The Night Is Young (1935)

"The Night is Young" from 1935 is Ramon Novarro's last film at MGM. His costar was a very popular British performer into her nineties, Evelyn Laye. Una Merkel, Rosalind Russell, and Edward Everett Horton costarred -- you'll recognize the whole cast.Novarro plays an Archduke whose marriage has been arranged to one Princess Matilda; however, he loves another -- Countess Rafay (Russell), but his uncle hates her family.Gustl, as he's called, can sow the wild oats before marrying, but Emperor Franz Josef has to approve and she has to be someone not in the royal circle.Gustl claims love for a ballerina, Lisl Gluck (Laye). She's in love with the ballet company's piano accompanist (Donald Cook),so when she finds out she's just to be a blind, she's fine with it. In return, he will produce her boyfriend's ballet. Well, we all know what happens.Unlike someone else on this board, I wasn't knocked out by the music or, frankly, the singing. Novarro is very charming and dashing, and Laye delightful. There is good acting all around. I'm just not crazy about some of these earlier musicals, even if this music is by Romberg. Perhaps if I liked the singing more...oh, well. This may be just the ticket for you. It's a very sweet story.

I had never heard of this film until I saw it recently on Turner Classic Movies as part or a Ramon Novarro salute. What a charming story! It's quite similar to THE STUDENT PRINCE, but with different songs. "The Night Is Young" and "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" are the two standouts in the musical score, and they are delivered charmingly - several times - by Novarro and his leading lady, the beautiful Evelyn Laye.Before viewing this film, I had just seen Jeannette MacDonald opposite Novarro in THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE. Next to the more famous American soprano, Miss Laye is a breath of fresh air - much less affected and more spontaneous in her acting, with an equally beautifully soprano voice. Perhaps because she is British, her enunciation is far superior to MacDonald's, and the voice is far less shrill in its upper register. Her chemistry with Novarro is wonderfully natural.I don't mean to slight Ramon Novarro. He is, by turns, romantic, playful, wistful, and noble as the situation requires. He has a pleasant singing voice, and he acquits himself quite well in this bittersweet operetta.When one adds in some of the excellent MGM supporting players - Una Merkel, Edward Everett Horton, Henry Stephenson, and Herman Bing - and a relatively thankless role for an as yet still supporting Rosalind Russell, it's a winning formula for passing close to an hour and a half.The story is pure fluff, but what delightful fluff! I would really love to find this on DVD to add to my collection.

"The Night Is Young" was the last film Ramon Novarro made as an MGM player, and ended his decade plus run as a Hollywood movie star. It's moderately successful, but apparently couldn't (at the time) make up for its disastrous predecessor "Laughing Boy" (1934), which failed to attract much money in either foreign or domestic markets. So, MGM and Mr. Novarro agreed to a mutual parting of their ways. There are some who believe Navarro was assisted in his declining popularity, due to his sexual preference.But, in hindsight, "The Night Is Young" looks more like the studio tried to rescue Novarro, after his first across-the-board flop. The production values are high, with many accomplished names appearing in the cast and crew. Novarro looks fit again, arresting a growing chubbiness (unfortunately, his character claims to be twenty-five). MGM took a chance with director Dudley Murphy and leading lady Evelyn Lave, however; if either one or the other were a stronger choice, the film might have worked.Most faulty is the story, which had half of its plot removed. Writer Vicki Baum (of "Grand Hotel" fame) originally wrote that Novarro's Prince picked his Ballerina to test his ability to procreate, before an arranged marriage (herein, to Rosalind Russell). Of course, the Prince falls in love with the Ballerina. Due to the adoption of the Hays Production Code, in 1934, the "sanctity of marriage" clause forbid what was to have originally occurred. See "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" (1927) for the real story.The soundtrack, by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II, begot a big ten-inch #1 hit for Kenny Sargent with Glen Gray's orchestra as "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" / "The Night Is Young" spent nearly half of 1935 on hit parades. Novarro declined an immediate return to MGM as "Ricardo" in The Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera" (which would have charmed many), and returned as the star of Republic's "The Sheik Steps Out" (1937). As usual, it was an unimaginative role choice.***** The Night Is Young (1/11/35) Dudley Murphy ~ Ramon Novarro, Evelyn Laye, Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel

I decided to watch this movie on TCM only because I enjoy Una Merkel and had never seen Ramon Novarro in a "talkie". Other than that,I was expecting a soon-to-be-forgotten piece of fluff. Instead, I discovered a beautifully done film which combined music, romance, and comedy with a bittersweet dramatic ending.As noted by others, Novarro was excellent, Merkel was delightful, and the supporting cast of Charles Butterworth, Edward Everett Horton, Herman Bing, and Henry Stephenson all gave strong performances. But, the accolades belong to Evelyn Laye as the woman who steals Novarro's heart. Like a few of the other reviewers, I, too, had never heard of Ms Laye although I have since learned that she was a big stage star in England before and after this movie. And, it's easy to see why. She was beautiful, charming,had a fine singing voice, and was a talented actress.Similar in theme to Old Heidelberg, The Student Prince, and even Erich von Stroheim's The Wedding March, The Night Is Young has a charm of its own. It does not deserve to be forgotten.