ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Bereamic Awesome Movie

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Carl Ian Schwartz Rita Hayworth appeared in a "one-two punch" of Technicolor musicals during World War II, the first being "Cover Girl" and the second being "Tonight and Every Night." I'd give "Cover Girl" the edge on songs, as the standard from that film, "Long Ago and Far Away," was had lyrics by Ira Gershwin and the melody was given to Jerome Kern by Ira from his brother's box of unpublished songs at a pre-production meeting in 1943."Tonight and Every Night" is a tribute to the Windmill Theatre, a London fixture of the time that didn't close despite the air raids of the Blitz, the Baby Blitz, and the V1 and V2 raids of 1944-45. The Windmill started with non-stop vaudeville, which was copied, but with the coming of hostilities the management changed the format to tableaux and striptease featuring Phyllis Dixey (subject to a BBC series rebroadcast some years ago on PBS here in the States). Because of a puritanical streak in film-making of the period, stripping was out and general wholesome entertainment was in. A more accurate rendering of the events was released in 2005--"Mrs. Henderson Presents" starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins. It showed how--and why--the programming at the Windmill evolved, and, like "Tonight and Every Night," loses some critical cast members through a direct air raid hit on a neighboring pub. Both films would make a GREAT double-feature!

timothymcclenaghan Do other reviewers dislike this film because it's not a musical comedy? The movie is a drama about musical performers. Didn't anyone ever hear about "drama with music"? Remember "Gilda"? That was a drama with music too, and not a musical comedy.Is it because it doesn't have a happy ending (boy meets girl and ends up together)? We get plenty of that in current films.The story concerns a second-rate English music hall in a tacky old theater. Would you expect brilliant music and fabulous singing and dancing to come from such an environment? The plot concerns characters just trying to do their jobs and entertain the people while London was being bombed to destruction.Let's face it--most movies of that era weren't expected to be great cinema, and weren't expected to last beyond a brief run in movie theaters. So this isn't a "great" movie, but it's enjoyable enough to watch. At least it's in Technicolor!

jotix100 This was the first movie where Rita Hayworth was given credit above the title. It's also the film she did before "Gilda", which would be her triumph. "Tonight and Every Night" is a product of the Hollywood of the late forties, when war themes were not that common. Directed by Victor Saville, the film has some good moments and as Neil Doyle has pointed out in these pages, if you're a fan of Ms. Hayworth, this is a must see! Not that it's one of the best things she ever did on the screen, but it's a good way to spend an evening in good company.The story is based on a theater in London that never stopped operating, even in the worst days of the blitz. It's to the credit of the woman who ran the venue, May Tolliver, that she wanted to keep some sense of sanity when Londoners were going through such a rough time.Rita Hayworth looks lovely dressed by Jean Louis. Lee Bowman plays her love interest, Paul Lindy. We also see Janet Blair, Marc Platt and Florence Bates in supporting roles. Jules Stein's music is not the kind that one keeps repeating after viewing the film.The only thing that hasn't kept well is the Technicolor. The copy we saw recently has not aged well as it shows different skin tones in Ms. Hayworth.Watch it, if only to get a glimpse at the lovely Rita Hayworth!

Robin Moss If anyone wants to understand why the old movie studios could not withstand the competition from television, they should study "Tonight And Every Night", which exemplifies what was wrong with the old Hollywood studio system.The film stars Rita Hayworth, one of the most charismatic and talented actresses ever to appear in movies. She is dressed by Jean Louis and photographed by Rudolph Mate. Apparently Columbia and Harry Cohn thought that was enough. It most certainly is not! The screenplay is utter rubbish. There is almost no story; the dialogue in places is embarrassing; and the scenes where Lee Bowman "pitches" Rita Hayworth are so badly written - and make the Bowman character so unappealing - that it is impossible to believe any woman would have found the man attractive. The only interesting aspect to the story is the unrequited love Marc Platt's character has for Rita's showgirl, and the way he reacts when he realises there is no hope for him. Unfortunately the screenplay does not develop this, and instead lumbers towards a cliché-ridden happy resolution between Rita and Lee Bowman.The songs have very little melody, despite having been written by Jule Styne, one the great tune-smiths of 20th Century popular music. Even worse, the dance numbers do not give Rita a chance to shine. All Jack Coles' routines are energetic, jitterbug affairs with arms and legs all over the place. There is not one elegant routine in the movie, not one moment of grace and poise. Astonishingly, although Rita had already proved in her movies with Fred Astaire that she was one of the great romantic dancers, she is not given a dance with a man - except for a few steps with Marc Platt before the camera pans away to focus on an uninteresting chorus line! As was often the case in Rita's colour movies in the 1940's, she was impeded by the make-up department who put far too much rouge on her face. Rita was in the early stages of pregnancy when she made this movie, and occasionally it shows. Her breasts are bigger than normal - no man will complain about that! - and in the "Boy I Left Behind" duet with Janet Blair, Rita's lower stomach gives the game away."Tonight And Every Night" was not the worst film Rita made for Columbia: "Down To Earth" is far worse. "Tonight And Every Night" does, however, demonstrate how lazy and careless the old Hollywood studios were in the period before television.It would have been easy for Columbia to have worked out a proper story line, to have pointed out to Jack Cole that Rita Hayworth needed a variety of dance numbers including at least one elegant, romantic routine, and to have given her a leading man who could dance.