Paramount, 1938
Starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Ross, and WC Fields
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Music by Ralph Rainger and others; Lyrics by Leo Robin and others
This was Paramount's answer to the Broadway Melody semi-revue series at MGM and Warner's Gold Diggers series. They pulled out all the stops for the final movie in the series, with a huge cast, major specialties from the worlds of both opera and popular music, elaborate dance numbers, and a unique setting. It was primarily considered to be a vehicle for WC Fields when it debuted...but Ross and newcomer Hope stole the picture with the touching Oscar-winner "Thanks for the Memory." How does the rest of the film look nowadays? Let's head to Pier 97 in New York as the S.S Gigantic and Colossal are preparing for "The Race of the Ages" and find out...
The Story: We mainly follow the crew and passengers of the S.S Gigantic as the huge, radio electricity-powered ship races the smaller Colossal across the Atlantic from New York to Cherbourg, France. The ships are owned by twin brothers T.F and S.B Bellows (Fields). T.F wants his accident-prone brother to land on the Colossal and wreck havoc, but S.B is late flying in his own home-made contraption from the golf course and lands on the Gigantic instead. Things get even worse when his even more accident-prone daughter Martha (Martha Raye) is rescued from a wrecked yacht. Meanwhile, radio announcer Buzz Fielding (Hope) is dealing with his three ex-wives, including caustic Cleo (Ross), and his girlfriend Dorothy (Lamour) is falling for the ship's first officer and the inventor of the Gigantic's radio power generator Robert Hayes (Leif Erikson).
The Song and Dance: This has one of the most unique settings and unusual casts of any musical. You're not going to see Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour, WC Fields, opera diva Kirsten Flagstad, Mexican singer Tito Guizar, and a bunch of animated ripples performing on a racing streamline cruise ship anywhere else. There's some stunning Art Deco sets, including the genuinely nifty ocean liners. I can think of other musicals set on ocean liners, but not ones that are in the middle of a huge race and broadcasting radio shows. WC Fields has some hilarious moments driving his caddies crazy on the golf course, and much later with a wacky billiards game.
Favorite Number: The big one here is the Oscar-winning ballad "Thanks for the Memory." Towards the end of the film, Hope and Ross reminisce about their failed marriage in a way that seems very natural for a musical, and the song is by far the most memorable in the film and became Hope's trademark. Raye gets an acrobatic dance routine with a group of rowdy sailors, "Mama, That Moon Is Here Again," that has them tossing her around the ship like a rag doll. "This Little Ripple Has Rhythm" is a cute blend of animation (directed by Leon Schlesinger of Looney Tunes fame) and a bouncy jazz tune performed by Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra.
Trivia: This was Bob Hope's feature film debut.
The original Big Broadcast debuted in 1932; there were editions in 1936 and 1937 as well. Currently, the 1938 edition is the only one available on home media, probably due to the cast and "Thanks for the Memory."
What I Don't Like: For all the novel setting, the actual story is pretty dull. You care more about Hope and Ross and their renewed feelings for each other than the stiff Lamour and Erikson and their budding romance. Fields barely interacts with the rest of the cast and appears to have wandered in from another movie entirely. The rest of the score pales besides "Thanks for the Memory"; despite constantly reprising it, even Lamour's dulcet tones can't make "You Took the Worlds Right Out of My Heart" interesting. The final number "The Waltz Lives On" has nifty costumes and an interesting "through the years" theme, but it goes on for way, way too long. Everything feels like it was taken from other movies and just sort of tossed together.
The Big Finale: The numbers alone make this worth checking out for fans of Hope, Fields, Raye, Lamour, or the Busby Berkley imitations of the 1930's.
Home Media: Can be found on DVD as a solo release from the made-to-order Universal Vault series or as part of several Bob Hope and WC Fields collections.
DVD
DVD - College Swing/The Big Broadcast of 1938
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
The Glenn Miller Story
Universal, 1954
Starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, and Charles Drake
Directed by Anthony Mann
Music by Glenn Miller, Henry Mancini, and others
This look at the life of one of the most popular big band orchestra leaders of the late 30's and early 40's was a huge hit for Universal and the first non-western Stewart and director Anthony Mann did together. Is this movie as dreamy as Miller's signature composition "Moonlight Serenade?" Let's head to a pawn shop in Colorado as Miller is just starting his career to find out...
The Story: Musician Glenn Miller (Stewart) is perpetually broke, to the point where he's always pawning his trombone, but he has big dreams. His friend Chummy (Morgan) manages to get him a job with big-time orchestra leader Ben Pollack (himself). Before he goes to New York with the band, he asks his girl Helen Berger (Allyson) to wait for him to call for her. Miller tries to play with Pollock and in Broadway pits (including the Gershwin show Girl Crazy), but he really wants to lead his own band performing his own tunes. He gets a chance with Chummy two years later, when he calls Helen to New York to marry her. The first band doesn't work out, but he does manage to get a second band off the ground thanks to the major hit "Moonlight Serenade" in 1939. Despite his constant working and traveling, Helen and Glenn manage to adopt two children and make a family.
Miller jumps into the Army when World War II hits, despite being told he's too old. He convinces General Arnold (Barton MacLane) to let him form a "modern" military band. Despite some officers thinking his marches and jazz are too modern, he and his band travel to camps all across Europe to raise morale. He's in England to make arrangements to move the band to Paris in December 1944 and conduct a special broadcast for Helen...but he never makes it, and Helen and his family are left with their memories of one of the most beloved band leaders of all time.
The Song and Dance: Miller and Stewart make a cute couple, particularly early-on when he's courting her, despite his constantly being late, broke, and on the road. In fact, where this works best is depicting the life of a traveling musician - second-rate hotels, living gig to gig, bad food, late nights - and in the end, when Glenn forms his military band. (It was so successful, Army jazz bands have continued to play for servicemen and civilians in Europe to this day.)
Favorite Number: If you're a fan of jazz, swing, or big band music, the cameos alone are reason enough to see this. Gene Krupa and Louis Armstrong get a nice "Basin Street Blues," while Frances Langford and the Modernaires run through a nice "Chattanooga Choo Choo" towards the end while the band is in Europe. Look for many of Miller's most famous songs throughout the movie, from "Pennsylvania 6-5000" to "Little Brown Jug" in the finale. The performance of "Bidin' My Time" that with Miller in the pit is cute, too.
Trivia: One of three films Allyson and Stewart made together. Allyson called it one of her favorites of her films.
The soundtrack album hit #1 on the Billboards Top Hits chart in March 1954.
This was the last movie appearance of Frances Langford and the Modernaires. Neither appeared with Miller's military band in real life (although the Modernaires did sing with Miller's civilian orchestra).
Miller's plane was never found; the mystery continues to this day. Most historians now think the plane's carburetor may have iced over. (The model they drove apparently had a history of similar problems.)
What I Don't Like: This is about as sentimental as you can get. It's a pretty typical "rise to fame" story with an unusually tragic ending. Most of the big cliches are hit, from him courting her despite all odds to their pushing their way to the top. While they do stick to the facts a little bit more than some earlier biographies, a few things were changed. Miller didn't really have any problems with "Little Brown Jug," which was one of their biggest hits in 1939 (not 1944). "Pennsylvania-6500" is the number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York, not the number of a boarding house. While older officers did complain to Miller about his "jazz marches," he was a bit sassier and pushed harder to keep them.
The Big Finale: Even with the cliches, this is still highly recommended for fans of Stewart, Allyson, or the real big band and jazz musicians who perform here.
Home Media: The DVD is out of print, but is fairly easy to find for a good price. You may be better off picking up the Universal Hollywood Icons set that also features the Stewart favorites Harvey, Winchester '73, and You Gotta Stay Happy. Shout Factory finally released it on Blu-Ray this past November, and it's on several streaming platforms.
DVD
DVD - Hollywood Icons Collection: James Stewart
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, and Charles Drake
Directed by Anthony Mann
Music by Glenn Miller, Henry Mancini, and others
This look at the life of one of the most popular big band orchestra leaders of the late 30's and early 40's was a huge hit for Universal and the first non-western Stewart and director Anthony Mann did together. Is this movie as dreamy as Miller's signature composition "Moonlight Serenade?" Let's head to a pawn shop in Colorado as Miller is just starting his career to find out...
The Story: Musician Glenn Miller (Stewart) is perpetually broke, to the point where he's always pawning his trombone, but he has big dreams. His friend Chummy (Morgan) manages to get him a job with big-time orchestra leader Ben Pollack (himself). Before he goes to New York with the band, he asks his girl Helen Berger (Allyson) to wait for him to call for her. Miller tries to play with Pollock and in Broadway pits (including the Gershwin show Girl Crazy), but he really wants to lead his own band performing his own tunes. He gets a chance with Chummy two years later, when he calls Helen to New York to marry her. The first band doesn't work out, but he does manage to get a second band off the ground thanks to the major hit "Moonlight Serenade" in 1939. Despite his constant working and traveling, Helen and Glenn manage to adopt two children and make a family.
Miller jumps into the Army when World War II hits, despite being told he's too old. He convinces General Arnold (Barton MacLane) to let him form a "modern" military band. Despite some officers thinking his marches and jazz are too modern, he and his band travel to camps all across Europe to raise morale. He's in England to make arrangements to move the band to Paris in December 1944 and conduct a special broadcast for Helen...but he never makes it, and Helen and his family are left with their memories of one of the most beloved band leaders of all time.
The Song and Dance: Miller and Stewart make a cute couple, particularly early-on when he's courting her, despite his constantly being late, broke, and on the road. In fact, where this works best is depicting the life of a traveling musician - second-rate hotels, living gig to gig, bad food, late nights - and in the end, when Glenn forms his military band. (It was so successful, Army jazz bands have continued to play for servicemen and civilians in Europe to this day.)
Favorite Number: If you're a fan of jazz, swing, or big band music, the cameos alone are reason enough to see this. Gene Krupa and Louis Armstrong get a nice "Basin Street Blues," while Frances Langford and the Modernaires run through a nice "Chattanooga Choo Choo" towards the end while the band is in Europe. Look for many of Miller's most famous songs throughout the movie, from "Pennsylvania 6-5000" to "Little Brown Jug" in the finale. The performance of "Bidin' My Time" that with Miller in the pit is cute, too.
Trivia: One of three films Allyson and Stewart made together. Allyson called it one of her favorites of her films.
The soundtrack album hit #1 on the Billboards Top Hits chart in March 1954.
This was the last movie appearance of Frances Langford and the Modernaires. Neither appeared with Miller's military band in real life (although the Modernaires did sing with Miller's civilian orchestra).
Miller's plane was never found; the mystery continues to this day. Most historians now think the plane's carburetor may have iced over. (The model they drove apparently had a history of similar problems.)
What I Don't Like: This is about as sentimental as you can get. It's a pretty typical "rise to fame" story with an unusually tragic ending. Most of the big cliches are hit, from him courting her despite all odds to their pushing their way to the top. While they do stick to the facts a little bit more than some earlier biographies, a few things were changed. Miller didn't really have any problems with "Little Brown Jug," which was one of their biggest hits in 1939 (not 1944). "Pennsylvania-6500" is the number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York, not the number of a boarding house. While older officers did complain to Miller about his "jazz marches," he was a bit sassier and pushed harder to keep them.
The Big Finale: Even with the cliches, this is still highly recommended for fans of Stewart, Allyson, or the real big band and jazz musicians who perform here.
Home Media: The DVD is out of print, but is fairly easy to find for a good price. You may be better off picking up the Universal Hollywood Icons set that also features the Stewart favorites Harvey, Winchester '73, and You Gotta Stay Happy. Shout Factory finally released it on Blu-Ray this past November, and it's on several streaming platforms.
DVD
DVD - Hollywood Icons Collection: James Stewart
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Monday, May 27, 2019
Happy Memorial Day! - On the Town
MGM, 1949
Starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Vera-Ellen
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens; Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
We're honoring Memorial Day and those who fought and died for our country with a story of the adventures of three sailors on leave in a wacky New York City. This would be the third and final pairing of Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and their second movie together about sailors on shore leave. It was a huge hit in 1949, but how does it measure up nowadays? Let's join those sailors as they disembark their ship and find out...
The Story: Chip (Sinatra), Gabey (Kelly), and Ozzie (Munshin) are in New York for a day of adventure. Ozzie and Gabey intend to pursue glamorous women, while Chip just wants to see the sights. Gabey sees a poster of New York's Miss Turnstiles for the month, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), on the subway and falls in love at first sight. He takes the poster, prompting the cops to come after them for damaging property. The trio split up, searching for the elusive Ivy all over town. Chip finds cab driver Hildy Ezerhay (Betty Garrett), who'd rather he came up to her place than see all the sights in his dated guidebook. Ozzie falls for anthropologist Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller) at the Museum of Natural History, but he knocks over a dinosaur, sending them off and more cops after them.
Gabey does finally find Ivy practicing at Symphonic Hall. She tries to act aloof at first, but eventually agrees to a date with him that night. The trio and their ladies meet at the Empire State Building for triple date to several nightclubs. Gabey's upset when Ivy takes off. Hildy tries to replace her with her sniffly roommate Lucy Schmeeler (Alice Pearce), but when Gabey discovers that Ivy's working at Coney Island, they all end up following her there.
The Song and Dance: The first musical to shoot on location (if just briefly in the beginning and end), On the Town is a joyous romp with fun performances from just about everyone. Kelly and Vera-Ellen are warm and charming as the gob who wants to date a pretty girl and the girl who thinks she has to show off for him. Garrett's hilarious as the woman cab driver with more than driving a guy around town on her mind.
Favorite Number: Two of the ballets from the original Broadway On the Town made it here, the funny "Miss Turnstiles" that shows what Gabey hopes his fantasy girl looks like, and "A Day In New York," which pretty much reprises Gabey's storyline up to that point. Garrett tries to get Sinatra up to her apartment in one of the few songs retained from the original show, "Come On Up to My Place." The title number is an exuberant romp for the leads on the Empire State Building when they're about to go out for the night. Miller and Munshin have a great time describing "Prehistoric Man" at the museum.
Trivia: Kelly and Donen had to do a lot of talking to convince MGM to let them shoot in the real New York; MGM figured they'd be fine on the lot. They filmed in vans to block groupies from chasing Sinatra.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1944, and was one of the first major projects of Comden, Green, and Bernstein. It's been revived three times in New York since then, most recently in 2014.
What I Don't Like: I really wish Edens wasn't so against Bernstein's original score. Some of the songs are gorgeous, and it's disappointing that they weren't used. Most of his replacements are a bit bland. While I appreciate the historic location filming, the very real shots of the guys in New York makes the sets used in the rest of the movie look that much more fake.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of any of the cast, ballet on film, or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, this is a classic favorite that's worth going on the town to check out.
Home Media: As one of the most popular Golden Age MGM musicals, this is easily found in all major formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Vera-Ellen
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens; Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
We're honoring Memorial Day and those who fought and died for our country with a story of the adventures of three sailors on leave in a wacky New York City. This would be the third and final pairing of Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and their second movie together about sailors on shore leave. It was a huge hit in 1949, but how does it measure up nowadays? Let's join those sailors as they disembark their ship and find out...
The Story: Chip (Sinatra), Gabey (Kelly), and Ozzie (Munshin) are in New York for a day of adventure. Ozzie and Gabey intend to pursue glamorous women, while Chip just wants to see the sights. Gabey sees a poster of New York's Miss Turnstiles for the month, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), on the subway and falls in love at first sight. He takes the poster, prompting the cops to come after them for damaging property. The trio split up, searching for the elusive Ivy all over town. Chip finds cab driver Hildy Ezerhay (Betty Garrett), who'd rather he came up to her place than see all the sights in his dated guidebook. Ozzie falls for anthropologist Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller) at the Museum of Natural History, but he knocks over a dinosaur, sending them off and more cops after them.
Gabey does finally find Ivy practicing at Symphonic Hall. She tries to act aloof at first, but eventually agrees to a date with him that night. The trio and their ladies meet at the Empire State Building for triple date to several nightclubs. Gabey's upset when Ivy takes off. Hildy tries to replace her with her sniffly roommate Lucy Schmeeler (Alice Pearce), but when Gabey discovers that Ivy's working at Coney Island, they all end up following her there.
The Song and Dance: The first musical to shoot on location (if just briefly in the beginning and end), On the Town is a joyous romp with fun performances from just about everyone. Kelly and Vera-Ellen are warm and charming as the gob who wants to date a pretty girl and the girl who thinks she has to show off for him. Garrett's hilarious as the woman cab driver with more than driving a guy around town on her mind.
Favorite Number: Two of the ballets from the original Broadway On the Town made it here, the funny "Miss Turnstiles" that shows what Gabey hopes his fantasy girl looks like, and "A Day In New York," which pretty much reprises Gabey's storyline up to that point. Garrett tries to get Sinatra up to her apartment in one of the few songs retained from the original show, "Come On Up to My Place." The title number is an exuberant romp for the leads on the Empire State Building when they're about to go out for the night. Miller and Munshin have a great time describing "Prehistoric Man" at the museum.
Trivia: Kelly and Donen had to do a lot of talking to convince MGM to let them shoot in the real New York; MGM figured they'd be fine on the lot. They filmed in vans to block groupies from chasing Sinatra.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1944, and was one of the first major projects of Comden, Green, and Bernstein. It's been revived three times in New York since then, most recently in 2014.
What I Don't Like: I really wish Edens wasn't so against Bernstein's original score. Some of the songs are gorgeous, and it's disappointing that they weren't used. Most of his replacements are a bit bland. While I appreciate the historic location filming, the very real shots of the guys in New York makes the sets used in the rest of the movie look that much more fake.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of any of the cast, ballet on film, or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, this is a classic favorite that's worth going on the town to check out.
Home Media: As one of the most popular Golden Age MGM musicals, this is easily found in all major formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Animation Celebration Saturday - Aladdin (1992)
Disney, 1992
Voices of Robin Williams, Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, and Johnathan Freeman
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
In honor of the release of the live-action version of Aladdin yesterday, I'm going to cover the original. Disney's first venture into Arabian Nights lore was an even bigger hit at the box office than Beauty and the Beast, the top-grossing film of 1992. Does the tale of a young Arabian thief who discovers he's a "diamond in the rough" with the help of a wisecracking genie still hold up today? Let's take a flying carpet to the desert city of Agrabah and find out...
The Story: Aladdin (Weinger) is a cunning young thief with a kind heart who spends his days stealing his daily bread and avoiding the guards on the streets of Agrabah. One day, he encounters a beautiful and intelligent young woman (Larkin) who claims to have run away from home. Turns out she's the Princess Jasmine, who fled the castle when she was being forced to choose a prince to marry. Aladdin is arrested by the guards and by the sultan's second-in-command Jafar (Freeman) and his obnoxious talking parrot Iago (Gilbert Gottfried) and tossed in the dungeon.
Jafar poses as an old prisoner in the dungeon and agrees to help him out, if he finds a certain lamp in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin and his monkey Abu (Frank Welker) do, Jafar abandons him in the Cave. Turns out the lamp holds a magical, wisecracking genie (Williams), who not only helps them out of the cave, but is able to grant wishes. Aladdin wants nothing more than to be able to court the princess. The Genie makes him into a prince, but Jafar has his suspicions, and the Genie is upset when Aladdin may not free him. It takes nearly losing everything he holds dear to make Aladdin understand that one makes their own magic...and you don't need magic to be a good and brave person.
The Animation: Disney wanted to push themselves even further after the success of Beast, and they certainly did that. The Cave of Wonders was one of their earlier ventures into CGI, and it doesn't look half-bad today. The colors are rich and gorgeous, as per the Arabian Knights setting, and some of the expressions are hilarious. Just the way the animators are able to keep up with Williams' stream of lunacy is awesome.
The Song and Dance: Williams was the biggest reason for this movie's success in 1992, and while he's still funny, there's other things worth mentioning. Jasmine is one of Disney's stronger princesses of the era, determined to have love her way, no matter what. Gottfried, as annoying as he can be, does get some good lines as the ever-sarcastic parrot, and Freeman oozes menace as the oily second-in-command who cares about nothing but power.
Favorite Number: Jasmine and Aladdin's big ballad "A Whole New World" picked up the Oscar and "Friend Like Me" was Williams' big showcase, but my favorite song from this one is Aladdin's introduction, "One Jump Ahead." The rollicking tune perfectly introduces Aladdin, Abu, and their life as thieves in Agrabah and is one of the more fun numbers in the score.
Trivia: Unlike Beast and The Little Mermaid, this one had only been in development since the late 80's. It was Howard Ashman's idea and his baby, but he didn't live to see it's completion. Most of the songs he and Menken wrote didn't make it into the film (other than "Prince Ali"). Executives demanded it be completely re-written, eliminating the character of the mother and building up Jasmine and the romance.
A stage musical opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater in 2014 and is still running there at press time.
Disney would do two sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and a TV show. I may review the sequels somewhere along the line if I ever run into them; I seem to remember that what little I saw of the TV show was actually a lot of fun, even if they didn't use most of the original voices.
What I Don't Like: Many of Williams' pop culture references are recognizable only to people who were around in the early 90's nowadays, making him maybe a bit less funny than he was in 1992. While the Cave of Wonders generally looks decent, the CGI action sequence is more obvious. Aladdin and Jasmine both look and sound kind of generic and not especially Arabic. I have no idea what's with the opening with Williams as a random peddler introducing the lamp and the story. It has nothing in common with the rest of the movie, and other than allowing Williams to sing "Arabian Nights."
While this has more things in common with the original story than some other adaptations, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if this had retained both Aladdin's mother and the original Chinese setting from the Arabian Nights story.
The Big Finale: I don't love this one as much as I do Beauty and the Beast, but I still like it a lot. It's still one of Disney's funnier movies, and one of their best for grade school-age boys who are turned off by more overtly-"princessy" Disney animated films.
Home Media: Technically out of print, but not that hard to find, including on several streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)
Voices of Robin Williams, Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, and Johnathan Freeman
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
In honor of the release of the live-action version of Aladdin yesterday, I'm going to cover the original. Disney's first venture into Arabian Nights lore was an even bigger hit at the box office than Beauty and the Beast, the top-grossing film of 1992. Does the tale of a young Arabian thief who discovers he's a "diamond in the rough" with the help of a wisecracking genie still hold up today? Let's take a flying carpet to the desert city of Agrabah and find out...
The Story: Aladdin (Weinger) is a cunning young thief with a kind heart who spends his days stealing his daily bread and avoiding the guards on the streets of Agrabah. One day, he encounters a beautiful and intelligent young woman (Larkin) who claims to have run away from home. Turns out she's the Princess Jasmine, who fled the castle when she was being forced to choose a prince to marry. Aladdin is arrested by the guards and by the sultan's second-in-command Jafar (Freeman) and his obnoxious talking parrot Iago (Gilbert Gottfried) and tossed in the dungeon.
Jafar poses as an old prisoner in the dungeon and agrees to help him out, if he finds a certain lamp in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin and his monkey Abu (Frank Welker) do, Jafar abandons him in the Cave. Turns out the lamp holds a magical, wisecracking genie (Williams), who not only helps them out of the cave, but is able to grant wishes. Aladdin wants nothing more than to be able to court the princess. The Genie makes him into a prince, but Jafar has his suspicions, and the Genie is upset when Aladdin may not free him. It takes nearly losing everything he holds dear to make Aladdin understand that one makes their own magic...and you don't need magic to be a good and brave person.
The Animation: Disney wanted to push themselves even further after the success of Beast, and they certainly did that. The Cave of Wonders was one of their earlier ventures into CGI, and it doesn't look half-bad today. The colors are rich and gorgeous, as per the Arabian Knights setting, and some of the expressions are hilarious. Just the way the animators are able to keep up with Williams' stream of lunacy is awesome.
The Song and Dance: Williams was the biggest reason for this movie's success in 1992, and while he's still funny, there's other things worth mentioning. Jasmine is one of Disney's stronger princesses of the era, determined to have love her way, no matter what. Gottfried, as annoying as he can be, does get some good lines as the ever-sarcastic parrot, and Freeman oozes menace as the oily second-in-command who cares about nothing but power.
Favorite Number: Jasmine and Aladdin's big ballad "A Whole New World" picked up the Oscar and "Friend Like Me" was Williams' big showcase, but my favorite song from this one is Aladdin's introduction, "One Jump Ahead." The rollicking tune perfectly introduces Aladdin, Abu, and their life as thieves in Agrabah and is one of the more fun numbers in the score.
Trivia: Unlike Beast and The Little Mermaid, this one had only been in development since the late 80's. It was Howard Ashman's idea and his baby, but he didn't live to see it's completion. Most of the songs he and Menken wrote didn't make it into the film (other than "Prince Ali"). Executives demanded it be completely re-written, eliminating the character of the mother and building up Jasmine and the romance.
A stage musical opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater in 2014 and is still running there at press time.
Disney would do two sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and a TV show. I may review the sequels somewhere along the line if I ever run into them; I seem to remember that what little I saw of the TV show was actually a lot of fun, even if they didn't use most of the original voices.
What I Don't Like: Many of Williams' pop culture references are recognizable only to people who were around in the early 90's nowadays, making him maybe a bit less funny than he was in 1992. While the Cave of Wonders generally looks decent, the CGI action sequence is more obvious. Aladdin and Jasmine both look and sound kind of generic and not especially Arabic. I have no idea what's with the opening with Williams as a random peddler introducing the lamp and the story. It has nothing in common with the rest of the movie, and other than allowing Williams to sing "Arabian Nights."
While this has more things in common with the original story than some other adaptations, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if this had retained both Aladdin's mother and the original Chinese setting from the Arabian Nights story.
The Big Finale: I don't love this one as much as I do Beauty and the Beast, but I still like it a lot. It's still one of Disney's funnier movies, and one of their best for grade school-age boys who are turned off by more overtly-"princessy" Disney animated films.
Home Media: Technically out of print, but not that hard to find, including on several streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Time Out for Rhythm
Columbia Pictures, 1941
Starring Rosemary Lane, Rudy Vallee, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Curly Howard, and Larry Fine), and Ann Miller
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Music by Saul Chaplin; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
And I'm back! My first review after my vacation hiatus is this rare B-tuner from Columbia Pictures. A surprisingly good cast for a small-scale musical enlivens this story of the maid of a popular singer who may have to go on for her boss when the singer causes trouble between a pair of agents. Let's head to a popular nightclub to see where the Three Stooges fit into all this...
The Story: Harvard graduate Danny Collins (Vallee) and mouthy agent Mike Armstrong (Richard Lane) meet at a nightclub, where the latter is admiring singer Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane). They form a fruitful partnership, including bringing Frances into the spotlight. Mike really loves her, but she has her own plans. Danny realizes that she's out for her own gain and is only using Mike, but he's too smitten to believe him. Her interference eventually destroys their friendship, causing them to break up the agency. Danny works out slightly better than Mike on his own. He discovers that Frances' maid Kitty (Miller) is an amazing dancer in her own right, but she's shy and doesn't like the spotlight. It'll take Mike seeing Frances for what she is and patching up hurt feelings with Danny to finally get Kitty out of her shell and onto the stage.
The Song and Dance: So where do the Stooges fit into this? They're messengers for Danny and Mike who really want a chance at a stage contract. As such, they get to perform some classic routines, including the first theatrical version of the "Maharajah" sketch. I like that the emphasis is on Mike and Danny's relationship with each other, not with the ladies. Not every musical has to be about romance.
Favorite Number: "The Boogie Woogie Man" is a nifty number with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra that shows off somer really cool black and white contrasting effects. Miller shines in the solo "A'Twiddlin' My Thumbs" when she's still working for Frances and is dancing as a maid and the charming duet with Allen Jenkins, "Obviously the Gentleman Prefers to Dances." The Stooges and the two secretaries they'd been flirting with join Miller for the big sparkly Latin-themed finale to the title song. (And yes, that is Curly dressed as Carmen Miranda.)
What I Don't Like: I wish Miller was in more of the movie. She really brightens the second half, and is infinitely more interesting than nasal Richard Lane and stiff Vallee. This isn't for people who prefer their musicals bigger and more epic in scope, or are looking for a meatier story. (And it's definitely not for non-Stooges fans.)
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Miller or the Stooges, or want to see what a backstage musical looks like on a small budget, this short movie is worth taking time out for.
Home Media: Currently only available as a made-to-order DVD from the Sony Choice Collection or as part of the 20 Musicals set from Mill Creek Entertainment.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
Starring Rosemary Lane, Rudy Vallee, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Curly Howard, and Larry Fine), and Ann Miller
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Music by Saul Chaplin; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
And I'm back! My first review after my vacation hiatus is this rare B-tuner from Columbia Pictures. A surprisingly good cast for a small-scale musical enlivens this story of the maid of a popular singer who may have to go on for her boss when the singer causes trouble between a pair of agents. Let's head to a popular nightclub to see where the Three Stooges fit into all this...
The Story: Harvard graduate Danny Collins (Vallee) and mouthy agent Mike Armstrong (Richard Lane) meet at a nightclub, where the latter is admiring singer Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane). They form a fruitful partnership, including bringing Frances into the spotlight. Mike really loves her, but she has her own plans. Danny realizes that she's out for her own gain and is only using Mike, but he's too smitten to believe him. Her interference eventually destroys their friendship, causing them to break up the agency. Danny works out slightly better than Mike on his own. He discovers that Frances' maid Kitty (Miller) is an amazing dancer in her own right, but she's shy and doesn't like the spotlight. It'll take Mike seeing Frances for what she is and patching up hurt feelings with Danny to finally get Kitty out of her shell and onto the stage.
The Song and Dance: So where do the Stooges fit into this? They're messengers for Danny and Mike who really want a chance at a stage contract. As such, they get to perform some classic routines, including the first theatrical version of the "Maharajah" sketch. I like that the emphasis is on Mike and Danny's relationship with each other, not with the ladies. Not every musical has to be about romance.
Favorite Number: "The Boogie Woogie Man" is a nifty number with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra that shows off somer really cool black and white contrasting effects. Miller shines in the solo "A'Twiddlin' My Thumbs" when she's still working for Frances and is dancing as a maid and the charming duet with Allen Jenkins, "Obviously the Gentleman Prefers to Dances." The Stooges and the two secretaries they'd been flirting with join Miller for the big sparkly Latin-themed finale to the title song. (And yes, that is Curly dressed as Carmen Miranda.)
What I Don't Like: I wish Miller was in more of the movie. She really brightens the second half, and is infinitely more interesting than nasal Richard Lane and stiff Vallee. This isn't for people who prefer their musicals bigger and more epic in scope, or are looking for a meatier story. (And it's definitely not for non-Stooges fans.)
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Miller or the Stooges, or want to see what a backstage musical looks like on a small budget, this short movie is worth taking time out for.
Home Media: Currently only available as a made-to-order DVD from the Sony Choice Collection or as part of the 20 Musicals set from Mill Creek Entertainment.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
A Salute to Doris Day - Love Me or Leave Me
MGM, 1955
Starring Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, and Robert Keith
Directed by Charles Vidor
Music by Nicholas Brodzsky and others; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and others
First of all, this is my last review for the next week and a half. I'll be on vacation from tomorrow through Thursday, May 23rd, which is when regular reviews will resume.
Though she's best-known for her comedies, Day could be a credible dramatic actress when called on to be. Probably her best-known foray into drama was this mid-50's hit, one of her two pairings with James Cagney. This dark gangster musical is unusual territory for MGM, who usually preferred their musicals on the fluffy side. The gamble paid off - it won Best Writing at the Oscars and received a truckload of good reviews for Cagney and Day. Let's head to a dance hall in Chicago during the Roaring 20's to see if it's worthy of that acclaim...
The Story: Ruth Etting (Day) may work in a dance hall, but she has every intention of going places. She catches the eye of Chicago big shot Martin "The Gimp" Snyder (Cagney) when she kicks a customer who's getting fresh. He's smitten with her and promises that he'll get her into the big time. He starts with pushing her into a nightclub act, then a stage show when the regular act gets drunk. He wants her to go to Miami with him, but she insists she's not anyone's plaything and declines. He's initially angry, but eventually gets her and her loyal pianist Johnny Alderman (Mitchell) first a radio show of her own, then a spot in the Ziegfeld Follies. Ruth may be doing well, but Snyder isn't. Each move takes him further and further away from his accustomed turf, and puts Ruth's career further out of his control.
She marries him out of gratitude, even though she doesn't love him. It turns out to be a mistake. He becomes increasingly jealous and violent as he micromanages every aspect of her life and career, from her radio show to her recordings. Tired of being told he's riding her success, he opens his own nightclub. She's making movies in Hollywood and is renewing her feelings for Johnny, who returns them. Martin doesn't like this at all...and the resulting shooting and scandal would damage Etting's career and make her realize that, no matter how much she appreciates what Martin did for her, she can't live with his abuse anymore.
The Song and Dance: This is familiar turf for Cagney, one of his last gangster roles...but who knew Day could be this tough? She matches him snarl for snarl in what's probably one of her best performances as the singer who will do anything to further her career. Cagney's just as good as the gangster who refuses to admit that he's in over his head in show business. Keith's also excellent as Snyder's friend and Etting's agent Bernie Loomis.
MGM spared no expense on this one. The costumes are gorgeous, especially early-on, when they're still running with the twenties flapper aesthetic. The movie was shot in Cinemascope, and it looks great.
Favorite Number: Day's famous "Shakin' the Blues Away," the sole chorus number, really benefits from the wider screen, with wind machines and chorus boys in tuxes and canes flanking Day. Her other songs are mostly sung behind a microphone or a piano. "Ten Cents a Dance" was an Etting staple, and Day knocks it out of the park in the other major stage number. Her "I'll Never Stop Loving You" (which was Oscar-nominated) gets a tender run-through late in the film, when she's realized how much she loves Johnny.
Trivia: Spencer Tracy was originally going to play Martin, but turned down the role. Ava Gardner and Jane Russell were considered for Etting until Cagney suggested Day.
Unlike earlier singer biographies such as Lillian Russell, this one at least somewhat sticks to the facts. Etting really did marry Snyder to further her career, and she really was a popular singer in the late 20's and early 30's who appeared briefly in the Ziegfeld Follies, had her own radio show, and recorded dozens of hits. Snyder really did control her career that much, even starting fights and pulling pranks backstage at her shows.
The shooting scandal, however, was even nastier than what they depicted here. Johnny was married with children at the time, and Martin actually threatened them along with him. His wife even sued Etting for damages - it was dropped in 1939. Etting married Johnny after he recovered, and they happily retired to Colorado Springs for the rest of their lives.
What' I Don't Like: Despite the happy ending, this is not a feel-good movie. Those who are expecting Day's usual fizzy comedies will likely be baffled. These are not the nicest people, even Etting, and some harrowing scenes of verbal and physical abuse makes it hard to watch occasionally towards the end.
The Big Finale: If you're looking for a different Day or are a fan of her, Cagney, or gangster tales, you'll want to give this one a try.
Home Media: As one of Day's biggest hit musicals, this is easily found on all formats; the Blu-Ray is available from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, and Robert Keith
Directed by Charles Vidor
Music by Nicholas Brodzsky and others; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and others
First of all, this is my last review for the next week and a half. I'll be on vacation from tomorrow through Thursday, May 23rd, which is when regular reviews will resume.
Though she's best-known for her comedies, Day could be a credible dramatic actress when called on to be. Probably her best-known foray into drama was this mid-50's hit, one of her two pairings with James Cagney. This dark gangster musical is unusual territory for MGM, who usually preferred their musicals on the fluffy side. The gamble paid off - it won Best Writing at the Oscars and received a truckload of good reviews for Cagney and Day. Let's head to a dance hall in Chicago during the Roaring 20's to see if it's worthy of that acclaim...
The Story: Ruth Etting (Day) may work in a dance hall, but she has every intention of going places. She catches the eye of Chicago big shot Martin "The Gimp" Snyder (Cagney) when she kicks a customer who's getting fresh. He's smitten with her and promises that he'll get her into the big time. He starts with pushing her into a nightclub act, then a stage show when the regular act gets drunk. He wants her to go to Miami with him, but she insists she's not anyone's plaything and declines. He's initially angry, but eventually gets her and her loyal pianist Johnny Alderman (Mitchell) first a radio show of her own, then a spot in the Ziegfeld Follies. Ruth may be doing well, but Snyder isn't. Each move takes him further and further away from his accustomed turf, and puts Ruth's career further out of his control.
She marries him out of gratitude, even though she doesn't love him. It turns out to be a mistake. He becomes increasingly jealous and violent as he micromanages every aspect of her life and career, from her radio show to her recordings. Tired of being told he's riding her success, he opens his own nightclub. She's making movies in Hollywood and is renewing her feelings for Johnny, who returns them. Martin doesn't like this at all...and the resulting shooting and scandal would damage Etting's career and make her realize that, no matter how much she appreciates what Martin did for her, she can't live with his abuse anymore.
The Song and Dance: This is familiar turf for Cagney, one of his last gangster roles...but who knew Day could be this tough? She matches him snarl for snarl in what's probably one of her best performances as the singer who will do anything to further her career. Cagney's just as good as the gangster who refuses to admit that he's in over his head in show business. Keith's also excellent as Snyder's friend and Etting's agent Bernie Loomis.
MGM spared no expense on this one. The costumes are gorgeous, especially early-on, when they're still running with the twenties flapper aesthetic. The movie was shot in Cinemascope, and it looks great.
Favorite Number: Day's famous "Shakin' the Blues Away," the sole chorus number, really benefits from the wider screen, with wind machines and chorus boys in tuxes and canes flanking Day. Her other songs are mostly sung behind a microphone or a piano. "Ten Cents a Dance" was an Etting staple, and Day knocks it out of the park in the other major stage number. Her "I'll Never Stop Loving You" (which was Oscar-nominated) gets a tender run-through late in the film, when she's realized how much she loves Johnny.
Trivia: Spencer Tracy was originally going to play Martin, but turned down the role. Ava Gardner and Jane Russell were considered for Etting until Cagney suggested Day.
Unlike earlier singer biographies such as Lillian Russell, this one at least somewhat sticks to the facts. Etting really did marry Snyder to further her career, and she really was a popular singer in the late 20's and early 30's who appeared briefly in the Ziegfeld Follies, had her own radio show, and recorded dozens of hits. Snyder really did control her career that much, even starting fights and pulling pranks backstage at her shows.
The shooting scandal, however, was even nastier than what they depicted here. Johnny was married with children at the time, and Martin actually threatened them along with him. His wife even sued Etting for damages - it was dropped in 1939. Etting married Johnny after he recovered, and they happily retired to Colorado Springs for the rest of their lives.
What' I Don't Like: Despite the happy ending, this is not a feel-good movie. Those who are expecting Day's usual fizzy comedies will likely be baffled. These are not the nicest people, even Etting, and some harrowing scenes of verbal and physical abuse makes it hard to watch occasionally towards the end.
The Big Finale: If you're looking for a different Day or are a fan of her, Cagney, or gangster tales, you'll want to give this one a try.
Home Media: As one of Day's biggest hit musicals, this is easily found on all formats; the Blu-Ray is available from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Monday, May 13, 2019
A Salute to Doris Day - Calamity Jane
Warner Bros, 1953
Starring Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, and Phillip Carey
Directed by David Butler
Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
In honor of Doris Day, who passed away today at age 97, my last reviews before my vacation hiatus will be devoted to two of her most popular musical vehicles. She appeared in movie musicals for Warners years before she starred in her famous series of romantic comedies in the late 50's and 60's. Today, this movie is probably best known for the Oscar-winning ballad "Secret Love," but there's a lot more to this girl-power western than a sweet tune. How much more? Let's take a stagecoach to Deadwood City in Dakota Territory to find out...
The Story: Calamity Jane (Day) is the toughest-talking, hardest-drinking "shotgun" messenger (stagecoach guard) in the Dakota Territory. She's got a ton of tall tales to tell about her exploits fighting outlaws and Indians off the coach, and she's always as good as her word. When she tells the boys she'll go to Chicago to get a famous actress to play at the Golden Garter Saloon, she does it. Turns out that the actress is on her way to Europe. What Calamity finds is Katie Brown (McLerie), her maid, who wants to be a performer. Calamity can't tell one bustle-wearin' female from another and brings Katie back to Deadwood.
The boys aren't happy about the switch at first, but Katie wins them over with her girlish charm and sweet voice. She even gains two suitors in the handsome cavalry officer Lieutenant Daniel Gilmartin (Carey) and Calamity's guy friend Wild Bill Hickock (Keel). She and Calamity move in together; she helps her fix up her tumbledown cabin and gives her a dress to wear. They attend a ball with the menfolk to show off Calamity's new, daintier style. That lasts for barely ten minutes before she catches Gilmartin and Katie kissing. Calamity has had her eye on Gilmartin, and she's angry enough to threaten Katie there and at the Saloon. After Bill tells her that he defended Katie during her act, she realizes that he's really her "secret love," and she has to keep Katie from leaving town.
The Song and Dance: It's rare to see a strong female hero in a western even nowadays, never mind in the 50's. Day's Calamity may be willing to submit to Katie's "Woman's Touch," but in a refreshing turn, she never quite loses her tomboyish spirit. Indeed, she wears simple western trousers and a lacy blouse during her "Secret Love" number, showing that while she have embraced her feminine side, she's going to do it her way. She and Keel make a nifty couple; she's even better with the tougher-than-she-looks McLerie. Dick Wesson has some funny moments as a tenderfoot actor whom the owner of the Golden Garter mistakes for an actress due to his feminine name, Francis.
Favorite Number: The opening "Whip-Crack Away/Very Good Friend of Mine" smoothly takes us from Calamity on the stagecoach to Deadwood City to the discovery of the mistake with Francis in an extended musical sequence that's a smooth and robust way to kick things off. Calamity and Bill express their antagonistic friendship in "I Can Do Without You." Wesson's drag number, "A Hive Full of Honey," when he's trying to convince the audience in the saloon that he's a woman, is hilarious.
The standard here is "Secret Love," the simple and lovely ballad Day sings towards the end of the movie, after she's realized that she really cares about Bill. The number that goes along with it is equally simple and sweet, just Day beautifully performing the song in a glowing Technicolor valley.
Trivia: The real Calamity Jane did have many adventures, and she was inclined to tell tall tales...but it's not really known what her actual relationship with Wild Bill Hickcock was. Historians say they were likely just acquaintances and Calamity exaggerated their relationship, the way she did many of her stories.
There's a stage version of this one around. It hasn't made Broadway at press time, but it did turn up on TV in 1963 with Carol Burnett as Calamity and in London's West End.
What I Don't Like: At times, this feels like it was cobbled together from other, better-known musical westerns. "I Can Do Without You" sounds like "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun, which also provides the general idea of a musical about a famous female sharpshooter. "Just Blew from the Windy City" bears more than a passing resemblance to "Everything's Up to Date In Kansas City" from Oklahoma. Carey's Gilmartin is so dull, he barely registers, making you wonder exactly what the ladies see in him.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Day or musical westerns, this is a whip-cracking good tale that Calamity herself might have approved of.
Home Media: As one of Day's most popular musical vehicles, this is easy to find in all formats, including Blu-Ray and on several streaming services.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, and Phillip Carey
Directed by David Butler
Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
In honor of Doris Day, who passed away today at age 97, my last reviews before my vacation hiatus will be devoted to two of her most popular musical vehicles. She appeared in movie musicals for Warners years before she starred in her famous series of romantic comedies in the late 50's and 60's. Today, this movie is probably best known for the Oscar-winning ballad "Secret Love," but there's a lot more to this girl-power western than a sweet tune. How much more? Let's take a stagecoach to Deadwood City in Dakota Territory to find out...
The Story: Calamity Jane (Day) is the toughest-talking, hardest-drinking "shotgun" messenger (stagecoach guard) in the Dakota Territory. She's got a ton of tall tales to tell about her exploits fighting outlaws and Indians off the coach, and she's always as good as her word. When she tells the boys she'll go to Chicago to get a famous actress to play at the Golden Garter Saloon, she does it. Turns out that the actress is on her way to Europe. What Calamity finds is Katie Brown (McLerie), her maid, who wants to be a performer. Calamity can't tell one bustle-wearin' female from another and brings Katie back to Deadwood.
The boys aren't happy about the switch at first, but Katie wins them over with her girlish charm and sweet voice. She even gains two suitors in the handsome cavalry officer Lieutenant Daniel Gilmartin (Carey) and Calamity's guy friend Wild Bill Hickock (Keel). She and Calamity move in together; she helps her fix up her tumbledown cabin and gives her a dress to wear. They attend a ball with the menfolk to show off Calamity's new, daintier style. That lasts for barely ten minutes before she catches Gilmartin and Katie kissing. Calamity has had her eye on Gilmartin, and she's angry enough to threaten Katie there and at the Saloon. After Bill tells her that he defended Katie during her act, she realizes that he's really her "secret love," and she has to keep Katie from leaving town.
The Song and Dance: It's rare to see a strong female hero in a western even nowadays, never mind in the 50's. Day's Calamity may be willing to submit to Katie's "Woman's Touch," but in a refreshing turn, she never quite loses her tomboyish spirit. Indeed, she wears simple western trousers and a lacy blouse during her "Secret Love" number, showing that while she have embraced her feminine side, she's going to do it her way. She and Keel make a nifty couple; she's even better with the tougher-than-she-looks McLerie. Dick Wesson has some funny moments as a tenderfoot actor whom the owner of the Golden Garter mistakes for an actress due to his feminine name, Francis.
Favorite Number: The opening "Whip-Crack Away/Very Good Friend of Mine" smoothly takes us from Calamity on the stagecoach to Deadwood City to the discovery of the mistake with Francis in an extended musical sequence that's a smooth and robust way to kick things off. Calamity and Bill express their antagonistic friendship in "I Can Do Without You." Wesson's drag number, "A Hive Full of Honey," when he's trying to convince the audience in the saloon that he's a woman, is hilarious.
The standard here is "Secret Love," the simple and lovely ballad Day sings towards the end of the movie, after she's realized that she really cares about Bill. The number that goes along with it is equally simple and sweet, just Day beautifully performing the song in a glowing Technicolor valley.
Trivia: The real Calamity Jane did have many adventures, and she was inclined to tell tall tales...but it's not really known what her actual relationship with Wild Bill Hickcock was. Historians say they were likely just acquaintances and Calamity exaggerated their relationship, the way she did many of her stories.
There's a stage version of this one around. It hasn't made Broadway at press time, but it did turn up on TV in 1963 with Carol Burnett as Calamity and in London's West End.
What I Don't Like: At times, this feels like it was cobbled together from other, better-known musical westerns. "I Can Do Without You" sounds like "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun, which also provides the general idea of a musical about a famous female sharpshooter. "Just Blew from the Windy City" bears more than a passing resemblance to "Everything's Up to Date In Kansas City" from Oklahoma. Carey's Gilmartin is so dull, he barely registers, making you wonder exactly what the ladies see in him.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Day or musical westerns, this is a whip-cracking good tale that Calamity herself might have approved of.
Home Media: As one of Day's most popular musical vehicles, this is easy to find in all formats, including Blu-Ray and on several streaming services.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Happy Mother's Day! - Mother Wore Tights
20th Century Fox, 1947
Starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Mona Freeman, and Connie Marshall
Directed by Walter Lang
Music by Josef Myrow; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Happy Mother's Day! I'm reviewing this one in honor of my mother, Cheryl Jackman. It's one of her favorite movies, and I'm glad I was able to find it for both of us. Betty Grable had one of her biggest hits with this film, and it introduced her to her friend and frequent partner Dan Dailey. Let's head to the porch of a quiet little house to meet a kindly old couple, and hear the story of Miriam "Mikie" Burt's (narration by Anne Baxter) unusual family...
The Story: Myrtle McKinley (Grable) meets Frank Burt (Dailey) shortly after her high school graduation in 1900, when she goes into San Francisco with two friends and tries to get into a burlesque house for free. Her friend lies and says they're there for jobs, but only Myrtle sticks it out. Frank sees her talent and takes a liking to her, offering to do a duo act. She takes him up on the offer, but almost leaves for another show before he finally breaks down and proposes.
Their new vaudeville act is a success. Myrtle takes time off to have two daughters, Iris (Freeman), and Miriam (Marshall), whom they call "Mikie." She raises them for a while, but her grandmother (Sara Allgood) eventually suggests that she returns to the act to keep an eye on her husband. She does, successfully.
They do well enough to have regular holidays, including the girls visiting them on the road one Christmas, and another one to a quiet little resort hotel in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. While her parents perk up the staid regulars, Iris falls in love with Bob (Robert Arthur), a young man whose family regularly goes there. She convinces her parents to let her and Mikie go to boarding school in Boston, but learns to her horror that her new friends don't think the stage is a dignified profession. Frank and Myrtle put on a show for the school to prove that vaudeville can indeed be sophisticated and elegant.
The Song and Dance: No wonder Mom loves this movie, and it was said to have been Betty Grable's favorite of her vehicles. It's adorable. Dailey and Grable make a nice couple and are quite believable as married parents of teenagers, two buddy-next-door blondes. Freeman is lovely as their confused teen daughter (although her beautiful voice was dubbed). The beginning in San Francisco when they meet and their trip to the quietest, most dull hotel in New England are also a lot of fun. The vaudeville angle gives this one an edge that many coming-of-age musical tales lack.
The color in this movie is gorgeous, especially when they're at the resort. The residents may be dull, but their surroundings are brilliant. The costumes are also nicely done, especially during the vaudeville numbers.
Favorite Number: The British music hall standard "Burlington Bertie from Bow" turns up in another 20th Century Fox musical, first performed by Dailey, then by Grable in a dead-on imitation. "You Do" was nominated for an Oscar, and it gets two nice run-throughs, a glamorous vaudeville version after Myrtle has returned to the act, and Iris singing it at her graduation in the finale. Grable and Dailey get two more good vaudeville numbers, the funny "This Is My Hometown" as they switch towns and theaters, and the sweet "Kokomo, Indiana."
Trivia: This is based on the memoir Mother Wore Tights, by the real Miriam (Burt) Young (who apparently went on to become a children's book author).
Mother Wore Tights was the first of four films that Grable and Dailey appeared in together in the late 40's and early 50's.
Betty Grable was pregnant during the making of this film, which explains why her stomach is frequently covered by banjos or feathers.
What I Don't Like: The movie feels too short, especially for a coming-of-age story. I would have liked to have seen more of the girls at the resort and in boarding school. We don't really see much of Mikie at all other than her falling down at the resort. Despite Myrtle's constant worry about her grandmother figuring out that she shucked college in the beginning, she accepts her new career awfully fast. Grable doesn't look much like a teenager, either (especially compared to the real young people later in the movie). As nice as the costumes are, once we get past the early 1900's, it doesn't really look that historical other than some of Mikie's girls' dresses.
The Big Finale: If you or your mother are fans of Grable, Dailey, or coming-of-age stories, you'll want to see if you can find this charming tale.
Home Media: At press time, this is only avaible on DVD via the made-to-order 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.
DVD
Starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Mona Freeman, and Connie Marshall
Directed by Walter Lang
Music by Josef Myrow; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Happy Mother's Day! I'm reviewing this one in honor of my mother, Cheryl Jackman. It's one of her favorite movies, and I'm glad I was able to find it for both of us. Betty Grable had one of her biggest hits with this film, and it introduced her to her friend and frequent partner Dan Dailey. Let's head to the porch of a quiet little house to meet a kindly old couple, and hear the story of Miriam "Mikie" Burt's (narration by Anne Baxter) unusual family...
The Story: Myrtle McKinley (Grable) meets Frank Burt (Dailey) shortly after her high school graduation in 1900, when she goes into San Francisco with two friends and tries to get into a burlesque house for free. Her friend lies and says they're there for jobs, but only Myrtle sticks it out. Frank sees her talent and takes a liking to her, offering to do a duo act. She takes him up on the offer, but almost leaves for another show before he finally breaks down and proposes.
Their new vaudeville act is a success. Myrtle takes time off to have two daughters, Iris (Freeman), and Miriam (Marshall), whom they call "Mikie." She raises them for a while, but her grandmother (Sara Allgood) eventually suggests that she returns to the act to keep an eye on her husband. She does, successfully.
They do well enough to have regular holidays, including the girls visiting them on the road one Christmas, and another one to a quiet little resort hotel in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. While her parents perk up the staid regulars, Iris falls in love with Bob (Robert Arthur), a young man whose family regularly goes there. She convinces her parents to let her and Mikie go to boarding school in Boston, but learns to her horror that her new friends don't think the stage is a dignified profession. Frank and Myrtle put on a show for the school to prove that vaudeville can indeed be sophisticated and elegant.
The Song and Dance: No wonder Mom loves this movie, and it was said to have been Betty Grable's favorite of her vehicles. It's adorable. Dailey and Grable make a nice couple and are quite believable as married parents of teenagers, two buddy-next-door blondes. Freeman is lovely as their confused teen daughter (although her beautiful voice was dubbed). The beginning in San Francisco when they meet and their trip to the quietest, most dull hotel in New England are also a lot of fun. The vaudeville angle gives this one an edge that many coming-of-age musical tales lack.
The color in this movie is gorgeous, especially when they're at the resort. The residents may be dull, but their surroundings are brilliant. The costumes are also nicely done, especially during the vaudeville numbers.
Favorite Number: The British music hall standard "Burlington Bertie from Bow" turns up in another 20th Century Fox musical, first performed by Dailey, then by Grable in a dead-on imitation. "You Do" was nominated for an Oscar, and it gets two nice run-throughs, a glamorous vaudeville version after Myrtle has returned to the act, and Iris singing it at her graduation in the finale. Grable and Dailey get two more good vaudeville numbers, the funny "This Is My Hometown" as they switch towns and theaters, and the sweet "Kokomo, Indiana."
Trivia: This is based on the memoir Mother Wore Tights, by the real Miriam (Burt) Young (who apparently went on to become a children's book author).
Mother Wore Tights was the first of four films that Grable and Dailey appeared in together in the late 40's and early 50's.
Betty Grable was pregnant during the making of this film, which explains why her stomach is frequently covered by banjos or feathers.
What I Don't Like: The movie feels too short, especially for a coming-of-age story. I would have liked to have seen more of the girls at the resort and in boarding school. We don't really see much of Mikie at all other than her falling down at the resort. Despite Myrtle's constant worry about her grandmother figuring out that she shucked college in the beginning, she accepts her new career awfully fast. Grable doesn't look much like a teenager, either (especially compared to the real young people later in the movie). As nice as the costumes are, once we get past the early 1900's, it doesn't really look that historical other than some of Mikie's girls' dresses.
The Big Finale: If you or your mother are fans of Grable, Dailey, or coming-of-age stories, you'll want to see if you can find this charming tale.
Home Media: At press time, this is only avaible on DVD via the made-to-order 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.
DVD
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Family Fun Extra - The Great Muppet Caper
Universal/ITC, 1981
Starring The Muppets, Diana Rigg, and Charles Grodin
Directed by Jim Henson
Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo
Even the Muppets got in on the musical fashion stories in this comic mystery, their second movie. While it didn't do as well as their first, The Muppet Movie, at the time, it's just as well-regarded today. Let's take a hot air balloon with Fozzie, Kermit, and Gonzo to see how well this musical spoof holds up nowadays...
The Story: Kermit and Fozzie are reporters for The Daily Chronicle, and Gonzo's a photographer. They're so caught up in Gonzo's chicken obsession and the movie's opening number, they miss British fashion designer Lady Holiday (Rigg) having her jewels stolen right behind them. Their boss at the Chronicle (Jack Warden) fires them, but they convince him to send them to London to cover the case.
They go to Lady Holiday's fashion house for an interview, only to run into modeling hopeful Miss Piggy. Piggy lies and tells them that she's Lady Holiday to get a date with Kermit. The date goes well, until Lady Holiday's diamond necklace is stolen. Her jealous brother Nicky (Grodin) is the real thief, with the help of three of her models. When he frames Miss Piggy at his sister's fashion show, the other Muppets leap into action to clear her name.
The Song and Dance: Along with Christmas Carol and The Muppets Take Manhattan, this is my favorite Muppet movie. There's enough fourth walls broken in this movie to start a brick store. I'm a mystery fan to begin with and I love the riff on detective stories and heist capers. Rigg and especially Grodin are having a great time as the elegant but exasperated fashionista and her dastardly brother with a thing for pigs. Look for the scene where Piggy bursts into the Mallory Gallery on a motorcycle and saves the day, and Peter Faulk telling Kermit a long, rambling story ala his most famous character Columbo.
(And once again, I love the fashions here. I still have a weakness for the Victorian-esque ruffly gowns of my early childhood. Most of Lady Holiday's designs seem to be either Victorian or 50's influenced, with huge flowered hats, tons of lace and ruffles, big skirts, and pastels.)
Favorite Number: "The First Time It Happens" was nominated for an Oscar, and it turns into a great parody of 30's Eleanor Powell-style numbers, including Piggy getting a tap solo (in glass slippers!). Piggy also figures into the infamous Esther Williams spoof, with Grodin singing tenor (dubbed, as Piggy points out later), complete with synchronized swimmers and Piggy rising up out of the water in a sparkling pedestal at the end.
My personal favorite song from this one is "Couldn't We Ride?" Henson one-ups having Kermit ride a bike in the original movie by putting all of the Muppets (but Statler and Waldorf) on bikes. It still looks good to this day, and is the cutest song in the movie.
What I Don't Like: The music isn't bad, but it's not quite as memorable as in the original film. There's occasionally a little too much focus on humans Rigg and Grodin, and maybe not as much focus as you'd like on the Muppets. While the cameos include Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, and John Cleese along with Faulk, there's not as many of them as the other Muppet films, nor are they as recognizable. The story can occasionally get a little complicated for a Muppet movie, and the mystery is slightly more mature for them and may confuse younger kids.
The Big Finale: I'm surprised this one didn't do better in 1981. People may have been expecting a looser story ala The Muppet Movie and more cameos, but it's actually aged pretty well. If you've got slightly older kids or are a fan of the Muppets, this wacky heist tale is definitely worth robbing a diamond for.
Home Media: The Kermit's 50th Anniversary DVD that I have features both the widescreen and fullscreen versions; unlike Christmas Carol, there's really no difference between the two, other than the screen size. It can also be found on a couple of streaming platforms.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring The Muppets, Diana Rigg, and Charles Grodin
Directed by Jim Henson
Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo
Even the Muppets got in on the musical fashion stories in this comic mystery, their second movie. While it didn't do as well as their first, The Muppet Movie, at the time, it's just as well-regarded today. Let's take a hot air balloon with Fozzie, Kermit, and Gonzo to see how well this musical spoof holds up nowadays...
The Story: Kermit and Fozzie are reporters for The Daily Chronicle, and Gonzo's a photographer. They're so caught up in Gonzo's chicken obsession and the movie's opening number, they miss British fashion designer Lady Holiday (Rigg) having her jewels stolen right behind them. Their boss at the Chronicle (Jack Warden) fires them, but they convince him to send them to London to cover the case.
They go to Lady Holiday's fashion house for an interview, only to run into modeling hopeful Miss Piggy. Piggy lies and tells them that she's Lady Holiday to get a date with Kermit. The date goes well, until Lady Holiday's diamond necklace is stolen. Her jealous brother Nicky (Grodin) is the real thief, with the help of three of her models. When he frames Miss Piggy at his sister's fashion show, the other Muppets leap into action to clear her name.
The Song and Dance: Along with Christmas Carol and The Muppets Take Manhattan, this is my favorite Muppet movie. There's enough fourth walls broken in this movie to start a brick store. I'm a mystery fan to begin with and I love the riff on detective stories and heist capers. Rigg and especially Grodin are having a great time as the elegant but exasperated fashionista and her dastardly brother with a thing for pigs. Look for the scene where Piggy bursts into the Mallory Gallery on a motorcycle and saves the day, and Peter Faulk telling Kermit a long, rambling story ala his most famous character Columbo.
(And once again, I love the fashions here. I still have a weakness for the Victorian-esque ruffly gowns of my early childhood. Most of Lady Holiday's designs seem to be either Victorian or 50's influenced, with huge flowered hats, tons of lace and ruffles, big skirts, and pastels.)
Favorite Number: "The First Time It Happens" was nominated for an Oscar, and it turns into a great parody of 30's Eleanor Powell-style numbers, including Piggy getting a tap solo (in glass slippers!). Piggy also figures into the infamous Esther Williams spoof, with Grodin singing tenor (dubbed, as Piggy points out later), complete with synchronized swimmers and Piggy rising up out of the water in a sparkling pedestal at the end.
My personal favorite song from this one is "Couldn't We Ride?" Henson one-ups having Kermit ride a bike in the original movie by putting all of the Muppets (but Statler and Waldorf) on bikes. It still looks good to this day, and is the cutest song in the movie.
What I Don't Like: The music isn't bad, but it's not quite as memorable as in the original film. There's occasionally a little too much focus on humans Rigg and Grodin, and maybe not as much focus as you'd like on the Muppets. While the cameos include Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, and John Cleese along with Faulk, there's not as many of them as the other Muppet films, nor are they as recognizable. The story can occasionally get a little complicated for a Muppet movie, and the mystery is slightly more mature for them and may confuse younger kids.
The Big Finale: I'm surprised this one didn't do better in 1981. People may have been expecting a looser story ala The Muppet Movie and more cameos, but it's actually aged pretty well. If you've got slightly older kids or are a fan of the Muppets, this wacky heist tale is definitely worth robbing a diamond for.
Home Media: The Kermit's 50th Anniversary DVD that I have features both the widescreen and fullscreen versions; unlike Christmas Carol, there's really no difference between the two, other than the screen size. It can also be found on a couple of streaming platforms.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Cult Flops - Lovely to Look At
MGM, 1952
Starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Red Skelton
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy (with Vincent Minnelli)
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach, Dorothy Fields, and others
MGM had been trying to get their remake of Roberta off the ground ever since they bought the property in 1945. After almost a decade of false starts, they finally brought it together in 1952, under the name of the Oscar-nominated song Lovely to Look At. How does this trip to Roberta's compare with our previous one? Let's start in New York this time, as three young men try to convince a group of backers to produce their show, and find out...
The Story: That audition does not go well. Performers Al Marsh (Skelton), Tony Naylor (Keel), and Jerry Ralby (Gower Champion) just can't get anyone to back their new revue. They convince Tony's dancer girlfriend Bubbles (Miller) to give them the money to go to Paris after Al learns he's inherited a dress salon. Turns out he's only part-owner. His adopted cousins Stephanie (Grayson) and Clarisse (Marge Champion) own the other half. Hoping to get them to sell, Jerry and Tony romance the ladies and take them out on the town. Bubbles turns up too, hoping to get in on their new show. Tony convinces the bankers who are about to foreclose on Roberta's to let them put on an innovative new fashion show.
Meanwhile, Stephanie, besotted with how Tony has taken over the fashion show, is falling for Tony, and Jerry and Clarisse are now crazy about each other. Al has a crush on Stephanie, but he eventually starts looking Bubbles' way. It looks like Roberta's may be saved, until it turns out that their model Zsa Zsa (Zsa Zsa Gabor) has a boyfriend who is a renowned Broadway producer. He may be willing to give Tony his chance...if he leaves Roberta's right away...
The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here, along with some great dancing and fabulous 50's fashion. If you love the clothes from this era, you'll really enjoy this one. At the very least, three performers inheriting a dress shop makes slightly more sense than a football player inheriting a dress shop, and they use more of the original score than the previous version (though not the original plot). Skelton in particular has fun as the sweet comedian who's gotten too used to letting his faster-talking buddy make all the decisions; his "Go and Tell Aunt Rhodie" routine is hilarious.
Favorite Number: Ann Miller gets a good one in the beginning with the chorus boys, the racy "I'll Be Hard to Handle." Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson get in a good "You're Devastating," while Grayson has "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" here. The Champions have two fun duets, the comic "I Won't Dance" as Jerry tries to get Clarisse out of the dress shop, and a lovely instrumental "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a starry background.
The big one here is the finale, a riot of color, movement, and gowns by none other than ace costumer Adrian (who came out of retirement for this movie). Vincent Minnelli directed the fashion show sequence, and it does evince his touch, especially in its stunning use of color. The Champions have an odd cat burglar dance that looks good but doesn't have much to do with anything. Keel and Grayson's "The Touch of Your Hand" and Miller's striptease in a tight lounging outfit come off better.
Trivia: This was originally supposed to have reunited Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in 1948, but that fell through.
What I Don't Like: Bubbles was right towards the end. Tony was a jerk through most of the movie, full-stop. He took credit for pretty much everything, used the ladies and Roberta's to get what he wanted, and then almost ran out. He's such a pain, it's hard to figure out why Bubbles and Stephanie are after him.
I wish they'd been able to film in Paris. Other than Zsa Zsa, this has no French flavor whatsoever. Stephanie and Clarisse don't look or sound French (or Russian, for that matter). And I do wish they'd retained more of the original plot to go with most of the original score.
The Big Finale: This was a flop on first release, and while it's not the best MGM musical ever, I think it deserved a lot better. If you love vintage mid-20th century fashion, the cast, or classic dances, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.
Home Media: Currently only on DVD via the Warner Archives. (I actually dubbed my copy off TCM.)
DVD
Starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Red Skelton
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy (with Vincent Minnelli)
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach, Dorothy Fields, and others
MGM had been trying to get their remake of Roberta off the ground ever since they bought the property in 1945. After almost a decade of false starts, they finally brought it together in 1952, under the name of the Oscar-nominated song Lovely to Look At. How does this trip to Roberta's compare with our previous one? Let's start in New York this time, as three young men try to convince a group of backers to produce their show, and find out...
The Story: That audition does not go well. Performers Al Marsh (Skelton), Tony Naylor (Keel), and Jerry Ralby (Gower Champion) just can't get anyone to back their new revue. They convince Tony's dancer girlfriend Bubbles (Miller) to give them the money to go to Paris after Al learns he's inherited a dress salon. Turns out he's only part-owner. His adopted cousins Stephanie (Grayson) and Clarisse (Marge Champion) own the other half. Hoping to get them to sell, Jerry and Tony romance the ladies and take them out on the town. Bubbles turns up too, hoping to get in on their new show. Tony convinces the bankers who are about to foreclose on Roberta's to let them put on an innovative new fashion show.
Meanwhile, Stephanie, besotted with how Tony has taken over the fashion show, is falling for Tony, and Jerry and Clarisse are now crazy about each other. Al has a crush on Stephanie, but he eventually starts looking Bubbles' way. It looks like Roberta's may be saved, until it turns out that their model Zsa Zsa (Zsa Zsa Gabor) has a boyfriend who is a renowned Broadway producer. He may be willing to give Tony his chance...if he leaves Roberta's right away...
The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here, along with some great dancing and fabulous 50's fashion. If you love the clothes from this era, you'll really enjoy this one. At the very least, three performers inheriting a dress shop makes slightly more sense than a football player inheriting a dress shop, and they use more of the original score than the previous version (though not the original plot). Skelton in particular has fun as the sweet comedian who's gotten too used to letting his faster-talking buddy make all the decisions; his "Go and Tell Aunt Rhodie" routine is hilarious.
Favorite Number: Ann Miller gets a good one in the beginning with the chorus boys, the racy "I'll Be Hard to Handle." Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson get in a good "You're Devastating," while Grayson has "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" here. The Champions have two fun duets, the comic "I Won't Dance" as Jerry tries to get Clarisse out of the dress shop, and a lovely instrumental "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a starry background.
The big one here is the finale, a riot of color, movement, and gowns by none other than ace costumer Adrian (who came out of retirement for this movie). Vincent Minnelli directed the fashion show sequence, and it does evince his touch, especially in its stunning use of color. The Champions have an odd cat burglar dance that looks good but doesn't have much to do with anything. Keel and Grayson's "The Touch of Your Hand" and Miller's striptease in a tight lounging outfit come off better.
Trivia: This was originally supposed to have reunited Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in 1948, but that fell through.
What I Don't Like: Bubbles was right towards the end. Tony was a jerk through most of the movie, full-stop. He took credit for pretty much everything, used the ladies and Roberta's to get what he wanted, and then almost ran out. He's such a pain, it's hard to figure out why Bubbles and Stephanie are after him.
I wish they'd been able to film in Paris. Other than Zsa Zsa, this has no French flavor whatsoever. Stephanie and Clarisse don't look or sound French (or Russian, for that matter). And I do wish they'd retained more of the original plot to go with most of the original score.
The Big Finale: This was a flop on first release, and while it's not the best MGM musical ever, I think it deserved a lot better. If you love vintage mid-20th century fashion, the cast, or classic dances, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.
Home Media: Currently only on DVD via the Warner Archives. (I actually dubbed my copy off TCM.)
DVD
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Roberta
RKO, 1935
Starring Randolph Scott, Fred Astaire, Irene Dunne, and Ginger Rogers
Directed by William A. Seiter
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach and Dorothy Fields
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews will be on hiatus from May 15th to the 22nd for vacation. I'll be doing one extra review a week for the remaining weeks of the month to make up with it, starting with tomorrow's review. Now that we have the announcement out of the way, let's move on to today's review...
This is the first of two versions of the story of a couple of guys who inherit a Parisian fashion house we'll be doing this week. Roberta was one of the biggest hits on Broadway in 1933, combining Jerome Kern's operetta sensibilities with gorgeous gowns, a frothy plot, and an up-and-coming cast. RKO turned it into a vehicle for their own up-and-coming stars Astaire and Rogers, along with singer Dunne and romantic leading man Scott. Is it as elegant and romantic as a fine Paris gown? Let's head to Paris with Astaire and his orchestra to find out...
The Story: Huck Haines (Astaire), his best friend John Kent (Scott), and Haines' dance band the Wabash Indianans are stranded in Paris with barely a franc to their names. Cafe owner Alexandre Voyda (Luis Alberni) booked them, but mistook them for actual Native Americans, rather than a Midwestern orchestra and a former football player, and fired them. John does know one person in Paris to ask for help, his Aunt Minnie, the owner of the Roberta fashion house.
On his arrival, John finds himself stuck in the aging and cranky elevator. He's helped out by Stephanie (Dunne), Roberta's assistant. He's instantly smitten with her, but she's not as impressed by him. Meanwhile, Huck's met a girl of his own, the glamorous Countess Scharwenka (Rogers). Turns out she's actually his ex-girlfriend Lizzie Gatz. She's able to finally get Voyda to relent and hire them.
Shortly after their arrival, Aunt Minnie passes away. As she left no will, her dress salon goes to John by default. He knows nothing about designing gowns and asks Stephanie to stay on as his partner. Their collaboration is in trouble from the get-go. He rejects one of her more daring designs, and is pursued by his spoiled fiancee Sophie (Clarice Dodd), who is after his money. Huck and Lizzie convince Stephanie to sell Sophie that "vulgar" dress. It upsets John, who complains to Stephanie. She's so angry, she quits. It's up to Huck, Lizzie, and a cartload of couture gowns to bring these two lovers back together.
The Song and Dance: This was Astaire and Rogers' third musical together, and along with the lovely music and stunning 30's gowns, they're the main reason to see it today. They're just having so much fun together as the witty orchestra leader and the demanding "countess" who isn't as glamorous or aristocratic as she seems.
Those gorgeous gowns are worth the fuss Stephanie and John made over them. The backless number that she sold Sophie would probably barely turn heads today, but it's actually quite attractive. My favorite is the ruffly black and dot gown in the big fashion show in the finale. The Art Deco sets are almost as beautifully designed, including the elevator that keeps sticking.
Favorite Number: Two of Ginger and Fred's best dance routines can be found here. Ginger starts off "I'll Be Hard to Handle," but it quickly turns into a really fun comic duet. They also get to dance to "Lovely to Look At" performed by Irene Dunne in the finale. Dunne also scores with probably this score's best-known standard, the ballad "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."
Trivia: Yes, that is a young and very blonde Lucille Ball among the models in the fashion show finale. She's the one in the layered white feather cape with the dress trimmed with feathers.
The movie drops three hits from the original Broadway show - "The Touch of Your Hand," "Something Had to Happen," and "You're Devestating" - and adds "I Won't Dance" from the flop stage show Three Sisters and the newly written "Lovely to Look At." The latter was nominated for an Oscar in 1935.
What I Don't Like: Some of the numbers sans Rogers are really strange. Both the routine in the opening where the Indianans turn themselves into a human organ that Astaire "plays" and the too-goofy "Let's Begin" in drag look more ridiculous than funny. No wonder Volya refused to hire them.
When the movie focuses on Astaire and Rogers and their dances and relationship, it's a lot of fun. It's the main plot involving Scott, Dunne, and Roberta's that flounders. Scott is stiff as a board and not terribly happy; his stoic demeanor looks better on the wide open plains than in a musical. Dunne only comes off a little better, helped by her beautiful renditions of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Lovely to Look At."
The Big Finale: The stunning costumes and a couple of great Astaire-Rogers numbers makes this worth a look for their fans or lovers of dance or vintage fashion.
Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming, both in its original release and as part of the Warner Archives.
DVD
DVD - Silver Screen Icons: Astaire & Rogers, Vol. 2
Amazon Prime
Starring Randolph Scott, Fred Astaire, Irene Dunne, and Ginger Rogers
Directed by William A. Seiter
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach and Dorothy Fields
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews will be on hiatus from May 15th to the 22nd for vacation. I'll be doing one extra review a week for the remaining weeks of the month to make up with it, starting with tomorrow's review. Now that we have the announcement out of the way, let's move on to today's review...
This is the first of two versions of the story of a couple of guys who inherit a Parisian fashion house we'll be doing this week. Roberta was one of the biggest hits on Broadway in 1933, combining Jerome Kern's operetta sensibilities with gorgeous gowns, a frothy plot, and an up-and-coming cast. RKO turned it into a vehicle for their own up-and-coming stars Astaire and Rogers, along with singer Dunne and romantic leading man Scott. Is it as elegant and romantic as a fine Paris gown? Let's head to Paris with Astaire and his orchestra to find out...
The Story: Huck Haines (Astaire), his best friend John Kent (Scott), and Haines' dance band the Wabash Indianans are stranded in Paris with barely a franc to their names. Cafe owner Alexandre Voyda (Luis Alberni) booked them, but mistook them for actual Native Americans, rather than a Midwestern orchestra and a former football player, and fired them. John does know one person in Paris to ask for help, his Aunt Minnie, the owner of the Roberta fashion house.
On his arrival, John finds himself stuck in the aging and cranky elevator. He's helped out by Stephanie (Dunne), Roberta's assistant. He's instantly smitten with her, but she's not as impressed by him. Meanwhile, Huck's met a girl of his own, the glamorous Countess Scharwenka (Rogers). Turns out she's actually his ex-girlfriend Lizzie Gatz. She's able to finally get Voyda to relent and hire them.
Shortly after their arrival, Aunt Minnie passes away. As she left no will, her dress salon goes to John by default. He knows nothing about designing gowns and asks Stephanie to stay on as his partner. Their collaboration is in trouble from the get-go. He rejects one of her more daring designs, and is pursued by his spoiled fiancee Sophie (Clarice Dodd), who is after his money. Huck and Lizzie convince Stephanie to sell Sophie that "vulgar" dress. It upsets John, who complains to Stephanie. She's so angry, she quits. It's up to Huck, Lizzie, and a cartload of couture gowns to bring these two lovers back together.
The Song and Dance: This was Astaire and Rogers' third musical together, and along with the lovely music and stunning 30's gowns, they're the main reason to see it today. They're just having so much fun together as the witty orchestra leader and the demanding "countess" who isn't as glamorous or aristocratic as she seems.
Those gorgeous gowns are worth the fuss Stephanie and John made over them. The backless number that she sold Sophie would probably barely turn heads today, but it's actually quite attractive. My favorite is the ruffly black and dot gown in the big fashion show in the finale. The Art Deco sets are almost as beautifully designed, including the elevator that keeps sticking.
Favorite Number: Two of Ginger and Fred's best dance routines can be found here. Ginger starts off "I'll Be Hard to Handle," but it quickly turns into a really fun comic duet. They also get to dance to "Lovely to Look At" performed by Irene Dunne in the finale. Dunne also scores with probably this score's best-known standard, the ballad "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."
Trivia: Yes, that is a young and very blonde Lucille Ball among the models in the fashion show finale. She's the one in the layered white feather cape with the dress trimmed with feathers.
The movie drops three hits from the original Broadway show - "The Touch of Your Hand," "Something Had to Happen," and "You're Devestating" - and adds "I Won't Dance" from the flop stage show Three Sisters and the newly written "Lovely to Look At." The latter was nominated for an Oscar in 1935.
What I Don't Like: Some of the numbers sans Rogers are really strange. Both the routine in the opening where the Indianans turn themselves into a human organ that Astaire "plays" and the too-goofy "Let's Begin" in drag look more ridiculous than funny. No wonder Volya refused to hire them.
When the movie focuses on Astaire and Rogers and their dances and relationship, it's a lot of fun. It's the main plot involving Scott, Dunne, and Roberta's that flounders. Scott is stiff as a board and not terribly happy; his stoic demeanor looks better on the wide open plains than in a musical. Dunne only comes off a little better, helped by her beautiful renditions of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Lovely to Look At."
The Big Finale: The stunning costumes and a couple of great Astaire-Rogers numbers makes this worth a look for their fans or lovers of dance or vintage fashion.
Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming, both in its original release and as part of the Warner Archives.
DVD
DVD - Silver Screen Icons: Astaire & Rogers, Vol. 2
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 4, 2019
Animation Celebration Double Feature - Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros
And saludos to all of you! In honor of Cinco Del Mayo, the Mexican celebration of independence, we're going to join Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, Goofy, and Panchito the Rooster in their exploration of the culture, music, and beauty...including feminine beauty...of Latin and South America. Why don't we join the Disney animators as they board a plane bound for Lake Titicaca and other points south to see how well these unusual animated anthologies hold up today?
Saludos Amigos
Disney, 1943
Voices of Clarence Nash, Pinto Colvig, and Jose Olivera
Directed by Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney and others
Music by Ary Barroso and others
The Story: The tale of Disney's animators traveling south of the border to soak up inspiration for their work is actually split into four shorts.
Lake Titicaca: Donald visits the title lake on the border of Peru and Chile, where he watches the locals at work and attempts to ride a stubborn llama at high altitudes.
Pedro: Pedro is a baby plane who must deliver the mail when his big daddy plane gets a bad cold. He finds it easy to fly over the Andes at first, until he runs almost headlong into Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America!
El Gaucho Goofy: American cowboy Goofy finds himself thrown into the Argentinian Pampas (grasslands), where he must learn to dance, catch a fast-moving rhea, and eat his barbecued meat in the gaucho manner.
Aquarela do Brasil: Rio De Janeiro native Jose Carioca is introduced in this lovely watercolor tribute to Brazil and Carnival.
The Animation: The Donald and Goofy shorts are pretty par for the course for this era. More care was put into "Pedro," with its rugged mountains and chilly snow storms, and the beautiful "Aqualera do Brasil."
The Song and Dance: "Aquarela" is by far my favorite of the four shorts. The watercolor animation is genuinely gorgeous, and the songs "Brasil" and "Tico-Tico no fuba" are as lovely and lively as the animation. Jose makes a nice, laid-back contrast to Donald, and he's voiced by actual Brazilian Jose Olivera to boot. While the animation isn't as creative, there are some fun gags in "El Gaucho Goofy" and "Lake Titicaca."
Trivia: Most versions of "El Gaucho Goofy" currently on DVD and streaming edit out a sequence of cowboy Goofy smoking a cigarette. Apparently, the unedited version can be found as a bonus feature on the DVD of the documentary on the making of these movies, Walt & El Grupo.
At 42 minutes, this is the shortest Disney animated movie to date.
What I Don't Like: First of all, it's too short. They could have added at least one more cartoon, maybe representing Columbia or Venezuela. "Pedro" has it's moments, but it's ultimately too cutesy. The Goofy and Donald segments feel more like their typical cartoons set in South America than something that really represents those countries.
The Big Finale: The short length and mostly comic shorts makes it an ideal introduction to South America and Donald Duck for younger children; animation fans and older kids may find more to enjoy in the follow-up The Three Caballeros (see below).
Home Media: The solo Gold Collection DVD is out of print, but not hard to find, and it's on several streaming platforms. I'd still recommend looking for it paired with the similar Three Caballeros (below).
DVD
Amazon Prime
The Three Caballeros
Disney, 1944
Voices of Clarence Nash, Jose Olivera, Joaquin Garay, and Aurora Miranda
Directed by Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney and others
Music by Agustin Lara, Manuel Esperon, and others
The Story: It's Donald's birthday, and he's gotten many gifts from his friends south of the border. The first gift is a reel-to-reel camera that shows three shorts:
The Cold-Blooded Penguin: After introducing several native South American birds (including the wacky Aracuan Bird), we go way south to Antarctica learn more about Pablo, a penguin who wishes to head to somewhere warmer. He's constantly thwarted in his quest, until he turns his igloo home into a raft. Even then, he runs into trouble when his home melts and starts to sink.
The Flying Donkey: A young lad from Uruguay discovers a donkey that can fly in the Andes. They become great friends, and he even enters the little fellow in a local race
At the conclusion of the shorts, we flip over to a pop-up book from Jose Carioca on Baia in his native Brazil, which introduces a beautiful live-action cookie singer (Miranda) and Donald's lusty overtures to anything female. After dancing with Yaya, Panchito the Mexican Rooster comes in to show Donald the Mexican Christmas tradition Las Posadas and dances native to Mexico and Latin America on a magic carpet ride. The movie ends with them singing the title song...and Donald's libido going wild, first on a trip to the beaches of Acapulco, then in a colorful, surreal finale that has pretty girls turning into flowers, cacti, and other Latin American motifs.
The Animation: The first two shorts are, once again, par for the course in this era. The rest is a lot more creative. The live-action/animation combination still looks pretty good to this day, particularly Don dancing with Yaya and chasing after all the girls at the beach in Acapulco. The finale is a stunner, with its blooming girls-into-flowers and swirling cowgirls who become cacti.
The Song and Dance: Wow, does this one get weird. It doesn't start that way, but by the end, you start to seriously wonder what kind of drugs were being consumed at the Disney studios in the 1940's. The work of Mary Blair, the Disney artist who would later go on to do animation for Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, and Peter Pan and would help do the designs for the "It's a Small World" ride, is all over this movie, especially in the "Las Posadas" sequence and the finale.
And once again, I applaud Disney for its use of actual Mexicans and South Americans in this film, both behind the camera and the microphone.
Favorite Number: The title song is by far the most famous song from either of these films. Don, Jose, and Panchito are hilarious, especially when they're trying to figure out how to end Panchito's long final note! I also love the real-life folk dances in Mexico, with their colorful and fun native costumes, and that bonkers finale to "You Belong to My Heart."
What I Don't Like: That infamous finale really gets a little too weird, especially for what's supposed to be a goofy Donald Duck vehicle. Let's just say, if you're expecting anything like the relatively subdued Saludos Amigos or a typical Donald short, you'll probably be as baffled as critics and most audiences in 1944. Donald chasing after anything in a skirt may be a bit PG-rated for many audiences today as well.
The Big Finale: By far my favorite of the two "Donald South of the Border" films, if only for the creative animation and great music and dancing. If you're a fan of Donald too, enjoy truly deranged animation, or want to take a lighthearted-but-loony look at our neighbors in Latin and South America, this one is definitely worth a look.
Home Media: Once again, the solo Gold Collection DVD is out of print, as is the original DVD set featuring both films. If you love Donald or these movies, your best bet may be to stream them or look for the Blu-Ray set.
Blu-Ray - Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros
Amazon Prime
Saludos Amigos
Disney, 1943
Voices of Clarence Nash, Pinto Colvig, and Jose Olivera
Directed by Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney and others
Music by Ary Barroso and others
The Story: The tale of Disney's animators traveling south of the border to soak up inspiration for their work is actually split into four shorts.
Lake Titicaca: Donald visits the title lake on the border of Peru and Chile, where he watches the locals at work and attempts to ride a stubborn llama at high altitudes.
Pedro: Pedro is a baby plane who must deliver the mail when his big daddy plane gets a bad cold. He finds it easy to fly over the Andes at first, until he runs almost headlong into Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America!
El Gaucho Goofy: American cowboy Goofy finds himself thrown into the Argentinian Pampas (grasslands), where he must learn to dance, catch a fast-moving rhea, and eat his barbecued meat in the gaucho manner.
Aquarela do Brasil: Rio De Janeiro native Jose Carioca is introduced in this lovely watercolor tribute to Brazil and Carnival.
The Animation: The Donald and Goofy shorts are pretty par for the course for this era. More care was put into "Pedro," with its rugged mountains and chilly snow storms, and the beautiful "Aqualera do Brasil."
The Song and Dance: "Aquarela" is by far my favorite of the four shorts. The watercolor animation is genuinely gorgeous, and the songs "Brasil" and "Tico-Tico no fuba" are as lovely and lively as the animation. Jose makes a nice, laid-back contrast to Donald, and he's voiced by actual Brazilian Jose Olivera to boot. While the animation isn't as creative, there are some fun gags in "El Gaucho Goofy" and "Lake Titicaca."
Trivia: Most versions of "El Gaucho Goofy" currently on DVD and streaming edit out a sequence of cowboy Goofy smoking a cigarette. Apparently, the unedited version can be found as a bonus feature on the DVD of the documentary on the making of these movies, Walt & El Grupo.
At 42 minutes, this is the shortest Disney animated movie to date.
What I Don't Like: First of all, it's too short. They could have added at least one more cartoon, maybe representing Columbia or Venezuela. "Pedro" has it's moments, but it's ultimately too cutesy. The Goofy and Donald segments feel more like their typical cartoons set in South America than something that really represents those countries.
The Big Finale: The short length and mostly comic shorts makes it an ideal introduction to South America and Donald Duck for younger children; animation fans and older kids may find more to enjoy in the follow-up The Three Caballeros (see below).
Home Media: The solo Gold Collection DVD is out of print, but not hard to find, and it's on several streaming platforms. I'd still recommend looking for it paired with the similar Three Caballeros (below).
DVD
Amazon Prime
The Three Caballeros
Disney, 1944
Voices of Clarence Nash, Jose Olivera, Joaquin Garay, and Aurora Miranda
Directed by Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney and others
Music by Agustin Lara, Manuel Esperon, and others
The Story: It's Donald's birthday, and he's gotten many gifts from his friends south of the border. The first gift is a reel-to-reel camera that shows three shorts:
The Cold-Blooded Penguin: After introducing several native South American birds (including the wacky Aracuan Bird), we go way south to Antarctica learn more about Pablo, a penguin who wishes to head to somewhere warmer. He's constantly thwarted in his quest, until he turns his igloo home into a raft. Even then, he runs into trouble when his home melts and starts to sink.
The Flying Donkey: A young lad from Uruguay discovers a donkey that can fly in the Andes. They become great friends, and he even enters the little fellow in a local race
At the conclusion of the shorts, we flip over to a pop-up book from Jose Carioca on Baia in his native Brazil, which introduces a beautiful live-action cookie singer (Miranda) and Donald's lusty overtures to anything female. After dancing with Yaya, Panchito the Mexican Rooster comes in to show Donald the Mexican Christmas tradition Las Posadas and dances native to Mexico and Latin America on a magic carpet ride. The movie ends with them singing the title song...and Donald's libido going wild, first on a trip to the beaches of Acapulco, then in a colorful, surreal finale that has pretty girls turning into flowers, cacti, and other Latin American motifs.
The Animation: The first two shorts are, once again, par for the course in this era. The rest is a lot more creative. The live-action/animation combination still looks pretty good to this day, particularly Don dancing with Yaya and chasing after all the girls at the beach in Acapulco. The finale is a stunner, with its blooming girls-into-flowers and swirling cowgirls who become cacti.
The Song and Dance: Wow, does this one get weird. It doesn't start that way, but by the end, you start to seriously wonder what kind of drugs were being consumed at the Disney studios in the 1940's. The work of Mary Blair, the Disney artist who would later go on to do animation for Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, and Peter Pan and would help do the designs for the "It's a Small World" ride, is all over this movie, especially in the "Las Posadas" sequence and the finale.
And once again, I applaud Disney for its use of actual Mexicans and South Americans in this film, both behind the camera and the microphone.
Favorite Number: The title song is by far the most famous song from either of these films. Don, Jose, and Panchito are hilarious, especially when they're trying to figure out how to end Panchito's long final note! I also love the real-life folk dances in Mexico, with their colorful and fun native costumes, and that bonkers finale to "You Belong to My Heart."
What I Don't Like: That infamous finale really gets a little too weird, especially for what's supposed to be a goofy Donald Duck vehicle. Let's just say, if you're expecting anything like the relatively subdued Saludos Amigos or a typical Donald short, you'll probably be as baffled as critics and most audiences in 1944. Donald chasing after anything in a skirt may be a bit PG-rated for many audiences today as well.
The Big Finale: By far my favorite of the two "Donald South of the Border" films, if only for the creative animation and great music and dancing. If you're a fan of Donald too, enjoy truly deranged animation, or want to take a lighthearted-but-loony look at our neighbors in Latin and South America, this one is definitely worth a look.
Home Media: Once again, the solo Gold Collection DVD is out of print, as is the original DVD set featuring both films. If you love Donald or these movies, your best bet may be to stream them or look for the Blu-Ray set.
Blu-Ray - Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros
Amazon Prime
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Maytime
MGM, 1937
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, John Barrymore, and Herman Bing
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Music by Sigmund Romberg, Herbert Stothart, and others
This movie's early May setting makes it perfect to kick off this month. It was the biggest hit of the eight movies Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together, and one of the blockbusters of 1937. How does this tale of a spring romance that turns tragic hold up nowadays? Let's go to a small-town May Day celebration around the turn of the century to find out...
The Story: Miss Morrison (MacDonald) has just come back from the town's May Day celebration when she overhears an argument between her young neighbor Barbara (Lynne Carver) and her sweetheart Kip (Tom Brown). Later, Barbara reveals that she wants to go to New York to become a great opera singer, like Marcia Mornay. The older woman reveals that she was Marcia Mornay, who gave up love for her career.
We then flashback to Paris in the 1860's. Her demanding teacher Nazaroff (John Barrymore) has just presented her to Napoleon and his court. She's so dazed from her success with her song there and with the dazzle of the ball and the evening, she unthinkingly accepts Nazaroff's proposal, even though she doesn't love him. She regrets her decision when she goes for a midnight carriage ride and finds herself at a local bar, where handsome music student Paul Allison (Eddy) is singing a rousing drinking song. He's smitten with Marcia right away and convinces her to visit his tiny apartment for lunch with him and his teacher Archipenko (Bing). He manages to get into her most recent opera vehicle and ask her to a May Day fair in the country with him. They attend and have a wonderful time...and fall in love. But Marcia has already promised herself to Nazaroff and doesn't want to give up her music for Paul.
Seven years pass. Marcia has become a beloved opera star, but her marriage with Nazaroff lacks passion and romance. On her debut at the Met, she finds herself paired with up-and-coming baritone Paul. They resist it, but their love too strong to ignore anymore. It makes their debut a smashing success...but it also makes Nazaroff insanely jealous. He's not about to share Marcia and her career with anyone, including a younger man.
The Song and Dance: This is my favorite MacDonald/Eddy vehicle. I'm not normally a fan of sad love stories, but for all the melodrama, this one really works. It was MacDonald's favorite of her movies as well, and she puts in one of her best performances as the diva who gives up love for her career, only to regret it later. Eddy's still a little stiff in the dramatic scenes; he's more at home in the first half of the film, singing in the bar or convincing Bing to help him set up for a very frugal lunch. Barrymore may have been so drunk by this point, he had to read his lines off cue cards, but he's still magnetic in the role of the possessive teacher who doesn't want to give up the woman whose career he's guided.
MGM went all-out on this one. Everyone, men and women, are dressed in acres of ruffles, puffs, lace, bows, and sequins. The black-and-white cinematography and lavish sets, including a nifty montage of Marcia's operatic successes, nicely evokes both small-town America at the turn of the century and the romance of Paris and the French countryside during the reign of Louis Napoleon.
Favorite Number: By far the most famous song from this one is "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?," the only number retained from the original 1917 Broadway show. MacDonald and Eddy sing it just after their day at the fair, as Marcia tells Paul she can't stay with him. It's a beautiful number, passionate and romantic, and it's one of their best duets. They also sing a nice version of "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" at Paul's apartment after lunch, and their "Czarina" duet towards the end in the opera is equally strong.
Trivia: This was originally supposed to have been filmed in color and feature more songs from the original show. The first version was scrapped and restarted in black and white after producer Irving Thalburg died. MGM would finally film a MacDonald/Eddy vehicle in color a year later, Sweethearts.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1917; there's a story that it was so popular, two different companies ran in New York at the same time.
What I Don't Like: Not for people looking for a more upbeat musical, those who don't like opera or operetta, or who aren't fans of romantic melodrama. Nelson Eddy supposedly didn't share his partner's fondness for this movie. He found it to be a tad too frilly, and many critics then and now echo his sentiments that it's way too campy.
The Big Finale: If you love tragic romances, historical romances, opera, or MacDonald and Eddy, you'll want to spend your own May Day checking this one out.
Home Media: The solo Warner Archives DVD I have is now out of print, but it's available as part of the first MacDonald/Eddy Archives DVD set...and unlike many Archives titles, it can be found on several streaming services.
DVD - MacDonald-Eddy Collection, Volume 1
Amazon Prime
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, John Barrymore, and Herman Bing
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Music by Sigmund Romberg, Herbert Stothart, and others
This movie's early May setting makes it perfect to kick off this month. It was the biggest hit of the eight movies Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together, and one of the blockbusters of 1937. How does this tale of a spring romance that turns tragic hold up nowadays? Let's go to a small-town May Day celebration around the turn of the century to find out...
The Story: Miss Morrison (MacDonald) has just come back from the town's May Day celebration when she overhears an argument between her young neighbor Barbara (Lynne Carver) and her sweetheart Kip (Tom Brown). Later, Barbara reveals that she wants to go to New York to become a great opera singer, like Marcia Mornay. The older woman reveals that she was Marcia Mornay, who gave up love for her career.
We then flashback to Paris in the 1860's. Her demanding teacher Nazaroff (John Barrymore) has just presented her to Napoleon and his court. She's so dazed from her success with her song there and with the dazzle of the ball and the evening, she unthinkingly accepts Nazaroff's proposal, even though she doesn't love him. She regrets her decision when she goes for a midnight carriage ride and finds herself at a local bar, where handsome music student Paul Allison (Eddy) is singing a rousing drinking song. He's smitten with Marcia right away and convinces her to visit his tiny apartment for lunch with him and his teacher Archipenko (Bing). He manages to get into her most recent opera vehicle and ask her to a May Day fair in the country with him. They attend and have a wonderful time...and fall in love. But Marcia has already promised herself to Nazaroff and doesn't want to give up her music for Paul.
Seven years pass. Marcia has become a beloved opera star, but her marriage with Nazaroff lacks passion and romance. On her debut at the Met, she finds herself paired with up-and-coming baritone Paul. They resist it, but their love too strong to ignore anymore. It makes their debut a smashing success...but it also makes Nazaroff insanely jealous. He's not about to share Marcia and her career with anyone, including a younger man.
The Song and Dance: This is my favorite MacDonald/Eddy vehicle. I'm not normally a fan of sad love stories, but for all the melodrama, this one really works. It was MacDonald's favorite of her movies as well, and she puts in one of her best performances as the diva who gives up love for her career, only to regret it later. Eddy's still a little stiff in the dramatic scenes; he's more at home in the first half of the film, singing in the bar or convincing Bing to help him set up for a very frugal lunch. Barrymore may have been so drunk by this point, he had to read his lines off cue cards, but he's still magnetic in the role of the possessive teacher who doesn't want to give up the woman whose career he's guided.
MGM went all-out on this one. Everyone, men and women, are dressed in acres of ruffles, puffs, lace, bows, and sequins. The black-and-white cinematography and lavish sets, including a nifty montage of Marcia's operatic successes, nicely evokes both small-town America at the turn of the century and the romance of Paris and the French countryside during the reign of Louis Napoleon.
Favorite Number: By far the most famous song from this one is "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?," the only number retained from the original 1917 Broadway show. MacDonald and Eddy sing it just after their day at the fair, as Marcia tells Paul she can't stay with him. It's a beautiful number, passionate and romantic, and it's one of their best duets. They also sing a nice version of "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" at Paul's apartment after lunch, and their "Czarina" duet towards the end in the opera is equally strong.
Trivia: This was originally supposed to have been filmed in color and feature more songs from the original show. The first version was scrapped and restarted in black and white after producer Irving Thalburg died. MGM would finally film a MacDonald/Eddy vehicle in color a year later, Sweethearts.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1917; there's a story that it was so popular, two different companies ran in New York at the same time.
What I Don't Like: Not for people looking for a more upbeat musical, those who don't like opera or operetta, or who aren't fans of romantic melodrama. Nelson Eddy supposedly didn't share his partner's fondness for this movie. He found it to be a tad too frilly, and many critics then and now echo his sentiments that it's way too campy.
The Big Finale: If you love tragic romances, historical romances, opera, or MacDonald and Eddy, you'll want to spend your own May Day checking this one out.
Home Media: The solo Warner Archives DVD I have is now out of print, but it's available as part of the first MacDonald/Eddy Archives DVD set...and unlike many Archives titles, it can be found on several streaming services.
DVD - MacDonald-Eddy Collection, Volume 1
Amazon Prime
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