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A bayou fisherman of deplorable social graces but endowed with a wonderfully resonant, if unschooled voice (Mario Lanza) is discovered by the director of the New Orleans French Opera (David Niven), and falls in love with the prima donna, a refined young soprano (Kathryn Grayson).I never thought I would say this, opera fan that I am, but 'Toast of New Orleans' boasts altogether too much singing to keep the admittedly meager narrative afloat. And the singing is not, honestly, always of the highest possible standard, Lanza as well as Grayson aiming for rather coarse, stylistically 'wrong' effects rather than finesse, and their Italian and French leave much to be desired. Having said that, the climactic love duet from 'Madame Butterfly', which actually has a meaning in the film beyond that of pretty sounds, works brilliantly, and the involved cinematography of that penultimate scene helps the drama along.There isn't so much else in the film. What it wants is to entertain us with gorgeous music and good-looking stars, and it does just that. That may not be enough to engage very many TV viewers in this day and age, but if you like opera and if you are none too puritanical about how it is done, you're probably in for a good time.
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