Synopsis
A Woman Who Turned from Ice to Fire!
A young opera singer finds her career stalled because of her cold and passionless performances, until she finds romance with a handsome admirer.
Tonight or Never
Cast
Director
Producer
Writers
Original Writer
Editor
Cinematography
Set Decoration
Composer
Costume Design
Studios
Country
Language
Alternative Titles
Esta noche o nunca, Тази вечер или никога, Cette nuit ou jamais
Releases by Date
Theatrical
-
USANR
Releases by Country
USA
04 Jan 1931
- TheatricalNR
Popular reviews
More-
Poor Melvyn Douglas, his very first film appearance and before he even opens his mouth he’s labeled a male streetwalker, and a gigolo who’s had ‘a bunch of aunts’.
That's the starting point for Mervyn LeRoy's pre-code rom-com starring Gloria Swanson as an opera singer whose singing - and career - is being held back due to her never having experienced love or sex.
This flows at the pace of molasses for its first half, although there are fun bits to keep us from tuning out altogether, and the entertaining payoff comes quick enough.
But first things first. Like a couple of schoolkids our two protagonists pass messages along to each other using intermediaries (in the case of Gloria that’s…
-
Based on a Hungarian play that appeared on Broadway in 1930, Tonight or Never stars the majority of that cast (with the addition of Gloria Swanson, who was brought in to play opera diva Nella Vago), including Melvyn Douglas, who made his screen debut as Jim Fletcher, the gigolo-except-not.
This is the second movie I’ve watched in the last 24 hours in which Melvyn Douglas being domineering has sexually and emotionally awakened a screen legend — here, Swanson, there, Joan Crawford. (Which I do not hate, but absolutely feel bad about not hating.) Interestingly, though the relevant scene here is far less sexy than the one in They All Kissed the Bride, the Hays office nevertheless found it sexy enough to…
-
🗣️ THIS MOVIE IS FOR HORNY BITCHES ONLY! 🗣️ If this movie didn’t make you feel feral, if you didn’t get this movie, it’s probably cause you’re not a horny bitch like me! Sorry!!! 🤷🏽
-
68/100
First time watching Gloria Swanson outside Sunset Blvd, would've preferred that to be a silent but this was fine too. This took some time to get going but overall was a nice romantic comedy. Melvyn Douglas is great on his debut. -
Gloria Swanson was one of the most beautiful stars of the silent screen, and by this early talkie was a veteran of more than fifteen years in the cinema. At thirty-two she is still a glamorous and striking lady who shows ease and style in the new medium of sound.
She plays a highly-strung and sexy opera singer who sparkles and teases her leading man, Melvyn Douglas (in one of his first roles showcasing his comedy romantic side). Their scenes together are full of innuendo and amusement, although the best quip comes earlier when Douglas is told he 'wants to be her [Swanson's] alarm clock'.
Not bothered by plot, this is simply a bit of froth and fun directed by…
-
It has some pre-code charm but I really wanted it to be, like, 25% more tawdry.
-
”I’ve had plenty of chicken sandwiches on dry toast. Tonight, I will dine in a restaurant.”
So - this is really opera diva Gloria Swanson desperately needing to get laid by presumed-gigolo Melvyn Douglas so she can achieve passion and greatness as an artist? That’s what we’re doing here? Okay, just wanted to be sure.
With Mervyn LeRoy and Gregg “Citizen Kane” Toland behind the lens, Swanson is luminous in this adaptation of a Broadway-produced Hungarian play, but I’m still just dumbstruck that the entirety of this exercise is Gloria deciding whether she’s bothered by Douglas cohabiting with a filthy-rich older woman or simply . . . bothered? I will say, petty though it may be, imagining the Hays staffers’…
-
I'm doing a project on Melvyn for my Creative Thinking class and while working on it I was continuously reminded that I had yet to see his screen debut, Tonight or Never. The only reason for this was that I was waiting to find a copy of the film that had high resolution but today I just couldn't wait anymore and watched a version I found online. WELL I loved every second of it and I've already replayed Melvyn's scenes a few times over. I just love him what can I say? Gloria Swanson is amazing as always, and the chemistry between the two of them was electric. The entire scene with the two of them in his hotel room brought me so much joy!!
-
I liked this way more than maybe it deserves. The back and forth between Swanson and Douglas when she goes up to his apartment is so good. Probably my favorite pre-code I've seen in a while; i.e., I liked this one unironically! Tosca features prominently.
Watched on HBO Max.
-
Gloria Swanson's opera star is constantly told she lacks passion and decides to make up for it with Melvyn Douglas.
Like so many modern viewers my understanding of Swanson is 90% Sunset Blvd and 10% gossip about the Kennedys (or James Elroy's version of same anyway) it was great to see her here as a sexy and funny 32 year old perfectly at ease with dialogue based comedy.
The acting and direction is a weird mixture of silent and talkie, quite a few of the scenes feel like they would be perfectly clear and enjoyable without words but the movie also has a genuinely playful and witty script that would quite happily pass as forgotten Lubitsch.
Melvyn Douglas is here…
-
Lubitsch lite vehicle for Gloria Swanson, handled by Mervyn LeRoy with a sensual gaze that isn’t very recurring in his work. Swanson is quite good, as is Melvyn Douglas in his film debut. It can be a bit uneven in spots, but there is something irresistible in all the innuendo.
-
A largely dull affair with a miscast Gloria Swanson as an opera diva who wants to give it all up for a suave gigolo (a dashing Melvyn Douglas). I can understand why Swanson's career dissipated after the advent of talking pictures. Her nasally voice, along with her very particular physical appearance, made it difficult to find roles that suited her as well as her later one in Sunset Boulevard. The haughtiness with which she approached her roles was also alienating and tiresome to watch. Combine that with the fact that she has no chemistry with Melvyn Douglas, and this is just not a thrilling film. Aside from Douglas, the one thing I did enjoy about it was its inventive cinematography.…