Here's to Romance
Cast & Crew
Alfred E. Green
Nino Martini
Genevieve Tobin
Anita Louise
Maria Gambarelli
Mme. Ernestine Schumann-heink
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After Rosa, an attractive ballerina, performs for a group at the home of Emery and Kathleen Gerard, Emery, whose philandering ways with past protégées has upset Kathleen, offers to send Rosa to study in Paris for six months. To get back at her husband, Kathleen offers to pay for voice teacher Mme. Schumann-Heink's pupil, Nino Donelli, to study in Paris. Although Nino is distraught at the thought of taking money from a woman, Schumann-Heink, who thinks that he could become the greatest singer in the world, convinces him that the world must hear his voice no matter whose money is spent. Later, when the Gerards visit Paris, Nino has fallen in love with ballerina Lydia Lubov. After Emery learns that Rosa has married, his attention turns to Lydia, who becomes increasingly jealous at Nino's supposed interest in the infatuated Kathleen. After an argument, Nino tells Lydia that he will refuse more money from Kathleen and will work his way to stardom from the provinces like other singers. When Kathleen hears of his plans, she secretly arranges for Nino's debut by buying out the house and paying 10,000 francs for his salary. On the day of his debut, Lydia learns from Emery, who is leaving for New York, that Kathleen has put up the money. Although Nino denies this, Lydia refuses to believe him and accepts Emery's offer to help her come to America. Just before the opera begins, Nino learns from Andriot, the tenor he is replacing, of Kathleen's scheme. Furious, he starts to sing the opening aria, which is sung from behind the curtain, but falters, and Andriot goes on in his place. Later in New York, Carstairs, the head of the Metropolitan Opera Company, will not see Nino because of his disgrace in Paris. When Nino sees an ad for Lydia's performance, he attends and begins to sing uncontrollably from the audience as she dances. He apologizes backstage, but leaves when he sees Emery. After Kathleen happens by chance to hear Nino sing at a five-and-ten cents store's sheet music counter, she tells Schumann-Heink, who arranges for her to meet Carstairs at tea. Overwhelmed with women's requests for him to hear their tenors, Carstairs brushes off Kathleen. Meeting Lydia at the tea, Kathleen reveals that Nino did not know of her scheme in Paris and tells her about seeing him at the store. Lydia succeeds in getting Carstairs to the store, and when he hears Nino, he signs him. After Nino performs in La Tosca , the Gerards reconcile, as do he and Lydia, although he still thinks that he succeeded without anybody's help.
Director
Alfred E. Green
Cast
Nino Martini
Genevieve Tobin
Anita Louise
Maria Gambarelli
Mme. Ernestine Schumann-heink
Reginald Denny
Vicente Escudero
Adrian Rosley
Mathilde Comont
Elsa Buchanan
Miles Mander
Keye Luke
Pat Somerset
Albert Conti
Egon Brecher
Orrin Burke
Armand Kaliz
Leonard Carey
Rudolph Amendt
Wilson Millar
Paul Portanova
Carmita
Andre Cheron
Charles Locher
George Regas
Marcelle Corday
Maurice Brierre
Zaruhi Elmassian
Jean De Briac
Jacques Vanaire
Alice Ardell
Landers Stevens
Edward Mcwade
Miguel Sandoval
Stanley Andrews
Grace Goodall
Charles Fallon
Jack Mulhall
Esther Muir
Persis Cunning
Jeanette Bates
Tavia Dean
Jane Dunber
Jeanne Francis
Marya Nascha
Mary Lorraine
Babs Greenwood
Eileen Greenwood
Peggy Robbins
Elizabeth Hacker
Bobbie Reid
Belle Daube
Louise Bates
Dora Clement
Myrtle Stedman
Frances Morris
Crew
Jasper Blystone
Johannes Brahms
Alfred Bruzlin
Con Conrad
Louis Defrancesco
Cliff Friend
Maria Gambarelli
Maria Gambarelli
Giuseppe Giacosa
Philippe Gille
Ralph Grosvenor
Renè Hubert
Luigi Illica
Jesse L. Lasky
Reginald Leborg
Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Sonya Levien
Herb Magidson
Pietro Mascagni
Jules Massenet
Henri Meilhac
Guido Menasci
Joseph Meyer
Irene Morra
L. W. O'connell
Max Parker
Ernest Pascal
Ernest Pascal
Giacomo Puccini
Arthur Richman
Giovanni Targioni-tozzetti
Jack Yellen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Melody of Life. Opera singers Nino Martini and Mme. Ernestine Schumann-Heink had their film debuts in this picture. According to a New York Times article, the representatives of Mme. Schumann-Heink attempted for the previous ten years to interest the studios in using her in a film based on her life. Because the applause for her at the preview of this film was so great, producer Jesse L. Lasky agreed to make a film based on her life, but after his announcement of intent, M-G-M issued a statement that they signed her for the same type of film. Aboard ship when he heard of Metro's plans, Lasky radioed that he would protest to the Hays Office M-G-M's "unethical action." Ultimately, Mme. Schumann-Heink died the next year, and no film was made of her life. In his autobiography, Lasky said of her, "She was the most spiritual, courageous, wonderful character I've ever met in show business." Lasky also related that the film was being prepared without a star until he heard Martini singing over his car radio. Lasky had auditioned Martini several years earlier in Paris and signed him when he came to Paramount in Hollywood, but Martini was dropped at the first option because parts could not be found worthy of his talent. A number of reviewers commented on the similarity between this film and earlier ones of Grace Moore. According to a news item, Martini popularized the song "I Carry You in My Pocket" over the radio during the season before this film was released, and Brahms' "Lullaby," which Mme. Schumann-Heink sings, was a favorite of hers. Information in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library indicates that in versions of this film distributed outside of the U.S., the arias from Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci were replaced by the songs "Il Principe de Firenze Serenade," music by Louis E. DeFrancesco, lyrics by Miguel Sandoval, and "Delusione," music and lyrics by Miguel Sandoval. According to a news item, a $1,000,000 suit was filed against Twentieth Century-Fox, Movietone Music Corp., Sam Fox Publishing Co., Con Conrad, Herb Magidson and Nino Martini by litigants claiming that the song "Midnight in Paris" was a plagiarism of "Passa L'Amore." Information regarding the result of the suit has not been located.
