Undescribable Perfection

Memorable, crazy movie

Absolutely Brilliant!

Blistering performances.

This delightful comedy has only one strike against it, so let's get that - or rather him - out of the way quick smart. mean Bonar Colleano. I can't stand him at the best of times but here he is especially obnoxious. True, the character is supposed to be a pain, but Mr Colleano's efforts to irritate the audience go far, far beyond the call of duty. Fortunately his role is comparatively small, so don't let his presence put you off seeing this most entertaining film.Aside from Colleano, the acting throughout is excellent. Nino Martini not only has a great voice but an amazing (for a singer anyway) air of self-deprecation, which is not only unusual but highly winning. As for the charming, if somewhat agreeably self-centered Patricia Roc, she has the best role of her career, and she plays it perfectly. A less skilful actress would be unable to keep such judicious balance. No matter how selfish the character's actions we still like her. No matter how stupid her whims and caprices, we are still firmly on her side.Stanley Holloway does a marvelous pantomime bit as the impressed tramp, the script cleverly managing the plot so that he doesn't speak a single word throughout his comic ordeal. Guy Middleton has his usual part, fortunately not large enough to cause him to out-stay his welcome. There are many delightful cameos, too numerous to list, though we cannot pass by Hugh Wakefield's wonderfully bizarre old-school-tie encounter with Martin Miller, or Irene Worth's superb put-downs.As you all know, I'm a pushover for movies with a movie background. This one is especially fascinating, not only because it brings all the cumbersome panoply of a recording session to the forefront, but because of all the light-hearted jests thrown at the audience. (One unintended jest of course has Christopher Lee in a tiny role as the voluble Willy Fueter's assistant).I could go on and on talking about some of the more interesting scenes, but I'd rather you discovered all the joys of this wonderful little gem yourself. Perhaps "little" is the wrong adjective, as the budget is remarkably lavish by British "A" standards, with lots of eye-catching location photography, pleasing sets and costumes, and hordes of extras milling around. The direction is most pleasantly smooth, even stylish. The normally humdrum Young has excelled himself here. The pace is right, the humor is exquisitely balanced between realism and fantasy, the acting is so winning (with one exception), it's a puzzle how he managed it. Especially as comedy is far from his usual James Bond forte.Other credits are equally adept, with special hurrahs for the arresting camerawork and highly polished film editing. The songs are melodious too.OTHER VIEWS: How come such an irresistibly fascinating, stylishly sophisticated, winningly off-beat, likeably satiric and gently self-mocking comedy has not been discovered by the cultists? It has everything that the undergraduate set most admire in movies. It pokes fun at authorities and officialdom, ridicules pomposity, explodes egos, is anti-conformity and pro individual liberty, is cynical, quick-witted, inventively out-of-the-rut, pleasingly stylish and parades so many amusingly off-beat characters. The facts that the movie is so well made, the songs so tuneful and that cult hero Chris Lee has an early walk-on are yet further assets.

In the first twenty minutes we have rather a funny story.Stanley Holloway is a petty thief who gets into Nino Matinellis train compartment steals his clothes and Walter.When the train arrives at its destination Holloway getting off in Martinellis clothes is mistaken for the singer and taken to a film studio as he is supposed to be starring in a film.There is a truly hilarious sequence where different earpieces are tried on him.Finally he is taken onto a sound stage where he is supposed to sing.Martinellis has found his way to the studios and starts to sing.After that the entertainment comes to an end.Martinellis and Patricia Fox find themselves stranded without any money.The rest is predictable and uninteresting save for a brief appearance by Richard Hearne as a trailblazer.

You'd be forgiven for thinking you were watching It Happened One Night, for that's what One Night With You appears to be loosely based on. In the red corner, the gorgeous Patricia Roc takes on the Claudette Colbert role with splendour. In the blue corner, Nino Martini is a bit old and loose around the jowels to play a Clark Gable, but he at least has a nice singing voice. The pair, total strangers, miss their trains and end up stuck together for the night in Italy, with no food, clothes, or money. A lot ensues before the next morning, including a stay in the local prison! Mary (Roc)'s father, fiance, and lover also tag along for part of the ride. 8/10

'One Night with You' follows the misadventures of a young English woman, Mary (Patricia Roc), in Italy after she misses her train. She stumbles across the path of a charming Italian tenor played by Nino Martini and romance blossoms. Meanwhile the girl's wealthy father and the English fiance she's been promised to, as well as the scrawny Italian man who she had thought she'd marry are hot in pursuit.The dialogue is the reason to watch this film and it comes fast and spiked, although clearly following the formula set by much better known films. I have trouble with Martini as romantic lead, the guy is too old and smug and the relationship came across to me as a womaniser with well worn moves taking advantage of a facile, spoilt and naive young woman. Who could resist the man's voice? Well I could. The stereotypical portrayal of Italians became grating (especially the accents) as well.However, the film did catch my attention when channel surfing for late night TV, and managed to hold it. Oh, and the sets were nice.