Maidgethma Wonderfully offbeat film!

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

TheLittleSongbird Metropolitan, what can I say? A real musical treat of a film. The story is not exactly familiar territory, but the production values for example are really well done, with lovely lighting, exquisite costumes and spacious settings. Even better is the music, a real treasure trove of operatic highlights especially Largo Al Factotum, Pagliacci and The Toreador's Song. Even better than that is the performance of Lawrence Tibbet, he doesn't quite have the looks of Nelson Eddy for example but what more than compensates is his exciting presence on film and his enormously resonant voice. Virginia Bruce and Alice Brady both look alluring and sing beautifully, although Bruce's Micaela sometimes lacks warmth and this detracts from the poignancy of the role. Overall, for fans of Lawrence Tibbett and opera this is a real delight. 8/10 Bethany Cox

donlemc Virginia Bruce was one of those,I know the face but i cant remember the name stars.She deserved better.A very pretty young woman, and a convincing actress, was Miss Bruce.She was however overshadowed by the Irene Dunnes, Norma Shearers,Greta Garbos that reigned Hollywood supreme.She was of those able and sometimes forgettable actresses such as Karen Morley,Frieda Inescort,Kay Johnson. However in Metropolitan, she shines in her own gentle, ladylike way.Lawrence Tibbett the great operatic baritone has some glorious moments and some great arias and songs.Miss Bruce is his love interest and if that is her singing ,which I doubt; she had a lovely voice as well. The great silent star, Alice Brady is brilliant, as the temperamental opera diva.The movie moves along at a good pace and has a nice 30's plot.It is an enjoyable film for the cultured, over 40s viewer.What a joy to not be immersed in political correctness or cringe at 4 letter words. With a cast like Tibbett, Bruce and Brady how could you go wrong?

blanche-2 "Metropolitan" is a real find for opera lovers, with its absolutely glorious music and the heroic singing of opera star Lawrence Tibbett, one of opera's very brightest lights in the 1930s. Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, "Metropolitan" showcases Tibbett in an absolutely ridiculous plot that features actors Alice Brady, Cesar Romero, Virginia Bruce, Walter Brennan and others. Brady, who later won an Oscar as Mrs. O'Leary in "In Old Chicago" is the stereotypical temperamental diva who forms her own opera company and keeps changing the premier opera every five minutes. First, it's Barber of Seville so we can hear Tibbett do "Largo al Factotum" - and Tibbett's is the version I was raised on; then after an angry fit, she decides to do Carmen - thus, we hear Tibbett do "The Toreador Song." Finally, after hearing Virginia Bruce sing "Micaela's Aria," she decides to banish the company. The group gets back on its feet before opening and decide to do "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Pagliacci" instead! Those poor ticket holders! No idea what they were going to see, but we got to see Tibbett rehearse those glorious numbers plus perform "Si puo" at the end. One wonders what the vicious diva considered herself. In the beginning, she's angry that the Metropolitan Opera did not cast her in "La Sonambula" - a patently coloratura role, then she assigns herself "Barber," a coloratura role, and finally a mezzo role, Carmen! Hello.Singing styles have changed over the last 70 years - no more fast vibrato, no more white high notes from sopranos, and the declamatory type of singing in opera, done a little bit by Tibbett in "Si puo" is reserved for very old, dried out singers close to retirement. But nothing diminishes the magnificence of Tibbett's gift. It's so wonderful to have him on film to appreciate.Tibbett was an excellent actor as well as singer, and on stage he must have appeared quite attractive. But though his career overlapped that of Nelson Eddy and they were separated only by four years in age, Tibbett could not have achieved what Eddy did in films. While not anywhere near as good an actor, Eddy was considerably handsomer, younger in appearance, and his beautiful voice was more accessible to audiences. But if you have any interest in opera at all, try to catch this on Fox Movie Channel and listen to Tibbett sing "De Glory Road." You won't hear anything like that again.

drednm Lawrence Tibbett's penultimate film. Oscar-nominated star of early talkies and 30s films is almost forgotten now. Good little film with terrific cast. Virginia Bruce, Alice Brady, Cesar Romero, Jane Darwell, Jessie Ralph, George Marion, Luis Alberni, Walter Brennan, Thurston Hall, Etienne Girardot, Mary Gordon are all familiar faces. Tibbett plays struggling singer who breaks free from dominating star, Brady. Several good arias and some nice cinematography. And it's not often you hear anyone referred to as "monkey wrench girl!"