Whatever happened to Charm? If you have by any chance forgotten (and who could blame you?), consult Webster’s dictionary (not Wikipedia). To wit: “that which pleases irresistibly; that which delights the heart.” And then look no further than this classic film musical.

Delighting the heart, that’s what happens here. It’s a kind of fairy tale with a beautiful princess (MacDonald), who is in effect trapped in a castle, and a Parisian tailor (Chevalier) posing as a baron, who of course rescues her. It’s artfully plotted, but just as important are the style, wit, sophistication and romance. As one critic has suggested, it’s as though the entire film is one 96-minute song – actually nine of them written by Rodgers & Hart in their only Hollywood triumph. And the nine include three standards: “Isn’t It Romantic?,” “Mimi” and “Lover.”

This is pure cinema thanks to the innovations of Armenian-born director Rouben Mamoulian, a man nearly forgotten today, who found his own version of the charm pioneered by Ernst Lubitsch, and who had the formidable skill to work in both film and onstage, guiding the Broadway productions of Oklahoma! and Carousel.

In my view, Love Me Tonight is timeless, despite MacDonald’s operetta-ish soprano and Chevalier’s semi-rakishness. The duo are the apex of chemistry…and charm.

Isn’t it romantic? Don’t take my word for it; Leonard Maltin calls Love Me Tonight “one of the best film musicals ever made.”