Tonight and Every Night (1945)

A photographer for Life magazine comes to London to do a story on a local theater troupe which never missed a performance during World War II. Flashbacks also reveal the backstage love ... See full summary »

Director:

Victor Saville

Writers:

Lesser Samuels (screenplay), Abem Finkel (screenplay),

Stars:

Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman, Janet Blair

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rita Hayworth	...	Rosalind Bruce
Lee Bowman	...	Squadron Leader Paul Lundy
Janet Blair	...	Judy Kane
Marc Platt	...	Tommy Lawson
Leslie Brooks	...	Angela
Professor Lamberti	...	Fred, (The Great Waldo)
Dusty Anderson	...	Toni
Stephen Crane	...	Observer Leslie Wiggins
Jim Bannon	...	Life Photographer
Florence Bates	...	May Tolliver
Ernest Cossart	...	Sam Royce
Richard Haydn	...	Specialty
Philip Merivale	...	Reverend Gerald Lundy
Patrick O'Moore	...	David Long

Storyline

A photographer for Life magazine comes to London to do a story on a local theater troupe which never missed a performance during World War II. Flashbacks also reveal the backstage love affair between star Rosalind Bruce and a British flyer.

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Plot Keywords:

theater | life magazine | world war two | based on play

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Genres:

Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cette nuit et toujours

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rita Hayworth was pregnant during production. As a result, the musical numbers were filmed first, before the pregnancy began to show. As filming progressed, great care was taken to hide her growing belly with muffs, furniture and purses.

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Goofs

When Rita is putting on the silver dress, the part in her hair jumps from the side to the middle and back again.

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Connections

Featured in Ballets russes (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Anywhere"
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Sung by Janet Blair
Also played on xylophone by Professor Lamberti with Rita Hayworth dancing in the background

User Reviews

London during the blitz

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!