglas (his film debut after this on B’way against wife-to-be Helen Gahagan) as the man destined to spend the night. Goldwyn splurged on ‘Coco’ Chanel, in from France to dress Swanson, and hot director Mervyn LeRoy, in from Warners, to direct. Alas, LeRoy’s youthful pep a poor fit for this sub-Lubitschean romantic farce, leaving only Goldwyn house lenser Gregg Toland to show his best form in some ravishing dark-etched lighting schemes. Fun spotting Boris Karloff as a gossipy hotel waiter and you do get to hear Swanson vocalize, though an opening heard-but-not-seen excerpt from TOSCA has someone else singing. Not really a bad watch, just unnecessary.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Best of Swanson’s early sound films was also her last, MUSIC IN THE AIR/’34. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2020/03/music-in-air-1934.html
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: If you’re using a Puccini opera for a story that resolves upon Deflowering the Princess, surely the one to go for is TURANDOT not TOSCA.
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