One Heavenly Night (1930)

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Blistering performances.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Evelyn Laye and John Boles are absolutely charming. The musical sections are quite beautiful my only complaint is that there isn't enough music. Much of the music seems to have been tragically cut out of the film before release due to the public's untimely distaste for musical at the time of the release of this film. By the time musicals became popular again, operettas of this classy type had unfortunately gone out of fashion. Rare chance to see one of the last of the first wave of musicals (1929-1931) from Hollywood (and in my opinion, it's best and most tasteful period). By the time the second wave came in 1932, musical films too a decidedly more low-brow approach with more emphasis being given to low comedy as opposed to classy tasteful music.

"Caught in her Own Love Trap... she could not stem The Fury of His Love!" screams the poster that was used to advertise this 1930 musical/operetta. If only it were true... Even though elegantly produced by Samuel Goldwyn, "One Heavenly Night" became one of the big flops of the year and the passing decades have not been kind to it. This "talkies" screen debut of West End singing star Evelyn Laye was obviously intended to launch her on a musical film career in Hollywood, but both critics and audience rightly perceived the flick as a turkey, and Miss Laye's career as a screen song siren never materialized. In fairness to the lady, it's difficult to imagine what vocal and thespian powers she might have drawn upon to overcome the stale script, the so-so music, and the stilted performances of her co-actors (including John Boles and a painfully unfunny Leon Errol). It's nice to know that -- after being bruised by Tinseltown -- Evelyn Laye returned to a long and highly successful career on the British stage and died in the 1990's, much loved and appreciated by her audiences, at the ripe old age of 95. As for "One Heavenly Night," if you get the opportunity to see it... don't...

Evelyn Laye who was one of the great musical performers of the London stage made only a few films at this point of her career and this one being only one of two she did in Hollywood. Later on as a character actress she did much work on the big and small screen. This rather uninspired vehicle does afford one an opportunity to see her in her prime.Sam Goldwyn who produced it knew he had a turkey on his hands, it is fairly obvious that a full musical score was written for this and numbers must have been cut right and left. It didn't help too much.The plot is similar to something Laye's American contemporary Marilyn Miller might have done on stage. Laye is a poor flower girl working in a theater in Budapest. The star Lilyan Tashman who is a wild child causes a riot and is ordered out of town. Laye agrees to go in her place and Tashman decides to hide out.But the local lord of the place she's exiled to, Count John Boles who is also the police prefect is a bit of a rake and he's planning a little fun and frolic because he's heard of Tashman's reputation. Laye who really likes what she sees in Boles is kind of torn as to how to behave, be her good girl self or be the party animal Boles was expecting.Leon Errol is in this film as Laye's friend and confidante and you know how bad the film is because Errol's famous drunk act takes up a lot more footage than normal. Leon Errol was a fine performer, but not in the dose we got here. Errol's comic relief becomes the show.For those who like Eddy/MacDonald operetta even they will be bored with One Heavenly Night.Speaking of Jeanette and Nelson, Evelyn Laye was in the original cast of Bittersweet on stage. Now if she had filmed that it would have been worth preserving.

This original operetta was a flop in 1930 and still is, despite good production values (no surprise, with Goldwyn as producer) a shimmering leading lady (Evelyn Laye) and a fun supporting turn by Lilyan Tashman. The songs by Clifford Grey, Herb Nacio Brown, Edward Eliscu and Bruno Granichstaedten are mildly pleasant, nothing more, and a musical with a boring book (by Sidney Howard, of all people!) needs superior songs to float, and these second- rate numbers don't help. Finally the enterprise sinks completely during long and tiresome slapstick routines performed by Leon Errol. Sometimes the viewer wonders whether this production was meant to be a conventional operetta or a variety show. John Boles as the romantic lead exudes more energy than in his straight dramatic roles and sings well, but not often enough to put a dent in the tedium. Students of cultural history will find this film interesting as an example of why screen musicals became unpopular for a time. It's too bad Laye had to be in a turkey for her American sound film debut. She had everything it took to be a major player.