Kiss Me Again (1931) Review: A Quaint, Uneven Trip Back in Time 💔

So, Kiss Me Again from 1931. Is it worth tracking down today? Look, if you’re deep into pre-Code curiosities, or just genuinely fascinated by how early sound films tried to figure themselves out, then yeah, maybe. For anyone else just looking for a good movie? Probably a skip. It’s a very specific taste, almost like a historical document more than a casual watch. 🎭

The premise is classic melodrama. A dashing Legionnaire, played by Walter Pidgeon, is totally smitten with an opera singer wannabe. But, oh no, duty calls! He’s supposed to marry the General’s daughter. And guess what? She’s got eyes for someone else too. It's a whole criss-cross of affections.

Pidgeon here, even in 1931, has that familiar leading man presence. He’s got the chin, the voice. You can see why he stuck around. But the acting style… it’s a lot. Very grand gestures, big pronouncements. It’s like everyone’s still playing to the back row of a theatre, even with microphones right there.

One scene that sticks out is when our aspiring opera singer, played by Bernice Claire, just belts out a song. And then another. And another. The film often feels like it's stopping for a concert. It makes sense, given the 'aspiring opera singer' angle, but it really breaks up what little dramatic momentum there is. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you this moment matters. 🎶

Edward Everett Horton is in this, too. He’s always a treat, isn't he? He brings his usual fast-talking, slightly flustered energy. He’s the comic relief, pretty much, and his scenes feel like they’re from a totally different, much breezier film. It’s a bit jarring, actually, but also a welcome break from all the serious looks and dramatic sighs.

The Foreign Legion setting is mostly just… a setting. Not much grit or realism. It's more of a costume drama backdrop for all the romantic angst. The uniforms are crisp, the desert looks surprisingly clean. It's Hollywood's idea of the Legion, for sure.

There's a moment, not really important to the plot, where a character delivers a line with such *intense* sincerity, about something pretty mundane. It’s almost funny how committed they are. Like, the silence that follows goes on about 10 seconds too long, and it starts to feel awkward rather than emotional. You just kind of wonder what the director was thinking there. 😂

The pacing is pretty uneven. We get these bursts of plot, then a song, then some more talking. It’s not exactly zipping along. You really have to settle into a different rhythm to watch films from this era. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just makes you check the clock.

The sound quality, as you’d expect for 1931, isn’t always pristine. Sometimes voices boom, sometimes they’re a little muffled. It’s part of the charm, I guess, or maybe just part of the experience. It reminds you how far technology has come.

Ultimately, Kiss Me Again is a curio. It’s a snapshot of a particular time in Hollywood, when they were still figuring out how to tell stories with sound. It's not a lost masterpiece, but it’s interesting for what it represents. Don’t go in expecting modern pacing or subtle performances. Go in expecting a peek into the past, with all its earnestness and theatricality.

Little Things I Noticed:

• The General’s uniform always seemed *too* clean.
• The way characters always seem to be standing perfectly still when delivering important lines.
• Lots of dramatic stares into the middle distance.
• One of the background actors had a truly magnificent mustache.
• The sets, especially the opera house, felt very much like… well, sets. Not real places.
• The film gets noticeably better once Edward Everett Horton shows up.