Tonight We Sing (1953)
Tonight We Sing is a 1953 musical biopic film, directed by Mitchell Leisen, based on the life and career of the celebrated impresario Sol Hurok. It stars David Wayne and Ezio Pinza.
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Cast
Reviews
I was sixteen years old when I saw this movie and was enthralled with the singing of Pinza, Peerce and Peters. It was hard to sit still to the playing of Isaac Stern. Anne Bancroft was lovely to look at, maybe a little wooden then but this was a terrific experience. I wish someone would discover a print and at least show it on the tele.
The movie itself is pure schmaltz (exemplified by tenor Jan Peerce's voice emanating from the face of a "Hollywoodier" actor), but the music is a treasure trove. The great Pinza portraying the great Chaliapin! One legend playing another? Not to mention Isaac Stern as Ysaye, and Toumanova as Pavlova. Wow! I know my Moussorgsky, and Pinza's extremely rare outing in the Russian original of "Boris" is impeccable. Best of all, I have heard a dozen versions of the final trio from Gounod's "Faust," including the thunderous Christoff-Gedda-de los Angeles rendition, but the Pinza-Peerce-Peters tour de force in this movie leaves me gasping for air. A travesty that no video is available. Someone on the Internet offers a print for $400+, but I neglected to bookmark and cannot relocate the source.
The acting is rather flat. The musical numbers are what are worth watching. The singing and dancing are wonderful. It is too bad this movie was made before great sound systems.
I am disappointed that there does not seem to be any videos available of this film. About 15 years ago, it was possible to get a long-play record of the soundtrack, but, sadly, I was too late to buy a copy, because it was deleted from the catalogues. I have requested the showing of the film on British TV, but the reply is - there is no print available. What a shame that this film is a memory only. Someone must know where a print is kept or can be restored.