This Is the Night (1932) in Color — Starring Lili Damita & Charles Ruggles

This Is the Night (1932) – Buy This Pre-Code Comedy in Color

Experience the sparkling wit of This Is the Night (1932) in vivid colorized HD. Directed by Frank Tuttle, this delightful pre-Code romantic comedy features an all-star ensemble cast including Lily Damita, Charles Ruggles, Roland Young, and a young Cary Grant in his very first feature film role. A sophisticated Parisian farce of mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and hilarious complications, the film showcases the urbane wit and risqué charm that defined pre-Code Hollywood at its most entertaining. Now available as a premium digital download for just €15.00 — DRM-free and yours to keep forever.

Plot Summary

Germaine (Lily Damita), the beautiful and flirtatious wife of Olympic javelin champion Stephen (Cary Grant), is carrying on a secret affair with the charming but hapless Gerald (Roland Young). When Stephen unexpectedly returns early from the Olympics, Gerald and his friend Bunny (Charles Ruggles) must scramble to conceal the affair by producing a “wife” for Gerald — proving that he could not possibly have been pursuing Germaine because he is happily married himself.

The solution to this crisis comes in the form of Claire (Thelma Todd), a beautiful young woman whom Bunny recruits to pose as Gerald’s wife for a single evening. The impersonation, which seems straightforward enough in theory, quickly spirals into magnificent comic chaos. Claire proves far too attractive and vivacious to remain merely a prop in someone else’s deception — Stephen finds himself drawn to this captivating stranger, Gerald discovers he is falling for his pretend wife, and Bunny finds himself mediating an increasingly tangled web of real and manufactured romantic attachments.

The comedy accelerates when the entire group decides to holiday together in Venice, where the confined quarters and romantic atmosphere make the various deceptions increasingly difficult to maintain. Every attempt to simplify the situation creates new complications, as jealousy, genuine attraction, and the sheer momentum of the original lie generate an ever-more-elaborate architecture of farce. The beautiful Venetian setting provides the perfect backdrop for romantic confusions that multiply with every scene, as characters sneak through hotel corridors, stage elaborate distractions, and desperately improvise explanations for increasingly compromising situations.

The film builds to a brilliantly orchestrated climax in which all the deceptions collapse simultaneously, forcing every character to confront the truth about their genuine feelings amid the wreckage of their carefully constructed lies. The resolution pairs everyone with their true romantic match in a satisfying conclusion that rewards honesty over artifice.

Cast & Crew

Director: Frank Tuttle
Stars: Lily Damita, Charlie Ruggles, Roland Young, Thelma Todd, Cary Grant, Irving Bacon

The ensemble cast sparkles with comic chemistry. Roland Young brings his signature dry wit to the hapless Gerald, while Charles Ruggles provides masterful comic support as the long-suffering friend drawn into increasingly absurd situations. Cary Grant, in his very first feature film appearance, already displays the physical grace and natural charm that would make him the greatest romantic comedy star in cinema history. Lily Damita and Thelma Todd provide glamour and sophisticated comic timing.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The glamorous Parisian salons, the romantic Venetian canals and piazzas, the elegant costumes, and the sophisticated settings are all beautifully enhanced through expert colorization. The visual richness of Venice’s architecture and waterways, and the fashionable wardrobes of the pre-Code era, gain particular vitality in colour. Now also available in colour. Own this sparkling pre-Code gem for €15.00 — a delightful addition to your classic comedy collection.

Historical Significance

This Is the Night holds a special place in cinema history as the very first feature film to star Cary Grant, who would become the most celebrated romantic comedy actor in Hollywood history. The film also exemplifies the pre-Code era’s sophisticated approach to romantic comedy, with its frank acknowledgment of extramarital affairs, sexual attraction, and social deception treated with wit rather than moral judgment. The European settings and Continental sensibility reflect Hollywood’s fascination with sophisticated European culture during this period. Through colorization, this historically significant and thoroughly entertaining comedy has been preserved for modern audiences who appreciate the wit and elegance of early Hollywood at its most cosmopolitan.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes – professionally colorized from the original black-and-white
• Audio: Original mono soundtrack
• Runtime: Approximately 78 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes – no restrictions on playback
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this really Cary Grant’s first feature film?
A: Yes, This Is the Night marks Cary Grant’s feature film debut. While his role is not the lead, his natural screen presence is already unmistakable, and the film provides a fascinating glimpse of the legendary star at the very beginning of his career.

Q: How risqué is the pre-Code content?
A: The film treats extramarital affairs and sexual attraction with the characteristic frankness and sophistication of pre-Code Hollywood. There is nothing explicit, but the casual acknowledgment of adult romantic behaviour is noticeably different from the more circumspect films that followed the enforcement of the Production Code in 1934.

Q: Does the film hold up as a comedy?
A: The farcical structure — with its escalating complications, mistaken identities, and brilliant comic timing — is timeless. The ensemble cast delivers the material with polish and precision, and the Venetian setting provides an irresistibly romantic backdrop for the comic chaos.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file in 720p HD resolution, compatible with all major devices and media players.

Q: Is there DRM on this download?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free, meaning you can watch it on any device without restrictions or expiration dates.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchasing?
A: Your download link is available immediately after payment. You can start watching within minutes of completing your purchase.

Related Colorized Classics

• Trouble in Paradise (1932)
• Design for Living (1933)
• The Awful Truth (1937)
• Bringing Up Baby (1938)
• Christmas Holiday (1944) Film in Color —