Family Fun Saturday - Big Time Movie

Nickelodeon, 2012

Starring Big Time Rush (Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr, and Logan Henderson), Trevor Devall, Ciara Bravo, and Challen Cates

Directed by Savage Steve Holland

Music and Lyrics by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and others

Big Time Rush was Nickelodeon's answer to the Jonas Brothers at Disney, their boy band sitcom that would appeal to the teen girls and make their boyfriends laugh. They were inspired by The Monkees, an earlier sitcom about a fictional boy band who had wacky adventures. Although I'm not sure the band ever reached the heights of the Jonases or the Monkees, the show did run for four years on Nickelodeon and seemed to be fairly well-regarded by audiences and critics. This would be their only shot at something like a movie. Is it as much fun as the Beatles movies, or should it be left behind on the tour. Let's begin with the members of Big Time Rush as spies saving the world in member Carlos Garcia's (Pena) dreams and find out...

The Story: The members of Big Time Rush are excited to be on their first world tour, starting off in London. Their manager Gustavo (Stephan Kramer Glickman) and his assistant Kelly (Tanya Chisholm) would be happier if the boys just stayed in their hotel room and did nothing before their big show in Hyde Park. That proves to be nearly impossible when they discover a strange device in Kendall's (Schmidt) backpack. 

Turns out they accidentally switched backpacks at the airport with M16 agent Simon Lane (Christopher Shyer), who was captured by the henchmen of evil airline mogul Sir Atticus Moon (Devall). Lane's daughter Penny (Emma Lahana) recruits them to find him and retrieve the Beetle, a powerful anti-gravity device.  Meanwhile, Kendall's little sister Katie (Bravo) is obsessed with princesses, to the point of convincing their mother Mrs. Knight (Cates) to date a man who calls himself the Duke of Bath (Gerald Plunkett). When Moon kidnaps Katie, Carlos realizes his dream of becoming a Beatles-singing spy is coming true...and that dream may be the key to rescuing Katie and the Beetle from Moon's diabolical plans.

The Song and Dance: I'm not normally a fan of the teen cable sitcoms of the 2000's and 2010's, but if Big Time Rush is as much fun as this film, I might have to check it out. Everyone, including the boys, throw themselves into this delightfully absurd spoof of spy capers and British brevity. Director "Savage" Steve Holland did a series of equally wacky comedies in the 80's and is definitely in tune with the material. Even Cates and Bravo have fun with their royalty-skewering subplot, and Lahana and Shyler are a riot as the actual spies. 

The Numbers: We open with Carlos' spy dream, as Big Time Rush rescues a beautiful blonde princess to the tune of "Help!" "Can't Buy Me Love" is the first chase sequence, as Big Time Rush tries to avoid Moon's men on the streets of London, only to run into Penny Lane and her van. "We Can Work It Out" has Penny sneaking them into Hyde Park for their soundcheck in some fairly absurd costumes. The boys launch themselves into a "Revolution" as they invade Moon's mansion to rescue Katie (who is the "princess") and the Beetle device. They make a big arrival at the concert in M16 helicopters to perform "A Hard Day's Night" for the adoring teen girls in the crowd. They finish with what I presume to be their own "You Want the Party," a more generic boy band pop number. 

What I Don't Like: While you don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy this movie, it does help to be a fan of the Beatles and/or absurd rock comedies like The Monkees TV show or the Beatles' Help! to get some of the jokes and humor. It's about as in-your-face, goofy, and obvious as you can get and isn't for someone looking for a more subtle satire. Katie's attempt to shove her mother at a guy she isn't interested in just so she can be a princess can get a little grating after a while. (It's also pretty obvious this was a low-budget TV film and wasn't filmed anywhere near London. It looks like they're in generic sets that could be anywhere for most of the movie.)

The Big Finale: Nickelodeon really should dive into the musical genre more often. All of their attempts at the genre have been delights, and this one is no exception. Highly recommended for fans of spy capers or rock satire, even if they haven't seen Big Time Rush. 

Home Media: Currently on DVD with Nick's other big 2012 musical Rags and on Paramount Plus with a subscription.

DVD - Rags/Big Time Movie

Paramount Plus

I Saw the Light

Sony Pictures Classics/Sony, 2015

Starring Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, and Maddie Hasson

Directed by Marc Abraham

Music and Lyrics by Hank Williams and others

The other country music star we're looking at this week has a far more tragic history. Hank Williams was one of the most influential names in country music during the 40's and early 50's. His songs sold in the thousands, his concerts were legendary, and many of his songs continue to be recorded, revived, and analyzed to this day. His life, however...well, that was more of a mess. Let's begin with Williams' former songwriting partner and publisher Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford), who'll explain to us just how messy Williams' life got...

The Story: We begin near the end of World War II, as country radio star Hank Williams (Hiddleston) and divorcee Audrey Sheppard (Olsen) are about to get married by a justice of the peace. Audrey is a part of his act and band at first, but they get complaints that she's not as good as he is. Hank's mother Lillie (Jones) doesn't like Audrey, partially because she manages the band along with singing. 

As it turns out, Lillie has a point about the marriage. Despite them having a child, Hank Williams Jr, it's rocky from the start. Even as Williams is praised as a genius and becomes one of the biggest stars on the Grand Ol' Opry, his constantly being on the road and dealing with pain from a bad back leads to multiple affairs and heavily abusing drugs and alcohol. 

By 1952, even as he was in talks with MGM about a role in their upcoming musical Small Town Girl, his performances are beginning to suffer. Audrey divorces him; the Opry fires him due to his constantly missing shows. He gets a spark of hope when he marries 19-year-old Billie Jean Jones (Hasson), but his health has already deteriorated, to the point where his much-vaunted tour around Christmas and New Year's ends up being his last.

The Song and Dance: Hiddleston and Olsen are the main reasons to watch this tepid biography. They apparently worked hard to get the mannerisms and accents for their characters right, and it paid off. Hiddleston nails Williams, a charming, hard-working man who ultimately succumbs to his pain and demons, with Olsen nearly matching him as the wife who's had enough of his drinking and womanizing. Hiddleston does his own singing, and does it well, sounding reasonably like Williams and doing justice to several of his best-known songs.

The Numbers: We open with Hiddleston, in a simple yellow spotlight, performing one of Williams' best-known ballads over the credits, "Cold Cold Heart." He and the Saddle Spring Boys sing "Honky Tonkin'" in, appropriately, a down-home western honky-tonk bar. Audrey's "Blues Come Around" is less well-received. They do better recording "Movin' On Over" in Nashville. We see the tail end of Hank's radio show as Audrey joins them for the railroad-themed "Pan American." Williams and the Saddle Spring Boys are briefly seen recording "Lovesick Blues," which he gets to sing in full when he finally gets on the Grand Ol' Opry. 

"Santa Baby" is heard in the background at the Christmas party that Hank spends drunkenly playing with his garage door opener.Hank's introduced by another country legend, Roy Acuff, before he and the Saddle Spring Boys launch into "Hey Good Lookin'."  His second Opry number is the lively ballad "Why Don't You Love Me?" right before he meets Billie Jean for the first time. He sings "Your Cheatin' Heart" for the girl at her home. The cast of the concert Williams was supposed to be at when he died sings "I Saw the Light" in tribute. The movie ends with Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" over the credits.

What I Don't Like: Even more than Walk the Line, this is a tepid mess of cliches you've seen a million times in biographical musicals going back to the dawn of sound. The unfocused script and dull direction doesn't help there. It's also very dark. Williams' death at a young age puts this more in line with later stories of musicians who succumbed to fame like The Doors. This is not for people looking for a more uplifting or cheerful story. And frankly, the black-and-white interview sequences with Rose simply weren't necessary. They should have let Williams' story unfold naturally. 

The Big Finale: Mainly recommended for Hiddleston and Olsen's sterling performances if you're a major fan of the stars or Hank Williams. Everyone else is probably better off looking for Williams' real-life recordings instead.

Home Media: Easily found in all formats. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Walk the Line

20th Century Fox, 2005

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reece Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Robert Patrick

Directed by James Mangold

Music and Lyrics by Johnny Cash and others

Having explored classic rock legends last month, this week, we're going to dive into the country scene with three of the most beloved performers in country music. This one goes back to Cash and Carter appearing on the TV show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in 1993. Enamored with film, Cash wanted to get his life story onscreen. Even after a series of interviews in 1997, it wasn't until 2001 when they had a script ready and were able to sell it to Fox. It was a huge hit in 2005, but how does it look now, after many similar music biographies have come and gone? Let's start with Cash (Phoenix) and his legendary concert at Folsom State Prison and find out...

The Story: Johnny grows up in rural Arkansas with his mother Carrie (Shelby Lynne), his abusive father Ray (Patrick), and his sisters and his brother Jack (Lucas Till). After Jack dies in a saw mill accident while Johnny goes fishing, Ray blames his youngest son for his death. Tired of the abuse, Johnny enlists in the Air Force in 1950. He's not much of a pilot, but he does write the song "Folsom Prison Blues" while in West Germany. 

After he gets back to the US, he marries his girlfriend Vivian (Goodwin) and gets a job as a door to door salesman after they move to Memphis, Tennessee. He proves to be far more successful when he forms a gospel band, the Tennessee Two, and auditions for Sun Records. They take him after he plays "Folsom Prison Blues." The song is such a success, they send the Two out on tour with legends like Elvis Prestley (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne), giving Johnny his first taste of celebrity.

It also introduces him to June Carter (Witherspoon), a pretty, perky fellow country singer touring with her family. He falls for her right away, but she's a lot warier of him. He starts heavily abusing drugs and alcohol, and Vivian is all too aware of why Johnny keeps insisting on touring with June. He even ends up in prison for six months after a trip to Mexico to pick up more drugs. Vivian's had enough and divorces him, and even June's fed up. Johnny buys a home in Tennessee to be near June, but she's not sure she's ready to put on that "Ring of Fire." Even after Johnny records his famous Folsom Prison album, she keeps turning him down...until he tells her onstage that he can't make music without her.

The Song and Dance: Exemplary performances highlight this tale of rise and redemption through one of the greatest romances in country music. Phoenix and Witherspoon put in pitch-perfect performances as the troubled "Man In Black" and the smart lady who loves him and his music, especially when showing his dark side and drug addiction. That they did their own singing - and very well - adds layers to the authenticity. Patrick is the only one who gets near them as Cash's disapproving father, who never forgave Johnny for the loss of his favored son. Pitch-perfect costumes and sets and James Mangold's dynamic direction beautifully depict the rural Southeast and Nashville in the 50's and 60's. 

The Numbers: Our first song is appropriately, Johnny's first song. He first conceives "Folsom Prison Blues" while stationed in West Germany. It's not until that audition for Sun records that we hear the full version. He's attracted to Sun Records after hearing a band play "Don't Leave Me This Way." Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne) shows off his piano dexterity with his "Lewis Boogie" at the tour concert. June fakes laryngitis so Johnny gets a chance to sing "Cry Cry Cry" and impress the audience. Johnny's thrilled when none other than Roy Orbison (Johnathan Rice) sings "You're My Baby."  June finally gets onstage with her perky "Jukebox Blues."

Johnny successfully gives the new rock sound a shot with "Rock n' Roll Ruby," which really gets all those girls in the audience moving...but even he can't compare to a young Elvis Prestley (Tyler Hilton) tearing up the stage with "That's All Right." After Johnny's "Home of the Blues," he insists that June join him for "Time's a Waistin'." June protests at first - she recorded it with her ex-husband - but they have so much fun together, soon, even she's into the charming song.  The title song provides the backdrop for a montage depicting Johnny's success, his feelings about June, and his buying a house for his family. 

June pours her own frustrations with Johnny and her failed relationships into the traditional folk song "Wildwood Flower" at their concert. She joins Johnny for the uptempo Bob Dylan ballad "It Ain't Me, Babe." Johnny's drug habits finally catch up with him when he passes out while performing "Folsom Prison Blues" at Las Vegas. Inspired by her problems with Johnny and their relationship, June writes the classic ballad "Ring of Fire." Realizing that many of his fans are prisoners, Johnny records his classic live album at the real Folsom Prison, dressed all in black and singing "Cocaine Blues." The movie ends with him singing her "Ring of Fire," and insisting that they perform "Jackson" together.

Trivia: Witherspoon won Best Actress at the Oscars. Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor and won a Golden Globe.

What I Don't Like: There's a reason this would later be parodied by Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. This is about as typical of a rise and fall biography as you can get, though the focus on Johnny and June's romance does give it an interesting wrinkle. Most of the other characters aren't around long enough for you to know them like the leads; Goodwin's role as Johnny's first wife, who wants him to focus on family above else, is slightly underwritten. 

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of classic country or rock music, Cash and/or Carter, or either of the stars, you owe it to yourself to check out this searing look at how "The Man In Black" met and got together with the true love of his life.

Home Media: Easily available on all formats. I reviewed the extended version, which has an extra 16 minutes of footage. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime - Extended Cut

Happy Memorial Day! - Panama Hattie

MGM, 1942

Starring Ann Sothern, Red Skelton, Dan Dailey, and Virginia O'Brien

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod

Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and others

We salute our men and women who fought and died on the high seas with this wartime hit. It started out on Broadway in 1940 as a popular vehicle for Ethel Merman, with music by Cole Porter. The start of World War II suddenly made its story about a nightclub singer and three sailors who get caught up in spy intrigue and her romance with a wealthy soldier even more relevant. How does all this look today? Let's start with an opening card admitting that the gobs in this movie get pretty goofy and find out...

The Story: Those three sailors who burst through the card, Red (Skelton), Rags (Rags Ragland), and Rowdy (Ben Blue), are huge fans of nightclub singer Hattie Mahoney (Southern). They're also convinced that spies are lurking around every corner. Hattie is in love with rich soldier Sgt. Dick Bullard (Dailey). She gets off on the wrong foot with his 8-year-old daughter Geraldine (Jackie Horner) when Gerry laughs at her ribbon-trimmed suit, but she soon makes friends with the child. 

Hattie has a harder time with Lelia Tree (Marsha Hunt), the snooty socialite who is also after Dick. After Red gets two notes mixed up, Lelia angrily accuses Hattie of putting him up to it. Hattie insists Dick loves her, but after Lelia claims Hattie will just be in his way, she insists on leaving town. Hattie's sailor friends discover that the empty house mentioned in the first note may be the clue to the location of the spies they've been looking for...and their way of keeping Hattie around long enough to marry the right man.

The Song and Dance: Brief but charming. Despite Southern playing the title character, this one is really dominated by the three sailor comics. Skelton had some of his earliest exposure at MGM as the leader of the three, showing off the wacky pratfalls and babyish voices that would become his trademarks in later years. Southern does best playing off them and doing the sweet "Let's Be Buddies" with the adorable Horner. Virginia O'Brian has the most fun of the supporting cast as Hattie's best friend Flo, who gets to chase Dick's proper British butler Jay Jerkins (Alan Mobray). 

The Numbers: We open in the nightclub with the chorus singing about "Hattie From Panama" and Hattie's sailors admiring how she performs the hit from this show, "I've Still Got My Health." The instrumental "Berry Me Not" lets the trio of Berry Brothers take command of the floor with their show-stopping tap routine. Lena Horne gets another Porter standard, the breezy "Just One of Those Things," later at the club. Flo sings the Porter patter number "Fresh as a Daisy" to explain her feelings for Jay. The trio of soldiers woo three pretty Panama lasses by insisting that they're all "Good Neighbors."

The last Porter song that made it into the film is "Let's Be Buddies." Hattie initially sings it with Gerry as they admit they got off on the wrong foot and want to start their relationship over. Flo picks it up as she grabs Jay and says she wants a relationship with him, period. The film ends with a band playing "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" as the sailors are saluted as heroes. Flo sings "Did I Get Stinkin' At the Savoy" at the nightclub, while Lena Horne and the Berrys introduce the audience to the South American dance number "The Sping." The film ends abruptly with the sudden burst of patriotism from Hattie and the cast, "The Son of a Gun Who Picks On Uncle Sam."

Trivia: Panama Hattie opened on Broadway in 1940 as a vehicle for Ethel Merman. The story seems to have been pretty much the same as the film, other than Hattie got more involved in helping the sailors capture the spies in the finale. Merman would do a second version for the short-lived TV show The Best of Broadway in 1954. Other than a few scattered staged concerts, Hattie has seldom been heard from since.

What I Don't Like: There's a reason for that. Hattie may be the quintessential 40's musical comedy...and as such, hasn't dated well beyond the end of World War II. Southern tries hard and is cute with Horner, but is otherwise no Merman. The three sailors dominate the action to such a degree, they pretty much crowd out everything else, including the love story between Hattie and her soldier. Dailey was at the start of his career and wouldn't really come into his own as a dancer and actor for another five years. Neither he nor Lena Horne (who is certainly capable of doing more than singing two songs) have much to do. There's also the loss of the full Porter score. I did hear it wasn't his best, but it would have been nice to have more songs that actually came with the show.

The Big Finale: Cute time-waster this holiday weekend if you're a huge fan of Skelton or 40's musicals, but nothing you really need to go out of your way for.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, the former in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Let's Dance

Paramount, 1950

Starring Betty Hutton, Fred Astaire, Roland Young, and Ruth Warrick

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser  

There were high hopes for this one in 1950. Astaire just had a major hit with Easter Parade two years before; Hutton got the lead in Annie Get Your Gun after Judy Garland bowed out. Songwriter Frank Loesser had hits with the Oscar-winning "Baby It's Cold Outside" from Neptune's Daughter and the wildly popular Guys and Dolls on Broadway. Paramount tossed them all into this unusually dark story about a comedienne who desperately wants to keep her son and gets help from her former dance partner. Is it still meaningful today, or should it be taken away? Let's begin with Hutton in full belting mode, singing for the troops during World War II, and find out...

The Story: Don Elwood (Astaire) thinks Kitty O'Neil (Hutton) is going to marry him, but she ends up wed to a handsome and wealthy soldier. Five years later, the solider is dead after being shot down. Lively Kitty lives with his family, raising his son Richard (Gregory Moffat), but feels constrained by his disapproving family. Snooty Aunt Serena (Luclile Watson) wants Richard to stay with them, but Kitty won't give up her last line to her soldier and insists he stay with her.

Fed up with Serena's meddling, Kitty flees to New York with Richard. Don gets Kitty a job as a cigarette girl at the nightclub where he works. To Kitty's horror, Serena has sent two lawyers to get Richard back from her. Don takes her on as his partner to give her more stable employment. The lawyers are concerned by all the time Richard spends backstage and away from school, but the nightclub staff admit they have no trouble keeping an eye on him. Don once again tries to get her married, but it ends with them fighting and Kitty falling for another rich man, Timothy Bryant (Sheppard Strudwick). After Don ends the wedding and Serena gets Richard back, Kitty takes off with the boy yet again...but this time, Don has the means to make Serena understand how much the boy means to all of them, and to get Kitty to see how much they all mean to each other.

The Song and Dance: An unusually thoughtful musical for this era, with Hutton making a wonderful mother. She's hilarious with Moffatt, especially when he asks her where she's going and she exclaims "Crazy!" (My mother used to say the same thing to my siblings and me.) The story of a mother's devotion and how found families are often far kinder and more supportive than our actual ones is surprisingly heartfelt, and even a little dark, despite Hutton's noisy antics. Watson and Barton MacLane stand out among the supporting cast as the frigid aunt who thinks she knows best - or better than Kitty - and the owner of the nightclub who is as surprised as anyone when he gets attached to the kid.

The Numbers: We start off with Hutton doing what she does best, blaring the rapid-fire patter number "Can't Stop Talking About Him" while accompanied by an air raid siren - and more than matching its wail. Astaire comes out later for a more romantic dance. He has a creative solo number where he glides around the piano during a rehearsal in the nightclub that's by far his best moment. Richie is delighted to hear his stocks and bonds-based rendition of "Jack and the Beanstalk." 

The hilarious "Oh Them Dudes" has Hutton and Astaire dressed as cowpokes and clowning while complaining how TV made their do-se-dos look all fancy-fied. Hutton tries to be seductive to Timothy, insisting "Why Fight This Feeling?" The film ends with the charming "Tunnel of Love," as Kitty and Don come together in the nightclub for this charming seaside-based dance routine.

What I Don't Like: The story is honestly a little too dark and complex for a light-hearted musical. The courtroom scenes and stuffy lawyers bog down a lot of the middle section and turn what should have been a fun romp into an almost two-hour slog. Astaire could have had more to do than one solo and the brief "Jack" routine. This is really Hutton's show. Frank Loesser's score is charming but hardly among his best work. And to tell the truth, Hutton's brash and forceful personality really doesn't fit all that well with the more charming and graceful Astaire. They dance all right together, but her pushiness and neediness crowds out his elegance. 

The Big Finale: Worth seeing once for some decent numbers alone if you're a fan of either star and have time on your hands.

Home Media: Easily found on streaming and disc; just released on Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

The Stork Club

Paramount, 1945

Starring Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerald, Robert Benchley, and Don DeFore

Directed by Hal Walker

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we explore the career of brash comedienne Betty Hutton with two of her lesser-known vehicles. The Stork Club in New York was more than just a nightclub. From 1929 until its closing in 1965, it was where the elite mixed and mingled, where the beautiful people danced the night away to lively big band music under the watchful eye of owner Sherman Billingsley. It was so well-regarded in this era as a symbol of wealth and status, maybe it was inevitable that a movie would be made around it. How does the story of a humble hat check girl working at the Club who comes into sudden wealth look nowadays, with the real-life Club long-gone? Let's begin with a kindly old gentleman (Fitzgerald) in rumpled clothing ruminating about how his life has taken a bad turn and find out...

The Story: Brash Judy Peabody (Hutton) jumps into the water to rescue the gentleman after he accidentally falls off. Turns out the gentleman is millionaire J.B Bates, who was lost in gloomy thoughts about his wife Edith (Mary Young) leaving him. She thinks he's a tramp and offers him a job at the Stork Club. He doesn't do well as a busboy, but he's still so impressed with her compassion, he has his lawyer Curtis (Benchley) anonymously set her up with an unlimited line of credit and a big, beautiful new apartment. She and her best friend Gwen (Iris Adrian) go on a buying spree, grabbing furs when it's too hot to wear them and buying everything in the dress store. 

Judy's boyfriend Danny (DeFore), who has just returned from the war, doesn't like this one bit. He likes it even less when she offers the apartment next to hers to him and his band. He thinks she has a sugar daddy on the side. She just wants to sing with his band. He's even more suspicious when she thinks J.D is homeless and lets him live with her. After she finally figures out who gave her the money and why Danny is angry, she takes it on herself to bring J.D back with Edith...and teach everyone involved, including Danny, a lesson in love, trust, and communication.

The Song and Dance: With a story that slight, the songs - and Hutton's wild delivery of them - are the highlights here. The songs really are charming ("Doctor, Lawyer, Indiana Chief" became a pop hit), and Fitzgerald is so adorably rumpled as the lost old millionaire looking for someone to support, you can understand why Judy's heart went out to him. Mary Young is equally adorable as his sweet wife who is far tougher than she looks, and Adrian revels in her sarcastic wisecracks as Judy's supportive friend who both questions the bounty and eagerly shares in it. Hutton's obviously having a ball as the kind-hearted singer and hat check girl whose well-meaning aid to a nice old man gets her into more trouble than she ever would have believed.

The Numbers: Judy's first number with the band at the Stork Club highlights her raucous spirit. "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" describes how she doesn't care what the guy she loves does, as long as they love each other. It's a lively number with members of the band acting as chorus boys. We don't get another song until she's rehearsing with Danny's band at their new apartment, but it's the similar "I'm a Square In the Social Circle," reflecting her attitudes towards the upper crust who mostly patronize the Stork Club. 

J.B requests "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree," a favorite waltz of his and Edith's. It's performed again in the end when Judy gets him and Edith back together. Her performance of the ballad "I'll Have a Dozen Hearts" isn't appreciated by an angry Danny. She sings it with male band singer Andy Russell later. Russell also gets a solo on another ballad, "Love Me."

What I Don't Like: The story is, as Irishman Fitzgerald would likely say, a load of malarkey. It's silly piffle that mainly serves as an excuse for Hutton to play off Fitzgerald and raise the roof with the band. Danny comes off as a grouchy, ungrateful jerk who won't even try to listen to his girlfriend when he's nice to her and gives him a place for his band to work. Doesn't help that Hutton has little chemistry with DeFore - she's more believably compassionate with Fitzgerald and Adrian than with him. 

The Big Finale: Harmless watch on a spring afternoon if you're a fan of Hutton or 40's musicals.

Home Media: It's in the public domain, so you can find it anywhere. It's currently free on Tubi, but in a substandard print.

DVD

Tubi

Animation Celebration Saturday - Mufasa: The Lion King

Disney, 2024

Voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, and Mads Mikkelson

Directed by Barry Jenkins

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

While the photorealistic remake of The Lion King wasn't popular with critics in 2019 (including me), it wound up being one of the biggest hits of that summer. Plans for a prequel focusing on the young Mufasa were announced in 2020, though they were derailed somewhat by the strikes in 2023. This finally debuted last Christmas, and while it wasn't the massive hit the first film was, it was by no means a failure. The success of some of Miranda's songs did help, and so did competition dropping off as the holidays ended. Is this movie more worthy of the Lion King legacy than the previous film, or should it be left to the raging flood waters? Let's begin, not with Mufasa, but with his grandaughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) as Rafiki (John Kani) tells her the story of Mufasa's life and find out...

The Story: Mufasa and his parents search for the mythical land of Milele, where animals can live in harmony. Young cub Mufasa (Braelyn and Brielle Rankins) is swept away in a flood and ends up in a marsh, where he befriends local cub Taka (Theo Somolu). His mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) accepts him into the tribe, but his father Obasi (Lennie James) sees him as an outsider. He prompts a race between the cubs, only for Taka to lose so Mufasa is able to stay.

The two cubs grow to young lionhood as the closest of brothers, but Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) is all too aware that Obasi favors Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Two white lions, part of a pride of outsiders, attack the youngsters. Their king Kiros (Mads Mikkelson) is furious when Mufasa kills his son and ends up killing Mufasa and Taka's pride. The two flee, discovering stray lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) and her horn bill scout Zazu (Preston Nyman), along with a young Rafiki (Kadiso Lediga). Rafiki leads them through the snowy mountains to the promised land of Milele...but Taka, who is jealous when Sarabi falls for Mufasa rather than him, betrays them to the Outlanders. It's Mufasa who finally brings all the animals in the Pridelands together to fight this menace...but he never quite forgives his "brother" Taka for his cowardice and abandonment, even after he saves him. 

The Animation: This a big improvement over the first film. The animals show more expression and detail. Every hair on their body is crystal-clear. The backdrops are gorgeous. The snow looks so realistic, you really do feel cold in those scenes. There's a greater range of color too, from the gray rocks and raging blue waters of the flood in the opening to the Technicolor grasslands that is Milele. 

The Song and Dance: At least we get an original story this time, and one that's a tad more interesting than just regurgitating the 1994 animated film. The movie's at its best when it's just Pierre, Harrison, and the charming Boone playing off each other as they travel across frozen and glowing landscapes. Lediga and Nyman also get to toss in a few good quips as the young baboon aiding Mufasa in finding his destiny and the bird scout who does not want to end up in a lion stomach! Though not his best score, Miranda's music is far from horrible, with the cubs' "I Always Wanted a Brother" as the adorable stand-out. (And as someone who did mildly enjoy Lion King II: Simba's Pride, I appreciate the continuity, mentioning characters from that film and the Disney Jr. show The Lion Guard.)

The Numbers: We open with Lebo M singing "Ngomso" over the credits as the Pridelands prepares for the birth of Simba and Nala's second cub. Mufasa's parents (Anika Noni Rose and Keith David) explain why "Milele" is a paradise for lions. The hilarious "I Always Wanted a Brother" takes Mufasa and Taka from childhood friends to inseparable young lion siblings. The Outlanders say "Bye Bye" as they dispatch Taka's pride. "We Will Be Together" say newly-forged friends Sarabi, Taka, Mufasa, Rafiki, and Zazu as they make their way over the mountains to Milele. "Tell Me It's You" is Mufasa and Sarabi's big ballad as she encourages him to admit he was the one who saved her, not Taka. "Brother Betrayed" has Taka admitting why he brought the Outlanders there and why he's frustrated with his best friend.

What I Don't Like: First of all, though the continuity with Kiara and Lion King II is nice, the framing device with Rafiki telling the story while Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan) make goofy comments takes you out of Mufasa's story and is completely unnecessary. They either didn't think Zazu and Rafiki were enough comic relief, or just wanted to include two of the most popular characters in the franchise whether they belonged there or not.

Second...we still didn't need this. As several critics complained, not every character has to have a backstory. Though this was technically better than The Lion King and had a slightly more interesting plot, it's still awash in cliches. The villains are underused, with Mikkelson's Kiros being a bit on the dull side. You can't figure out why Taka would run to them. 

The Big Finale: Though it's a slight improvement on the 2019 Lion King, it's still mainly for fans of the franchise or families with kids who love animal stories. 

Home Media: Easily available on disc and Disney Plus, the latter with a subscription. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

4K

Disney Plus

Cult Flops - The Great Waltz (1972)

MGM, 1972

Starring Horst Buchholtz, Mary Costa, Nigel Patrick, and Yvonne Mitchell

Directed by Andrew L. Stone

Music by Johann Strauss Jr; Lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest

Despite Song of Norway's critical drubbing, Stone still had epic operettas on the brain. This time, he raided MGM's vault to come up with one of their more notorious flops. Despite being sumptuous and romantic, The Great Waltz was one of the studio's biggest failures of 1938. Apparently, Stone had learned nothing from his difficulties with Norway. Does this biography of "The Waltz King" Johann Strauss II soar to the heights of his greatest compositions, or should it be dumped in the blue Danube? Let's begin with shots of lavish Vienna and a singing narrator (Kenneth McKellar) introducing us to Vienna in the 1850's as everyone waltzes across a polished floor and find out...

The Story: Johann Strauss Sr. (Patrick) wishes his son would get a more respectable life and not go into music, especially after a spat with his wife Anna (Mitchell) and mistress Emeilie (Susan Robinson) over Emilie naming her son for Johann. He even sends friends to heckle him during his violin performances. Johann's determination to play and his dedicating one of his songs to his father changes the elder Strauss' mind about his son's abilities.

After his father's death, Strauss takes over his orchestra position and becomes an enormous success. He has numerous affairs until he meets singer Jetty Treffz (Costa) one night at a concert. They fall in love, despite her being the mistress of Baron Moritz Tedesco (Rossano Brazzi). She's resistant at first, but eventually returns to sing in his concert. Strauss is smitten and marries her over his mother's objections. She inspires him to write some of his best-known music, including "The Blue Danube." His original lyrics for this are not well-received, but the song was a smash anyway. He's invited to sing at the Paris Exhibition in 1867, but then he learns that his beloved Jetty is being forced by her grown son into blackmail...

The Song and Dance: I will say, at the very least, this was slightly better - and less cutesy - than Song of Norway. The gorgeous Austrian scenery was at the service of a relatively adult plot, the editing was more fluid, and the historically accurate costumes were simply stunning. Women glide around in enormous cream-puff ruffled ball gowns, while men sport tight early Victorian suits with lavish ascots. Costa does the best as the woman who falls for charming Strauss despite his reputation with women. The music, at least, is gorgeous, and Costa and others more than do it justice, their voices soaring like those gowns swirling through the waltz in the opening.

The Numbers: We literally put our best foot forward with that swirling waltz in the opening as narrator Kenneth McKellar describes a world of "Crystal and Gold." Emilie dances with a partner in the second chorus routine, her red dress standing out like a ruby among that crystal. Strauss Sr. tries to make it faster, only for a more romantic finish than I'm sure he would have preferred. His son's first concert is disrupted by friends of his father's booing his small combo, but they eventually win everyone over - including Jetty and his father. McKellar sings of "Nightfall," as rain chases all but one ardent admirer away from Strauss Jr's outdoor concert.

"Warm" is Strauss' duet with his most recent admirer as they drive a sleigh through a snowy Austrian winter wonderland. The chorus sings "Merry Christmas" to their new waltz hero, even as Strauss spends the holidays down with a fever. We then move to a boat in the summer, with another new lady and a spirited dance among young couples, "Wine, Women, and Song." Mary Costa's first number is "Love Is Music" as she sings at one of Strauss' concerts, flirting playfully with him. The first half ends with "Louder and Faster," as Jetty plays the piano at an outdoor dance, inspiring the dancers in traditional garb to move with the music. McKellar describes how the Baron feels about losing Jetty, "With You Gone."

"Through Jetty's Eyes" gets oddly psychedelic for this old-fashioned movie as Jetty and Strauss waltz and the film suddenly goes negative as we see Jetty dream of waltzing with her new husband. Jetty starts singing "The Blue Danube" as she and Strauss work on the song, which becomes a brief number for the chorus with odd, dark lyrics. Jetty's delighted to see that the song does much better as an instrumental waltz for the chorus. Strauss dallies with a girl at a cafe (Joan Baxter) who wants to "Say Yes." "Six Drinks" becomes a spirited romp in a pub for the chorus. We end with the chorus at Strauss' operetta. The film ends with McKellar explaining how the Boston Exposition was a success, with the chorus reprising "The Blue Danube." 

Trivia: Shown internationally in Cinerama, the last film to play in that format. 

Andrew L. Stone's last film. 

What I Don't Like: This is a very pretty movie totally out of its time. They didn't take to this in 1938, let alone the gritty early 70's. The story is beyond dull. You really don't care what most of these abrasive and uninteresting people are doing. Butchholtz has no personality and certainly doesn't suggest a driven musician. Problems are settled much too quickly, destroying any conflict or momentum the film had. It's a 2-hour slog wrapped in stale pastry and bitter cream. It also shares the same problem as Song of Norway - most of the musical numbers are badly edited, feature stilted dancing, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the plot.

The Big Finale: The lavish production and lovely melodies make this a small improvement over Song of Norway...but that doesn't mean this should have happened in the first place. No wonder Stone gave up and retired after this. Only for the most ardent Strauss enthusiasts.

Home Media: It's probably just as well that the only place I found this online was copied onto a website.

Rarefilm.com

Song of Norway

ABC Pictures/Cinerama Releasing Corporation, 1970

Starring Toralv Maurlstad, Florence Henderson, Christina Scholin, and Frank Poretta

Directed by Andrew L. Stone

Music by Edvard Grieg; Lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest

The phenomenal success of The Sound of Music brought a wave of huge Broadway adaptations to the big screen. Though a few did come out well and were hits in their own right, most either got too big for their britches or were too dated and slow for jaded late 60's audiences or both. Our first two reviews this week fall into the "both" category. Operetta, the most fanciful of all genres, had fallen out of fashion on the big screen in the early 40s when World War II made all-American stories and music more popular. It saw a minor revival in the 50's when several operettas turned up on the big and small screens, but by 1970, even less lavish musicals were having a rough time of it. How does the story of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg look on the super-wide Cinerama screen? Let's begin with our first of many, many (many) shots of the rugged beauty of Norway and find out...

The Story: Edvard Grieg (Maurlstad) would do anything to get his music heard by other musicians or producers in Norway and Denmark. He's encouraged by the woman he loves, Therese Berg (Scholin), but her father (Robert Morley) has already promised her to a wealthier man. Making friends with Richard Nordraack (Poretta), who shares his enthusiasm for the music of their homeland, helps. So does marrying his comely cousin Nina Hagerup (Henderson). Therese subsidizes a series of concerts with the two, inspiring Greig to write for a travel grant to Rome. Nina refuses to go with him. She's happier making friends with Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (Henry Gilbert). Even as Grieg writes an opera and music for Ibsen's (Frederick Jaeger) play Peer Gynt, he receives news that makes him realize how much he misses his homeland...and where he really wants to be.

The Song and Dance: Some good numbers, pretty scenery, and lovely voices are all there is to recommend this. At least everyone sings with their own voices, even those like Maurlstad who aren't known for warbling. Henderson's attractive soprano makes you wish she was able to do a few musicals on the small screen after she hit it big with The Brady Bunch. Opera singer Poretta also has a gorgeous voice that does justice to the soaring title song "Three There Were." And yes, that frequently-seen Norwegian scenery is stunning, with its endless vistas of frosty fjords and orange sunsets against craggy mountains.

The Numbers: We start off with the lively but random chorus routine "Life of a Wife of a Sailor" on the boat after Therese hauls Edvard on deck. "Midsummer's Eve" takes the chorus across the spectacular green Norwegian countryside and up into the mountains. "Freddy and His Fiddle" starts out as a cutesy dance routine for children in native Norwegian costume that's eventually picked up by young people in similar outfits. The show's hit, "Strange Music," is given a spin by Maurlstad's charmingly raspy voice as he composes it for Therese. Nordraack's title song to Grieg at a local cafe is a gorgeous song performed in an absurd setting. He also gets to briefly lavish his tenor into a reprise of "Strange Music." 

Nina's introductory number is explaining to the ever-present children why everything has a "Rhyme and a Reason" as they wander through their small town. She gently sings "Little House" while accompanied by Grieg for a small but important audience. "Hill of Dreams" has Nina and her two male friends dashing through the town as they celebrate their success. "I Love You" is a montage of Nina and Edvard's courtship as she realizes her deep feelings for him. "Church Bells Ringing" is the song for the chorus during their wedding. "Be a Boy Again" has Nordraack happily running through the street, playing with children as he acts as one himself. The trio reprise "Hill of Dreams" on an actual hill, wandering among the wildflowers. Nordraack watches his friends over a blazing fire later that night, observing "Three There Were."

Poor Nina is a "Solitary Wanderer" as she plays the piano for kindly Krogstad (Edward G. Robinson). "Christmas Time" is an adorable Norwegian folk song that takes Edvard, Nina, and the chorus into a snow-covered Norwegian holiday wonderland. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" becomes a very peculiar live-action/animated instrumental number as three of the kids fight off badly-animated trolls. Edvard and Nina give out "Ribbons and Wrappings" (and the lovely things inside) to the children. She sings the gentle "Wrong to Dream" at the sparsely-attended concert. "John Heggerton" is Therese's song at a dinner in Rome. The chorus begins "Hand In Hand" just before she confronts Grieg in the hall.

Trivia: Song of Norway opened in 1944 and ran for two years, not bad for the time. Later ballet diva Maria Tallchief was one of the featured dancers. It also managed a substantial year's run on the West End. It's been seen regionally since then, but has not reappeared in New York or London at press time.

This was the last movie filmed and exhibited in Super Panavision 70mm. 

Toralv Maurlstad's only movie in English and Frank Poretta's only film. 

There were quite a few changes from the original musical, starting with Grieg was lured to Italy by an opera singer, not by an old flame, both of whom were fictional. 

Richard Nordraack really did write the Norwegian national anthem. 

There seems to be some argument as to whether or not this did well at the box office. Some sources say it was a huge flop; others claim it was never a blockbuster but did manage to turn a small profit. 

The Song and Dance: There's a reason the original play hasn't been seen anywhere but the occasional light opera house since this came out. It was dated in 1944, much less 1970, and certainly doesn't come off any less so now. Grieg's gorgeous melodies and the pretty voices singing it don't begin to paper over a movie that suffers from a dull script, The dancing is clumsy, the choreography dull, and what is with the endless parade of children where they aren't needed? They turn up everywhere. I understand giving gifts to them at Christmas, but they don't add much to either "Freddy and His Fiddle" or Henderson's "Rhyme and Reason" number. It's likely someone's idea of making everything more heartwarming, but it just looks crowded. 

Speaking of, they're not the only element that's overused. Stone, who was best known for tight thrillers, is out of his element in a musical epic. Even Henderson complained about his bland direction. Though the scenery is pretty, it turns up far too often in numbers like Poretta's title song where we should be seeing the person perform, not the fjords again. The dialogue manages to capture every cliche in the book and then some. Although the producers do say they tried to stick closer to Grieg's life story than the show, that doesn't make it any less annoying. We don't even meet Nina, the love of Grieg's life, until more than 40 minutes into a 2 and 1/2 hour movie. And yes, this movie is way too long. All those pretty backdrops could have been trimmed with none the wiser.

The Big Finale: Unless you're a huge Brady Bunch or Robinson fan or love operetta or kitsch like I do, you can easily skip this one.

Home Media: This is on DVD, but it's out of print at the moment with a jacked-up price to match. If you must see it, you're better off checking it out on YouTube. 

DVD

YouTube

Happy Mother's Day! - Young People

20th Century Fox, 1940

Starring Shirley Temple, Charlotte Greenwood, Jack Oakie, and George Montgomery

Directed by Allan Dwan

Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon

We celebrate Mother's Day and unconventional families with Shirley Temple's last movie as a child star. By this point, she was 12, and just starting to outgrow melodramatic stories like this one. When her previous fantasy movie The Blue Bird was a flop, Fox tossed her back into something closer to the movies she'd been making since 1935. Were they right to do this, or should this be shunned? Let's begin onstage with Joe (Oakie) and Kit (Greenwood) Ballantine as they receive a certain basket from a mysterious older woman (Mary Gordon) and find out...

The Story: The basket contains not birds, but the infant daughter of their dear friend Barney O'Hara. He was about to pass on and wanted his daughter to be well cared-for. Kit and Joe not only take little Wendy (Temple) in, they keep the New England farm O'Hara left them, too. 

When Wendy turns 12, they move to the farm in the hope of starting a new life away from the stage. Though they try to be friendly, most of the townspeople consider them to be too brash and loud and shun them. It doesn't help when they align with the town's newspaper editor Mike Shea (Montgomery) against snooty Hester Appleby (Kathleen Howard) and her pretty niece Judith (Arleen Whelan) on the idea of progress. After Wendy's simple class dance offends the parents, they're ready to leave town but are prevented by a hurricane. It takes an act of selflessness from the trio to prove to the town that there's nothing wrong with being different, and maybe progress isn't such a bad thing.

The Song and Dance: Though the focus is on Temple, Oakie and Greenwood are the ones who really steal the show as the seasoned troopers who want to give a better life to a child that has come to mean so much to them. Oakie in particular has some very funny moments when he's clashing with the townspeople in the second half. Temple also does her best onstage in numbers with her onscreen parents and the hilarious song and dance at the school that got the parents so upset. 

The Numbers: We open onstage at a vaudeville house, as faux southerners Kit and Joe sing about "The Mason-Dixon Line." We see Wendy grow up in sequences from two previous Temple films with Joe singing and Kit clowning, "On the Beach at Waikiki" from Curly Top and the title song of "Baby Take a Bow" with her in the infamous polka-dot dress. (The latter lets Greenwood parody Temple in her own short dress and babyish voice!) "Fifth Avenue" is the top hat-and-cane routine that introduces the 12-year-old Wendy. They sing it again later when getting ready to leave after being shunned.  

"I Wouldn't Take a Million," says Joe when he and his two favorite ladies are driving home from the town meeting. The children sing the gentle hymn "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton" at school, but it's too quiet for Joe and the young men. Wendy and the children, dressed as adults, insist that they're "Young People" and deserve to be treated more like grown-ups. Their assertiveness is shocking enough, but then they start tap dancing! Wendy reprises "I Wouldn't Take a Million" to explain how much she loves her parents, even if they aren't her birth parents. The film ends with the trio singing "Tra La La" to celebrate their staying at Stonefield.

What I Don't Like: On one hand, Oakie and Greenwood's genial presence (and the fact that no one tries to take Temple away from them) keeps this a bit lighter than some of her other melodramas. It still hits a lot of the cliches, though, from the well-meaning old grouches who don't know how to have fun to the superfluous young lovers who are there for Temple to play matchmaker. Neither Montgomery nor Whelan are terribly memorable in underwritten roles. The songs are also far from the best to appear in her movies. "I Wouldn't Take a Million" is sweet, but "Fifth Avenue" sounds like a parody of "Lullaby of Broadway," and "Tra La La" is a generic cheer-up ditty.

The Big Finale: Temple's final movie from her child star days isn't her best, but it's worth checking out with your kids this Mother's Day weekend if they or you are a fan of her films.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Million Dollar Mermaid

MGM, 1952

Starring Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, and Jesse White

Directed by Richard Thorpe and Busby Berkeley

Music and Lyrics by various

Williams had wanted to play Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman for years. Kellerman was more-or-less the blueprint for Williams' later success, a champion amateur swimmer of the early 20th century who later became a star on Broadway and in the movies. Williams brought Kellerman herself in to convince MGM that it would be perfect for her next extravaganza. They went all out with this one, bringing in Victor Mature from Fox as her leading man and letting Busby Berkeley go wild with water pageantry. How well does a beloved swimming star of one era represent another? Let's begin at the Kellerman Conservatory in a suburb of Sydney, Australia as little Annette (Donna Corocan), who was stricken with polio and walks in braces, watches girls her own age dancing and find out...

The Story: Annette's musician father Frederick (Pidgeon) finds her swimming in a near-by bay. He's against it at first, until she insists it's made her legs stronger. Indeed, Annette (Williams) swims so often, she's eventually able to walk normally and join the ballet class. By her teens, she's winning amateur swimming championships. 

After a downturn in the Australian economy causes Fredrick to lose most of his students, he sells the conservatory and takes a job in London. When the job falls through, Annette tells promoter Jimmy Sullivan (Mature), whom she met on the boat going there, that she'll swim to Greenwich as an ad for his boxing kangaroo. Annette's feat is a far bigger success than any kangaroo, prompting Sullivan to take her and her father to New York to star in the enormous Hippodrome theater. Manager Alfred Harper (David Brian) tells her she needs to be better-known in New York before they'll take her on.

Annette attempts another long swim in Boston, but gets in hot water with the local authorities for wearing a then-daring one-piece bathing suit. She gains so much notoriety from the indecency trial, Jimmy showcases her in carnival diving shows. He's more threatened when a lecturer wants to do something classier and finally walks out on Annette. She doesn't have long to be upset. The Hippodrome finally calls, asking her to be a specialty number. She and her lavish shows are huge successes, enough for Hollywood to call. Tragedy strikes as she's making one of her movies, finally bringing Jimmy back to her side and making Alfred realize who she really loves.

The Song and Dance: This is more like it. For once, Williams' big numbers aren't shoehorned into a barely-there plot, but are the reason the plot exists. Despite a lot of the story being fabricated, it's still five times more interesting than something like Thrill of a Romance. No wonder Williams so badly wanted to play Kellerman. She's equally good showing off those one-piece bathing suits in Berkeley's aquatic fantasias and putting Jimmy in his place. Mature never did fit well in musicals, but he's not bad as the slightly smarmy promoter who falls for this Broadway mermaid. Pidgeon and White do equally well as Annette's doting father and the poor assistant promoter who keeps getting stuck with the worst parts of Jimmy's schemes. The costumes are gorgeous and for once, mostly historically accurate, including the infamous one-piece bathing suit that caused such a scandal, and the Technicolor is some of the best from any MGM movies of the 50's. 

The Numbers: The film starts with the students at Kellerman's music school playing various classical pieces, including the miniature ballerinas Annette so envies. She does so well with swimming, she's eventually able to join them. Ballet makes a brief return later in the film at the Hippodrome. Annette admires ballerina Anna Pavlova (danced by another famous ballet diva, Maria Tallchief), who swirls to a stunning version of her famous The Dying Swan in a massive white tutu. 

Of course, the real reason this movie exists is for those three famous Berkeley extravaganzas. The first one has Williams, clad from the crown on her head to her glittering toes in gold sequins, doing huge dives among spurting fountains. Annette begins the second to The Nutcracker gliding around poles in a flowing tutu. She ends up swimming into an enormous clam. The third brings in the chorus and tons of red and yellow smoke as girls in yellow swimsuits and boys in red briefs do Berkeley formations around Williams in a glistening ruby bathing suit. This one ends with a lot of scarily high dives off swings and the chorus surrounding Williams on an enormous sparkling platform.

Trivia: In real life, Kellerman's parents encouraged her swimming to help with her weak legs and were the ones who enrolled her in classes. She had already been involved with show business long before she met Jimmy Sullivan, having done mermaid shows and diving exhibitions as a teenager in Melbourne. She did attempt to swim the English Channel several times, but never made it across. The truth of her Boston publicity stunt seems to be in doubt as well. Kellerman also protested that Jimmy Sullivan was a quiet, unassuming man and not a loud-mouthed huckster. She did get hurt when a tank cracked and broke during the filming of A Daughter of the Gods, but only had cuts and bruises, not a damaging spine injury. (And Sullivan was never in charge of Rin Tin Tin!)

Kellerman's not the only one who got injured during the filming of one of her movies. Williams wound up in a body cast after one of the high dives during the first number with the fountains, thanks to that huge crown being too heavy for the stunt. 

Of Kellerman's movies, only Venus of the South Seas and part of Neptune's Daughter exist today. 

What I Don't Like: Though the story is more interesting than most of Williams' films, it's still a mess of biographical cliches. Those three numbers are so incredible, I wish they could have gotten another one in there somewhere, maybe in the beginning in Australia or in the end before the tank cracked. Then again, this is already pretty long for a biography, especially in the second half when the water ballets end and the romance picks up. Also, there's the simple fact that Kellerman isn't even all that well-remembered in her native Australia anymore, let alone in the US. 

The Big Finale: Who am I to argue with a Million Dollar Mermaid? Williams thought this was her best film, and I have to agree with her. Highly recommended for her fans, ballet lovers, or fans of the big musicals of the 1950's and 60's. 

Home Media: Warners seems to agree with Williams as well. This may be her easiest movie to find, on streaming and on disc via the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

DVD - TCM Greatest Classic Films - Esther Williams Vol. 2

Amazon Prime

Thrill of a Romance

MGM, 1945

Starring Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Carleton G. Young, and Frances Gifford

Directed by Richard Thorpe

Music and Lyrics by various

We're staying with Esther Williams, but head north of the border for two of her more likely vehicles. This was her second movie with her name over the title after Bathing Beauty, and her second of five with charming, boyish Van Johnson. Johnson was even bigger than Williams at MGM during the 40's and early 50's, possibly one of their biggest male stars of the time. How well do they work together in this story of a married swimming instructor who falls for a war hero? Let's begin with an introduction to the Los Angeles area that's the setting for our story and find out...

The Story: Swimming teacher Cynthia Glenn (Williams) marries wealthy Bob Delbar (Young) after a whirlwind courtship. She's disappointed when Bob is called to Washington DC to complete a deal during their honeymoon. While staying at a hotel in LA, she falls for sweet, handsome Major Thomas "Tommy" Milvaine (Johnson), who wants her to teach him how to swim. She's initially upset when her husband can't get back for another week, then tells Tommy she wants to give their marriage a chance. Getting caught in the desert with Tommy gives her a whole new perspective on the situation. Maybe Bob isn't the right man for her after all...and maybe she wants Tommy more than she thinks.

The Song and Dance: This sweet and low-key romance is certainly better than the similar Williams vehicle This Time for Keeps from 1947...and the key is Johnson. Anyone else would have made Tommy as bland as Jimmie Johnson would be in the later film, or as smarmy as Young's stoic Bob. His charming Army officer is so energetic and hopeful, you can understand why Cynthia fell so hard for him. No wonder he was one of the biggest heartthrobs in Hollywood around this time. Williams always did do well playing off him. Melichor has a far more interesting role here as the impish opera star who does everything he can to bring Cynthia and Tommy together, and Spring Byington and Henry Travers are adorable as Cynthia's doting uncle and aunt. We also get some of MGM's best Technicolor from this era and stunning gowns for Williams.

The Numbers: Most of the songs heard in the film are performed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra at the hotel's nightclub. Among the songs heard from him are "I Should Care," "Battle of the Balcony Jive," "Opus One," and "Song of India." Dorsey's fictional daughter Susan (actually piano protege Helene Stanley) plays "Hungarian Rhapsody," which becomes "The Guy With the Slide Trombone."  Melichor gets "Vesti la glubbia" in an actual opera sequence. He does "Ich Liebe Dich" with Dorsey, along with the new "Vive la compagnie" and a hilarious "I Want What I Want When I Want It." Diminutive Jerry Scott, a bell boy with a sweet, high, almost female voice, performs "Because" and "Please Don't Say No, Say Maybe."

What I Don't Like: The plot is the problem here. Frankly, it's deadly boring when no one is singing or swimming.  Even Williams' swimming and Johnson's charm can't paper over the frothy, been-there plot or Young being a block of wood. Melichor's role is completely extraneous. He's mainly there to sing opera and look twinkly. This is another MGM musical of the 40's and early 50's that felt like they grabbed whomever was laying around the lot and threw them into a romantic comedy. (The fact that it was originally intended for Kathryn Grayson does explain why Williams being a swimming instructor seems a bit shoehorned in, too.) 

The Big Finale: Not Williams' best film, but it's still a pleasant way to spend two hours if you're a fan of her, Johnson, or romantic comedies.

Home Media: DVD only, with the solo disc released by the Warner Archives. 

DVD

DVD - TCM Greatest Legends: Esther Williams Vol. 2

Celebrating Cinco Del Mayo - Fiesta (1947)

MGM, 1947

Starring Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse, and Fortunia Bonanova

Directed by Richard Thorpe

Music and Lyrics by various

The other major event this weekend takes us south of the border to celebrate Mexico's victory over the French Army in 1862. Cinco Del Mayo is really more of a celebration of Mexican culture here in the US, which brings us to this movie. South and Latin American settings and culture were also popular in American films of the 30's and 40's after the market for US movies in Europe closed due to World War II. Studios responded with movies like this one that celebrated Latin American culture and heritage...including bullfighting, a major sport in Spanish-speaking countries. How well does MGM do in representing that culture? Let's begin with the birth of the twin son and daughter of famed bullfighter Antonio Morales (Bonanova) and find out...

The Story: Morales hopes for his son Mario (Montalban) to follow in his footsteps, but his real interest is music. Mario's twin Maria (Williams) is the real bullfighting protege, but her father largely ignores her. Maria is more understanding about her brother's love of music. She sends a copy of his symphony to famous conductor Maximino Contreras (Hugo Haas). Contreras is impressed and visits the family right before Mario's first bullfight. Morales doesn't want to distract his son and dismisses the musician. 

Mario is so furious when he finds out, he walks out of the bullfighting ring after his second fight and vanishes. Hoping to save face and her family's name, Maria takes his place. Contreras has his composition played on the radio to draw him out. It does the trick...but his return to see his sister play in his place nearly ends in disaster.

The Song and Dance: This may be Williams' most unique vehicle. MGM took many pains to make this as authentic to Mexican culture as possible, including location shooting in the real Mexico. The Mexican landscapes glow in brilliant Technicolor. This was Montalban's debut as a leading man and Williams' with her name over the credits, and he in particular isn't bad as a driven musician. Actual Mexican Bononova adds authenticity and lots of bluster to his role as the father who is so determined that his son follow in his footsteps, he ignores his real talents...and that his daughter is even more talented in the ring. Mary Astor is lovely as the concerned mother, too. (I also appreciate that Maria and Mario already have committed relationships when the story begins. The real focus is on their family and ambitions, not romance.)

The Numbers: Mario's big composition that we hear throughout the film is called "Fantasia Mexicana," but it's actually based on the Aaron Copeland piece "El Salon Mexico." If "La Bamba" sounds familiar, it's today best known for the 1958 version performed by Richie Valens and the later 1987 remake. Charisse and Montalban have a fiery dance routine with her swirling in a white gown with a stunning contrasting coral red petticoat. We also get "The Mexican Hat Dance" and "La Raspa."

What I Don't Like: MGM's drive for authenticity didn't extend to the actors. Only Bononova and Montalban are actual Mexicans. Despite being a vehicle for her, Williams is about as Mexican as a hamburger and seems a bit out of place. She only gets a very brief swimming sequence, making this one of her few vehicles where she doesn't spend a ton of time in the water. John Carroll as Williams' love interest has far less to do than Cyd Charisse as Montalban's sweetheart and comes off as so bland, you can understand why Maria is reluctant to go off with him. 

The Big Finale: This wound up being far better than I thought it would from the fairly absurd premise. Fans of Montalban or Williams who want to see her in a different light will want to give this one a look. 

Home Media: DVD only from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

DVD - TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams, Vol. 2

Riding High (1950)

Paramount, 1950

Starring Bing Crosby, Coleen Gray, Clarence Muse, and Raymond Walburn

Directed by Frank Capra

Music by Jimmy Van Heusen and others; Lyrics by Johnny Burke and others

Bing Crosby's other release of 1950 also had him playing a guy who preferred a "lesser" career or no career to working in an office and was a remake of an earlier non-musical comedy, but is otherwise a different animal...literally, given this one has Bing as the caretaker to a beloved race horse. It was a subject near and dear to Bing's heart. He was a huge horse racing fan and owned many horses in real-life. Capra originally filmed this in 1934 Broadway Bill with Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy, but he was never happy with that version. How well does he do with this retelling? Let's begin after seeing horses racing in the credits with a secretary calling all of the sons-in-law of J.L Higgins (Charles Bickford) for a family meeting...including one who isn't on the job...and find out...

The Story: Dan Brooks (Crosby) gives up managing Higgins' box company and marrying his daughter Margaret (Frances Gifford) so he can devote himself to racing his newest horse Broadway Bill. He and his partner Whitey (Muse) want to race Bill in the Imperial Derby, but they need money. They try to get it from Professor Pettigrew (Walburn), but he's a con-man who doesn't have much more than they do. Even when they do get the money, Bill ends up throwing his rider and running from the track.

Dan is determined to try again, but they're even more broke now. Whitey tries gambling, but he's beaten instead. Alice does manage to get the money, but it's no use. Bill is carted away and Dan winds up in jail...until a sick but wealthy man (Gene Lockhart) thinks Bill is a sure shot and bets on him. Now gangster Eddie Howard (Douglas Dumbrille) would rather his own horses win. Dan still insists that his jockey Ted Williams (Frankie Darro) get Bill across the finish line...but pushing the horse to do so ends up having tragic consequences.

The Song and Dance: This wound up being a pleasant surprise. Bing fits in far better here as a race track fan who loves his horse than he did as a songwriter in Mr. Music. He's more than matches by a terrific cast of character actors, many of them reprising their roles from the original film. Walburn is a delightfully twinkly and befuddled Professor, Muse manages to be dignified even when he's been ripped to shreds for gambling, and William Demarest gets some very funny lines as one of Dan's race track buddies. I even like that the ending gets a little bit dark. It does ultimately end on a happy note, but most of the final twenty minutes are more bitter than sweet. 

The Numbers: Our first song isn't until almost ten minutes in, but it's the lovely ballad "It's a Sure Thing," which Dan sings as he dresses for the family meeting. Whitey starts off "Someplace On Anywhere Road" while he and Dan drive Broadway Bill to the races. Dan eventually joins in. He and the Professor sing Yale's "Whiffenpoof Song" to get out of paying their restaurant receipt. Alice, Whitey, and Dan cheerfully sing and dance as they make a "Sunshine Cake" in the guys' ramshackle shack...before it starts raining. "The Horse Told Me" is a chorus number for Dan and everyone at the track the night before the big race. Dan, Alice, and Whitey are joined by a group of kids for "Camptown Races" as they walk Bill to the track.

Trivia: Look for Oliver Hardy in a rare solo cameo as a gambler at the first race.

Final film for venerable character actor Harry Davenport, who died three months after filming ended, radio comedian Ish Kabibble (M.A Bogue), and Frances Gifford.

What I Don't Like: Capra's not quite firing on all cylinders here. Apparently, a lot of footage is reused from the original Broadway Bill, including scenes at the track and sequences with Dumbrille and Walburn. It was due to budget concerns, but many people online complain that it looks cheaper. Gray is cute and does "Sunshine Cake" well with the guys, but she's certainly no Myrna Loy, who originated the role. Gifford has even less to do. Muse's dignity and Dan treating him like an equal partner does make his slightly stereotypical role a lot easier to take. 

The Big Finale: Not Capra's greatest achievement, but this is one of Bing's better musicals from later in his career. Check it out this Kentucky Derby weekend if you're a fan of Capra, Crosby, or the original Broadway Bill. 

Home Media: Easily found on streaming and DVD.

DVD

Amazon Prime