I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Producer: Harry Rapf. Copyright 7 January 1935 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. New York opening simultaneously at the Capitol and Loew's Metropolitan in Brooklyn: 13 January 1935. U.K. release: 4 May 1935. Australian release: 12 June 1935. 9 reels. 78 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Prince falls for a ballet dancer. NOTES: A financial disaster all around, forcing Novarro into retirement for the next 14 years and Miss Laye back to England and British films for good. Waspish reviews did not help. All the humorless critics took the ridiculous plot seriously, none realizing it was intended as a send-up. By the time the film arrived in Australia, M-G-M wanted only to bury it. So it was sent out as a support. Only astute audiences in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide took the picture at more than its face value, recognizing the entertaining satire for what it was. COMMENT: Amusing send-up of Ruritanian romance with music by Sigmund Romberg and a libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II. Songs are catchy and extremely well performed. Novarro is better cast than usual. Miss Laye is superb. Director Dudley Murphy has an eye for stylish compositions. He is abetted by James Wong Howe's brilliant camerawork, lovely costumes by Dolly Tree and magnificent sets.It's hard to explain why superlative entertainment like this, with its great score, wonderful cast and fabulous production values, failed so miserably at a box-office that only a few months later was to welcome Naughty Marietta with such frenzied adulation. Certainly Novarro's star was waning. Audiences hadn't really taken to him since he'd started to speak. His voice was felt to be too light for the roles he was often called upon to play. By the time he was more happily cast, it was too late.

It takes a special sort of person to enjoy this film--a person who likes ultra-sappy operetta music. So, if you think that Janette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy films are the greatest things EVER, then you'll no doubt enjoy "The Night is Young"--even though neither of these stars are in the film. However, I do not, as I happen to be sane!! Sure, a few of the songs (the ones without the opera-like singing) are cute, but for the most part, when Evelyn Laye sings, I felt like screaming. It's amazing that such high-pitched caterwauling was popular in the 1930s and 40s, but today you'd be very, very hard-pressed to find anyone who'd like this sort of 'singing'. Oddly, however, Charles Butterworth of all people sang quite a bit in the film--even though he's certainly not a singer with his thin voice. But despite this, he was a delight throughout the film--even when he sang.The story is likely inspired by a sad true-life story. Back in the late 19th century, Crown Prince Rudolf of the Austria-Hungarian empire fell for a woman of not especially noble birth. His father (Emperor Franz Josef) forbade the romance--as love has nothing to do with marriage! Franz Josef's own marriage was a loveless disaster and by gum, so would Rudolf's--marriages were simply ways of forging political alliances...period. So, in a very tragic turn, it appears that Rudolf killed his lover and then himself! None of this is alluded to in the film. Instead, Franz Josef has ANOTHER son (something he did not have in real life) and this one also falls for a commoner--but with non-tragic results.The perennial lover of the 20s and 30s, Ramon Novarro, plays the handsome Prince. While he was always very good in such roles, it seemed weird that this guy had a strong Mexican accent. Laye (a really, really bad name for an actress) plays the commoner who ADORES singing. As for Una Merkel and Butterworth, they were welcome as comic relief. Oddly, however, the usually wonderful Edward Everett Horton (one of the best comic supporting actors of his age) was mostly wasted and had little opportunity to play his usual lovable befuddled self.Overall, the film had quite a few cute moments and the romance wasn't bad, but the singing had the effect of derailing the film. Too old fashioned and too schmaltzy, this film could have been lovely, but is simply not worth your time unless you are a die-hard Butterworth fan!

Ramon Navarro was a real talent. I'd never heard of Ms. Laye and was stunned at her beauty which was fantastic. She was the most beautiful woman on the screen at that time in my opinion. Mr. Navarro must have been very gay to resist her.It was very unusual in the Hollywood days of - boy meets girl (often proposing marriage immediately), which leads to their eventually living happily ever after, that such a happy/funny romantic movie ends in such sadness for the protagonists. I was moved.

Evelyn Laye is the standout amoung a cast of familiar 30's character actors. I never saw her before and she walks away with this film. It seems she dropped out of the movies after this to work on stage again. The rest of the cast is fine and the photography and direction are stand outs. It's occasionally on TCM here in the US. The print is in very good shape but the audio is fuzzy in a few scenes. Recommended