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The scene is in a London opera house where the man is taking a deeper interest in the star on the stage than his girlfriend is comfortable with. Suddenly there’s an outburst, and the man from the audience, Basil Rathbone, runs on the stage to prevent a scene, taking a thump on the head for his troubles.
Behind the scene a dramatic, opera romance begins when the leading lady has announced her marriage. The groom seems to be star struck, and unaware of the not so romantic life on the road. If nothing else, there’s plenty of operatic arias for those who enjoy such things. As grand as the opera may be, it’s still show biz, and the glamour fades fast behind the scenes. Will love carry the young lovers along?
Conflicts between the demands of the stage, and real-life business soon clash. The separation of being on the road is too much for our man, but it sends his bride into a tizzy. Before the confrontation begins, it’s time for a commercial break.
In response to Basil’s request for a divorce, the star, Maria, ends her tour to return home, only to find her husband with another woman. When the sparks stop flying, they try to give it another go. The reunion is short lived, and the relationship seems beyond repair. What is there to do? Move on.
Maria is still torn between her desire to be with her two loves, the stage, and her man. She hits the stage, but it’s empty. Can she settle down, and learn to be a wife? As the lovers come to grips with their relationship, they have to figure out whether its true love, or just emotions. The second break is a big plug for the next film that Cecil B DeMill is working on, the Buccaneer.
In these climactic scenes, the opera star sings for nobody but her man, and he has turned his back on all other distractions but for her. All their outside relationships, and commitments start demanding attention and lay on the pressure to split them apart.
For me, the ending was a little confusing. It was looking like the last decision to be made was to break up, and flee the country, or break up under the pressure of bad press from the newspapers. Though the ending is abrupt, there’s one last aria to be sung.
