An amiable, unpretentious little "cinemusical," Every Night at Eight was hardly fresh even upon its release in 1935. But, as with so many musicals of the period, plot is not what one watches them for. Night features the typical "talented girl(s) not appreciated by the leading man" variation on a familiar theme, set at an amateur hour and in the radio and nightclub world. There are the usual misunderstandings and lack of insight on the part of the work-a-holic band leader, and of course the romantic pairing that is inevitable but which is kept from reaching fruition until the end of the picture. Yet despite this familiarity, Night has an undeniable charm, due in large part to the attractive personalities that are attached to the film. Patsy KellY is in great wisecracking form (and gets to look much better than in almost any other movie), a young Alice Faye struts her creamy vocal stuff, and Frances Langford makes up for her unexceptional acting with her sincerity and her lovely voice, especially on her signature "I'm in the Mood for Love." And George Raft makes being hard-nosed seem rather appealing. The Jimmy McHugh-Dorothy Fields score is very easy on the ears, with the standard "I Feel a Song Coming On' benefiting not only from the trio of star ladies but from a notable vocal contribution from James Miller. Night is silly stuff, but it goes down smooth.
by Craig Butler
review
