Some people think that this is the best of Mario Lanza's 10 film appearances. It actually had a good story behind it.Lanza plays an Elvis-type role (G.I. Blues) as he goes into the Army. He hits the jackpot immediately as his drill sergeant is a big fan, and he also wants to get his sister on stage. Lanza, of course, falls for the sister, Doretta Morrow, in her only movie role.Their duet, Because You're Mine, was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin').It was a good story of love found, lost, and found again, with a bucket-load of Lanza songs.

With Kathryn Grayson refusing to work with him again, Mario Lanza has a new leading lady in "Because You're Mine," a 1952 film which also stars Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore, Paula Corday, Jeff Donnell, and Spring Byington. Lanza is a great opera star, Renaldo Rossano, who gets drafted into the army. Fortunately for him, his commanding officer, Sgt. Batterson (Whitmore) is a fan, so Rossano has it pretty easy. Batterson is also trying to promote his sister as a singer. Renaldo falls for her. His prima donna back at the opera house (Paula Corday) will have something to say about that.Broadway star Doretta Morrow is perky, and while not as pretty as Grayson, sings beautifully. Lanza was not very nice to her - that's putting it mildly - but apparently eventually apologized. Unhappy making this film after his triumphant "The Great Caruso," Lanza gained weight throughout the film so he's trim in one scene and chunky the next. It's a shame he felt that way - the film is pleasant enough, and he sings like a dream, doing a segment from "Il Trovatore," the "Addio" from "Rigoletto," the end of "Cavalleria Rusticana," the "Our Father," the title song, "Because You're Mine," and a very impressive "Granada." Not only does he impress with his glorious high notes, he does some very lyrical and soft singing as well.James Whitmore moves into the comedy of his role easily, and Spring Byington is delightful as a general's wife who needs Renaldo to sing at a reception.Very pleasant and a must for opera and Lanza fans.

If anyone will notice, That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans was the same movie with the same plot with maybe a change of characters. For instance, instead of Ethel Barrymore, we've got a male actor playing about the same thing that she did in Kiss, and there's still that Kathryn Grayson doesn't like Mario Lanza and Mario Lanza playing the brash singer. Same movie, same plot, same characters. So, along later comes Because You're Mine which is very entertaining without all that operatic music. Personally, I didn't care for The Great Caruso, although it's a odd thing that on the day that Caruso died, Mario Lanza was born. Now, I'm not saying that Mario Lanza was Caruso reincarnated, but it is a bit unusual that knowing this, Lanza played Caruso on the screen. It is probable that his family knew this and told this to him many times!So, in Because You're Mine, you've got a great cast, great music with Mario Lanza singing Granada at the end of the movie looking like he was poured into his Army uniform which made him look a little larger than the uniform with the button about to pop, but we forgave him. Come on gang - this is Mario Lanza!Now, we've got one problem with this movie. It's not a big problem but it's Doretta Morrow. Sure she can sing, beautifully, and she cat too. Well, no wonder. She was in the original Broadway cast of Kismet playing Marsinah in which Ann Blyth played the role in the movie version, but you couldn't see it on the stage, but Ms. Morrow always looked cross eyed on the screen, and after Lanza making a hit in Caruso singing Be My Love - did she really have too? At least they had the good sense not to make it a duet between here and Lanza.So, when you come right down to it, the movie is very entertaining. Probably Mario Lana's best. He never sang better. And why isn't Kathryn Grayson in this movie instead of Doretta Morrow? Well, quite frankly, she and Mario Lanza did not like each other. In their two movies together, especially That Midnight Kiss, you could see something going on with her feelings for him, but they never made a match. Maybe she was personally afraid of him. Who knows? But there were a great singing team. It's a shame that they never made more movies together, but that was never to be! Once again, it's just a shame that movies like this cannot be seen on the big movie theater screen. That big screen makes the difference. Ask anyone who's recently seen The Wizard of Oz for the first time in a movie theater, or even one of you out there - then you'll know what I mean!

Lanza's character is inducted into the Army and undergoes basic training, during a season in which the summer uniform was prescribed. Normal summer "Class A" uniform for a private would have been a long-sleeved cotton khaki shirt with tie (tucked in between second and third buttons of shirt) and matching trousers, heavily starched (but no jacket or blouse). As an option, purchased at their own cost and only authorized for off-duty purposes, enlisted men could purchase an officer's summer Class A uniform, comprising shirt and tie in a tropical worsted material, topped with a jacket. Perhaps ten senior NCOs ever did this, of course. They and Lanza's character: the jacket hides a multitude of sins (and fat rolls), so Lanza's buck private is the best dressed enlisted man in the lower 48 during most of his military scenes. And he often looks as if he could play two NFL line positions simultaneously!