THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE

THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE (1934). Director: William K. Howard.

It's love at first sight when aspiring composer Victor Florescu (Ramon Novarro) meets American composer Shirley Sheridan (Jeanette MacDonald) in Brussels -- although she at first doesn't feel the same. When her career begins to take off, producer Jules Daudet (Frank Morgan), who loves Shirley himself, convinces Victor to leave her before she abandons her dreams out of love for him. Novarro, with charm to spare, has one of his best roles and he and the able MacDonald have chemistry together. Vivienne Segal also scores as the sexy Odette, who plans to make a comeback in Victor's operetta. (Segal starred in Pal Joey on Broadway and mostly appeared on the stage.) This is fluff, but it's well turned out and features some wonderful songs by Jerome Kern, including "The Night Was Made for Love."

Verdict: If you like musicals and operettas, dig in! ***.