"Tonight and Every Night" (1945)

“Tonight and Every Night” (1945) - Intro

Written by: Josh Lansky

TCM’s “The Essentials”

Intro:

Hi there, I’m Ben Mankiewicz. Welcome to TCM and another addition of “Bob’s Picks” – selections made by Robert Osborne. Up next, another one of Robert’s handpicked titles. From Columbia Pictures in 1945, it’s: “Tonight and Every Night.” The film is a dramatic musical made during World War II and was shot in vivid technicolor. The story is loosely based on a play called “Heart of the City,” set at the famous Windmill Theater in London. The Windmill Theater became famous during World War II after consistently refusing to allow German Air Strikes to interrupt their shows. The story centers around an American actress who’s a hit at the theater. Well that actress is played by real life actress, Rita Hayworth. Hayworth was one of the great pin-up girls of the World War II era and by the time the film was released in 1945, Haworth was a bona-fide superstar. And it was this film where she first received her solo billing, meaning it was her name, and hers alone, inscribed above the title. At this point Rita was twenty-six years old and was Mrs. Orson Welles. Just one year later, in 1946, Hayworth would make the movie which made her an icon worldwide, “Gilda.” The score of the film was written by Sammy Cahn and his writing partner, Jule Styne. The duo wrote songs for Rita and company to perform, including the title song, “Cry and You Cry Alone, “You Excited Me,” and a song which received an Academy Award Nomination for best song of 1945, titled: “Anywhere.” Cahn and Styne were so successful in 1945 that they were actually competing against themselves. Another of their songs was also nominated - “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” from the 1945 musical “Anchors Aweigh.” From director and producer Victor Saville featuring Lee Bowman, Janet Blair, and Rita Hayworth here’s: “Tonight and Every Night.” ******

“Tonight and Every Night” (1945) - Outro

Written by: Josh Lansky

TCM’s “The Essentials”

Outro:

Rita’s role gave her many opportunities to dance and sing, although in reality the singing was borrowed from singer Matha Meers, but none-the-less this was a groundbreaking musical. Today tragic musicals are something we are used to with titles like “West Side Story '' and “Rent” but the tragic ending seen in “Tonight and Every Night” caught 1940’s audiences completely off guard. But it was not Columbia’s intention from the start to break down barriers in the genre of musicals. In fact, it was Columbia’s initial intention to do the film as a straight drama starring Merle Oberon and Ida Lupino. Well that all changed when Rita Hayworth made millions for Columbia Pictures in 1944 with the film, “Cover Girl,” and with that the studio pivoted. The story was altered, and Hayworth was given a lyrical vehicle to anchor. Also did you spot Shelly Winters? If you watch Carefully you can spot her as one of the Showshirls in one of her early career on screen appearances. I’m Ben Mankiewicz and this has been another addition of “Bob’s Picks” Right here, on TCM.