The Toast of New Orleans
| The Toast of New Orleans | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Written by | |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | William Snyder |
| Edited by | Gene Ruggiero |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Loew's |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,889,000 |
| Box office | $3,251,000 |
The Toast of New Orleans is a 1950 MGM musical film directed by Norman Taurog and choreographed by Eugene Loring. It starred Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, David Niven, J. Carrol Naish, James Mitchell and a teenaged Rita Moreno. The film was made in the wake of That Midnight Kiss, Lanza's successful film debut, as an opportunity for Lanza to sing on the big screen again.
Set in Louisiana in 1905, the plot revolves around Pepe Abellard Duvalle, a bayou fisherman with a natural singing talent, who falls in love with opera star soprano Suzette Micheline (Grayson). Micheline's manager (Niven) hears Duvalle sing and invites him to come to New Orleans to sing. Reluctantly, Duvalle allows himself to be groomed for the opera. At first resistant to his advances, Micheline also falls in love with Duvalle, but is disenchanted by his transformation into a cultured gentleman. Ultimately Duvalle regains his former rough charm and the romantic difficulties are resolved.
In addition to selected arias from the operas Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and La traviata, the film includes the song "Be My Love", which was nominated for an Academy Award.
The success of the first screen pairing of Grayson and Lanza, That Midnight Kiss (1949), led quickly to the production of The Toast of New Orleans. Shooting began in late December 1949 and concluded in early March 1950. Thirty-five sets were required; three adjoining sound stages on the MGM lot were combined to house one of the largest indoor sets constructed for a film musical.
...
Wikipedia