Descendants: Wicked Wonderland

Disney, 2026

Starring Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Liamani Segura, and Leonardo Nam

Directed by Kimmy Gatewood

Music and Lyrics by various

We're going to stay with Disney, but head to the Disney Channel for another fantasy revolving around teen protagonists. Descendants: Rise of Red was a massive hit on the Disney Channel and Disney Plus in 2024, one of the biggest hit made-for-TV films they'd had in years. Them putting out a sequel was probably inevitable, though it apparently wasn't announced until February 2025. After changing their lives via time travel in the previous film, how do Red (Cantrall) and Chloe (Baker) react to their new worlds? Let's begin, not with the girls, but with our narrator, Chessy, the daughter of the Cheshire Cat (Awkwafina), as she explains that all is not what it seems to be in Wonderland, and find out...

The Story: After everything that happened in the previous movie, Chloe and Red come to the conclusion that time travel is too dangerous and hide the magical pocket watch in the Wonderland Vault. Red has the most changes to deal with. Not only is her mother Bridget, the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), a lot kinder than she used to be, but Red now has a little sister, the ever-positive Pink (Segura). Chloe is frustrated that her mother Cinderella (Brandy) is now even stricter and seems to have forgotten her scrappy adolescence. 

Red's less happy that her former tutor Maddox Hatter (Nam) has really gone mad searching for the pocket watch after he witnessed them use it in the past. He and his son Max (Brendon Tremblay) were forced to leave Wonderland, but returned after the ban on villains ended. He gets his revenge on Bridget by stealing her magic cards and taking over Wonderland. Red and Chloe are joined by Max, Pink, Red's awkward and sweet crush Luis Madrigal (Alexandro Byrd), and their friends from Aurodon Prep as they make their way to Hearts Castle to rescue Bridget and Cinderella. Chloe, however, is getting fed up with Red doing things her way and ignoring her, and Red wishes Chloe were a little bolder, leading to a rift in their relationship...one Chessy and Maddox manage to manipulate as they move closer to the castle.

The Song and Dance: I definitely think this one improves on the previous film. For one thing, no confusing time travel cliches here. Wonderland is seen in all of its glowing, neon and fluff glory, and it's a delight. The costumes and sets remain incredible, especially for a TV movie. As good as Cantrall and Baker are, Ora and Brandy steal the movie as their mothers, who manage to reconcile and bond when their daughters are unable to. They even get one of the movie's best songs. The music and choreography are also excellent, with "Dancing With the Enemy" and the "True to My Heart" finale as the stand-outs.

The Numbers: We open with the chorus number "Perfect Princess," as both girls are shocked to see all of the rules that are now expected of them and how different their lives are. "Mad" is Maddox's villain number as he accuses Bridget of not giving him a chance and steals her cards. "Did You Hear About Them?" ask Luis, Hazel Hook (Kiara Romero), and the kids of Auradon Prep, many of whom are not impressed with "perfect" Chloe and Red. Chloe, Red, Luis, and the kids find themselves "Dancing With the Enemy" as they mirror the moves of chess pieces on a massive chess board. One wrong move, and the kids disappear. Luis and Red wish that "For Once In My Life" they could do what they want and be who they want to be.

 Bridget and Cinderella reminisce about school and "The Girl I Used To Be" when they're Maddox's captives in Heart Castle. Max gives the hurt and confused Chloe a bracelet that makes her "Heartless"...and willing to betray Red. Trapped in the moving maze without her friends, Red wonders "Who I Am," until Pink finds her and reminds her. Reunited with their mothers, the girls and their friends encourage each other to "Go Live It" and enjoy life to the fullest, no matter what the past or future brings. The movie ends with a big chorus number to "True to Your Heart" from the animated version of Mulan. 

What I Don't Like: This movie did not need 8,000 characters all over the place. It mainly focuses on Red, Chloe, Luis, Max, and the two mothers. Anyone else, including Pink, Hazel, Robbie Hood (Joel Oulette), and Felix Facillier (Zavien Garrett), are window dressing and barely get any development or screen time. They could have used Maddox a bit more to do too and let us see his actual plans. Speaking of underdeveloped, while we don't get time travel cliches, we do get every other teen cliche in the book, including one girl going bad briefly. It's not hard to tell where this one is going once it gets into Wonderland.

The Big Finale: The terrific numbers, costumes, and some decent performances make this worth checking out for major Disney fans like me or girls in the appropriate 8 to 14 age range who love fantasy.

Home Media: This is exclusive to Disney Plus at the moment. 

Disney Plus

Moana (2026)

Disney, 2026

Starring Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, and John Tui

Directed by Thomas Kail

Music and Lyrics by Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Unlike Snow White, there was no hostility or controversy when Disney announced they were remaking this in April 2023. It was based on one of Disney's most beloved animated films of the last decade, one that continued to be popular on Disney Plus and in the theme parks and had a sequel that debuted just two years ago. After the relatively recent Lilo & Stitch was a smash hit last summer, Disney must have thought they had another blockbuster on their hands. Considering it currently stands to be one of the biggest flops of the year so far...what happened? To figure that out, we begin in much the same way as the original, as young Moana's (Amasa Masoli) grandmother Tala (Owen) tells the story of how Maui (Johnson) stole the stone heart of the goddess island Te Fiti and how that began to destroy the life on every island...

The Story: Moana (Laga'aia) has heard the call of the sea all her life. Her parents, especially her father Chief Tui (Tui), want her to stay on the island and focus on becoming Chief. No one's ventured past the island for three thousand years. Only her eccentric grandmother Tala (House) encourages her love of the ocean and desire to explore. It's her grandmother who reveals ancient boats hidden in a cave. Her people were once explorers, searching for new islands across the Pacific. 

When the villagers discover that the foliage of the island is dying and fish are disappearing, Moana finally takes off in one of the camacaus from the cave. She's determined to find Maui and restore the goddess island, but it's not easy. Not only does Maui refuse to help at first, but she has to deal with rough seas, wild little coconut-like scavengers, treasure-loving giant crabs, and her own lack of sailing abilities. Nothing, however, will stop Moana from saving her people and proving that being a leader sometimes means going outside the box and what others deem "safe."

The Song and Dance: For all the problems, some things do work. The songs have always been a delight, and the end credits number "Along the Way" is a lovely addition. Johnson is still having a lot of fun as Maui, and his hand-animated tattoos retelling his adventures are still hilarious. Laga'aia makes a lovely, determined, and very funny Moana, especially when dealing with Maui and his ego that dwarfs the entire Pacific Ocean, and Owen is a wonderfully wise and eccentric grandmother. (And I still appreciate that Moana and Maui are more pupil and mentor than romantic.) 

The Numbers: Our first flat-out number is the chorus routine "Where You Are." Chief Tui introduces us to the culture and people of Motunui as Moana grows up...and still hears the call of the sea. Moana's first attempt to leave the island is underscored by her big "I want" song and the hit from the original film, "How Far I'll Go." "We Know the Way" is the second chorus number as we see Moana's ancestors charting the Pacific. Moana reprises "How Far" when she finally makes it out to the ocean on one of the ancestors' boats. "You're Welcome" says Maui when Moana washes up on an island where he too is stranded. After all, he created (or claims her created) everything. 

Moana has to dodge the enormous coconut crab Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement), who loves all things "Shiny," and grab the stone heart and Maui's magical fish hook. Moana performs the brief "I am Moana" with her grandmother when she thinks she'll never be able to restore Te Fiti. The chorus reminds her to "Know Who You Are." We end back at Motunni with a reprise of "We Know the Way" as Moana, Maui, and everyone on the island are now wayfarers searching the seas. Lin-Manuel Miranda is joined by Laga'aia and original Moana Auli'i Cravaho for the end credits song "Along the Way." 

What I Don't Like: This has the opposite problem from Snow White. They tried to change and update too much there, but this...has no reason to exist. They changed and updated almost nothing. It's pretty much exactly the same as the animated film people can buy on disc or watch on Disney Plus except for a few additional gags and the one new end credits song. Not to mention, this movie was overlong when it was fully animated, and it's not any less in live-action. Some of Moana and Maui's antics in the middle of the film could still be trimmed. There's also the complaints of all the CGI and AI used. There's so much animation used, it practically still is an animated film, and it looks horrendously fake compared to the big action and horror films in theaters right now. 

The Big Finale: If your kids are huge Moana fans who can't get enough of the character, they'll probably want to see it. Everyone else is fine looking up "Along the Way" and taking their money elsewhere.

Home Media: It's home release date hasn't been announced yet, but the vinyl soundtrack is available at Target and elsewhere

Vinyl Soundtrack (Target)

Safety In Numbers

Paramount, 1930

Starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Carole Lombard, Katheryn Crawford, and Josephine Dunn

Directed by Victor Schertzinger

Music by Richard A. Whiting; Lyrics by George Marion Jr.

Schertzinger went way further back with musicals than The Fleet's In. He started his directing career doing rural comedies in 1917. His first sound musical was segments of the revue Paramount On Parade; this was his first full-length musical film. It was made to showcase Paramount's then-biggest matinee idol, Buddy Rogers. Rogers was an early form of Pat Boone, "America's Boyfriend," the cute, cuddly guy girls can bring home to their parents with no trouble. This was intended to be a big star vehicle for him, allowing him to show just how sweet he could be and promote some of the up-and-coming ingenues on the Paramount lot...including one who would go on to have a major career a few years later. How does this romantic comedy about a young playboy who gets an education in love from three chorus girls look nowadays? Let's begin with that playboy, William Butler Reynolds (Rogers), as he judges a "high kicking contest" among the secretaries in his uncle F. Carstair Reynolds' (Richard Tucker) business and find out...

The Story: Carstair tells his nephew he stands to inherit $350 million dollars on his twenty-first birthday, but only if he goes to New York and learns "the ways of the world." He hires three Follies girls, Maxine (Dunn), Pauline (Lombard), and Jacqueline (Crawford), to show his nephew around New York and keep an eye on him. They get help from a chatty cab driver, Bertram Shapiro (Roscoe Karns), who befriends William and the girls, and several other chorus cuties who volunteer. After things get out of hand at a party, all three ladies admit they're besotted by their charge...but there's only one of them whom William loves so much, he's willing to give up that money for.

The Song and Dance: Not the most exciting story in the world, but there are a few items worthy of note. The music isn't bad, especially the lovely ballad "My Future Just Passed." Nice costumes, too, with some really gorgeous early 30's gowns for the ladies and tuxes for the guys. Rogers may have the lion's share of moments, but it's the ladies who run off with the film. They're hilarious and heartfelt as they try to show their charge how to really live life, especially sweet Crawford as the one who falls for him. Karns has a few good moments too as the boastful cab driver.

The Numbers: We open with our first chorus number, as those secretaries show off their high kicking stuff and Rogers shows off his prowess on the drums to "Business Girl." William switches on the radio so Jacqueline can hear (and be impressed by) his own song, "Do You Play, Madam?" He gets her up for a short dance. He woos Maxine with "I'd Like to Be a Bee In Your Boudoir." Pauline tries to woo him with "Young Man, You Appeal to Me" without actually singing it. The other two are not amused. The ladies' maid (Louise Beavers" joins in for the dance number "The Pick-Up," while the chorus gets "Pepola," in a very strange number that turns into silhouettes of beautiful women dancing against a city projection background at one point.

What I Don't Like: Did I mention up there that this is not the most exciting story? It's basically Rogers chasing women, the ladies chasing him, and Karns popping up here and there. While it's a little more kinetic than usual for the early talkie era, we do get the occasional shots of people standing and talking. Also, if you're expecting something like Lombard's brittle screwball comedy persona from the later 30's, you're going to be disappointed. Other than her "You Appeal to Me" number (where she doesn't even really sing), she doesn't really have that much to do.

The Big Finale: This is cute and has some decent music, but in the end, it's mainly for early talkie enthusiasts or major fans of Lombard or Rogers. 

Home Media: Thanks to it entering the public domain this year, it can now be found all over streaming, including at Tubi. 

Tubi

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Paramount, 1962

Starring Elvis Presley, Laurel Goodwin, Stella Stevens, and Jeremy Slate

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate the summer season with one of Elvis' bigger hits. Elvis and his wiggling hips seemed to work well with the laid-back vibes of the Hawaiian Islands. This would be the second of three films he made with a Hawaiian setting. It also produced one of the bigger singles to come from one of his movies and helped promote Tiki culture at a time when interest in Polynesia was at an all-time high. How does the movie that produced "Return to Sender" look nowadays? Let's begin with Ross Carpenter (Presley) taking a tourist couple out on his fishing boat the Westwind and find out...

The Story: Ross wants to buy his boat from the new owner, arrogant and egotistical Wesley Johnson (Slate), but he doesn't have the money. His current girl, singer Robin (Stevens), wants him to give up fishing and join her singing at a local nightclub, but Ross is married to his boat. He and his late father built the Westwind. 

He first meets sweet and funny Laurel Dodge (Goodwin) at the club. Unlike Robin, she enjoys sailing with him and understands how he feels about the Westwind. He even introduces her to his friends at Paradise Island, Kin Yung (Benson Fong), his wife (Beluah Quo), and the two little girls they look after. Laurel, however, is not what she seems. Ross doesn't appreciate her attempt to help him by buying the Westwind himself...until Johnson gets his hands on her, and he realizes that Laurel means more to him than any boat.

The Song and Dance: To my surprise, this may be one of Elvis' more charming vehicles. Hawaii does seem to agree with him. He seems a lot more at ease here than with some of his more by-the-numbers later vehicles. He's abetted by two relatively strong leading ladies. Goodwin is adorably sarcastic, Stevens nicely tough when we see her. Some of the music is really fun too, including "Return to Sender," the hilarious "Earth Boy" with the little girls on the island, and the rousing title song.

The Numbers: We hear the title song twice, in the opening as Ross drives the fishing couple and admires all the beautiful young ladies they pass, and dancing with ladies in Hawaiian, Asian, and Latin costumes in the finale. Ross takes us to the club, where we hear Robin perform "Never Let Me Go." She and her boss Sam talk Ross into his credo, "I Don't Want To Be Tied." The Four Amigos perform "Mama" for the wife of the original owner of the Westwind on their anniversary. Ross adorably sings "We'll Be Together" for a grateful Mama. 

He performs "Earth Boy" with the little girls Mai (Elizabeth Tiu) and Tai (Ginny Tiu) on Paradise Island. Back at the club, Robin gets the standard "The Nearness of You." Speaking of standards, Ross also introduces the big hit from this film. "Return to Sender," at the club. He's singing "Because of Love" when Laurel comes in looking for him. Ross and the fishermen get one of the major chorus numbers, "Thanks to the Rolling Sea," on their boat. They perform "The Song of the Shrimp" to lift their morale after they catch nothing. He and Laurel do their idea of a flamenco as they insist "Walls Have Ears" and listen in on the neighbors.

"We're Coming In Loaded" says Ross proudly as his crew finally nets a good catch. Robin gets another smoky number at the club, "Baby Baby Baby," just before Laurel confronts her about Ross. The finale gives us a delicate Japanese dance to "Dainty Little Moonbeams," which Ross sings with the little girls. 

What I Don't Like: Definitely one of Elvis' fluffier vehicles. If you're looking for something darker or sharper, you'd better go to his 50's films. Frankly, it goes on for about 20 minutes too long, too. The girls arguing over Ross gets a little annoying despite Elvis' charisma. Stevens doesn't really have that much to do besides her numbers and insult Elvis. Though they're generally respectful of Japanese and Hawaiian culture, some of the treatment of the residents of Paradise Island occasionally borders on stereotype.

The Big Finale: The film that introduced "Return to Sender" is surprisingly charming and fun if you're a big fan of Elvis or bright and bold 60's musicals. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Happy 4th of July! - The Fleet's In

Paramount, 1942

Starring William Holden, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, and Betty Hutton

Directed by Victor Scherzinger

Music by Victor Scherzinger; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Let's celebrate America's 250th anniversary honoring the US Navy with this rare classic from early in the World War II years. Holden was a true golden boy in the early 40's, having become a star in the 1939 film version of Golden Boy and earned an Oscar nomination in 1940 for Our Town. What he wasn't was a musical star - in fact, this would be his only musical - which is likely why he's surrounded by some of Paramount's most popular musical performers of the war years. Lamour had been popular since the mid-30's, but Bracken and Hutton were up-and-coming comedians and would have their biggest hits during and directly after the war years. How do they all come together in this wacky romantic comedy where a sailor tries to kiss a standoffish nightclub singer to win a bet? Let's begin with another singer, movie star Diana Golden (Betty Jane Rhodes), performing the title song in a nightclub populated by sailors, and find out...

The Story: Diana kisses shy sailor Casey Kirby (Holden) as a publicity stunt. His shipmates, including his best friend Barney Waters (Bracken) are now convinced he's a ladies' man. They make a bet that he can't kiss frigid singer the Countess (Lamour) while on leave. Waters has his own problems. He's being pursued by the Countess' noisy roommate Bessie (Hutton), and he made the bet against his friend Spike's (Gil Lamb) watch. If he doesn't win that bet, Spike will thrash him within an inch of his life. Casey does everything he can to woo the Countess...but to his surprise, finds himself falling in love with her for real. She does, too, until Bessie and her friend Cissie (Cass Daley) spill the beans about the bet. Now Casey has three days to convince the Countess his love is on the level, before they get thrown out...or worse, land in jail.

The Song and Dance: Sweetly sincere Holden does tend to come off better than most leading men who appear opposite musical ladies. He's certainly enjoying himself more than most of the non-singing guys at 20th Century Fox did as the gob who finds himself falling for this lovely lady in spite of himself. Lamour has even more fun playing opposite him as the standoffish Countess. Mercer and Schertzinger came up with a terrific score, too. Three of the songs - "I Remember You," "Tangerine," and "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In a Hurry" - are now standards. 

The Song and Dance: We open with the title song over the credits before revealing that Diana Golden is singing it at a nightclub. Eddie Bracken reprises it with the sailors on their way back to their ship. Their first trip to the Swingland dance club provides our next numbers. Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell introduce "Tangerine" with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. The Countess steps up next for "When You Hear the Time Signal." Bessie next tears into several sailors while performing "If You Build a Better Mousetrap." (Eberly and O'Connell reprise this later in a version that's less damaging to the sailors.) Barney joins the Countess and Bob Eberly for "Not Mine" in the nightclub. 

The Countess gets the honor of introducing "I Remember You" accompanied by Eberly, O'Connell, and Jimmy Dorsey at the sailors' weenie roast. Dancers Lorraine and Rognan do a spoof ballroom number to an instrumental version later at the club. Bessie blasts "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In a Hurry" in her idea of a tap costume, while Cissie finishes with "Tomorrow You Belong to Uncle Sammy" and Spike does his own acrobatic instrumental dance. 

Trivia: This is based on the 1933 non-musical play Sailor Beware. Paramount would remake it under that title as a vehicle for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in 1952. 

Victor Schertzinger's last film. He died in October 1941, four months before the movie was released. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, the plot is annoying. If the Countess would stop and listen (and if Bessie would close her mouth for five seconds and listen), they'd know that Casey doesn't really want to go through with it, either. They both pretty much say it's distasteful, and it is. A little of Bracken and Hutton can go a long way, especially when Hutton is in bombastic mode. Bracken spends most of the movie whining, and Hutton spends most of it yelling at him and throwing him around. 

The Big Finale: In the end, this is worth checking out as you dodge the heat this 4th of July for the good cast and music alone. 

Home Media: Alas, the only place you can find this online at present is YouTube, but at least the TCM copy there is pretty decent.

YouTube

The Naughty Nineties

Universal, 1945

Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Henry Travers, and Rita Johnson

Directed by Jean Yarborough

Music and Lyrics by various

We celebrate the start of summer with some unique baseball history. Abbott and Costello had been performing their famous "Who's On First" bit, with Abbott as a baseball player trying to correct befuddled fan Lou, for years. It was so well-known, even then, Universal finally got it into one of their vehicles. This would also be the first of nine times the duo appeared, separately and together, in a historical or fantasy film. How does the movie that introduced their most famous routine look today? Let's start with the arrival of The River Queen, a show boat promoting wholesome entertainment in 1890, and find out...

The Story: Dexter Broadhurst (Abbott) is the leading man for the floating show boat troupe. His best friend Sebastian Dimwiddle (Costello) is the show's sound effects master and barker. They're both shocked when kindly Captain Sam (Travers) loses the River Queen to nefarious gambler Bonita Farrow (Johnson). She and her fellow gamblers Crawford (Alan Curtis) and Bailey (Joe Sawyer) got him drunk and pulled him into playing a rigged roulette table. They take over the River Queen and turn it into a rigged gambling den, pushing out Sam and his daughter Caroline (Lois Collier). Worried about their jobs and their friends, Sebastian and Dexter do a little gambling themselves to help the Captain regain control of his ship. Meanwhile, Crawford is also having second thoughts after he falls for Caroline.

The Song and Dance: The first appearance of "Who's On First" on film is unquestionably this movie's highlight, but it does have a few other virtues. Bud and Lou have a couple of other funny routines, including Costello trying to make his voice go higher or lower in response to Abbott moving scenery, Costello mistaking a real bear for his buddy in a bear suit, and Costello mirroring Bailey's movements to keep him from figuring out he's loose. Rita Johnson makes a terrific villainous gambling queen, too, all slinky and side-eyes, and Travers is a sweet steamship captain. 

The Numbers: Our first performance is "On a Sunday Afternoon." Caroline sings this until the local saloon-keeper says the river boat troupe is blocking his business. Crawford makes use of a gun to convince him otherwise, but Sebastian thinks he did it. That saloon is the Gilded Cage, where we hear "I'd Leave My Happy Home for You." Sebastian attempts "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" during the scene where Dexter's telling the men how to lower or raise the scenery. His voice and body go up and down as the scenery does, until he ends up on the floor. Rather appropriately, Dexter opens the "Who's On First" segment with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Caroline sings "I Can't Get You Out of My Mind," one of three songs written directly for the film, in the casino. The entire cast appears for a version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in the finale, including Sebastian on a flying cable as one of the most unlikely Little Evas in film history. 

Trivia: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are the only non-baseball players to have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for their "Who's on First" routine. The segment from this film featuring the routine can be seen at the Hall of Fame building in Cooperstown, New York. 

If the "Who's on First" scene seems to come out of left field (so to speak), it was added into the film after the rest of it had been shot. The faint laughter you might hear in the background (if you're not too busy laughing yourself) is director Yarborough and his crew. After attempting numerous takes, Yarborough finally gave up and just left the laughter in. 

The show boat itself was originally built for the 1936 version of Show Boat. 

What I Don't Like: There's a reason "Who's On First" was shoved in at the last minute. This is not one of Lou and Bud's better comedies. Collier and Curtis are blocks of wood compared to the hams around them as the lovers. The new songs aren't terribly memorable...and the old ones were almost entirely written in the early 1900's, rather than the 1890's. Most of their routines in this film were done better elsewhere, including by the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers. There's also some brief blackface to contend with, notably in the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" finale. 

The Big Finale: This one is really for big fans of Bud and Lou. Everyone else would be advised to find some version of "Who's On First?" online. 

Home Media: The popularity of "Who's On First" is very likely the reason this is one of their only movies currently available individually on disc. 

DVD

DVD - The Best of Abbott and Costello Vol. 2

DVD - Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection 

Blu-Ray - Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

Amazon Prime

Celebrating Juneteenth - Killer Diller

All-American, 1948

Starring Dusty Fletcher, George Wiltshire, Butterfly McQueen, and Nellie Hill

Directed by Josh Binney

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate Juneteeth, the day the slaves were freed in Texas, with a collection of black talent you won't see anywhere else. Race movies, B-films made for segregated black theaters, go back to the silent movie era. By the post-war era, they were wildly popular, and though there were dramas, mysteries, and non-musical comedies, the biggest of all were the all-black musicals. We saw two other race films from this era back in February. How does this one compare to those? Let's begin with theater manager Baltimore Dumdore (Wiltshire), as he tells his secretary Butterfly (McQueen) to find him a magician, and find out...

The Story: The magician Butterfly digs up is Dusty (Fletcher), and...well, he's not very good. He accidentally makes his girlfriend Lola (Hill) disappear after she walks into two disappearing cabinets. Trouble is, Dumdore just gave Lola a thousand-dollar pearl necklace that vanished with her. The police chase Dusty in and out of his cabinets...and all around the acts in the big variety show Dumdore wanted him for in the first place.

The Song and Dance: With a story that flimsy, the real attraction here is the variety show itself. Nat "King" Cole and his trio make some of their first movie appearances here, and we get a rare glimpse of a slightly watered-down version of Jackie "Moms" Mabley's infamously ribald stage act. Some of the dancing is pretty darn amazing too, especially from the quartet known as The Four Congaroos. 

The Numbers: Our first song isn't until we start the variety show, 15 minutes into a 75-minute movie, but it's the lively "Gator Serenade" by Andy Kirk and His Orchestra. Next, sassy Beverly White has too much fun admitting she loves being single in "I Don't Want to Be Married" and "It Ain't Nobody's Bizness What I Do." Rotund singing comics Patterson and Jackson are next with "I Believe" from It Happened In Brooklyn, a delightful tap routine by Patterson to "Ain't Misbehavin," and their imitation of the Ink Spots, "If I Didn't Care." Moms performs "Don't Sit On My Bed" twice, first after Patterson and Jackson. Later in the night, she's disrupted by Dusty and the cops and gets so fed up, she walks off. We next get another nifty tap routine, this one from the Lark Brothers. 

After that, it's our first Nat "King" Cole Trio number of the night. Cole's having a great time with the adorably charming upbeat ballad "Ooh Kickaroonie." Cole slows things down with the comic blues number "Now He Tells Me," then finishes with "Breezy and the Beat." The Four Congaroos really pick up the pace with their wild Lindy Hop to Andy Kirk and His Orchestra playing "Basie's Boogie." Kirk and His Orchestra stay for two more solo numbers. The variety show's finale features Kirk and his group performing "Apollo Groove" for the "Varietettes Dancing Girls," aka members of the Katherine Durham School of Dancing. 

What I Don't Like: Did I mention the flimsy plot? There's a few mildly funny moments with Dusty being chased by the cops and flirting with Butterfly, but they're mostly annoying and unnecessary. (And we never do get to see Dusty do his actual magic act in the show.) I really, really wish BET or someone else would throw money at restoring these, too. The copy on Tubi is awful, scratchy and blurry.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out for the acts alone if you're a fan of Cole or Mabley or the black orchestras and performers of the 40's and 50's. 

Home Media: Like most of the race movies, it's in the public domain and can be found on most formats. It's currently streaming for free with commercials at Tubi.

DVD

Tubi