Under Your Spell (1936)

A famous singer, bored with music and fans, goes to live in Mexico. His manager sends a woman to bring him back. They fall in love.

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Sy Bartlett (story), Bernice Mason (story),

Stars:

Lawrence Tibbett, Wendy Barrie, Gregory Ratoff

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lawrence Tibbett	...	Anthony Allen
Wendy Barrie	...	Cynthia Drexel
Gregory Ratoff	...	Petroff
Arthur Treacher	...	Botts
Gregory Gaye	...	Count Raul Du Rienne
Berton Churchill	...	Judge
Jed Prouty	...	Mr. Twerp
Claudia Coleman	...	Mrs. Twerp
Charles Richman	...	Uncle Bob
Madge Bellamy	...	Miss Stafford
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Troy Brown Sr.	...	Porter (as Troy Brown)

Storyline

Anthony Allen is a former cowboy who has become a famous concert singer and star. His manager, Ptroff, is so good that he has lined up more dates and concerts that Allen can possibly do, so Allen heads west to his old profession. This leaves Petroff with a problem or two, and also leaves Cynthia Drekel, a spoiled socialite, with one of her own; she has made a bet that if she can't get Allen to sing at a party she is throwing she will marry a worthless young nobleman, Count Raul Du Rienne, who has been pursuing her...and her money. Since they don't come any more worthless than Count Raul Du Rienne, Cythia saddles up and heads west to bring back Allen. Actually, she takes an airplane.

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Plot Keywords:

manager | concert | singer | airplane | cowboy | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amigo

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remake of Las fronteras del amor (1934)

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Soundtracks

"Largo al factotum"
from "Il barbiere di Siviglia"
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Libretto by Cesare Sterbini

User Reviews

Preminger's first English film; routine & by the numbers.

This film is a pretty routine affair, with none of the participants going out of their way to do anything special. It is Otto Preminger's first English language film, and contains a scene toward the end in a courtroom, one of Preminger's favorite settings. Here, the scene is played for laughs and is easily the film's best.

Lawrence Tibbett was a star of the Metropolitan Opera who tried to bridge the gap between popular and classical music. He was also actually a film star in the early days of talking pictures, being nominated for an Academy award for best actor for 1930's The Rogue Song. Making this B-picture was an indication of how far he sunk, and how low his previous picture was received at the box office, 1935's Metropolitan. How he could have ever been a star at all is a bit of a mystery, as he does lack a bit of charisma, not to mention looks.

Wendy Barrie fairs much better in this movie. In fact, a long close-up of her as she reclines and listens to one of Tibbett's songs on record, is the most beautiful shot in the movie. She was a gorgeous woman and it's a shame she wasn't in more vehicles, be they A or B films. She's great here.

Gregory Ratoff and Arthur Treacher, each with their respective schtick, provide adequate support, which very nearly borders on the annoying.