Evelyn Laye Movies
Imported to Hollywood by producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1930, British operetta star Evelyn Laye immediately laid an egg. It wasn't her fault, though; she was extremely pretty and competently sang "Along the Road of Dreams" but One Heavenly Night's libretto was totally manufactured and leading man John Boles stiff as a board. As a consequence of the operetta failure, Goldwyn refused to ever cast Laye, Boles, Lilyan Tashman, and even comedian Leon Errol in any future ventures. On-stage from the age of 15, Laye became a major star in Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet, which she brought to Broadway in 1929. There would be several subsequent Hollywood films and she was back on Broadway in Sweet Aloes (1936) and Between the Devil but she was never as successful in America as in London's West End, where she continued to perform well into her late eighties. Laye was married to British comedian Sonnie Hale (who reportedly left her for musical comedy star Jessie Matthews) and actor Frank Lawton, who played the adult David in David O. Selznick's well-remembered version of David Copperfield (1935). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1988
As indicated by the title, The Woman He Loved is the story of the romance between Britain's King Edward VII (Anthony Andrews) and American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson (Jane Seymour). Forbidden by the Church of England and Royal Protocol to wed Mrs. Simpson, Edward abdicates in 1936, spending the rest of his life with his beloved Wallis as the world's most visible non-paying guest. Told in flashback (Wallis, preparing for Edward's funeral in 1972, reflects on their life together), this made-for-TV movie manages to sidestep the pricklier aspects of Edward's post-monarch existence, notably his heavy drinking, his flirtation with Nazism his attempts to avoid military service during World War II. Olivia De Havilland, Julie Harris, Robert Hardy, Lucy Gutteridge and Phyllis Calvert are among the familiar faces dotting the supporting cast. The Woman He Loved was first telecast April 3, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
This drama is about a lonely young girl who fantasizes about adventures with Peter Pan and develops a friendship with a lonely old woman to escape her sadness. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- PG
Jean Simmons is a housewife on a brief shopping trip to London. A young, unemployed lout (Leonard Whiting) who, seeing her on the inbound train, sets his sights on her, and tries to get a response from her as he chases her all over town. At one point desperate, he steals her purse so that he will be the one chased. Eventually, he breaks down her reserve and they are able to meet properly, converse, and get to know one another. A romantic energy has developed in their relationship as the unlikely twosome joins together briefly. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Parisian murders centered around a theater seem to have a vampiric theme as police try to figure out who is behind them. Christopher Lee stars in this horror-mystery as the director of the playhouse--and the prime suspect. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1959
A persuasive ad man cons a British TV makeup artist to slip in a promotion for Bonko Detergent during a show in this comedy. The ploy is a success until the makeup man is fired. He and the ad man team up and create a pirate station that broadcasts their commercials into other shows. They soon find themselves in trouble when thieves, believing their roving broadcast van is filled with gold, steal the vehicle. The adman radios the police and the robbers are captured. This leads him to get a new job with the television network. The makeup man then interrupts the man's first show with his commercials. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arthur Askey, Sidney James, (more)
- 1946
In this musical, a woman finds herself the apex in a triangle of love. On one side is her devoted husband, an ex-fighter pilot. On the other there is her old love. When her husband realizes that she is attracted to the latter, he does the noble thing and allows her to wealthy former love. In return, the equally honorable other man talks her into returning to her spouse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Based on a story by Vicki Baum, the Sigmund Romberg-Oscar Hammerstein operetta The Night is Young is set in Vienna during the Franz Josef era. To cover up an affair with the married Countess Rafay (Rosalind Russell), Archduke Gustave (Ramon Novarro), the emperor's nephew, feigns a romance with ballet dancer Lisi (Evelyn Laye). By the time Gustave realizes how much he truly cares for Lisi, the stern Franz Josef (played by Henry Stephenson) admonishes the young man to honor duty over love and to enter into a pre-arranged marriage of state. After a tearful rendition of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," Gustave and Lisi bid one another their last farewell. This relentless parade of "Student Prince" cliches is relieved somewhat by the comic expertise of supporting players Una Merkel and Charles Butterworth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramon Novarro, Evelyn Laye, (more)
- 1935
To save her country from revolutionaries, a princess decides to accept the marriage proposal of a neighboring king she has never met. The king then assigns a naval commander to escort the princess to his kingdom, but unfortunately, the escort is captured in a revolt and the only way he and the princess can escape is to get married. They go through many trials before reaching the kingdom where they are told to have their marriage annulled. But as this film is a romance, the couple, who are by now, truly in love, refuse and must then escape from the angry king. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Laye, Henry Wilcoxon, (more)
- 1934
Evensong is based on the teary novel by Beverly Nichols, which had previously spawned a lachrymose (and enormously successful) stage play (Kismet) by Nichols and Edward Knoblock. The stunning Evelyn Laye stars as Irela, an Irish prima donna who rises to success sans a lover to share it with. Her domineering manager Kober (Fritz Kortner) has spent his entire career forbidding Irela to seek out romance, and as a result she loses the one true love of her life, handsome Archduke Theodore (Carl Esmond). The drama reaches an emotional high tide when the elderly, washed-up Irela sits alone in her dingy dressing room, with only the scratchy recordings of her old songs to keep her company. Evelyn Laye made only a handful of film appearances, of which Evensong was arguably her finest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Laye, Fritz Kortner, (more)
- 1933
In this musical, a loose adaptation of Strauss' opera Die Fledermaus, a writer goes to Vienna to supposedly research his new book. Actually he is going to have a few flings. His wife catches on and accosts him at a magnificent costume ball. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Laye, Gina Malo, (more)
- 1931
Samuel Goldwyn attempted to turn British operetta star Evelyn Laye into another Jeanette MacDonald with this cardboard romance that proved a disaster at the operetta-weary box office. Laye plays Lilli, a demure flower girl at a Budapest theater who worships the show's star, the temperamental and highly flirtatious Fritzi Yajos (Lilyan Tashman), despite the admonitions of her friend Otto (Leon Errol). Fritzi, however, commits one indiscretion too many and the local prefect of police (Henry Kolker) orders her to take a six months "vacation" in the country, but the highly combustible chanteuse is loath to leave her many lovers and convinces Lilli to go in her stead. When the attractive girl arrives in the provincial town of Zuppa, she becomes the target of handsome but shallow Count Mirko Tibor (John Boles), who is merely out to make yet another conquest. Needless to say, the count has fallen head over heels in love with the surprisingly decorous "star," and she with him, when the real Fritzi makes her belated appearance. Miss Laye sings Bruno Granichstaedten, Edward Eliscu, and Clifford Grey's lilting "Along the Road of Dreams"; Nacio Herb Brown's "Heavenly Night (When Evening Is Near)" with John Boles; and "Goodnight Serenade." Lilyan Tashman performs Granichstaedten's "I Belong to Everybody." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Laye, John Boles, (more)
