It cannot be stressed enough that in 1934 it was still a relative novelty for many people to be seeing a talking motion picture. The first talking feature film, The Jazz Singer, released in 1927 and was enough of a sensation that studios were in a rush to come up with their own films and their own technologies to bring this new format to the masses, but converting studios to sound takes time, a lot of money, and a whole lot of experimenting to get it right. It soon became apparent that audiences were wanting more than just to hear the speaking voices of the actors they once saw only in silence, so studios were looking at expanding the reach of their stage productions, especially musicals where the stars’ voices were just as famous as their faces. As the technology got better and more reliable, this became a viable way to introduce these stars to a broader audience, one that didn’t have ready access to the opera houses or Broadway stages.
One such actress was Grace Moore. Grace had been making a name for herself on Broadway since 1920, showcasing her powerful operatic voice to anyone who could afford a ticket during the time of the Great Depression. For a time, she studied abroad in France, honing her voice in preparation for a debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in the late 1920s. Early on, though, she was attracted to the motion pictures and wanted to break into that industry, too. That finally happened in 1930 in a little film titled A Lady’s Morals, produced for MGM (Metro) by Irving Thalberg. She would continue to perform at the Metropolitan Opera while also shooting movies for Metro.
Eventually, she landed at Columbia Pictures, where she would make six films for that production company, the first being One Night of Love, a drama that started life out as an unproduced stage play titled Don’t Fall in Love. This production would make full use of her classically trained voice and provide many show-stopping moments where she could demonstrate just how good of a singer she really was. It also secured her an Oscar nomination for her acting, though she ultimately lost out to Claudette Colbert in one of her most iconic roles, Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night.
The film tells the story of opera singer Mary Barrett (Grace Moore) who leaves home with very little money to study music in Milan, Italy. Out of desperation, she takes a job singing in a café where Giulio Monteverdi (Tullio Carminati), a famous vocal coach, hears her. He promises to make her a star, and she agrees to be taught by him. But he also warns her that there cannot be any romance between them as it would distract from her training. When she discovers that she has stage fright as she is preparing for a tour of provincial opera houses, he helps her overcome that, too.
But he cannot deny that he is developing feelings for her, though he refuses to give in to those feelings. Mary, on the other hand, is growing tired of his dominance and discipline as well as developing feelings of jealousy when a former student of his, Lally (Mona Barrie), comes back into the picture. When she wins an invitation to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, Giulio doesn’t believe she is ready. Lally further complicates things by lying to Mary about being involved with Giulio romantically. All of this threatens Mary’s confidence in herself and her ability to go out on stage and sing.
While One Night of Love was an immensely popular film in its day, its reputation has not survived intact after more than ninety years. That is somewhat deserving, too. This is a film that works best as a showcase for Grace’s voice and acting talents but falters when providing an emotional narrative to hang it all on. The relationship between Mary and Giulio never comes across as compelling and instead feels like an excuse to give us scene after scene of her performing some of the most famous opera songs of all time. Your enjoyment of the music will color whether you find it worth the time invested to watch this film, so if you aren’t a fan of opera this film will probably not work for you. If you do love a good operatic number, then there are plenty of places to see just those clips from this film and avoid the rest of it altogether.
A good film is neither too long nor too short but just the right length. You can watch The Marx Brothers in Duck Soup, a film that barely breaks the hour mark, and not feel cheated because of the length. Likewise, Gone With the Wind, at four hours long, doesn’t feel too long because you are invested in the characters and the setting. One Night of Love is merely 84 minutes long, but there are many moments where the pacing is slow and the film is just dragging its feet. There is no emotional investment in the story, and the characters are often unlikable. On top of that, the musical numbers, while excellently performed, are played out in full, grinding the story to a halt. This makes the film feel too long despite being so short.
This is sadly a film that has aged poorly. This was a time when most people couldn’t see a live show like this and had to rely on the motion pictures to experience anything like this. That was enough back then to justify this film being made and explains why it sold so well. But we live in a world where musical theater and live performances are just a click away and we have full access to much better entertainment. That makes a film like One Night of Love quaint and a curiosity more than genuine entertainment. It’s worth watching to see the talented Grace Moore during her prime but it is not something to seek out for repeat viewings.
Academy Award Nominations:
Outstanding Production: Harry Cohn and Everett Riskin
Best Directing: Victor Schertzinger
Best Actress: Grace Moore
Best Music (Scoring): Columbia Studio Music Department (won)
Best Sound Recording: John Livadary (won)
Best Film Editing: Gene Milford
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Release Date: September 5, 1934
Running Time: 83 Minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Grace Moore, Tullio Carminati, and Lyle Talbot
Directed by: Victor Schertzinger
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