I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Producer: Victor Saville. Songs by Sammy Cahn (lyrics) and Jule Styne (music): "You Excite Me" (Mears, danced by Hayworth, Cole and company); "Tonight and Every Night" (Blair, reprized Mears); "Anywhere" (Blair); "The Boy I Left Behind" (Mears, Blair); "Cry and You Cry Alone" (Mears, danced by Hayworth and Platt); "What Does an English Girl Think of a Yank?" (Mears). Music director: Morris Stoloff. Orchestral arrangements: Marlin Skiles. Vocal arrangements: Saul Chaplin. Dances staged by Jack Cole and Val Raset. Copyright 22 February 1945 by Columbia Pictures Corporation. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 8 March 1945 (ran two weeks). U.S. release: 22 February 1945. U.K. release: 21 May 1945. Australian release: 25 October 1945. 8,484 feet. 94 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Based on a real London revue theater, The Windmill, which never missed a single performance during the blitz, the fictitious screen story tells of a wartime romance between a showgirl and a flier. NOTES: "Anywhere" was nominated for Best Song, but lost to "It Might As Well Be Spring", a Rodgers and Hammerstein number from State Fair. Marlin Skiles and Morris Stoloff were nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, losing to Georgie Stoll's Anchors Aweigh. Oddly, although Tonight and Every Night rates as one of the most beautifully photographed Technicolor films ever made, Rudolph Maté's absolutely superb cinematography (which he accomplished without the usual aid of a specialist cameraman from the Technicolor company) was not nominated at all.Film debut of Marc Platt. The character played by Florence Bates was modeled on the formidable real-life Sheila Van Damm.The original stage presentation produced by Gilbert Miller, opened on Broadway in February 1942. The cast featured Gertrude Musgrove, Beverly Roberts, Margot Grahame, Romney Brent, Richard Ainsley, Dennis Hoey and Lloyd Gough.COMMENT: Aside from the lilting "Anywhere" and the title tune, the songs form a most disappointing feature of this otherwise richly endowed musical entertainment. The costumes, the art direction, the dancing and the color cinematography are all nothing short of dazzling. The story maintains the interest more than adequately, the acting varies from spirited (Janet Blair, Marc Platt, Florence Bates) to engrossing (Rita Hayworth) to so-so (Lee Bowman). Direction rates as highly competent. Production values are mind-blowing.OTHER VIEWS: A truly lush production number, "You Excite Me", is probably Rita's all-time best staged and performed song. Another number from this film, "Cry and You Cry Alone", runs a close second. — Gene Ringgold: The Films of Rita Hayworth.

When I first saw this movie I was a 13 year old boy in love with Rita Hayworth. In many ways the movie is a typical 40's musical chick flick. What is not typical is the story based on real events in London during the blitz instead of a contrived plot to frame the musical numbers. (See the recent "Mrs. Henderson Presents".) The story has bravery and tragedy as well as the usual romance and fluff. Also above average are the score by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn as well as the talents of Rita Hayworth, Janet Blair (in a strong second banana role), and Marc Platt, the dancer who went on to be one of the brothers in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers". Without giving away the ending, have your hankie ready.

Do other reviewers dislike this film because it's not a musical comedy? The movie is a drama about musical performers. Didn't anyone ever hear about "drama with music"? Remember "Gilda"? That was a drama with music too, and not a musical comedy.Is it because it doesn't have a happy ending (boy meets girl and ends up together)? We get plenty of that in current films.The story concerns a second-rate English music hall in a tacky old theater. Would you expect brilliant music and fabulous singing and dancing to come from such an environment? The plot concerns characters just trying to do their jobs and entertain the people while London was being bombed to destruction.Let's face it--most movies of that era weren't expected to be great cinema, and weren't expected to last beyond a brief run in movie theaters. So this isn't a "great" movie, but it's enjoyable enough to watch. At least it's in Technicolor!

This is perhaps the worst movie musical ever to emerge from a major Hollywood studio. Everything about it is bad, especially the cheesy sets, the rotten script, and the utterly forgettable music. Check out the dance number with Rita Hayworth and Janet Blair in their long-johns. Poor Rita. Avoid this film unless you're into really bad flicks, just for laughs.