Family Fun Saturday - Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

Warner Bros, 1952

Starring Lou Costello, Bud Abbott, Buddy Baer, and Shaye Cogan

Directed by Jean Yarbrough

Music by Lester Lee; Lyrics by Bob Russell

Like Martin and Lewis, popular comics Bud Abbott and Lou Costello also broke from their home studio Universal to make one outside picture a year. In this case, it was due to Universal not wanting to make their movies in color. This would be the first of two color movies the duo made in the early 50's as part of that deal, and one of their several ventures into fantasy and flat-out musicals. How does this Wizard of Oz-esque story of a babysitter who dreams himself into the famous fairy tale look today? To answer this, let's start at a typical home in pale tan Sepia, as handsome suitor Arthur (James Alexander) tries to find a babysitter for the bratty kid brother (David Stollery) of his fiancée Eloise (Cogan)...

The Story: Jack (Costello) and his buddy Mr. Dinkle (Abbott) convince the very tall and pretty receptionist at the employment agency (Dorothy Ford) that they're babysitters and will take the job. Jack likes her, but her towering police officer boyfriend (Baer) doesn't appreciate him flirting with her. Jack tries reading his favorite story "Jack and the Beanstalk" to young Donald, but the precocious boy ends up reading it to him instead...

Which takes us into the color sequence. Here, Jack's the one who plants those famous beans and climbs the beanstalk. Dinkle is Mr. Dinklepuss, who sold him the beans and follows him, hoping to nab the hen that lays the golden eggs. His mother (Barbara Brown) is worried about her goofy son going after the giant (Baer). He's already kidnapped the Prince Arthur (Alexander) and Princess Eloise (Cogan) and stole the cow Jack traded to Mr. Dinklepuss for the beans. Jack has to figure out how to defeat this towering menace and romance his lovely housekeeper (Ford), before they all end up roasting in the Giant's fireplace!

The Song and Dance: While not Abbott and Costello's first or last foray into fantasy, this is their only crack at a genuine fairy tale, and it's pretty cute. Ford works well with Costello and has a lot of fun knocking him around in their solo dance routine, and he and Abbott have a couple of good gags while trading the cow and in the giant's castle. The "Super Cinecolor," the then-most recent version of a cheap color process that had been kicking around since the early 30's, looks darn good in some restored prints like the one shown recently on TCM. 

Favorite Number: The title song is heard three times. We get it over the credits, then as the chorus remarks about Jack's lack of brains as he climbs up the beanstalk, and then in the finale as part of the big dance routine to celebrate the giant's demise, "And He Never Looked Better In His Life." Lou sings "I Fear Nothing" when he's going to capture the giant after climbing the beanstalk...not suspecting that the giant is right behind him the whole time. He and the giant's housekeeper get the previously mentioned comic dance to "Dreamer's Cloth" in the castle after they hear Arthur and Elaine sing it in the garden.

Trivia: Mel Blanc did the voices of the talking animals in the barnyard.

There was apparently more to this when it previewed, including a longer version of Arthur's ballad "Darlene" in the dungeon and a solo section for Eloise in "Dreamer's Cloth." It was cut before the film's general release. Some missing sequences turned up on video, but others remain lost. 

What I Don't Like: Color aside, this is about as obviously cheap as you can get. The sets and costumes look like they were taken from a dime store fairy tale collection. The wrap-arounds with the bratty kid and the employment agency have nothing to do with the Jack and the Beanstalk story and are really kind of just there, the songs are dull, and the two big chorus routines seem a little skimpy with only four dancers. The Giant and his housekeeper are less giants than just very tall people, and there's no perspective or illusions done to make them look like actual giants. It really ruins the effect they're going for with the monstrous giant terrorizing everyone. 

The Big Finale: Fun for kids and families who can overlook the inexpensive and dated production and enjoy the goofy gags and talking animals. 

Home Media: This is in the public domain, so it goes without saying it's easy to find everywhere and on all formats for super cheap. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Happy Thanksgiving! - The Mouse on the Mayflower

Rankin-Bass, 1968 

Voices of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddie Albert, Joanie Summers, and John Gray

Directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr and Jules Bass

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

This would be the first Rankin-Bass special that appeared under their new name, changing from Videocraft. It's also their first and only shot at a special revolving around Thanksgiving lore, complete with pilgrims, Native Americans, and their own version of American history. How does a mouse's retelling of the events leading to the first Thanksgiving feast look today? Let's begin in London, just as Willum Mouse (Ford) is joining a small band of settlers heading for the new world on the tiny ship Mayflower, and find out...

The Story: Willum just barely makes the trip. As things turn out, he almost wishes he hadn't. Conditions on board the Mayflower are cramped and dirty. Storms batter the ship, almost forcing them to turn back. Even when the settlers arrive in the New World, they're miles from Virginia, their original destination. Undaunted, they opt to remain at Plymouth and create their own colony. This proves to be more difficult than they hoped. Harsh blizzards, rampant illness, and their own inability to grow crops devastate the settlers. Thanks to Willum and his new native mouse buddy, the local Indians teach them how to grow crops. Thankful for a bountiful harvest, they invite them for a huge feast. Meanwhile, John Alden (Gray) is too shy to speak to pretty Priscilla Mullins (Sommers) for himself and keeps using orders from Captain Miles Standish (Albert) as an excuse to talk to her, and two nasty sailors want to steal the Pilgrims' gold for themselves. 

The Animation: This would be one of the first Rankin-Bass holiday specials done in a more traditional 2-D animation. It's an interesting mix of styles. The pilgrims and travelers on the Mayflower are drawn in a fairly realistic manner, while the Indians and animals, including the two mice, are done in a more cartoony and colorful style.

The Song and Dance: As the only Rankin-Bass special I know of to be based after real-life events, this is definitely one of their more unusual shows. Ford seems to enjoy himself well enough as the inquisitive mouse, and Albert has a fine time playing the blustery captain who has the nearly impossible task of turning the peaceful Puritans into soldiers. The sequences with the storm and the blizzard are especially well-done, with some decent animation and a lot of appropriate tension in both cases.

Favorite Number: The special opens and closes with the stirring "Mayflower" performed by Ford and the chorus, singing of how the Mayflower "became a part of history." The pilgrims and Ford sing about how they badly need "A Little Elbow Room" onboard the Mayflower. Priscilla wistfully wonders what John sees "When He Looks at Me" after his most recent stammering attempt to repeat Standish' orders. 

What I Don't Like: I suspect the reason this has yet to be released on DVD has to do with the rather ridiculous native stereotypes after they reach the New World. Those annoying sailors band together with an even more obnoxious Indian and his bear. Frankly, the sailors' attempts at stealing the gold don't really have much to do with the pilgrims and the New World or Willum and are likely filler at best. The romance between John and Priscilla is only slightly more interesting. They're both stiff as boards, and despite them playing up the triangle, Standish barely seems to notice her. 

The Big Finale: Enjoyable enough time-waster for after Thanksgiving dinner if you can find it. 

Home Media: As mentioned, it's not on DVD, but video copies are fairly easy to come by, and it can be found easily on YouTube. 

VHS

YouTube

Musicals on TV - Once Upon a Brothers Grimm

CBS, 1977

Starring Dean Jones, Paul Sand, Arte Johnson, and Sorrell Brooke

Directed by Norman Campbell

Music by Mitch Leigh; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

Musicals were far rarer on TV by the late 70's than they had been a decade before. They'd already fallen out of favor with filmgoers, and though they continued to be popular onstage, they were flopping even harder than they hit. They did continue to pop up occasionally on television for special occasions, like this one that debuted on the day before Thanksgiving. How does this family tale of how the Grimms met their own creations look now? Let's begin on the road, as Wilhelm (Sand) and Jacob (Jones) travel through the forest to give a speech on their writing to the King (Brooke) and find out...

The Story: The two men are admonished not to take the path through the forest by a carriage driver, who insists they're haunted. Impatient to give their speech, Jacob buys the carriage and takes it through the woods anyway, despite his brother's misgivings. Shortly after encountering tiny man Selfish and Mean (Johnson), they find themselves off the path and dealing with everything from a talking horse to being transformed into frogs and swans. Wilhelm truly believes that their creations have come to life, but Jacob is a scholar and insists all of this can't be real. It isn't logical. It'll take a night at a magical ball to finally show Jacob that there's a lot more to magic and fantasy than what science and "logic" tell us.

The Song and Dance: An unusual TV precursor to Into the Woods, with no less than eight Grimms fairy tales appearing. As someone who has read fairy tales in various forms and versions since early childhood, I appreciate that two of the stories they use, "The Six Swans" and "The Bremen Town Musicians," are fairly obscure today. Jones and especially Sand anchor things well as the brothers who love each other despite their very differing points of view. The bright, crazy sets and costumes won Emmys in 1978.

Favorite Number: The Brothers begin by singing about their appointment to speak to the king as they head down the road. The first princess they encounter (Terri Garr) trills about how she knows this is the "Day of Days" when she'll meet her frog prince. Jacob tries to explain to his brother that their fairy tales are just illusions in his head in "Life Isn't a Fairy Tale." The Gingerbread Lady (Chita Rivera) is so delighted to be fattening Jacob, she tells him how she loves "Fat Men." 

There's not one, but three ballets. Sleeping Beauty's prince (John Clifford) awakens his prima ballerina beauty (Joanna Kirkland) with the help of the Los Angeles Ballet in "The Sleeping Beauty Ballet." The Twelve (or eight here) Dancing Princesses twirl with their princes in their underground kingdom in "The Mazurka." Cinderella (Stephanie Steele) is equally happy to be at "The Prince's Ball Ballet" with handsome Prince Charming (John McCook). 

What I Don't Like: Despite the all-star cast, this is a pretty bizarre musical. The makeup on the Big Bad Wolf (Cleavon Little), the Six Swans, and Jacob's swan and Wilhelm's frog forms reveals the cheaper TV origins, as do the obvious animated special effects for the swans' flight and whenever the witch does her magic. Not all of the actors are suited to their roles. Rivera was a dancer who doesn't do much dancing; Buzzi was better known for playing oddballs than lovely queens. Jacob's insistence on everything being "science" and some of the stranger casting gives this an almost sour tinge that the occasional meta-references to people's stories being ruined don't help.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out at least once if you have kids who love fairy tales, are a fairy tale fan yourself like me, or are fans of anyone in the cast. 

Home Media: Currently DVD only from VCI Vault Classics.

DVD

Animation Celebration Saturday - Trolls World Tour

Dreamworks/Universal, 2020

Voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, and James Corden

Directed by Walt Dohm

Music and Lyrics by various

Trolls was a huge hit with kids, especially once the show Trolls: The Beat Goes On began on Netflix in 2018. The merchandise was everywhere, and "Can't Fight This Feeling!" was a number 1 hit around the world. With success like that, a sequel was inevitable. How does the story of Queen Poppy (Kendrick) attempting to bring together the various Troll music tribes come together? Let's head back to Troll Village, where Poppy putting together her latest party, and find out...

The Story: Once, all trolls lived in harmony, with six magical strings that gave them their music. Eventually, they all fought over which types of music was best. The trolls finally broke into six tribes, representing six different genres of music - rock, techno, pop, funk, classical, and country - and split into six different lands of the Troll Kingdom. Queen Barb of the Hard Rock tribe (Rachel Bloom) seeks to steal the strings and unite the trolls under rock, and rock alone.

Hoping to make friends and show there's more than one type of music, Queen Poppy accepts her invitation against her father King Peppy's (Walt Dohm) wishes. Hoping to tell Poppy how he feels about her, Branch (Timberlake) follows her. Meanwhile, Cooper (Ron Fuentes), the only four-legged Pop Troll, goes on his own quest to find other trolls who look like him.

The Animation: Just as gorgeous and textured as in the previous film. They really do manage to give each kingdom their own distinctive style. Love the homey quilts and buttons used for the Country Troll Kingdom desert and the glittering sequins and neon onboard the Funk Kingdom's ship, not to mention the surreal fantasy sequence during the Smooth Jazz Troll's number. 

The Song and Dance: And once again, there's lots of it. Bloom is the stand-out among the newcomers as the loud, tough young queen who thinks getting everyone to listen to one music is the answer to bringing them together; listen for Ozzy Osbourne in a couple of brief but funny bits as her father King Thrash. As mentioned, the animation is just gorgeous, colorful and distinctive. Branch's attempts to tell Poppy how he feels are funny, as are how he's constantly interrupted.

Favorite Number: The hit here was "The Other Side," the number performed by pop singer SZA and Timberlake introducing the back story of the strings and the troll kingdoms. "Trolls Just Want to Have Good Times" is the opening montage, with Poppy and the others singing a medley of disco and pop hits as they celebrate Poppy becoming queen. Sheriff Delta Dawn (Kelly Clarkson) introduces us to the bluesy world of Country with the twangy and depressing "Born to Die." Mary J. Bilge and George Clinton as the King and Queen of Funk show their side of history in "It's All Love (History of Funk)." 

Trivia: Thanks to the current pandemic, Trolls World Tour was released direct to digital on April 10th, as well as a smattering of theaters. Many theater chains claimed they'd boycott Universal for taking their business. For all that, the movie did do well in streaming, coming in at number one after its release. 

What I Don't Like: I don't think Dreamworks or Universal knew what message they wanted to send. The first half talks about the importance of a group mentality and everyone working together, but the second half emphasizes individualism and culture. There's also the Hard Rock Trolls, whose scary looks may have been the result of critics complaining about the first movie being too cutesy. It can come off as too preachy and trying too hard to be "epic" and "big," especially for a children's franchise. 

The Big Finale: Slightly darker and more action-packed than the first film. The muddled message doesn't get in the way of an enjoyable story with stunning animation and some great music. 

Home Media: As the most recent film I've reviewed on my blog, this is easily available in all formats. It's currently streaming for free with a subscription on Hulu. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Hulu

Rio Rita (1929)

RKO (Radio), 1929

Starring Bebe Daniels, John Boles, Bert Wheeler, and Robert Woosley

Directed by Luther Reed

Music by Harry Tierney; Lyrics by Joseph McCarthy

Radio-Keith-Orpheum Films, later RKO, formed just as sound arrived in Hollywood. In fact, they were the first major studio formed expressively to make sound films. Rio Rita was their third release, and their first truly high-budget undertaking. This was an adaptation of the 1927 Broadway hit, with Ziegfeld himself co-producing. Comics Wheeler and Woosley came along to the film with most of the music and the opulent production, including elaborate costumes and sets and Technicolor in the last 20 minutes. Was it worth the expense, or should this south-of-the-border romance be sent back up north? To answer that question, let's begin in the little Mexican town of San Lucas, where the search for the Kinkajou is just starting to really heat up...

The Story: Captain Jim Stewart (Boles) of the Texas Rangers arrives at San Lucas with his men in pursuit of the notorious local bandit, who just robbed a bank. He suspects Roberto Ferguson (Don Alvardo) and tries to get information out of his sister Rita (Daniels), but falls for her instead. Wealthy General Ravinoff (Georges Renavent) also loves Rita and convinces her that Jim will arrest her brother if she furthers the relationship. He blackmails her into marrying him on his Pirate Barge, but Jim and his Rangers are on their tail.

Meanwhile, Chick Bean (Wheeler) is also visiting San Lucas with his girlfriend Dolly (Dorothy Lee). He wants to get a divorce so he can marry Dolly, but the US doesn't acknowledge Mexican divorces. He's still technically married to his estranged wife Katie (Helen Kaiser). His lawyer Ned Lovett (Woosley) first advises him to stay away from his new wife...then decides to romance Katie himself when he learns she inherited a ton of money.

The Song and Dance: Goofy, action-packed fluff was one of 1929's biggest hits and still has some magic to spare today. Daniels and Boles are obviously having a great time as the lovers separated by his pursuit of her beloved brother. Their songs together show all the passion that the ones for the lovers in Whoopee! lacked. Rita herself is a little bit more interesting and feisty than Daniels' similar role in Dixiana a year later. Wheeler and Woosley are an acquired taste today, but they do still have some good gags, especially when Lee and Kaiser join in on the barge. 

Outdoor shooting adds authenticity and vitality to the first half. The second half benefits from the lavish production, especially the Technicolor that shows up once everyone hits the Pirate Barge. It's almost as gorgeous as the color in Whoopee!, with stunning costumes (I love Lee's turquoise dress with the peach flowers and fringe skirt) and the nifty pirate ship set.

Favorite Number: Rita and Jim fall in love as she sings the lovely "River of My Dreams" in counterpoint to his version of the title song at the hacienda. He leads his Rangers through "The Rangers Song" when they're rounding up a posse. Lee and Wheeler have a ball with their hilarious acrobatic duet to "Sweetheart, We Need Each Other" on the barge. Wheeler and Woosely pay more attention to each other during the reprise of "Sweetheart" sung on the side of the barge than to either of their actual sweethearts singing along. 

Trivia: Rio Rita opened the brand-new Ziegfeld Theater in 1927 and was a smash, running for almost a year and a half, with Wheeler and Woosley paired specifically for the show. To my knowledge, it's seldom been seen since then, though there was apparently a TV version in 1950.

The version most people see on TCM and DVD (and that I reviewed) is from the cut-down rerelease in 1932. While most of the excised footage has since been lost, Daniels and Boles' second duet "When You're In Love You'll Waltz" and Dorothy Lee leading the chorus through "The Kinkajou" apparently do exist.

What I Don't Like: To start with, the Mexican stereotypes aren't quite as thick on the ground as the Indian ones in Whoopee!, but they're still there. Daniels' idea of a Mexican accident borders on ridiculous, and some of her over-the-top reactions to Boles' heroics at the hacienda party are pure silent movie histronics. 

This more-or-less represents the type of musical that the arrival of more serious and "integrated" works made look out of date in the 1950's. Wheeler and Woosley's divorce story has almost nothing to do with the search for the Kinkajou and Jim and Rita's relationship, and can actually come off as a little distasteful today. Not to mention, this is an early talkie. Reed was no craftsman; basically, we get a lot of dull and arid long takes of whomever happens to be standing there. Pearl Eaton's chorus routines manage to be even less interesting.

The Big Finale: This was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, given its reputation and the time period. If you love westerns, action, or any of the stars, you'll want to head south of the border and meet Rita, too.

Home Media: Currently only on DVD from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Say It With Songs

Warner Bros, 1929

Starring Al Jolson, Marian Nixon, Davey Lee, and Holmes Herbert

Directed by Lloyd Bacon

Music by Ray Henderson; Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown

Al Jolson was American cinema's first true musical film star. He appeared in the one often considered to be the first film musical, The Jazz Singer, and it was his vehicle The Singing Fool that codified the success of sound film and musicals. Those films were only part-talkies, silent films with anywhere from a few minutes to an hour of sound added. This was Jolson's first all-sound, all-music film. How does this melodrama with songs look today? Let's head to the radio station where Joe Lane (Jolson) is preparing for his show and find out...

The Story: Lane loves his wife Kathrine (Nixon) and his son Little Pal (Lee), but she's frustrated with his being out all night and gambling. Even so, she avoids the advances of radio station manager Arthur Phillips (Kenneth Thompson), who claims he'll advance Joe's career if she does favors for him. His temper gets the better of him when she tells him, and he beats the man in a parked car. After Phillips dies from his injuries, Joe is sentenced to prison for manslaughter. 

While Joe's in prison, Katherine takes a job as a nurse for Dr. Robert Merrill (Herbert) in order to pay for her son living at school. The moment Joe gets out, he visits his son on the schoolgrounds. The boy is so desperate for him to stay, he follows him into town and gets hit by a car. After the accident leaves the child paralyzed from the waist down and mute, Joe tries to find someone who can save him...someone besides Dr. Merrill, who is in love with his wife. He may have to finally put aside his feelings for his wife when he learns that Merrill, no matter how he feels about his nurse, is the only one who can save his beloved "Little Pal."

The Song and Dance: Jolson takes full advantage of the sound to perform no less than seven songs, including the big ballad to his son "Little Pal." When he does his radio shows, he's in his element, happily performing for all those swell folks out there. This is also one of only two movies where he doesn't appear in blackface; the radio setting thankfully eliminated the need for it. Lee actually isn't bad as the "Little Pal" whose parents adore him - watch him listening to his daddy on the radio early-on. Thompson is also good as the smarmy manager who tries to put the moves on Katherine.

Favorite Number: We open with a medley of radio performers before eventually bringing on Al. He performs the boisterous and fun "I'm In Seventh Heaven" before singing "Little Pal" for his own little boy. "Little Pal" comes up again several times, including a dream sequence where the boy imagines his father singing to him in his arms.

Trivia: Jolson originally had even more to sing. Two numbers, "Back In Your Own Backyard" and "I'm Ka-razy About You" were cut from the movie. They're now considered to be lost, though the Vitaphone sound discs exist.

While not an out-and-out flop, this wasn't nearly the blockbuster hit that Jolson's earlier part-talkie The Singing Fool was. 

What I Don't Like: Hoooo boy. Does this one ladle on the melodrama! Name a cliché from any family drama made in the past 100 years, and it likely turns up here. So many choice bits of soppiness can be found on this overheated buffet! There's the kid accidentally testifying against his father. Or perhaps you'd prefer Jolson singing the soggy cheer-up song "Why Can't You?" to his fellow inmates. Or him singing on the radio, in prison, at Christmas. Not to mention, there's Lee somehow managing to follow his father half-way across town before getting unconvincingly hit by a car. 

The acting manages to be worse than the script. Jolson way overdoes it, even for him. If he's not screaming at Nixon because he thinks she'd be better off without him, he's sobbing and wailing over the kid. By comparison, Nixon is so dull, she melts into the woodwork, too timid to stand up to Jolson's teeth-gnashing histrionics. No wonder this didn't do nearly as well at the box office as his earlier films. Even audiences at the time could tell this was too much. 

The Big Finale: Too melodramatic and silly to be for anyone but the most ardent fans of Jolson or historians of the early talkie era. 

Home Media: Most of Jolson's Warners pictures are pretty easy to find on streaming and on Warner Archives DVD, including this one. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - Trolls (2016)

Dreamworks/20th Century Fox, 2016

Voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christine Baranski, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Directed by Mike Mitchell

Music and Lyrics by various

No one expected much of Trolls when it debuted in fall 2016. Dreamworks Animation hadn't done terribly well outside of its core franchises for years, and the trailer gave a look at a rather cutesy "kiddie" movie. It ended up doing fairly well at the box office, enough to warrant a TV show, a slew of merchandise, and a sequel (which be going further into next week). What about the original? Is it all sunshine and cupcakes, or does a little rain fall on this candy-colored confection? To answer that question, let's turn to the scrapbooks of Princess Poppy (Kendrick) to tell us more about the trolls and how they came to live in their current home...

The Story: Once upon a time, the happy, upbeat Trolls were consumed by the miserable Bergens, who believed that the only way for them to be happy was to eat a Troll. They even had a special day to eat Trolls and be happy, Trollstice. Eventually, the Troll king Peppy (Jeffery Tambour) escaped with his tiny daughter Poppy (Kendrick) and most of the Trolls through a tunnel on Trollstice before Prince Gristle Jr. (Mintz-Plasse) could eat one.

Twenty years later, Poppy holds the biggest party ever to celebrate the day of their escape. Everyone's excited, except gray, grumpy Branch (Timberlake). He's convinced the Bergens may return someday, and Poppy's big party will only attract unwanted attention. He's right. Her fireworks bring the angry Bergen chef (Baranski) who was in charge of preparing the trolls for consumption right to them. After she kidnaps several of Poppy's friends, including her crush Creek (Russell Brand), Poppy is determined to go after them. Branch follows her to Bergentown, where put-upon Bergen maid Bridgit (Zoey Deschanel) agrees to help them in exchange for them getting her crush Gristle Jr. to notice her.

The Animation: It may be my favorite thing about this. Dreamworks did an incredible job making everything look prehensile and soft, like the felt Poppy uses for her scrapbooks. It's like you could almost reach out and give the Trolls a hug. Rainbow colors pop off the screen on imaginative critters "made" of string, buttons, and fur. Even the Bergens have their own muddy grays and softer pastels showing just how dreary and dismal they are.

The Song and Dance: This brings to mind the colorful kid-oriented programming of my childhood like The Care Bears or The Smurfs that often had small magical beings helping others to be happy. Kendrick and Timberlake are having a ball as the ever-optimistic pink princess and the colorless troll who's sarcasm belies a lot of unhappiness in his life. Brand and Baranski do almost as well as the vengeful Bergen chef and Creek the Troll, whose low-key philosophy hides a coward's heart. Mintz-Plasse and Deschanel are adorable as the awkward but oddly cute Bergen lovers.

Favorite Number: A medley of the upbeat rock songs "Move Your Feet" and "D.A.N.C.E" and the old Brady Bunch song "It's a Sunshine Day" gives Poppy's party energy to spare and shows just how "loud, wild, and crazy" it got. Poppy lets absolutely nothing - be it hill-shaped monsters, giant snakes, or berries that blow her up like a balloon - get in her way, even as she sings "Get Back Up Again." When Branch tells Poppy during their night's sleep that he wants silence, I suspect the last thing he expected was for Poppy and the animals of the forest to perform the old Simon-Garfunkel number "The Sounds of Silence." Branch finally sings "True Colors" to cheer up Poppy and restore her own colors right before Bridget is supposed to take them to the Bergen. The movie ends with Bergen and Trolls alike coming together for Timberlake's huge hit "Can't Fight the Feeling!" as Bergentown becomes a land of color and sunshine.

Trivia: "Can't Fight the Feeling!" won a Grammy and was nominated for an Oscar.

What I Don't Like: Note the reference to the Care Bears and Smurfs up there. This movie follows many of the same clichés as those super-sweet shows...and as such, can come off as way too cutesy, sugary, and loud. The constant barrage of musical numbers may annoy people who aren't as into musicals as I am, too. Branch has a point about a lot of things, including how ridiculous some of the more obvious plot points can be. (Like what in the heck was with the little cloud thing? He messed with Branch for a few minutes, lead them into the tunnel, and didn't return until the finale.) And then there's the whole "based after a troll doll and made to sell toys" thing.

The Big Finale: If you loved similar sweet and optimistic kid adventures in the 80's and 90's, had a troll doll yourself, or have kids who love musicals or cute characters, you won't want to "fight this feeling", just party on over.

Home Media: As one of the newer movies I've reviewed, this is easy to find in all major formats, often for under 10 dollars.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Whoopee!

United Artists, 1930

Starring Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta, Eleanor Hunt, and Paul Gregory

Directed by Thorton Freeland

Music by Walter Donaldson and others; Lyrics by Gus Kahn and others

Florenz Ziegfeld had been the biggest impresario on Broadway since his famous Follies began in 1907. Women came from across the country to be "glorified" and glamorized in his huge extravaganzas. Cantor worked his way from vaudeville stardom to becoming one of Ziegfeld's most popular players; Whoopee! was his biggest hit for the producer. Desperate for money after the Depression wiped him out, Ziegfeld partnered with another famous producer, Samuel Goldwyn, to bring Whoopee! to the big screen. How does this modern-set western look now? Let's start on the ranch, just as a wedding is being announced, and find out...

The Story: Pretty Sally Morgan (Hunt) is supposed to marry Sheriff Bob Wells (Jack Rutherford), but she really loves half-native, eastern-educated Wanenis (Gregory). Hoping to evade Wells and find Wanenis, she escapes out a window with hypochondriac guest Henry Williams (Cantor). He thinks he's giving her a ride out of town, but she left a note claiming they're going to elope! Bob, his deputies, Sally's father Jud (Walter Law) go after Williams to arrest him; his nurse Mary (Shutta) wants to marry him. Williams does everything from steal a car to dress in blackface to join an Indian tribe in order to avoid the entire lot of them.

The Song and Dance: Busby Berkeley's first Hollywood assignment, the gorgeous color, and a few good bits from Cantor are the selling points here. This is one of the few full two-strip Technicolor films of its era left, and it looks incredible. That rich turquoise sky pops off the screen. Shutta matches Cantor pretty well as the tough lady who likes her men meek and mild. Berkeley's style is obvious even at this early point, with several overhead shots of ladies in cowboy hats and native headdresses and choreography that plays to the camera, rather than just tapping in front of it. 

Favorite Number: The big hit that made it into the film was Cantor's knowing "Makin' Whoopee," which he sings (with different lyrics) surrounded by a bevy of pink-clad bridesmaids. An incredibly young and perky Betty Grable opens the movie with the chorus singing about how much they love "Cowboys" as they tap for the camera and Berkeley makes overhead patterns with their hats. Cantor laments to Hunt how he lost "A Girlfriend of a Boyfriend of Mine" when they're on the run from the Sheriff in the car. "The Song of the Setting Sun" brings on the Indian tribe for some big native dances, feather-trimmed overhead shots, while the charter roster of Goldwyn Girls parade their beaded costumes and fancy capes before the camera.

Trivia: The original Broadway show opened in 1928 and ran a year, not bad for the time. A revival on Broadway in 1979 lasted about three months and added a few extra songs not in the original show, including "My Baby Just Cares for Me" from the film.

What I Don't Like: Stereotypes of all varieties run amok in this one, from Cantor's blackface routine to the extraneous "My Baby Just Cares for Me" to the ridiculous Indian-loves-white-woman plot and overdone Indian tribe. That over-the-top finale in particular with what Waneris turns out to be will likely make many viewers cringe today, rather than cheer. There's also times when this being an early talkie comes to the fore, especially during non-musical sequences that have people just standing around talking. 

Most of the songs from the original show besides "Makin' Whoopee" were eliminated, and "Whoopee" had its lyrics largely re-written. I wish they'd at least found a way to sneak in the other big hit "Love Me or Leave Me" and its star Ruth Etting, even if neither she nor the song had much to do with the rest of the show. 

The Big Finale: The dated plot and heavy stereotypes make this mainly of interest to fans of Cantor, Berkeley, or the films of the early sound era. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD from the Warner Archives or streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Saluting Our Troops - At War With the Army

Paramount, 1950

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mike Kellin, and Angela Greene

Directed by Hal Walker

Music by Jerry Livingston; Lyrics by Mack David

Goofy, gangly Jerry Lewis and suave Dean Martin made it big on early TV and in nightclubs before they appeared in their first hit movie, My Friend Irma. Part of their contract with Paramount allowed them to film one film outside the studio per year. This would be the only film to exercise that clause, which ended with a protracted legal battle between the studio and the stars. Was it worth the fuss? Let's head to an army base in Kentucky, where First Sergeant Vic Puccinelli (Martin) is bemoaning his status behind a desk, and find out...

The Story: When Vic isn't continually attempting to get shipped overseas so he'll actually have something to do, he's romancing the local ladies. Millie (Jean Ruth) spends the entire movie wandering around the barracks looking for him. He's also stringing along local girl Helen Palmer (Polly Bergen). Private First Class Alvin Korwin (Lewis) wants leave as badly as Vic wants action. His wife just had a baby, and he wants a chance to meet it. His attempts at convincing their rather dumb drill sergeant McVey (Mike Kellin) come to naught. Meanwhile, everyone on-base wishes the soda machine in the office would finally work and are trying to figure out who their commander (William Mendrek) is getting his information from.

The Song and Dance:  There are some fairly funny moments in this film, especially in the second half. Lewis has some good moments in a blond wig and dress, singing a bad French song to a very drunk Mendrek in a bar, and trying (and failing) to make it through a difficult obstacle course. Martin has slightly less to do besides complain, but he does do well playing alongside nasal Ruth and Bergen in her third film. The two men come together for the big base show they've been practicing for, including their genuinely funny impersonations of Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way. 

Favorite Number: "Beans" introduces us to Private Korwin and the rest of the barracks as they lament over the quality of the food they're being served. Helen and Vic sing the ballad "You and Your Beautiful Eyes" together in a local restaurant. 

Trivia: At War With the Army was originally a short-lived, non-musical play on Broadway. Kellin and Kenneth Forbes repeat their stage roles.

What I Don't Like: For their first vehicle, Martin and Lewis don't have a lot of time together. When they are together, Martin is usually berating or ordering Lewis around. Only their song and dance in the finale and the Going My Way spoof feels anything like their other films. The addition of a few outside sequences (like the obstacle course) and songs can't make it feel less like a filmed play, either. The first half in particular is mostly tied to the barracks, and other than a few gags, can seem a little static. 

The Big Finale: Not my favorite from either of these two, separate or together, by a long-shot, but there's enough decent bits to recommend it if you're a fan of either star.

Home Media: Possibly due to that protracted legal battle, this movie entered the public domain in 1977. It's easy to find in cheap copies all over the place, on disc and streaming. Streaming company Tubi currently has it for free with ads. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Tubi

Family Fun Saturday - Just Around the Corner

20th Century Fox, 1938

Starring Shirley Temple, Charles Farrell, Joan Davis, and Bert Lahr

Directed by Irving Cummings

Music by Harold Spina; Lyrics by Walter Bullock

Most of Shirley Temple's movies were made to help Depression-weary audiences forget their troubles and were usually adaptations of famous children's books or set in far-away places like a farm or in a historical setting like the Deep South. This may have been her only movie to really tackle the problems of the Depression head-on, or at least reference them from a child's point of view. How does the story of a little girl who thinks American icon Uncle Sam lives in her apartment building look in these equally troubled times? Let's start at an exclusive girl's school, where perky Penny Hale (Temple) was told she could go home to her father in New York, and find out...

The Story: Penny returns to the Riverview Apartments to find a very different family living in what was once her home. Her father Jeff (Farrell) was once a prominent architect, but has now been reduced to working as the building's janitor and living in the basement. Penny doesn't mind working. She's still with her father, and she gets to visit with her friends Kitty the dog sitter (Davis), Gus the chauffeur (Lahr), and Corporal Jones the doorman (Bill Robinson). She's less happy with being constantly told to stay out of the penthouse by snobbish apartment manager Waters (Franklin Pangborn). 

The head of the rich family who now occupies the penthouse, Sam Henshaw (Claude Gillingwater), is a cranky old man who constantly worries about his many business holdings. He refuses to listen to Jeff's ideas about new apartments, and while he doesn't like Jeff running around with his niece Lola (Amanda Duff), he has fewer problems with Penny helping his pampered nephew Milton (Bennie Bartlett) fit in better with the neighborhood kids. Convinced he's the real iconic "Uncle Sam" after her father shows her a cartoon that resembles him, Penny insists on holding a benefit for him. She's hoping to keep him from sending her father to Borneo on assignment...but "Uncle Sam" may not appreciate her efforts.

The Song and Dance: Well, the story is definitely unique. Most musicals from this time used the Depression as a backdrop and an excuse for cheer-up routines. We do get that here (as in "This Is a Happy Little Ditty"), but the economic downturn of 1937-1938 is one of the driving forces behind the plot. It's a big part of the reason Sam's businesses are in trouble. The supporting cast mostly runs with the odd script, bringing out some decent gags from Davis and Lahr and two good solos from Robinson. Even Bartlett does well as the sheltered boy who learns to be a "he-man" from Penny. 

Favorite Number: "Happy Little Ditty" is kind of goofy, but it manages to encompass most of cast, from Lahr and Davis goofing off to Robinson getting a good dance solo in. The movie ends with Robinson and Temple in raincoats, tapping together to the big dance number at the benefit, "I Love to Walk In the Rain."

What I Don't Like: The story is kind of bizarre and frequently just plain dated. Many people who don't know anything about the mid-late 30's and that economic downturn may not understand what all the fuss is about. It doesn't help that it pretty much conforms to most of the clichés of Temple's films - her among an unusual "family" and charming a curmudgeon into letting them stay together. (Granted, this is one of the few times she isn't an orphan and manages to keep her father around for most of the film.)

The Big Finale: Cute enough way to pass an hour or so if you or your kids are a fan of Temple...but be prepared to explain a few things about the time period and how it relates to the story.

Home Media: Like all of Temple's movies, this is easy to find on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Sweet Adeline

Warner Bros, 1934

Starring Irene Dunne, Donald Woods, Ned Sparks, and Hugh Herbert

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Though she's remembered primarily for her non-musical comedies and dramas nowadays, Irene Dunne was an accomplished singer who performed on Broadway before coming to Hollywood in the early 30's. By 1934, she was one of the top stars in Hollywood, able to easily glide between melodramas, brittle comedy, and operettas like this and Show Boat. How does this backstage romance of the 1890's look nowadays? Let's head to a beer garden in Hoboken, New Jersey as the all-woman band begins their first number to find out...

The Story: Adeline Schmidt (Dunne) is in love with songwriter Sid Barnett (Woods). Her father, the owner of the beer garden, would prefer she court wealthy military hero Major Day (Louis Calhern). Adeline's sister Nellie (Nydia Westman) is more in love with the idea of being on the stage. She runs off to New York after producer Rupert Rockingham, and Adeline and her Major go after her.

Meanwhile, Sid is trying to find someone who can sing the music for his new operetta. The producers want to star Spanish beauty Alysia, who is a star but no great shakes as a singer. Sid insists on Adeline appearing in the show the moment she comes in asking about her sister. Everyone is so impressed by her performance, she gets the role then and there. Alysia is not only jealous, she's a spy who is being pursued by inept government agent Rupert. Alysia wants that role and will do anything to get it, even harm her rival. Meanwhile, Sid is going crazy as Adeline goes between his attention and the Major's, but the Major isn't quite as wholesome as he appears.

The Song and Dance: Dunne is definitely the thing here. She beautifully performs several Kern and Hammerstein songs and shows off some smashing gowns amid the hustle and bustle of Broadway and beer gardens in the end of the 19th century. Herbert and Sparks get the occasional good bits as the harried producer and the incompetent agent, and Westman is cute as Adeline's goofy sister with stars in her eyes.

Favorite Number: The all-female orchestra kicks things off well with "Play Us a Polka Dot" giving us a lively dance routine at the beer garden. Dunne sings the throbbing hit ballad "Why Was I Born?" when Sid asks her for what amounts to an audition. Noah Beery attempts "Oriental Moon" as a sultan in rehearsal, but keeps getting interrupted by people moving scenery. "We Were So Young" is one of the big Busby Berkeley-style numbers in the operetta, with Dunne on a swing and dancers swinging in the air behind her as she and singer Phil Rosen recall their past love. Dunne gets Woods back by performing "Don't Ever Leave Me" as she pieces together the ripped parts of his song in the finale.

Trivia: This debuted as a vehicle for singer Helen Morgan on Broadway in 1929. It did well enough, but the Depression cut into its business, and it closed after six months.

What I Don't Like: This feels like Warners tried to make an operetta in the same style as their Busby Berkeley spectaculars. It doesn't work. First of all, what's with the spy subplot? It has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the story. Shaw doesn't look or sound like a spy. She sounds more vaguely French than Spanish and acts like a spoiled child. The love triangle is even less interesting. Woods has all the charisma of the piano he plays at the beer garden, and Calhern is so obviously smarmy, you wonder what either Adeline or her father see in him. References to the Spanish-American War and a young Al Jolson feel more forced than authentic. Apparently, it doesn't have much in common with the original show either besides "Why Was I Born?," "Here Am I?" and the 1890's setting.

The Big Finale: As lovely as the songs are, the story and most of the performances are too dull to make this of interest to anyone but the most ardent fans of Dunne, 30's musicals, or operetta.

Home Media: Currently DVD-only from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Election Day Special - Call Me Madam

20th Century Fox, 1953

Starring Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, and George Saunders

Directed by Walter Lang

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

While you wait for the returns to come in, here's a lively political tale to check out. This is one of only two times Merman got to recreate one of her Broadway roles on film. (The other is the rarely-seen 1936 version of Anything Goes.) Even Hollywood had to admit that no one else could get away with playing Mrs. Sally Adams, a widow who becomes the ambassador for a tiny European principality, with quite the same relish. How does she do alongside smooth Sanders and sweet O'Connor? Let's start in Washington DC, as Sally is being sworn in, and find out...

The Story: Sally's political connections gets her the job as the ambassador to tiny Litchenburg in Europe, even though she's the wealthy daughter of an Oklahoma oil driller who knows nothing about diplomacy. Kenneth Nelson (O'Connor), an out-of-work reporter, convinces her to bring him along as her press attache.

They arrive in Litchenburg to be greeted by the head of the Embassy Pemberton Maxwell (Billy De Wolfe), a fussy fellow who doesn't think much of Sally or her abilities. Prime Minister Sebastian (Steven Garay) and Grand Duke Otto (Ludwig Stossel) are hoping to get a huge loan from the US. They want Otto's niece Princess Maria (Vera-Ellen) to have a large enough dowry to marry Prince Hugo (Helmut Dantine). Foreign Minister Cosmo Constantine (George Saunders) would prefer his country to stay independent and self-sufficient...but the last thing he expected was to fall for Sally. Ken ends up in love with Maria as well, but she's still expected to go through with her political alliance.

The Song and Dance: This one is all about the numbers and a fairly unusual and then-topical story. Indeed, it's inspired by a real Washington hostess, Pearl Mesta, who was the ambassador to Luxembourg in the 1940's. Merman relishes her rare chance to be in the spotlight on film, not only clowning with O'Connor and doing some nice comedy bits with the stuffy ministers, but getting to play romance with smooth Saunders, too. O'Connor and Vera-Ellen are delightful as the younger lovers and DeWolfe has some funny bits as the head of the Embassy who thinks he knows everything about dealing with the locals. The colorful, Oscar-nominated costumes, in Washington and Litchenburg, add a great deal to the European charm-meets-American vivacity feel.

Favorite Number: We open with Merman explaining to the press how she got her new job - by being "The Hostess With the Mostess On the Ball." "It's a Lovely Day Today" is initially a cute duet for Maria and Kenneth when they meet in a department store. They later perform a gorgeous pas de deux to an instrumental version at the ball around a sparkling fountain. The day after the ball, O'Connor wonders why he feels like he does. Merman tells him "You're Just In Love" in what's probably this show's biggest hit. Maria joins the chorus for a colorful peasant dance at the fair to the melody of that most European of instruments, "The Octarina." Frustrated after Maria turns him down at the fair, Kenneth dances drunkenly around a beer garden - and nearly destroys the place - wondering "What Chance Have I With Love?" 

Trivia: Call Me Madam debuted on Broadway in 1950, with Russell Nype as Kenneth, Paul Lukas as Cosmo, and Galina Talva as Maria. It was a huge hit that ran almost three years, with Merman playing the whole run. It also did fairly well on the West End for such a red-blooded American show, running a year and a half with Billie Worth as Sally Adams. Interestingly, though it was revived briefly in London in 1983, the only time it's been seen in New York since it's initial run was in two (admittedly well-received) off-Broadway Encores! concerts in 1995 and 2019. 

What I Don't Like: Part of the reason it's now rarely seen on major stages is the story hasn't dated that well. Nowadays, I doubt any country in Europe would be asking for a loan - or anything else - from the US, and a lot of those peasant costumes and weird accents could be seen as European stereotypes. And why is Maria and Kenneth's second big duet, "Something to Dance About," set in a dark passage? It's too dreary a setting for the delightfully cheerful choreography.

The Big Finale: Dated story aside, if you love Merman, O'Connor, or Vera-Ellen or are a fan of the big Broadway adaptations of the 50's and 60's, you'll want to look out for this one.

Home Media: Unavailable on video and hard to find for years, it was finally released on DVD in 2004...which, at press time, is still the only way you can see this one.

DVD