Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Star Spangled Rhythm

Paramount, 1942
Starring Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Victor Moore, and Walter Abel
Directed by George Marshall and others
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

During World War II, almost every studio in Hollywood filmed at least one all-star semi-revue as morale boosters for the troops. This one was Paramount's contribution, a nutty confection showcasing not only the studio's top performers, but it's two of its most popular directors...and the studio itself. How does all that flag-waving look now? Let's head to the entrance to Paramount, as a group of sailors prepare to spend a memorable day on shore, and find out...

The Story: William "Pop" Webster (Moore) was once a major western star during the silent era, but is now a guard at the main gate of Paramount. He's told his sailor son Johnny (Bracken) that he's an Executive Vice President In Charge of Production. Johnny brags about it to all of his buddies when they turn up on shore leave, demanding a tour. Studio switchboard operator Polly Judson (Hutton) thinks he's cute and manages to set up Pop in place of the real producer B.G DeSoto (Abel). Not only is DeSoto convinced that studio spies are trying to keep him out, but Pop goes ahead and claims that he can put on a big show for the Navy. Now Polly has to round up all the stars on the lot and get them into one big show, so she can get married to her gob and Pop can keep up the illusion.

The Song and Dance: If you love the movies and stars of the 40's, have I got a treat for you. Paramount stuffed almost everyone on the lot into this film, even people like Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, and Susan Hayward who usually specialized in non-musical drama. Its also an invaluable glimpse at real-life directors Preston Sturges (whose career as a comedy king peaked in the early-mid 40's) and Cecil B. Demille (whose big hit Reap the Wild Wind is mentioned several times) and the Paramount lot in 1942.

Favorite Number: Two numbers here were among the biggest hit songs of the war years. Mary Martin, Dick Powell, and a quartet of singing dining car waiters sing "Hit the Road to Dreamland" in a sequence supposedly filmed for a movie in production. Johnny Johnston sings "That Old Black Magic" in the background as ballerina Vera Zorina dances in a romantic snow-covered landscape, only to appear briefly at the barracks in the end as part of his dream.

Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, and Veronica Lake spoof their images in "A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peekaboo Bang"...and then Arthur Treacher, Sterling Holloway, and Walter Catlett come on in drag to maximize the laughs. Marjorie Reynolds of Holiday Inn joins Betty Jane Rhodes and Dona Drake to salute what happens "On the Swing Shift." Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and ballet troupe owner Katherine Dunham show why he's "Sharp as a Tack" in a nice dance routine. Bing Crosby, Paramount's top star at the time, finishes off with the ultra-patriotic salute to the flag, "Old Glory."

Trivia: This was the first film appearance of Bing Crosby's son Gary Crosby.

What I Don't Like: The thin story is just a lame excuse to throw everyone at the studio together for skits and songs. While most of the numbers still go over pretty well, the skits are dated and annoying, especially the one about how (men think) women play cards. This is also a movie of its time. There's tons of references to other Paramount movies and stars of the early 40's. If you don't know anything about the war years, you may be more lost than amused.

The Big Finale: Worth seeing for the numbers alone if you love 40's musicals or the stars or films of the war years.

Home Media: Easily found as part of the made-to-order Universal Vault series and on two Bob Hope DVD collections.

DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - My Favorite Blonde/Star Spangled Rhythm
DVD - Bob Hope: The Ultimate Movie Collection

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Animation Celebration Saturday - Melody Time

Disney, 1948
Voices of Dennis Day, Frances Langford, The Andrews Sisters, and Buddy Clark
Directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geromini, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson
Music by various

Despite the failure of Fantasia, Disney and his animators continued making similar musical anthology films throughout the 1940's, with jazz and "popular" music rather than classical pieces. Melody Time was the fifth and second-to-last of these movies, made up of shorts ranging from nostalgic romantic romps to folk tales of the American west. How do they look nowadays? Let's start with singer Bobby Clark and the title song and find out...

The Story: There isn't one. This is made up of seven short segments scored to popular, jazz, or country music. Singer Bobby Clark is our host.

Once Upon a Wintertime - In this Currier and Ives-inspired romantic tale, a young Victorian couple goes skating, but runs into trouble when the ice cracks and she and a girl rabbit almost go over the falls.

Bumble Boogie - A poor little insect finds himself trapped in a surrealistic nightmare of musical notes and piano keys.

The Legend of Johnny Appleseed - The first of two adaptations of American folk lore. Here, we learn how young Johnny went west to plant apple trees and made friends with humans and animals alike.

Little Toot - Little Toot is a young tug boat who plays practical jokes on all the boats in the harbor. His attempts to help his father only ends up with both of them in disgrace, but he's able to redeem himself when he finds an ocean liner in distress during a storm.

Trees - Musical rendition of the 1913 poem by Joyce Kilmer.

Blame It On the Samba - Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and the Arauan Bird of The Three Caballeros return for another surreal mix of animation and live-action, this time with organist Ethel Smith demonstrating the Latin dance routine of the title.

Pecos Bill - Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers narrate the final and longest segment, revolving around another American folk legend. Bill was raised by wolves and, after rescuing a colt he names Widowmaker, grows into the most famous and outrageous cowboy in Texas. He falls in love with equally wild and lovely cowgirl Slue Foot Sue...but Widowmaker doesn't like sharing his human one bit!

The Animation: As much of a mixed bag as the shorts. "Samba" and "Bumble Boogie" plays with surrealism, to comic and intense effect respectively. "Wintertime" is elegant and flowing. "Johnny Appleseed" has a gorgeous finale with apple blossoms melding into the sky, while "Little Toot" and "Pecos Bill" are more typically cartoon-y for the era. "Trees" experiments with frosting and laminating cells, giving it a softer look.

The Song and Dance: Some of the individual segments have merit. "Once Upon a Wintertime" is my favorite, partially because it turned up frequently on The Disney Channel in the 80's during the Christmas season. Dennis Day gets to show off his range in the charming "Johnny Appleseed," playing not only the young Johnny, but his Angel who sends him on his journey as well. "Blame It On the Samba" returns to Cabelleros territory with Donald and Jose chasing another Latin live-action beauty in a looney, was-this-made-on-drugs reverie.

Along with "Wintertime," my favorite segment is "Pecos Bill." It's a hilarious retelling of another American folk tale until the finale, which ends on a surprisingly mature and bittersweet note for an animated film.

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off well with the lovely, romantic "Wintertime" which remains a favorite at Christmas. Day performs all the songs and voices in "Johnny Appleseed," including jaunty "There's a Lot of Work to Do." The Andrews Sisters have fun with "Little Toot," especially when they narrate how he rescued that ocean liner from the storm! Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers introduce "Blue Shadows On the Trail" in the live-action wrap-around segment and have a blast narrating the outrageous and ultimately sad tale of "Pecos Bill."

What I Don't Like: The movie is really a bit of a muddle, and not much of a movie. Other than "Johnny Appleseed" and "Pecos Bill" being based after American folk tales, none of the shorts have any relation to one another. "Bill" and "Johnny Appleseed" feature brief Native American stereotypes that may upset some viewers far more than Bill smoking (which is retained on the print shown at Disney Plus). The longer segments were later released as separate shorts, and they're really better off that way, where they can be appreciated for their individual merits, than lost in a feature-length film.

The Big Finale: This one is really for major fans of Disney animated films, shorts, or the singers only. Everyone else would be better off looking up any of the shorts that interest them separately.

Home Media: Streaming is by far your best bet here. The North American Gold Collection DVD edits out Bill smoking. As mentioned, the original version is currently running at Disney Plus with a subscription and a warning about the outdated cultural depictions.

DVD
Disney Plus

Thursday, June 25, 2020

My Gal Sal

20th Century Fox, 1942
Starring Rita Hayworth, Victor Mature, John Sutton, and Carole Landis
Directed by Irving Cummings
Music by Paul Dressler and others; Lyrics by various

20th Century Fox tried for years to get this one off the ground. Alice Faye and Betty Grable, tired of the constant historical musicals offered to them, turned it down. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck eventually borrowed Rita Hayworth from Columbia to play the title role of the muse and true love of 1890's composer Paul Dressler. How does the colorful story of his life and work look now? Let's head to Indiana as Dressler (Mature) is having a fight with his minister father and find out...

The Story: Dressler has no interest in going to the seminary to become a priest like his father. His real interest is in music. After being tarred and feathered by locals who wanted retaliation for being tricked by a snake oil salesman, he takes up with a traveling medicine show. He enjoys writing songs for Mae Collins (Landis) and her father (Walter Catlett), until his music and his flashy suits are snubbed by haughty New York stage star Sally Elliott (Hayworth). He eventually moves to New York, where he discovers that she's written lyrics to his unpublished songs. With the help of a small-time publisher (James Gleason), he's able to reclaim his song...but it's become a hit with her lyrics.

This becomes the beginning of an off-again, on-again relationship between the volatile Sally and clothes-loving Dressler. She already has a lover, her producer Fred Haviland (Paul Sutton). Not only is Mae still interested in him, but he also finds a lover in the Countess Mariana Rossini (Mona Maris). When Sally finally gets fed up with Dressler's affairs and leaves New York, he has his first flop. It'll take help from their friends to bring the two back together for one more big hit song.

The Song and Dance: Hayworth glows in this sumptuous Technicolor confection. No wonder the art direction won an Oscar. The sets, and especially those frilly, colorful costumes that Sally and Paul tear into, are gorgeous and relatively accurate for New York and the Midwest in the late 1800's. There's some fabulous musical numbers as well, with Hollywood choreographer Hermes Pan making a rare appearance as Hayworth's partner in "On the Gay White Way."

Favorite Number: Hayworth dances beautifully with Pan in the glamorous "Gay White Way"...which Mature heckles in retaliation for her snubbing him at the traveling show. Hayworth performs the charming "Come and Tell Me" as a glittering dance routine with the male chorus.  She and Mature (or their dubbers) get to introduce two lovely ballads, the jaunty "Oh the Pity of It All" and "Here You Are" when he's telling her how he wrote them at the piano. "On the Banks of the Wabash" and "Me and My Fella and a Big Umbrella" are sweetly nostalgic romps for Hayworth and the chorus, with down-home and beach themes respectively.

Trivia: Dressler was the older brother of author Theodore Dreisler, who was one of the writers on the film. (Dressler changed his name for show business.)

Other women considered for Hayworth's part included Irene Dunne and Mae West; Don Ameche was considered for Dressler.

"On the Banks of the Wabash" was such a hit, it became the state song of Indiana in 1913.

Most of the songs in the movie, including "Pity of It All" and "Here We Are," are actually the work of studio songwriters Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin.

What I Don't Like: First of all, this is another "biography" that doesn't have that much to do with the subject matter. Dressler did run away from home to work with traveling minstrel shows, he did finally drop the traveling shows when his songs gained national fame, he did become a silent partner with a New York publishing company that exclusively published his songs for years. However, his life was even more colorful than what was depicted here, starting with "My Gal Sal" was likely named after a bordello owner named Sally with whom he had an affair.

Second, Mature is clearly out of place here. Like John Payne, he never was comfortable in musicals, no matter how often the studio keeping throwing him into them. Not only are he and Hayworth clearly dubbed, but Dressler and Sally's on-again, off-again relationship is more tiresome than romantic. A "romance" that starts with the lovers trying to get revenge on each other and almost ends with them literally tearing their clothes to shreds is more mean than funny. There's also the brief but annoying Indian stereotypes at the medicine show.

The Big Finale: The elaborate numbers alone makes it worth a watch for fans of 40's musicals or Hayworth.

Home Media: Currently on DVD from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives. The Blu-Ray from Twilight Time is on the pricey side.

DVD
Blu-Ray

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Cult Flops - Centennial Summer

20th Century Fox, 1946
Starring Jeanne Crain, Cornel Wilde, Linda Darnell, and William Eythe
Directed by Otto Preminger
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Jack Yellen

For the next two weeks. we're going to celebrate All-American Weekdays with  morale-boosting wartime revues and tales from American history. Tonight's entry is an example of the latter. This rarity was 20th Century Fox's attempt to capitalize on the overwhelming success of Meet Me In St. Louis two years before with their own tale of upheaval in a typical family during a major event. Let's head to Philadelphia, just in time for the Centennial Exposition of 1876, and see how well they did...

The Story: There's a lot of excitement in the Rodgers family as the Centennial begins. Flighty Aunt Zinnia (Constance Bennett) suddenly arrives from Paris with Philippe Lascalles (Wilde), a handsome young Frenchman who is in charge of the France Pavilion. Julia (Crain), the middle Rodgers sister, can speak some French and insists on helping him set up the Pavilion. Her older sister Edith (Linda Darnell) also goes after Philippe, despite already being engaged to obstetrician Dr. Ben Phelps (Eythe).

The Rodgers sisters aren't the only one who are both after the same man. Zinna obviously flirts with her sister's husband Jesse (Walter Brennan), who was just demoted by his employers at the railroad for spending more time with his innovative clock than at work. Zinna claims she can help promote Jesse and his clock, but Jesse's wife (Dorothy Gish) suspects her sister has more interests than just being helpful.

The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing in this mostly charming family tale. Brennan does especially well in the second half when Jesse is starting to enjoy the attention of the ladies, Bennett has a lot of fun as the flirtatious Zinnia, and Gish isn't bad in one of her few appearances in a musical. The lavish, period-accurate sets and costumes are especially lovely here, ably recreating the City of Brotherly Love during the rapidly-changing late 19th century.

Favorite Number: The Rogers family shares "Up the Lark" as they sing of their delight in getting up early and eating together in their kitchen. "All Through the Day" is an Oscar-nominated ballad performed by singer Larry Stevens at a local club, with a background of then-modern photographic slides. Black singer Avon Long does the adorable dance routine "Cinderella Sue" with a couple of kids at a saloon.

Trivia: This was Jerome Kern's last film. He died before its release; the Oscar nomination was posthumous.

What I Don't Like: The leads aren't nearly as good or as much fun as Judy Garland and Louise Bremer in St. Louis. Crain is the only one who is even remotely interesting. Darnell is a nasty piece of work, saying straight out that she intends to steal a man her sister wants just because she feels like it. Wilde is handsome but obnoxious, and Eythe is so dull, I have no idea why Edith went back to him in the end. Not to mention, all four were dubbed. (Though for some reason, Darnell sings with her own voice on "Up the Lark.") The love triangle between the older folks isn't much more interesting. Zinnia is just as obnoxious as her niece, though at least she's slightly less nasty about it and is genuinely trying to help out. The music is good but not great, especially disappointing for Jerome Kern's last work.

The Big Finale: As lovely as it looks, it's really a pale imitation of Meet Me In St. Louis. Ok if you love that movie or 40's musicals, not necessary for anyone else.

Home Media: The only place you can find this one at press time is YouTube; it's never been on DVD or video.

YouTube

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Happy Father's Day! - The Girl Next Door

20th Century Fox, 1953
Starring June Haver, Dan Dailey, Dennis Day, and Billy Gray
Directed by Richard Sale
Music by Josef Myrow; Lyrics by Mack Gordon

We celebrate a day for dads with this unusual comedy about a devoted dad, his adored son, and the Broadway star who moves in next to them. First, though, we're going to begin with chorus girls traveling around the country, and find out how Jeannie Laird (Haver) ends up moving to Scarsdale, New York...

The Story: Tired of living out of trunks, Jeannie is delighted to take a home in the country. On the night of her first party, birds attack the guests, then smoke pours over the wall and chokes them. She goes next door to discover her neighbors are cartoonist Bill Carter (Daily) and his son Joe (Gray). Bill's comic strip revolves around his life with Joe, and he and his son are the best of friends. Joe's upset when his father starts to spend more and more time with Jeannie and less with him, especially when his father blows off a trip to Canada. Bill's torn between his new love and his dear child, but it takes Joe befriending a little girl (Mary Jane Saunders) to understand why his father is in love with Jeannie.

The Song and Dance: Simple and charming, this one has more in common with sitcoms about single fathers from a decade later like Family Affair and The Courtship of Eddie's Father than a typical musical from this time. It's rare to see such a close father-son relationship in a musical, and Joe and Bill have a genuine and sweet relationship. Haver and Daily get to show off their dancing abilities in two extended ballets and several duets, while Saunders and Gray are very funny as the boy who is afraid he'll lose his father and the girl who wishes Joe would let her into his world. Even the limited-animation sequences with Bill's cartoons and Joe's in the finale are pretty cute.

Favorite Number: We learn how Jeannie went from chorus girl to Broadway star in two numbers seen over the credits, "We Girls of the Chorus" and "The Great White Way." The credits end with Jeannie describing her perfect, peaceful new home in "A Quiet Little Place In the Countryside." After Jeannie storms off, Bill and Joe claim that "I'd Rather Have a Pal Than a Gal Anytime."

Two extended fantasy ballets stand out in an otherwise low-key film. "Nowhere Boy" is Jeannie's plea to her prowling lover in a dark film-noir style dance in a night club that has Dailey dreaming himself onto the stage with her. Bill is torn between his fishing buddy Joe and his love for dancing and Jeannie in another fantasy dance sequence towards the end of the movie.

Trivia: Last film roles for Dennis Day and June Haver. Haver joined a convent for six months before dropping out to marry Fred MacMurray.

This was originally supposed to have been Dailey's fifth pairing with Betty Grable, but she dropped out early-on.

What I Don't Like: Not only are Jeannie and Bill from two different worlds, but it sometimes feels like the movie is, too. "Nowhere Boy" and "The Girl Next Door Ballet" stick out like sore thumbs in the otherwise relatively realistic plot and low-key songs. "Nowhere Boy" in particular has no relation to anything and seems to have been dropped in from some darker story. Day and Cara Williams are basically around to be the best friend second couple and for Day to pour his Irish tenor into a few ballads and don't add a whole lot to the movie.

The Big Finale: Unique comedy-musical isn't the most necessary movie in the world, but it is a charming enough way to pass and hour and a half with your own dad on Father's Day if you love 50's musicals or sitcoms.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Broadway Melody of 1938

MGM, 1937
Starring Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, George Murphy, and Buddy Ebsen
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Music by Nacio Herb Brown and others; Lyrics by Arthur Freed and others

Within a year of the release of Broadway Melody of 1936, Eleanor Powell became MGM's biggest dancing star. She first went into the similar Born to Dance and operetta-backstage hybrid Rosalie, then rejoined Ebsen and Taylor for the third entry in the series. Newcomers George Murphy and Judy Garland and beloved singer Sophie Tucker were added to the cast, and Binnie Barnes was borrowed from Universal. How does this odd hybrid of horse race comedy and backstage tale look today? This time, we begin on the street, as former vaudevillians Sonny Ledford (Murphy) and Peter Trot (Ebsen) take a job working for a rich horse-rearing couple that just happens to have bankrolled a Broadway show...

The Story: Peter and Sonny are hired by wealthy Herman J. Whipple (Raymond Walburn) and his spoiled former showgirl wife Caroline (Binnie Barnes) to take care of their race horses. Horse trainer Sally Lee (Powell) is especially interested in one horse, Stargazer, that her family used to own. She sneaks onto a train to be with him and make her way to New York, which is how she meets Sonny and Peter. She's upset when she finds out that Caroline intends to get rid of Stargazer after he injures himself in a race and ends up buying him at auction, despite the high cost.

Meanwhile, she also meets talent agent and producer Steve Raleigh (Taylor) while on the train. He's smitten by her and insists on putting her in his new show, despite the Whipples insisting on known talent. Steve puts up the money for Sally to buy Stargazer but gives it to Sonny to hand to her, claiming he doesn't want her to think it's charity. Sally ultimately leaves the show to focus on Stargazer and prevent friction between the Whipples and Steve. Now all they have to do is let Stargazer win a race...but it'll take some help from the residents of their boarding house, especially the opera-singing son (Charles Igor Gorin) of a Greek shopkeeper (Billy Gilbert), to make Stargazer a winner.

The Song and Dance: Well, they get points for originality. I know of maybe one or two other musicals that cross race track antics and backstage hustle. Garland steals the film with her big "Dear Mr. Gable" and "Everybody Sing" routines. Murphy and Ebsen are also charming, and Murphy partners Powell quite well. Tucker handles her short, sentimental role with relish, and Barnes makes a slightly more interesting spoiled rich woman than June Knight did in '36.

Favorite Number: Murphy, Powell, and Ebsen "Follow In My Footsteps" together as they get to know one another on the train to New York. The big spectacular finale is "Your Broadway and My Broadway." It starts with Sophie Tucker describing the changes in the Broadway theater over the years and ends with Ebsen dancing with Garland and Powell first dancing with the guys, then with the chorus, incorporating several hits from other MGM movies on the way.

Despite her limited screen time, Garland gets the movie's two best numbers. She performs "Everybody Sing" to show off what she can do in Raleigh's office and is so bubbly and energetic, everyone else in the office gets into it. "Dear Mr. Gable" is a Roger Edens re-write of the standard "You Made Me Love You" as Garland sings a letter she's writing to then-major MGM hunk Clark Gable. The song itself still sounds like something a typical 15-year-old girl would write if she e-mailed or contacted her favorite idol, and Garland is natural and adorable performing it.

Trivia: Edens originally wrote "Dear Mr. Gable" for Garland to sing at Gable's birthday party. Producer Louis B. Mayer loved it so much, he had it rushed into Broadway Melody.

What I Don't Like: The movie may have boosted Garland's career, but she doesn't have much to do beyond her two big songs and the finale. "Dear Mr. Gable" has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the movie, and it's pretty obvious it was dropped in just to give Garland her big opportunity. The plot may be original, but it's also even more ridiculous than the last movie. In fact, it feels like we have two different films here, A Day at the Races without the Marx Brothers and a Warners-esque backstage story with kids and grandmothers.

Not to mention, other than the re-written "Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You)," Brown and Freed's score isn't nearly as memorable as their music for the first two films - the big "Your Broadway" finale is especially dull despite its flash.

The Big Finale: Only necessary for major fans of Garland or 30's musicals; cute time-waster on TCM for anyone else.

Home Media: Same deal as Broadway Melody of 1936. It's on DVD from the Warner Archives and can be found for streaming on Amazon Prime.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Broadway Melody of 1936

MGM, 1935
Starring Eleanor Powell, Jack Benny, Robert Taylor, and Una Merkel
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Music by Nacio Herb Brown; Lyrics by Arthur Freed

When musicals made a comeback in Hollywood during the mid-30's, the studios also revived their earliest hits in series of semi-revues. We're already seen two entries in this trend, Gold Diggers of 1933 from Warners and The Big Broadcast of 1938 from Paramount. How does MGM's second entry in this series fare? Let's head to New York, where gossip columnist Bert Keeler (Benny), "The Eyes and Ears of Broadway," is breathlessly describing another "blessed event," and find out...

The Story: Bert's boss (Paul Harvey) wants him to drop all the baby news and start picking up really juicy scoops. He and his assistant Snoop Blue (Sid Silvers) run into one when they overhear wealthy widow Lillian Brett (June Knight) and stage producer Bob Gordon (Taylor) talking about her financing his next musical. Keeler latches onto this tidbit and splashes it all over his column, to Gordon's disgust.

Meanwhile, Irene Foster, who had been Bob's girlfriend in high school, has come to New York hoping he'll give her a chance in his latest show. He first doesn't recognize her, then turns her down to protect her from the big city. She and Bob's secretary Kitty (Merkel) finally take advantage of the fictional French actress Keeler created in his column to turn Irene into a haughty French beauty and get her on the stage. It works, to the frustration of Lillian, who had hoped to star. Keeler, however, has just gotten news from France that changes everything. Now he has to figure out how to reveal his deception without doing further damage to anyone's reputation, including his.

The Song and Dance: MGM was known as "the Tiffany studio," where every movie came out with a glamorous, gem-like sheen. They threw everything they had into this one, and from the glittering costumes and sets to the frothy script that finds room for a man who specializes in snoring. Powell shines in her first major role; check out her incredible high kicks in "Sing Before Breakfast." Nice score, too, probably Brown and Freed's best together.

Favorite Number: Taylor and Knight duet on "I Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" in the nightclub, which somehow leads into a massive chorus number that includes Knight dancing with Nick Long Jr. and lots of extras showing off fluffy gowns. "Sing Before Breakfast" is a showcase for Powell and Buddy Ebsen and his sister Wilma as they meet Powell and explain why they're dancing on the roof.  "You are My Lucky Star" is heard several times, notably as a dream ballet for Powell when she imagines what it'll like to dance in a Broadway show. The charming "On a Sunday Afternoon" is one of two two good songs from the show itself, performed by the Ebsens and the chorus in early 20th century dress. "Broadway Rhythm," the big finale, starts off with Frances Langford, but eventually includes one last duet from Knight and Long and the Ebsens and Powell kicking and leaping with chorus boys in tuxedoes.

Trivia: This was Powell's first leading role and Buddy Ebsen's first film.

It was nominated for Best Picture in 1936.

What I Don't Like: This is cute, but...Best Picture material, it is not. The nomination likely came on the strength of those big numbers. The story is pedestrian and silly, Taylor is clearly bored, and Benny is miscast as a Walter Winchell-type gossip hound. Knight's a great dancer, but she was normally a stage star and was stiff in front of the cameras.

The Big Finale: Mainly worth checking out for the numbers if you love Powell or the splashier shows of the 1930's.

Home Media: Currently avalible on DVD via the Warner Archives; Amazon Prime has it for streaming.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Jungle Book (1967)

Disney, 1967
Voices of Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman, Sebastian Cabot, and Louis Prima
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
Music and Lyrics by Richard M and Robert B. Sherman and Terry Gilkyson

Having had success with animal characters in 101 Dalmatians and to a lesser degree in The Sword and the Stone, Disney turned to the animal world for their next film. The Jungle Book started out as a much darker story, ala the original Kipling novel. Disney thought it was too dark, and after the original director left, they started over from scratch. How does the resulting film look now? Let's head to the jungles of India, as Bagheera the black panther (Cabot) finds a human baby jungle animals call a "man cub," and find out...

The Story: Bagheera turns the baby over to a family of wolves to raise. Ten years later, the baby, now known as Mowgli (Reitherman), is a favorite in the wolf pack and his family. Bagheera is happy for him, but he's also concerned. Shere Khan, the man-hating tiger (George Sanders), has returned to the jungle, and he doesn't think Mowgli will be safe with the wolves anymore. He tries to take him to the nearest human village, but Mowgli likes living in the jungle and refuses to go. Rough and tumble Baloo the Bear (Harris) agrees and tries to keep the boy with him.

There's more dangers in the jungle that Mowlgi suspects, though, including Louie the Orangutan (Louis Prima) who wants him to teach his apes about fire and Kaa the python (Sterling Holloway) who thinks Mowgli is dinner. When Shere Khan does finally find Mowgli, it's up to Baloo and Bagheera - and Mowgli's own quick-thinking - to save them from Khan's claws and teeth!

The Animation: By this point, Disney was exclusively using the Xerox process that resulted in the scratchy lines around its animation, giving it a rough look. In this case, it actually sort of suits the jungle antics. At the least, this one does feature some of Disney's best character animation of the era. It's amazing how expressive they manage to make these critters, especially Baloo, Khan, and pompous Colonel Hathai.

The Song and Dance: One of Disney's funniest and most charming films. Everyone's having a good time here, especially Harris as free-wheeling Baloo and Cabot as stuffy Bagheera. Sanders gives Shere Khan more of an air of sophistication than you'd expect to find in a tiger. Sterling Holloway also does surprisingly well in his only villainous voice role at Disney, and Louis Prima joins Harris to turn "I Wanna Be Like You" into a showstopper.

Favorite Number: By far the most famous song here is Baloo's big number, "The Bare Necessities," as he shows Mowgli the ins and outs of being a bear. It's a catchy, jazzy song that perfectly captures Baloo's laid-back attitude. The party heats up as Baloo disguises himself to rescue Mowgli - and gets a great dance with Louie - in "I Wanna Be Like You." "Colonel Hathai's March" through the jungle parodies military march routines as the elephants stamp through brush and explain why they're on patrol.

Trivia: This was the last animated movie Walt Disney had any personal involvement with. He died eight months before its release.

A direct sequel to The Jungle Book was released to theaters in 2003 and did surprisingly well at the box office. A third was planned, but was scrapped after John Lasseter ended production on all sequels.

What I Don't Like: While the vultures who turn up to sing "That's What Friends are For" shortly before the finale are funny, they're also blatant spoofs of the Beatles and other popular British rock bands of the mid-60's. A lot of people who weren't around then or aren't classic rock fans may not get the joke. Despite Walt insisting on changing the heavy plot of the original Kipling novel, some fairly dark moments do remain, including Baloo's near-death encounter with Shere Khan. And yes, this doesn't have much to do with the original novel.

The Big Finale: Great music and a game cast more than make up for the uneven tone, scratchy animation, and some dated references. Definitely recommended for kids who love animals or fans of animation or the Disney canon.

Home Media: At the moment, your best way to find this one is to get a subscription to Disney Plus, or look for the DVD used. The DVD has been out of print for years and is expensive online.

DVD
Disney Plus

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Chasing Rainbows

MGM, 1930
Starring Bessie Love, Charles King, Jack Benny, and Marie Dressler
Directed by Charles Reisner
Music by Milton Ager and others; Lyrics by Jack Yellen and others

The success of The Broadway Melody and On With the Show! ignited a tidal wave of musical films in late 1929 and early 1930 with backstage settings. Chasing Rainbows was one of MGM's direct follow-ups to Melody, with a lot of the same cast and and an even more dramatic story. Is it "Happy Days" for this road-show melodrama, or is this nothin' but the blues? Let's head to a small-town theater, where a touring version of the World War I-set musical Good-Bye Broadway is playing, and find out...

The Story: Eddie (Benny), the show's stage manager, is about ready to tear his hair out. The comedienne Bonnie (Dresser) and wardrobe mistress Polly (Polly Moran) are constantly fighting with one another. Terry Fay (King), half of a vaudeville dance pair, suddenly breaks down and marries the tempting Daphne Wayne (Nita Moran) one night, to the shock of his adoring partner Carlie Seymour (Love). She's already caught Daphne in the arms of romantic leading man Don Cordova (Eddie Phillips), but can't bring herself to tell Terry...until he finds out for himself...

The Song and Dance: Love and the supporting cast are the thing here. As she did in Melody, Love steps above and beyond everyone else with her expressive outbursts and smiling-through-the-tears performance. (Though I will admit that the sequence where she's laughing into near-hysteria when she finds out that Terry married Daphne was more scary than funny or sad.) Dressler and her frequent partner Moran have a great time with their sniping at each other, especially when they get drunk towards the end, and Jack Benny comes off much better with his quips here than he did hosting The Hollywood Revue of 1929. It's also nice that MGM tried to vary the setting a little and make this backstage at a second-rate touring show rather than at a glamorous big-city musical.

Favorite Number: "Happy Days are Here Again" can be heard over the credits as we see the train carrying the show chugging along. The first version of the ballad "Lucky Me, Lovable You" starts with Terry singing it to a slightly concerned Carlie, then them practicing it with the chorus. The second ramps up the melodrama when Terry performs it to a heartbroken Carlie after he's gotten married. Dressler claims that she's "Poor but Honest" to Benny when he tries for her.

Trivia: There was more to this film in 1930. Two long musical sequences in Technicolor, including the "Happy Days are Here Again" finale, were removed for a 1931 re-release, then lost in a vault fire at MGM in 1965. The Warner Archives DVD uses stills and text to explain what happened during these sequences.

What I Don't Like: I wish MGM transferred those sequences to black and white instead of cutting them! Among the losses were Dressler's second solo "My Dynamic Personality" and Love's big number with the chorus, "Everybody Tap." They might have helped to alleviate the fairly heavy and dull plot. Carlie is too good for second-rate road shows and for Terry using her as a doormat. His reaction to Daphne's treachery is so ridiculous, even Carlie calls him on it.

The Big Finale: Between the derivative plot and a big chunk of the movie being missing, it's hard to recommend this to anybody besides major fans of 20th century history or the early sound era.

Home Media: At the moment, it's only on DVD via the Warner Archives.

DVD

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

On With the Show!

Warner Bros, 1929
Starring William Bakewell, Sally O'Neal, Joe E. Brown, and Betty Compson
Directed by Alan Crosland
Music by Harry Akst; Lyrics by Grant Clarke

Flush with the success of The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool, Warners threw themselves into making sound films and full-on musicals by mid-1929. Their first actual musical would be an adaptation of The Desert Song. This was their first original musical, and was originally the first sound movie to be all-color. With the color now lost, how does the rest of the movie look today? Let's start backstage at the very 20's stage show The Phantom Sweetheart and find out...

The Story: There's a lot more drama going on backstage at Phantom Sweetheart than there is melodrama onstage. The cast hasn't been payed in two weeks. Head usher Jimmy (Bakewell) and his partner and usherette Kitty (O'Neil) are hoping to get onstage and play Broadway someday. All the juvenile lead (Arthur Lake) does is whine for more money, and he's constantly arguing with the comedian (Brown). Someone robs the box office, and then the leading lady Nita (Compson) refuses to finish the show. Kitty may have to step up and take the stage, even as the crew tries to figure out who stole the box office takings.

The Song and Dance: Onstage or off, this is a genuinely interesting glimpse into what making a real stage musical was like in the late 1920's. Crosland, who also directed The Jazz Singer, gives us a real feeling of backstage bustle and keeps things moving relatively well for a movie of this era. I like that the authenticity extends to the show itself, which has an actual plot of its own, rather than just being a jumble of random numbers like in most backstage films. Other stand-outs include Compson as contrary Nita and Wheeler Oakman as Bob Wallace, the detective who keeps jumping on the wrong suspects.

Favorite Number: Compson, as the Phantom Sweetheart, performs the sweet ballad "Let Me Have My Dreams" to lure the young man (Lake) from his fiancee (Josephine Hudson). O'Neil reprises it towards the end, when the Sweetheart finally appears in the flesh. "Lift Your Julieps to Your Two Lips" is an adorable chorus routine that has everyone dancing with the famous southern cocktail in hand. The Four Covens show off some amazing tap dancing here and in "Welcome Home," and Brown gets some amazingly limber acrobatic dancing.

Ethel Waters steals the movie wholesale with her performance of the standard "Am I Blue?" Dressed as a cotton-picker, she pours her all into the number, aided by the Harmony Four Quartette. (And the movie knows how good she is - Kitty all but shouts it to the heavens right before the number starts.) Waters comes back towards the end of the movie in far more modern dress to belt the sassy "Birmingham Bertha" and have a wonderful time doing so.

Trivia: This was the first full-sound film made entirely in color. Though the color prints were lost decades ago, 20 seconds of color was found in 2005, and a few more fragments apparently turned up in 2014.

What I Don't Like: For once, the problem with a musical isn't too little plot, but too much! There's enough plot here for three shows. It's hard to keep track of everything going on, and some characters, like Louise Fazenda's comedienne, get lost in the shuffle. As peppy as O'Neal is, she's too cutesy and her voice too Betty Boop-ish to make us believe she could be a star by taking over a role in the last 20 minutes of a failing Broadway-bound show. Bakewell is bland, Lake is annoying, and Brown doesn't do much besides his acrobatic numbers and trading quips with the latter.

I really wish they'd been able to bring in Ethel Waters for longer than two numbers. She does so well with her songs, I wonder what would have happened if they'd been allowed to use more of her and the tap-dancing marvels the Four Covens.

The Big Finale: An interesting curio if you love the era, are a fan of Waters, or want to know more about film or musical history.

Home Media: The black-and-white print is currently DVD-only via the Warner Archives.

DVD

Saturday, June 6, 2020

Family Fun Saturday - The Frog Prince (1986)

The Cannon Group, 1986
Starring Aileen Quinn, Helen Hunt, John Paragon, and Clive Revill
Directed by Jack Hunsicker
Music and Lyrics by Kenn Long

This was Cannon's first foray into what they called "The Cannon Movie Tales," low-budget musicals based around famous fairy tales. Sixteen movies were planned; nine were eventually released. I've covered three of these movies already, with varying results; how does the first made and released hold up now? Let's start in the bedroom of little Princess Zora (Quinn) awakening to what she hopes will be a wonderful day and find out...

The Story: Zora is upset because no one in the castle will take her seriously, especially her haughty and spoiled older sister Henrietta (Hunt). Her uncle the King (Revill) constantly scolds her for not behaving like a princess and forgetting her promises. No one in the castle knows who the true princess of the land is. It could be her or Henrietta...and Henrietta has no desire to let her little sister take over as ruler.

After she's made fun of for her outrageous feathered cape at dinner, she hurries outside to a pond. While playing with her favorite golden ball that she believes brings her good luck, she wishes fervently for a friend. That "friend" appears in the form of a very tall frog in a velvet coat named Ribbit (Paragon), who retrieves her ball for her. She promises to be his companion, and he teaches her how to dance and act more like a princess.

Jealous and incensed, Henrietta and her mousy friend Dulcey (Seagull Cohen) kidnap Ribbit and hide him in a hole where he can't get water. Dulcey, however, is having second thoughts, especially once she sees how devastated Zora is that her new pal doesn't appear. It'll take Zora's courage and her determination to keep that promise to save both of them and prove that a "real princess" is one who keeps her promises no matter what.

The Song and Dance: Charming little confection with Quinn doing well as the bubbly tomboy who learns what it means to be a real princess. Hunt has one of her earliest roles as the scheming and snobbish Henrietta, and Revill plays a far more benevolent ruler here than he did in Rumpelstiltskin. Paragon is also quite funny as the towering amphibian (when you can get past the almost scary costume).

Favorite Number: Zora kicks things off with "This Is My Lucky Day" in her room as she describes how she's glad to have something to talk to, even if it's just her golden ball. The king reminds his niece that "A Promise Is a Promise" with the help of his advisers in the throne room. Ribbit tells Zora about how it feels to be a "Too Tall Frog" after they've first met. They sing about their "Friendship" in a touching duet the next evening, after he's taught her how to dance.

What I Don't Like: This is another one that unnecessarily padded out a thin story. I would have preferred the unseen witch who cursed the prince as the villain over the dull Henrietta and Dulcey. There's also the fact that Zora clearly states she's 12 and a half. Girls were allowed to marry that young going as far back as medieval times, but for many people nowadays, her relationship with Ribbit may go into some uncomfortable territory.

It's also very obvious that this is a low-budget production, even more than with some of the later films. The frog costume is ugly - even for an amphibian - and more than a little scary nowadays, especially for the young children this is intended for. The sets and costumes look even cheaper.

The Big Finale:  Charming and fairly harmless if you can get around the dated production and costumes.

Home Media: Streaming and cable seems to be the only place to find this at the moment. The cable movie channel Starz has on subscription.

Amazon Prime

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Carousel (1956)

20th Century Fox, 1956
Starring Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae, Cameron Mitchell, and Barbara Ruick
Directed by Henry King
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein III

With a song called "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" among its hits, this movie is practically made for summer. Despite the dark plot, it's a great way to inaugurate the warm weather season. Fox thought so too and released it less than a year after the blockbuster film version of Oklahoma!, and like Oklahoma!, it was revived on Broadway as recently as 2018. Does this one reach the same heights, or does it remain Earthbound? Let's head to "The Highest Judge of All" in the heavens and find out...

The Story: Carousel barker Billy Bigalow (MacRae) recalls to the Starkeeper (Gene Lockhart) how he died, and how much he loved the beautiful mill worker Julie Jordan (Jones). They met when she and her friend Carrie Pipperidge (Ruick) decided to ride the carousel where he worked. His boss Mrs. Mullin fires him for paying too much attention to Julie, and Julie loses her job at the local mill when she's out after curfew, but they get married anyway. Billy can't find a job, and he's ready to go back to the carousel when Julie announces that she's pregnant. Desperate to make money for his child, Billy joins his sailor buddy Jigger (Mitchell) in a robbery during a clambake. The robbery is botched, and Billy ends up falling on his knife.

He convinces the Starkeeper to let him return to Earth fifteen years later to cheer up his daughter Louise (Bambi Lynn). She's now a wild-living tomboy who is tormented by almost every child on the island, especially rich children, because her father took part in a robbery. He comes as she is just about to consider running away to become an actress. His attempt to give her a star still doesn't end well...but he still wants to see his little girl to her graduation....

The Song and Dance: A sumptuous production and some good performances anchor this tragic tale. The majority of the movie was filmed in the real Maine, and it looks absolutely glorious in widescreen. The costumes and sets mostly do a colorful job of bringing turn-of-the-century New England to rousing life. Jones is touching and sweet as gentle Julie, especially in the first half, and Ruick and Rousenville are hilarious as Julie's perky best friend Carrie and her steadfast fisherman beau, and Mitchell radiates hot danger as the troublesome Jigger.

Favorite Number: "The Carousel Waltz," the stage show's prologue, is seen after the credits as we see how Julie and Carrie came to the carnival and Julie and Billy's first meeting. MacRae and Jones also get one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's loveliest ballads, "If I Loved You," as they dance around the idea that they might like each other. Julie's Cousin Nettie (Claramae Turner) leads the big ensemble routine at her spa "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" as the locals, their girls, and a group of sailors celebrate the start of summer. Ruick is adorable in her solo "Mr. Snow," and joins Rousenville for a sweet "When the Children are Asleep" performed on Mr. Snow's boat as they travel to the clambake. MacRae sings a stunning "Soliloquy" as he wonders what his new child will be like on the beach. Nettie reassures Julie that "You'll Never Walk Alone" in a stirring solo after Billy dies.

Along with "June," the other big chorus routine is "Louise's Ballet." Lynn joyously dances the life of Billy's tough tomboy daughter, who plays with the local boys, fights with the rich girls who taunt her for her plain dresses and her poor family, and falls for a carnival barker (Jacques d'Amboise) just like her mother.

Trivia: Frank Sinatra was originally going to play Billy Bigalow and even recorded his songs, but eventually left the production. Accounts differ as to why he walked off. He either didn't want to do a second movie in 55 milometer film or wanted to be with his then-girlfriend Ava Gardner.

The original Broadway production opened in 1948, and while it did run two and a half years, it wasn't anywhere near the success that Oklahoma! before it or South Pacific after it were.  It's done better in the intervening years. There was a TV version in 1967 with Robert Goulet as Billy and two major Broadway revivals in 1994 (with Audra Ann MacDonald as Carrie) and 2018.

What I Don't Like: Heavy dramatics were never MacRae's forte. He sings beautifully, but comes off as stiff and lacking the requisite sexy danger that Billy is supposed to have in the book scenes. As gorgeous as the Maine locations are, they make the few numbers filmed on sets look that much more fake. Turner doesn't really do much besides sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "June Is Bustin' Out All Over"

The biggest problem with this show is built into it from the original Hungarian play that inspired it, Lillom. Billy hitting his wife could get him arrested well before the robbery nowadays, and few women in the 21st century would put up with the abuse Julie does. The second half remains problematic for many productions to this day (many critics complained about it in the 2018 revival). Also, obviously, if you're looking for something light and fluffy, this is not going to be your Rodgers and Hammerstein show.

The Big Finale: I'm not the biggest fan of the original musical, but the rousing numbers and decent cast alone are worth checking out for fans of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jones, or 1950's musicals.

Home Media: Out of print on DVD. Streaming is by far your best bet.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Irene (1940)

RKO, 1940
Starring Anna Neagle, Ray Milland, Billie Burke, and May Robson
Directed by Herbert Wilcox
Music and Lyrics by Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy

Anna Neagle and her director husband Herbert Wilcox were two of the most popular figures in British cinema during the 1930's. Neagle could go from romantic comedy to musicals to historical drama (she played Queen Victoria twice) and make it all look beautiful and elegant. Hollywood noticed her two Victoria films and called her and Wilcox over to make four films for RKO. This was the first of those movies. How does the very British Neagle look in this old-fashioned, all-American story? Let's head to a mansion in Long Island, where Irish upholsterer's assistant Irene O'Dare (Neagle) is measuring chairs for new cushions, and find out...

The Story: Irene meets wealthy Don Marshall (Milland) at the Vincents' home, where he's charmed by her spunk and standing up to him. He buys the mysterious Madame Lucy's dress shop in order to give Irene a better job as a model. In order to promote their new gowns, manager Mr. Smith (Roland Young) convinces Mrs. Vincent (Burke) allow his models to attend her ball. She's thrilled to wear a beautiful new dress, until she spills Irish stew on it and ruins it.

Irene causes a sensation when she attends the ball in her mother's old blue gown and is mistaken for an Irish noblewoman. Mr. Smith takes advantage of this to promote her around town with Mrs. Vincent's son Bob (Alan Marshall). Don's furious, and Irene's grandmother (Robeson) is angrier. Irene's popularity also attracts attention from a gossip columnist (Louis Jean Heydt) who assumes she's a call girl. Now Don has to reveal who Madame Lucy really is and keep Irene from marrying Bob Vincent, or he may lose his lovely Irish lass forever.

The Song and Dance: Charming bit of froth with a lovely Technicolor sequence. Appropriately for a movie about modeling and clothes, the costumes are especially gorgeous. The famous "Alice Blue Gown" nearly pops off the screen. Burke and Young both have a lot of fun as the twittery rich woman who would rather change her furniture than her cushions and the fussy manager who wants to do nothing more than promote his store and his dresses, while Arthur Treacher does his usual butler bit as the head of the Vincent household.

Favorite Number: The show's most famous song "Alice Blue Gown" is heard twice. Neagle and Milland have dance to it at the ball in the dress of the title, which Bob Vincent and his sweetheart Eleanor Worth (Marsha Hunt) witnesses. The dress and the song becomes such a sensation, it's performed all around the world in a montage of singers from the American heartland to Japan to a big jazzy Harlem routine. Neagle's only solo dance routine is to "Something In the Air," and she certainly looks lighter than air in her wedding gown and ballet-tinged dance.

Trivia: Irene originally ran for 675 performances in New York in 1919, the longest-running show in Broadway history at that point. It returned to Broadway in 1971, with Debbie Reynolds as Irene O'Dare. Despite a troubled production, it was nearly as big of a hit as the original, running 574 performances. The revival was an even bigger hit in London with Australian star Julie Anthony.

Irene is a remake of a 1926 silent movie with Colleen Moore, which also has Technicolor sequences.

What I Don't Like: First of all, Neagle doesn't make much of an impression in her own vehicle. She sort of looks and acts like Irene Dunne with a (bad) Irish accent. Other than her two lovely dance routines, she doesn't really do much that makes you understand why almost every man in the movie falls instantly in love with her. I suspect her British movies probably did more with her talents. In the stage shows and silent movie, "Madame Lucy" was the name of the gay fashion designer who owned the shop where Irene worked. That wasn't going to fly in 1940, which is likely why they condensed characters and Irene ended up with the shop owner rather than the millionaire's son.

And why isn't the whole movie in Technicolor? It's understandable that they'd do color sequences in 1926, when color film was in its infancy, but Technicolor was more common by 1940. It seems kind of odd to go from black and white to color and back in a straight romantic comedy. This isn't The Wizard of Oz. I'd also love to know why this isn't a full-out musical. Not counting "Castle of Dreams" over the credits, there's no songs until almost half-way through.

The Big Finale: Nice enough way to pass an hour and a half on TCM if you like Neagle or 40's musicals.

Home Media: Currently available on DVD only via the Warner Archives.

DVD