Review of Give Us This Night

I have just seen a video of this little known Paramount Musical and what a luscious treat it is for anyone who loves Great Singing.From the opening title to The End,Jan Kiepura,sings with a magnificent power and beauty that even when heard,is hard to believe.Except for a choral acapella acompanied rendition of Di Quella Pira from Il Trovatore by Verdi.The Music is furnished by Erich Wolgang Korngold and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.The song "Sweet Melody of Love" and "I Mean to Say I Love You" deserve to be better known.The Garden scene from the fictional Opera Romeo and Juliet by Korngold brings the film to a great close. The Story is simple. That of simple Fisherman with a God given voice of gold who meets and fall in love with lovely singer played another fine Opera Star,Gladys Swarthout.He loses her and finally comes to his senses and finds her again.Almost half of the film's running time is music and great music at that.I have searched for this film for years and I can truthfully say."It was worth the Search."