Paramount, 1939
Voices of Sam Parker, Pinto Colvig, Jack Mercer, and Tedd Pierce
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Music by Ralph Rainger and others; Lyrics by Leo Robin and others
Max and Dave Fleischer had wanted to make their own feature-length animated film as far back as 1934. Their home studio Paramount was restructuring after almost going into bankruptcy and just didn't have the money then. After the success of Snow White in 1938, they decided they wanted their own blockbuster animated film and pressed the Fleichers to rush this out for the 1939 holidays. On top of that, they were in the midst of moving their facilities to Miami, Florida, and they had to hire a ton more animators. Was all the fuss worth it? Let's join Gulliver as he survives a storm at sea and find out...
The Story: Gulliver (Parker) washes up in the middle of a war. King Little (Mercer) of Liliput and King Bombo (Pierce) of Blefescu argue over whether the songs "Faithful" or "Forever" should be played at the wedding of their children, Princess Glory and Prince David. Bombo is so offended by the idea of his national song not being played, he calls his country to arms over it. Jumpy night watchman Gabby (Colvig) finds Gulliver on the beach and immediately believes he's there to harm them. They take him to their capitol, where he finally reassures them that he's friendly after he helps them defeat the Blefescuians.
Bombo's not taking his loss lying down. He sends three spies to eliminate Gulliver, using his own pistol. Meanwhile, Gulliver has discovered Glory and David have continued to see each other. That gives him an idea of how to stop the war...if only those silly, stubborn kings would listen to him...
The Animation: A mixed bag. The backgrounds are lush and gorgeous, and the rotoscoping on Gulliver and the prince and princess moves well and looks quite realistic. Too realistic. The very real and romantic Gulliver, Glory, and David clash badly with the cartoonier designs of the other residents of Liliput and Blefescu. They look like they've come from a different movie entirely.
The Song and Dance: I give the Fleischers some credit for delivering even a half-way decent film on an 18-month schedule. There's some nice music here, along with a fine performance from Parker as Gulliver, who goes from amused by all these little folks to wondering why in the heck they're all fighting. Considering World War II was in the midst of starting as this movie debuted, it's also pretty interesting that there's a fairly strong anti-war message. Gulliver finally tells them in the end that war isn't the answer, though it takes a near-sacrifice to get them to listen.
Favorite Number: "Faithful Forever," the combined version of the songs that caused all the fuss, is a lovely ballad that was nominated for an Oscar. Gabby's song "All's Well" is catchy too, even if he's right that the lyrics can get a little too cutesy-cheery. An off-screen chorus joins a homesick Gulliver for his beautiful "I Have a Dream (Come Home Again)" as he longs to get back.
Trivia: Then-popular singers Jessica Dragonette and Lanny Ross were the singers for Princess Glory and Prince David.
The movie was nearly as big of a hit as Snow White, one of the top hits of 1939.
What I Don't Like: In addition to the animation complaints, there's the ridiculous plot. The idea of the two kings arguing over which song to perform at a wedding is so silly, even Gulliver calls them on it. I have no idea how Gabby and the spies got their own shorts series. Gabby and his high-pitched voice are annoying and useless, and the goofy spies are even more so.
The movie doesn't really let Gulliver do much traveling. It only uses the first part of the book Gulliver's Travels, and then it makes a ton of changes. For one thing, the rift between the two countries was originally over which side to crack an egg. For another, there was no prince and princess. Gulliver just wouldn't male Blefuscu a part of Lilliput.
The Big Finale: Might be fun for enthusiasts of 30's and 40's animation or the Fleischer brothers, or younger children who won't mind the goofy plot and characters.
Home Media: As a public domain film, it's quite easily found everywhere and in every format. The out-of-print Blu-Ray has a digitally restored print and extra Fleischers shorts.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Cult Flops - A Chorus Line
Columbia Pictures, 1985
Starring Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed, Sharon Brown, and Terrance Mann
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Edward Kleban
We remain backstage, but move ahead a full half-century to a very different Broadway. The tale of dancers relating their lives at an audition was one of the biggest stage hits of the late 70's, running for over fifteen years. Is it "one singular sensation" on the big screen as well, or should it have been cut at the audition? Let's head to the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York, just as an audition for a major Broadway show is starting, to find out...
The Story: We follow a group of dancers as they audition for chorus slots in choreographer Zach's (Douglas) new show. Zach asks the group of finalists to tell them more about their lives, how they decided they wanted to become dancers. As they talk and sing about their experiences in the theater, Zach's ex-girlfriend Cassie (Reed) arrives late to the audition, but she does manage to get in. Zach's not happy to see her. She was a star dancer for a while, and she's really too good for the chorus line...but all she wants is a chance to dance, just like all the others.
The Song and Dance: And the song and dance is the primary interest here. There's some great numbers, including the glittery extended finale. Some decent performances among the chorus dancers too, especially sweet Jan Gan Boyd as ageless Connie Wong, Vicki Fredrick as veteran dancer Sheila Bryant, Gregg Burge as energetic "Surprise, Surprise" dancer Richie Walters, and Cameron English as gay dancer Paul San Marco.
Favorite Number: We begin well with a driving "I Hope I Get It" as the groups of auditioning performers are whittled down, including some passages not heard in the original show. Audrey Landers, despite not being a dancer, still has fun with "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three," on why she decided to have plastic surgery done and how it improved her life. Sheila, Bebe (Michelle Johnston), and Maggie (Pam Klinger) get the simple and touching "At the Ballet," on their difficult childhoods and how ballet became their escape.
Reed tries to show Zach how much she wants to be a part of the show with the dynamic "Let Me Dance for You." That was one of two songs written for the film; the other was the Oscar-nominated "Surprise, Surprise," as Richie and the others describe their sexual awakenings.
Trivia: The original show opened in 1975 and was one of the biggest Broadway successes of the 70's and 80's, running until 1990 and winning 9 Tonys and the Pulitzer. It closed as the longest-running show in Broadway history. (It has since been replaced by Cats, Les Miserables, and The Phantom of the Opera.) A revival in 2006 also did well, running over two years.
The movie was partially filmed at the Mark Hellinger Theater, a real-life Broadway theater that is now owned by the Times Square Church.
What I Don't Like: Switching the focus to the romance between Cassie and Zach totally loses the point of the original show - that of the stories of the dancers, their lives, and what makes them want to perform. Attenborough often cuts to flashbacks of their doomed relationship during numbers or when the dancers are talking, disrupting the flow of the film and the songs. Douglas looks bored and out-of-place as the supposedly driven and eccentric choreographer.
More than half the score is missing, including an important montage song for the dancers, "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love," along with "The Music and the Mirror" and "Sing!" The hit "What I Did For Love," originally a song for the dancers to explain their love for their craft, becomes a throwaway ballad for Cassie as she watches the dancers from the catwalks.
This is another flop musical that probably should not have been a film. The original format is really a full-on stage experience, and that shows in the film's limited cinematography and editing. Despite attempts at something more dynamic in a few of the numbers, this really feels more like a filmed stage play.
The Big Finale: People who want a taste of the show - or the mid-80's - may be interested in some of the numbers...but if you really want to hear the show, you may be better off looking up the easily-found original or Broadway revival cast albums.
Home Media: Easily found on most formats, often for under ten dollars.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Michael Douglas, Alyson Reed, Sharon Brown, and Terrance Mann
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Edward Kleban
We remain backstage, but move ahead a full half-century to a very different Broadway. The tale of dancers relating their lives at an audition was one of the biggest stage hits of the late 70's, running for over fifteen years. Is it "one singular sensation" on the big screen as well, or should it have been cut at the audition? Let's head to the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York, just as an audition for a major Broadway show is starting, to find out...
The Story: We follow a group of dancers as they audition for chorus slots in choreographer Zach's (Douglas) new show. Zach asks the group of finalists to tell them more about their lives, how they decided they wanted to become dancers. As they talk and sing about their experiences in the theater, Zach's ex-girlfriend Cassie (Reed) arrives late to the audition, but she does manage to get in. Zach's not happy to see her. She was a star dancer for a while, and she's really too good for the chorus line...but all she wants is a chance to dance, just like all the others.
The Song and Dance: And the song and dance is the primary interest here. There's some great numbers, including the glittery extended finale. Some decent performances among the chorus dancers too, especially sweet Jan Gan Boyd as ageless Connie Wong, Vicki Fredrick as veteran dancer Sheila Bryant, Gregg Burge as energetic "Surprise, Surprise" dancer Richie Walters, and Cameron English as gay dancer Paul San Marco.
Favorite Number: We begin well with a driving "I Hope I Get It" as the groups of auditioning performers are whittled down, including some passages not heard in the original show. Audrey Landers, despite not being a dancer, still has fun with "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three," on why she decided to have plastic surgery done and how it improved her life. Sheila, Bebe (Michelle Johnston), and Maggie (Pam Klinger) get the simple and touching "At the Ballet," on their difficult childhoods and how ballet became their escape.
Reed tries to show Zach how much she wants to be a part of the show with the dynamic "Let Me Dance for You." That was one of two songs written for the film; the other was the Oscar-nominated "Surprise, Surprise," as Richie and the others describe their sexual awakenings.
Trivia: The original show opened in 1975 and was one of the biggest Broadway successes of the 70's and 80's, running until 1990 and winning 9 Tonys and the Pulitzer. It closed as the longest-running show in Broadway history. (It has since been replaced by Cats, Les Miserables, and The Phantom of the Opera.) A revival in 2006 also did well, running over two years.
The movie was partially filmed at the Mark Hellinger Theater, a real-life Broadway theater that is now owned by the Times Square Church.
What I Don't Like: Switching the focus to the romance between Cassie and Zach totally loses the point of the original show - that of the stories of the dancers, their lives, and what makes them want to perform. Attenborough often cuts to flashbacks of their doomed relationship during numbers or when the dancers are talking, disrupting the flow of the film and the songs. Douglas looks bored and out-of-place as the supposedly driven and eccentric choreographer.
More than half the score is missing, including an important montage song for the dancers, "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love," along with "The Music and the Mirror" and "Sing!" The hit "What I Did For Love," originally a song for the dancers to explain their love for their craft, becomes a throwaway ballad for Cassie as she watches the dancers from the catwalks.
This is another flop musical that probably should not have been a film. The original format is really a full-on stage experience, and that shows in the film's limited cinematography and editing. Despite attempts at something more dynamic in a few of the numbers, this really feels more like a filmed stage play.
The Big Finale: People who want a taste of the show - or the mid-80's - may be interested in some of the numbers...but if you really want to hear the show, you may be better off looking up the easily-found original or Broadway revival cast albums.
Home Media: Easily found on most formats, often for under ten dollars.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Gold Diggers of 1933
Warner Bros, 1933
Starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, and Aline MacMahon
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Al Dubin
This was Warners' second major musical after the tremendous success of 42nd Street and is a remake of their huge (and now mostly lost) blockbuster Gold Diggers of Broadway. It proved to be just as big of a hit as 42nd Street, with an even zestier cast and a more Depression-soaked story. How does the tale of three showgirls who pose as gold diggers to help their friend look now? Let's head to a theater in New York, just as one of the most famous songs from this score, "We're In the Money," is in progress...
The Story: Polly (Keeler), Trixie (MacMahon), and Carol (Blondell) are roommates and chorus girls who just lost a job after the producer, Barney Hopkins (Ned Sparks), couldn't pay his bills. Fellow chorus girl Fay Fortune (Ginger Rogers) announces that Hopkins has gotten his show back together. He has...everything but the money. Turns out the guy across the way that Polly's been flirting with, Brad Roberts (Powell), is not only a great songwriter, but is able to cough up the money in cash to finance the show. Despite being a good singer, he won't appear onstage, at least until the male juvenile can't move and he has to take his place.
That's when we learn that he's really the son of a rich Boston family that threatens to cut him off without a penny. His brother J. Lawrence Bradford (Warren William) and family lawyer Fanuel "Fanny" Peabody (Guy Kibbee) mistake Carol for Polly and try to get her away from Brad. In an attempt to help their friend and teach the snobbish duo a lesson, Trixie and Carol make them think Carol is Polly and vamp them for all they're worth...but their plans backfire when they actually fall in love with them.
The Song and Dance: It's Powell and the ladies who shine here. Powell and Keeler have almost switched roles from 42nd Street; this time, she's the slightly more wordly one, and he's the one who'll come back a star. Powell in particular comes off as a bit less stiff than he did in the earlier movie. Blondell and MacMahon hav a blast as the wisecracking dancers, and Ginger Rogers is a lot of fun as the only real gold-digger to be found. There's also a lot of references to the early Depression era - including "Forgotten Man" - that helps ground it in the era now.
Favorite Number: We kick off the movie in high style with my favorite song from this score, "We're In the Money." Ginger Rogers and the chorus girls romp in costumes made of coins, and Rogers even gets a solo in Pig Latin...until the creditors arrive and take it all away. "Pettin' In the Park" is a catchy little romp that shows girls and their beaus (and randy baby Billy Barty) chasing each other through three seasons. Check out the segment where Barty lifts the screen, revealing their tin costumes! "Shadow Waltz" is more romantic, with its girls in hoop skirts and neon violins forming violin shapes.
"Remember My Forgotten Man" is one of the most dramatic numbers in Busby Berkley's career. The "forgotten men" are the World War I veterans who marched on Washington the year before, trying to get their bonus pay. The gritty sets were inspired by German Expressionism, and they give an almost frighteningly surreal feel to the scenes of poverty and determination. The number was so moving, when studio head Jack L. Warner saw it, he ordered it be swapped to the end in place of "Petting In the Park."
Trivia: There was originally supposed to be a fifth big number performed by Blondell, "I've Got to Sing a Torch Song," but it was cut before release. The song is only heard performed briefly by Powell in the beginning.
An earthquake hit while they filmed "Shadow Waltz" and nearly electrocuted the dancers.
What I Don't Like: While MacMahon is having fun flirting with Kibbee, Blondell is completely mismatched with the erudite William. You'd never believe he'd change his mind about her so quickly, especially after being fooled like that. I also wish they'd focused more on that "putting on the show" in the second half and less on the rather convoluted and silly gold-digging plot.
The Big Finale: I don't like it as much as 42nd Street, but it does have its own charms, including some classic numbers. If you love the musicals of the 30's in general or the Busby Berkley musicals in particular, you'll want to look for this one.
Home Media: DVD is currently released by the Warner Archives. It's available with several streaming companies as well.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, and Aline MacMahon
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Al Dubin
This was Warners' second major musical after the tremendous success of 42nd Street and is a remake of their huge (and now mostly lost) blockbuster Gold Diggers of Broadway. It proved to be just as big of a hit as 42nd Street, with an even zestier cast and a more Depression-soaked story. How does the tale of three showgirls who pose as gold diggers to help their friend look now? Let's head to a theater in New York, just as one of the most famous songs from this score, "We're In the Money," is in progress...
The Story: Polly (Keeler), Trixie (MacMahon), and Carol (Blondell) are roommates and chorus girls who just lost a job after the producer, Barney Hopkins (Ned Sparks), couldn't pay his bills. Fellow chorus girl Fay Fortune (Ginger Rogers) announces that Hopkins has gotten his show back together. He has...everything but the money. Turns out the guy across the way that Polly's been flirting with, Brad Roberts (Powell), is not only a great songwriter, but is able to cough up the money in cash to finance the show. Despite being a good singer, he won't appear onstage, at least until the male juvenile can't move and he has to take his place.
That's when we learn that he's really the son of a rich Boston family that threatens to cut him off without a penny. His brother J. Lawrence Bradford (Warren William) and family lawyer Fanuel "Fanny" Peabody (Guy Kibbee) mistake Carol for Polly and try to get her away from Brad. In an attempt to help their friend and teach the snobbish duo a lesson, Trixie and Carol make them think Carol is Polly and vamp them for all they're worth...but their plans backfire when they actually fall in love with them.
The Song and Dance: It's Powell and the ladies who shine here. Powell and Keeler have almost switched roles from 42nd Street; this time, she's the slightly more wordly one, and he's the one who'll come back a star. Powell in particular comes off as a bit less stiff than he did in the earlier movie. Blondell and MacMahon hav a blast as the wisecracking dancers, and Ginger Rogers is a lot of fun as the only real gold-digger to be found. There's also a lot of references to the early Depression era - including "Forgotten Man" - that helps ground it in the era now.
Favorite Number: We kick off the movie in high style with my favorite song from this score, "We're In the Money." Ginger Rogers and the chorus girls romp in costumes made of coins, and Rogers even gets a solo in Pig Latin...until the creditors arrive and take it all away. "Pettin' In the Park" is a catchy little romp that shows girls and their beaus (and randy baby Billy Barty) chasing each other through three seasons. Check out the segment where Barty lifts the screen, revealing their tin costumes! "Shadow Waltz" is more romantic, with its girls in hoop skirts and neon violins forming violin shapes.
"Remember My Forgotten Man" is one of the most dramatic numbers in Busby Berkley's career. The "forgotten men" are the World War I veterans who marched on Washington the year before, trying to get their bonus pay. The gritty sets were inspired by German Expressionism, and they give an almost frighteningly surreal feel to the scenes of poverty and determination. The number was so moving, when studio head Jack L. Warner saw it, he ordered it be swapped to the end in place of "Petting In the Park."
Trivia: There was originally supposed to be a fifth big number performed by Blondell, "I've Got to Sing a Torch Song," but it was cut before release. The song is only heard performed briefly by Powell in the beginning.
An earthquake hit while they filmed "Shadow Waltz" and nearly electrocuted the dancers.
What I Don't Like: While MacMahon is having fun flirting with Kibbee, Blondell is completely mismatched with the erudite William. You'd never believe he'd change his mind about her so quickly, especially after being fooled like that. I also wish they'd focused more on that "putting on the show" in the second half and less on the rather convoluted and silly gold-digging plot.
The Big Finale: I don't like it as much as 42nd Street, but it does have its own charms, including some classic numbers. If you love the musicals of the 30's in general or the Busby Berkley musicals in particular, you'll want to look for this one.
Home Media: DVD is currently released by the Warner Archives. It's available with several streaming companies as well.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Monday, September 23, 2019
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
MGM, 1929
Starring Jack Benny, Joan Crawford, Marie Dressler, Cliff Edwards, and more
Directed by Charles Reisner and Christy Cabanne (uncredited)
Music by Arthur Freed and others; Lyrics by Nacio Herb Brown and others
We're jumping way, way back in Hollywood history for this one. After the coming of sound made musical films possible, almost every studio in town made at least one revue showcasing their most popular stars and grandest sets and costumes. MGM was no exception, and they top-loaded their Oscar-nominated variety show with everyone from up-and-coming Crawford to comedian Jack Benny to Laurel & Hardy. How does this early variety program look today? Let's head to the theater, where the show is about to begin, and find out...
The Story: There isn't one. Jack Benny introduces a series of skits, songs, and dances featuring some of the most popular stars at MGM in 1929...when said stars aren't slapping him, throwing cakes in his direction, or eating the buttons off his tuxedo.
The Song and Dance: When they say "the following galaxy of stars" in the opening credits, they're not kidding. If you love the movies of the early talkie era, you'll probably see someone you recognize. Some non-musical numbers have their own fun. Laurel and Hardy have a really cute magic act that begins with broken eggs and ends with Hardy falling into a cake. Norma Shearer and a relaxed-looking John Gilbert (just before his career tragically spiraled downwards) do a hilariously overwrought Romeo & Juliet...and then an even more ridiculous version in "modern" 20's argot, as per director Lionel Barrymore's instructions.
Favorite Number: Some of the songs here are pretty adorable, too. June Purcell and the chorus have fun with "Low Down Rhythm" early on, including another routine by the ballet-tap dancer from The Broadway Melody. Some early special effects are used on the opening chorus routine and Bessie Love's goofy acrobatic act, "I Never Knew I Could Do a Thing Like That," allowing her to emerge from Jack Benny's pocket. Marie Dressler proves why she became one of MGM's top stars in the early 30's in the hilarious royalty satire "I'm the Queen." Dressler and Love join Dressler's long-time sparring partner Polly Moran for some wild musical slapstick in enormous bloomers and hairbows, including Moran doing a terrific Al Jolson impression.
The movie is best-known today for introducing "Singin' In the Rain" to general audiences. The number is worthy of the song, with Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards performing it as the chorus splashes in real rain, with the Brox Sisters jumping in later with their own pleasant harmony. It's the best number in the film, and too cute for words. The finale at Noah's Ark, with all the stars singing in raincoats (except a confused Buster Keaton, who looks like he's just wondering where the rain went), is a great way to end the show.
Trivia: While most of the film (including its color sequences) is intact, two brief bits are missing. Current prints no longer have a recitation from the showgirls in the sign in the opening credits and the appearance of Nils Asther, who helped Benny introduce the "Singin' In the Rain" finale.
Laurel and Hardy and Marion Davies shot their numbers in the wee hours of the morning (which explains their performances, especially Davies), due to them working on other projects at the time.
Cliff Edwards later became better-known as the original voice of Jiminy Cricket in Disney's Pinocchio.
Among the women who slap Jack Benny are Gwen Lee and later Warner Bros and Scarface actress Ann Dworak.
What I Don't Like: Like The Broadway Melody, this is extremely a movie of its time. Most of the performers are barely remembered to anyone but aficionados of the early talkie era nowadays. The color is scratchy, the cinematography is a matter of filming whomever happens to be standing there, and the choreography is stilted at best and clumsy at worst.
The spoof horror chorus routine "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get 'Cha If You Don't Watch Out" is cute if you know about Chaney's reputation in the genre at the time...but you probably won't get it if you don't know the era. Davies is stiff and rather desperate in her "Tommy Atkins on Parade" military dance routine. Almost every chorus number, including the military parade after "Tommy Atkins," goes on for way, way too long. Most of the songs besides "Singin' In the Rain" are dull or silly, including the often-repeated and rather bad "Your Mother and Mine." A routine with an adiago troupe comes off as strange rather than dramatic. And what was with all the women slapping Jack Benny?
The Big Finale: Cute if you love the early talkie era; not necessary for anyone else.
Home Media: Currently only available via the Warner Archives.
DVD
Starring Jack Benny, Joan Crawford, Marie Dressler, Cliff Edwards, and more
Directed by Charles Reisner and Christy Cabanne (uncredited)
Music by Arthur Freed and others; Lyrics by Nacio Herb Brown and others
We're jumping way, way back in Hollywood history for this one. After the coming of sound made musical films possible, almost every studio in town made at least one revue showcasing their most popular stars and grandest sets and costumes. MGM was no exception, and they top-loaded their Oscar-nominated variety show with everyone from up-and-coming Crawford to comedian Jack Benny to Laurel & Hardy. How does this early variety program look today? Let's head to the theater, where the show is about to begin, and find out...
The Story: There isn't one. Jack Benny introduces a series of skits, songs, and dances featuring some of the most popular stars at MGM in 1929...when said stars aren't slapping him, throwing cakes in his direction, or eating the buttons off his tuxedo.
The Song and Dance: When they say "the following galaxy of stars" in the opening credits, they're not kidding. If you love the movies of the early talkie era, you'll probably see someone you recognize. Some non-musical numbers have their own fun. Laurel and Hardy have a really cute magic act that begins with broken eggs and ends with Hardy falling into a cake. Norma Shearer and a relaxed-looking John Gilbert (just before his career tragically spiraled downwards) do a hilariously overwrought Romeo & Juliet...and then an even more ridiculous version in "modern" 20's argot, as per director Lionel Barrymore's instructions.
Favorite Number: Some of the songs here are pretty adorable, too. June Purcell and the chorus have fun with "Low Down Rhythm" early on, including another routine by the ballet-tap dancer from The Broadway Melody. Some early special effects are used on the opening chorus routine and Bessie Love's goofy acrobatic act, "I Never Knew I Could Do a Thing Like That," allowing her to emerge from Jack Benny's pocket. Marie Dressler proves why she became one of MGM's top stars in the early 30's in the hilarious royalty satire "I'm the Queen." Dressler and Love join Dressler's long-time sparring partner Polly Moran for some wild musical slapstick in enormous bloomers and hairbows, including Moran doing a terrific Al Jolson impression.
The movie is best-known today for introducing "Singin' In the Rain" to general audiences. The number is worthy of the song, with Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards performing it as the chorus splashes in real rain, with the Brox Sisters jumping in later with their own pleasant harmony. It's the best number in the film, and too cute for words. The finale at Noah's Ark, with all the stars singing in raincoats (except a confused Buster Keaton, who looks like he's just wondering where the rain went), is a great way to end the show.
Trivia: While most of the film (including its color sequences) is intact, two brief bits are missing. Current prints no longer have a recitation from the showgirls in the sign in the opening credits and the appearance of Nils Asther, who helped Benny introduce the "Singin' In the Rain" finale.
Laurel and Hardy and Marion Davies shot their numbers in the wee hours of the morning (which explains their performances, especially Davies), due to them working on other projects at the time.
Cliff Edwards later became better-known as the original voice of Jiminy Cricket in Disney's Pinocchio.
Among the women who slap Jack Benny are Gwen Lee and later Warner Bros and Scarface actress Ann Dworak.
What I Don't Like: Like The Broadway Melody, this is extremely a movie of its time. Most of the performers are barely remembered to anyone but aficionados of the early talkie era nowadays. The color is scratchy, the cinematography is a matter of filming whomever happens to be standing there, and the choreography is stilted at best and clumsy at worst.
The spoof horror chorus routine "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get 'Cha If You Don't Watch Out" is cute if you know about Chaney's reputation in the genre at the time...but you probably won't get it if you don't know the era. Davies is stiff and rather desperate in her "Tommy Atkins on Parade" military dance routine. Almost every chorus number, including the military parade after "Tommy Atkins," goes on for way, way too long. Most of the songs besides "Singin' In the Rain" are dull or silly, including the often-repeated and rather bad "Your Mother and Mine." A routine with an adiago troupe comes off as strange rather than dramatic. And what was with all the women slapping Jack Benny?
The Big Finale: Cute if you love the early talkie era; not necessary for anyone else.
Home Media: Currently only available via the Warner Archives.
DVD
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Animation Celebration Saturday - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Disney, 1977
Voices of Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Junius Matthews
Directed by John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman
Music by Richard M. Sherman; Lyrics by Robert B. Sherman
I'm back from my vacation hiatus with one of Disney's better efforts of the 70's. This anthology of the first three Winnie the Pooh featurettes was their first feature-length outing with the lovable residents of the 100 Acres Woods, a bucolic spot that exists in the imagination of a small British boy. How does his adventures with his beloved stuffed animal friends look today? Let's join Pooh at his home as he gets ready for his busy day and find out...
The Story: Actually, there's three stories in this film, starting with...
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree: Pooh badly wants honey, and at first recruits Christopher Robin to help him distract the bees and get it from a tree. When that just lands them in the mud, Pooh turns to Rabbit and his pantry filled with honey. He overeats and, to Rabbit's horror, gets stuck in his front door. The rest of the gang helps him pass the time while he's getting thin again.
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day: We're introduced to Piglet, who nearly blows away on a very windy fall day, Owl, whose tree house is blown over, and Tigger, who bounces in later in the day. While Eeyore searches for a new home for Owl, the others all deal with a huge storm...and Pooh deals with Tigger and his claims that "Heffalumps and Woozels" will steal his honey.
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too: Tigger is driving Rabbit crazy by bouncing inconsiderately. He first tries to get Tigger lost in a fog, but he ends up lost instead. Rabbit finally gets his wish when the springy tiger bounces too far up a tree and can't get down...but after tells Tigger he can't bounce, finally learns how much fun a little bouncing can be.
The Animation: Not the absolute best Disney ever did...and in this case, it might actually be a good thing. The sketchy artwork does look a lot like the illustrations in the books, especially Tigger and Eeyore. The "Heffalumps and Woozles" segment gets a bit more creative, with brighter colors and surreal imagery ala the infamous "Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo.
The Song and Dance: Disney's sweetest and most charming film, with some of it's most delightful characters. It's also one of their best literary adaptations. Even when they don't one-hundred percent stick to the books (as in the case of Gopher, the only additional character), they at least have the right gentle spirit.
Favorite Number: The most famous song from this one is probably the opening credits number that introduces the characters and who they are. It's likely the song that comes to mind when most people think of Pooh, and it shows off every character in their own gentle way. "Up Down, Touch the Ground" and "Little Black Rain Cloud" from Honey Tree tells us just how crazy Pooh is about honey and why he loves it so. "The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down" is a catchy number for an unseen chorus as they explain the havoc the storm wrecked on the 100 Acres Woods in Blustery Day.
The other famous number from this one is Tigger's signature song, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers." It's as bright, catchy, and bouncy as the effervescent Tigger himself. There's also Pooh's aforementioned nightmare, the spooky "Heffalumps and Woozels."
Trivia: This is the last Disney canon animated film Walt Disney had any personal involvement with. Honey Tree came out during his lifetime, and he worked on Blustery Day before he died.
A fourth short, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, would be released theatrically in 1983. It's included with most current DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the film as an extra.
What I Don't Like: Wish the Sherman Brothers had stuck around long enough to do music for Tigger Too and Day for Eeyore. The songs in the first two shorts are so memorable and adorable, it would be great if there were even more.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Pooh, want to try a lower-key Disney film, or are introducing your youngest children to the worlds of Pooh or Disney, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.
Home Media: As one of the most popular Disney "canon" animated films, this is easily found in all major formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Voices of Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Junius Matthews
Directed by John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman
Music by Richard M. Sherman; Lyrics by Robert B. Sherman
I'm back from my vacation hiatus with one of Disney's better efforts of the 70's. This anthology of the first three Winnie the Pooh featurettes was their first feature-length outing with the lovable residents of the 100 Acres Woods, a bucolic spot that exists in the imagination of a small British boy. How does his adventures with his beloved stuffed animal friends look today? Let's join Pooh at his home as he gets ready for his busy day and find out...
The Story: Actually, there's three stories in this film, starting with...
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree: Pooh badly wants honey, and at first recruits Christopher Robin to help him distract the bees and get it from a tree. When that just lands them in the mud, Pooh turns to Rabbit and his pantry filled with honey. He overeats and, to Rabbit's horror, gets stuck in his front door. The rest of the gang helps him pass the time while he's getting thin again.
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day: We're introduced to Piglet, who nearly blows away on a very windy fall day, Owl, whose tree house is blown over, and Tigger, who bounces in later in the day. While Eeyore searches for a new home for Owl, the others all deal with a huge storm...and Pooh deals with Tigger and his claims that "Heffalumps and Woozels" will steal his honey.
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too: Tigger is driving Rabbit crazy by bouncing inconsiderately. He first tries to get Tigger lost in a fog, but he ends up lost instead. Rabbit finally gets his wish when the springy tiger bounces too far up a tree and can't get down...but after tells Tigger he can't bounce, finally learns how much fun a little bouncing can be.
The Animation: Not the absolute best Disney ever did...and in this case, it might actually be a good thing. The sketchy artwork does look a lot like the illustrations in the books, especially Tigger and Eeyore. The "Heffalumps and Woozles" segment gets a bit more creative, with brighter colors and surreal imagery ala the infamous "Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo.
The Song and Dance: Disney's sweetest and most charming film, with some of it's most delightful characters. It's also one of their best literary adaptations. Even when they don't one-hundred percent stick to the books (as in the case of Gopher, the only additional character), they at least have the right gentle spirit.
Favorite Number: The most famous song from this one is probably the opening credits number that introduces the characters and who they are. It's likely the song that comes to mind when most people think of Pooh, and it shows off every character in their own gentle way. "Up Down, Touch the Ground" and "Little Black Rain Cloud" from Honey Tree tells us just how crazy Pooh is about honey and why he loves it so. "The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down" is a catchy number for an unseen chorus as they explain the havoc the storm wrecked on the 100 Acres Woods in Blustery Day.
The other famous number from this one is Tigger's signature song, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers." It's as bright, catchy, and bouncy as the effervescent Tigger himself. There's also Pooh's aforementioned nightmare, the spooky "Heffalumps and Woozels."
Trivia: This is the last Disney canon animated film Walt Disney had any personal involvement with. Honey Tree came out during his lifetime, and he worked on Blustery Day before he died.
A fourth short, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, would be released theatrically in 1983. It's included with most current DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the film as an extra.
What I Don't Like: Wish the Sherman Brothers had stuck around long enough to do music for Tigger Too and Day for Eeyore. The songs in the first two shorts are so memorable and adorable, it would be great if there were even more.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Pooh, want to try a lower-key Disney film, or are introducing your youngest children to the worlds of Pooh or Disney, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.
Home Media: As one of the most popular Disney "canon" animated films, this is easily found in all major formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Animation Celebration Extra - Charlotte's Web (1973)
Paramount, 1973
Voices of Henry Gibson, Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorehead, and Paul Lynde
Directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwoa Takamota
Music by Richard and Robert Sherman
Our last review before my vacation hiatus begins is this tale of an unusual friendship between a pig and a spider. The book by E.B White remains a beloved favorite of many - including me - to this day. Is the first film version as touching and enjoyable as the book, or does it smell of rotten eggs? Let's head to the Arable farm at the first flush of springtime and find out...
The Story: Fern Arable (Pamela Ferdyn) rescues a pig who is the runt of the litter before her father can kill it. She names it Wilbur (Gibson) and raises it as her pet. Eventually, Wilbur becomes large enough to be sold to Fern's uncle Home Zuckerman (Bob Holt). He's lonely in his new surroundings at first, and then frightened when a snooty ram (Dave Madden) tells him Zuckerman intends to turn him into bacon and ham in the fall.
Wilbur's life takes a turn for the special when he's befriended by Charlotte (Reynolds), a spider who lives in her web over his pen. With the help of Templeton, the disagreeable rat (Lynde), she weaves words into her web that make the Zuckermans and everyone in the area think that Wilbur is "Some Pig." Charlotte and Wilbur are inseparable, but Charlotte is an arachnid, and she's not going to live forever. Wilbur learns the true meaning of friendship when Charlotte makes a major sacrifice for him..and he helps carry on her legacy.
The Animation: Generally par for the course for Hanna-Barbara in this time, but it does have some nice effects. Some of the slower numbers in particular, such as Charlotte's first version of "Mother Earth and Father Time" and Fern's "There Must Be Something More to Us" have some nice effects and glowing colors. The animals are a little more realistic than usual for Hanna-Barbara while still being cartoony enough to appeal to kids.
The Song and Dance: While not a 100 percent accurate retelling of the book, this is still a very charming adaptation. I'm especially fond of the terrific cast. Reynolds is a wonderful, warm, comforting Charlotte, and Gibson is adorable as Wilbur. Lynde is perfectly obnoxious as the scheming, ever-eating Templeton. Agnes Moorehead is a hoot as the Goose with a habit of repeating her words. The score is gorgeous and atmospheric, possibly the Sherman Brothers' best from a non-Disney animated film.
Favorite Number: Gibson and Reynolds leads the farm animals through the rousing "We've Got Lots In Common," a chorus number on being friends despite our differences. "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" is the big number at the fair with a brass band saluting Wilbur and everyone marching along. Lynde and Moorehead have a great time celebrating the delights and edibles of the fair in "A Fair Is a Veritable Smorgasbord"
The film's best numbers are three gorgeous ballads, ably representing the Sherman Brothers' ability to write slow numbers for musicals without traditional girl-meets-boy plots. The dreamy title number accompanies Charlotte writing the words that will make Wilbur famous. Fern's opening song is a lovely lullaby for Wilbur when she first rescues him, "There Must Be Something More to Us." Charlotte describes the passing of time - and how wonderful life and the changing seasons are - in "Mother Earth and Father Time." She sings a touching reprise towards the end as she recalls how she helped Wilbur in a montage.
Trivia: This took a few years to make it to the big screen. It was originally announced in 1967, but it passed to a few animation studios before Hanna-Barbara took it over.
The movie itself did all right on first release, but was never a major blockbuster...until it made it to video. It was one of the best-selling videos of 1994, and was popular on cable as well. Like All Dogs Go to Heaven, it was so popular, it got a (direct to video) sequel, Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Adventure.
What I Don't Like: E.B White hated this movie - he wanted more drama and fewer musical numbers. I love the music, but other things don't fare as well. As mentioned, the animation isn't great, especially compared to Disney's finest, and yes, some things were changed from the book.
The Big Finale: If you've already read the book to your young ones or are about to, this is a charming introduction with wonderful songs and some great performances.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under 5 dollars.
DVD
DVD - Charlotte's Web movie 3-pack
Amazon Prime
Voices of Henry Gibson, Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorehead, and Paul Lynde
Directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwoa Takamota
Music by Richard and Robert Sherman
Our last review before my vacation hiatus begins is this tale of an unusual friendship between a pig and a spider. The book by E.B White remains a beloved favorite of many - including me - to this day. Is the first film version as touching and enjoyable as the book, or does it smell of rotten eggs? Let's head to the Arable farm at the first flush of springtime and find out...
The Story: Fern Arable (Pamela Ferdyn) rescues a pig who is the runt of the litter before her father can kill it. She names it Wilbur (Gibson) and raises it as her pet. Eventually, Wilbur becomes large enough to be sold to Fern's uncle Home Zuckerman (Bob Holt). He's lonely in his new surroundings at first, and then frightened when a snooty ram (Dave Madden) tells him Zuckerman intends to turn him into bacon and ham in the fall.
Wilbur's life takes a turn for the special when he's befriended by Charlotte (Reynolds), a spider who lives in her web over his pen. With the help of Templeton, the disagreeable rat (Lynde), she weaves words into her web that make the Zuckermans and everyone in the area think that Wilbur is "Some Pig." Charlotte and Wilbur are inseparable, but Charlotte is an arachnid, and she's not going to live forever. Wilbur learns the true meaning of friendship when Charlotte makes a major sacrifice for him..and he helps carry on her legacy.
The Animation: Generally par for the course for Hanna-Barbara in this time, but it does have some nice effects. Some of the slower numbers in particular, such as Charlotte's first version of "Mother Earth and Father Time" and Fern's "There Must Be Something More to Us" have some nice effects and glowing colors. The animals are a little more realistic than usual for Hanna-Barbara while still being cartoony enough to appeal to kids.
The Song and Dance: While not a 100 percent accurate retelling of the book, this is still a very charming adaptation. I'm especially fond of the terrific cast. Reynolds is a wonderful, warm, comforting Charlotte, and Gibson is adorable as Wilbur. Lynde is perfectly obnoxious as the scheming, ever-eating Templeton. Agnes Moorehead is a hoot as the Goose with a habit of repeating her words. The score is gorgeous and atmospheric, possibly the Sherman Brothers' best from a non-Disney animated film.
Favorite Number: Gibson and Reynolds leads the farm animals through the rousing "We've Got Lots In Common," a chorus number on being friends despite our differences. "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" is the big number at the fair with a brass band saluting Wilbur and everyone marching along. Lynde and Moorehead have a great time celebrating the delights and edibles of the fair in "A Fair Is a Veritable Smorgasbord"
The film's best numbers are three gorgeous ballads, ably representing the Sherman Brothers' ability to write slow numbers for musicals without traditional girl-meets-boy plots. The dreamy title number accompanies Charlotte writing the words that will make Wilbur famous. Fern's opening song is a lovely lullaby for Wilbur when she first rescues him, "There Must Be Something More to Us." Charlotte describes the passing of time - and how wonderful life and the changing seasons are - in "Mother Earth and Father Time." She sings a touching reprise towards the end as she recalls how she helped Wilbur in a montage.
Trivia: This took a few years to make it to the big screen. It was originally announced in 1967, but it passed to a few animation studios before Hanna-Barbara took it over.
The movie itself did all right on first release, but was never a major blockbuster...until it made it to video. It was one of the best-selling videos of 1994, and was popular on cable as well. Like All Dogs Go to Heaven, it was so popular, it got a (direct to video) sequel, Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Adventure.
What I Don't Like: E.B White hated this movie - he wanted more drama and fewer musical numbers. I love the music, but other things don't fare as well. As mentioned, the animation isn't great, especially compared to Disney's finest, and yes, some things were changed from the book.
The Big Finale: If you've already read the book to your young ones or are about to, this is a charming introduction with wonderful songs and some great performances.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under 5 dollars.
DVD
DVD - Charlotte's Web movie 3-pack
Amazon Prime
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Cult Flops - State Fair (1962)
20th Century Fox, 1962
Starring Pat Boone, Pamela Tiffin, Ann-Margaret, and Bobby Darrin
Directed by Jose Ferrer
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers
If this looks familiar, I reviewed the original 1946 musical last September. Fox had been trying to get a remake off the ground since 1960, with more music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. By the time the movie came out two years later, Hammerstein had passed away, leaving Rodgers to write the new music on his own. How does this bucolic story look over fifteen years later and taking place in a different state fair? Let's head back to the Frake farm, this time in Texas, to find out...
The Story: The Frakes have high hopes that this state fair will be their best ever. Mrs. Frake (Alice Faye) is putting her money on her mincemeat. Her husband (Tom Ewell) is coddling his enormous pig, Blue Boy, in order for him to win a blue ribbon. Son Wayne (Boone) wants to win the state car racing championship. Daughter Margie (Tiffin) just wants to get away from her steady but dull boyfriend. Mr. Frake makes a bet with a gloomy neighbor (
On his first day at the track, Wayne meets Emily (Ann-Margaret) when she poses with a few drivers. He's smitten the moment he sees her. Turns out she's a dancer and model at the fair's theater who performs at various fairs throughout the US. It takes her a little longer, but she falls for him, too. Margie finds her own man in Jerry (Darrin), a fast-talking TV reporter who is covering the fair for a local station. He claims to have a girl in every city, and she's uncertain about him at first, but he finally brings her around. Wayne, however, has a girl at home, and Emily's not the type of girl you bring home to mother. Not to mention, Jerry's angling to work in a bigger market.
The Song and Dance: I have no idea why they moved this to Texas from Iowa, but it does make for some nice cinematography. There's some lovely widescreen shots of dusty Texas, especially in the beginning on the Frake farm. Location shooting at the real-life Texas and Oklahoma state fairs helps add to the southwestern feel.
Pat Boone and Ann-Margaret are by far the stand-outs here as the girl who's been around and the boy who's wild for her, no matter what kind of a woman she is. Boone comes off as surprisingly sexy and charismatic, given his squeaky-clean image, and matches red-hot Ann-Margaret better than you might think. Their chemistry lends their love scenes an unusual amount of heat for a musical.
Favorite Number: Boone gets a relaxed "That's For Me" around the car track after he first meets Emily and falls for her at first sight. Of Rodgers' solo contributions, my favorites were the adorable "More Than Just a Friend," sung by Mr. Frake to Blue Boy when he's trying to buoy his spirits at the fair, Boone and Ann-Margaret's lovely duet "Willing and Eager," and the Frakes' sweet song on the merry-go-round at the fair, "The Little Things In Texas."
Trivia: Alice Faye came out of retirement to appear in this film.
This was Ann-Margaret's second movie after Pocketful of Miracles.
This was not the last version of State Fair, though to date it's been the last on the big screen. A stage version with additional music from other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows made Broadway briefly in 1997, and a non-musical TV film debuted in 1976.
What I Don't Like: This movie has the opposite problem from the 1946 State Fair. Here, it's Margie and her suitor who are the dull ones. Bland Tiffin barely registers (and is dubbed), and Darrin is so smarmy and creepy, you wonder why Margie's interested in him. Faye and Ewell are cute together, but neither especially feel like Texas farmers with young adult children.
There's music problems, too. The remaining Rodgers solo songs aren't nearly as memorable as the originals. Darrin's ballad "This Isn't Heaven' is especially dull. "Isn't It Kind of Fun" becomes an inexplicably strange number for Ann-Margaret and the chorus. It starts with cutesy romance and ends with her and the chorus in black outfits and a sexy red background, and it just doesn't work. Jose Ferrer, who mainly worked in drama, probably wasn't the best choice to direct a rural musical, either.
The Big Finale: Like this summer's version of The Lion King, this remake simply was not necessary. Only worth checking out if you're a major fan of Boone, Faye, or Ann-Margaret. Everyone else is probably fine with the 1946 film.
Home Media: Currently, this can only be found on the out-of-print 2-disc special edition State Fair DVD set. Check used venues or look for it occasionally on TCM.
DVD
Starring Pat Boone, Pamela Tiffin, Ann-Margaret, and Bobby Darrin
Directed by Jose Ferrer
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers
If this looks familiar, I reviewed the original 1946 musical last September. Fox had been trying to get a remake off the ground since 1960, with more music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. By the time the movie came out two years later, Hammerstein had passed away, leaving Rodgers to write the new music on his own. How does this bucolic story look over fifteen years later and taking place in a different state fair? Let's head back to the Frake farm, this time in Texas, to find out...
The Story: The Frakes have high hopes that this state fair will be their best ever. Mrs. Frake (Alice Faye) is putting her money on her mincemeat. Her husband (Tom Ewell) is coddling his enormous pig, Blue Boy, in order for him to win a blue ribbon. Son Wayne (Boone) wants to win the state car racing championship. Daughter Margie (Tiffin) just wants to get away from her steady but dull boyfriend. Mr. Frake makes a bet with a gloomy neighbor (
On his first day at the track, Wayne meets Emily (Ann-Margaret) when she poses with a few drivers. He's smitten the moment he sees her. Turns out she's a dancer and model at the fair's theater who performs at various fairs throughout the US. It takes her a little longer, but she falls for him, too. Margie finds her own man in Jerry (Darrin), a fast-talking TV reporter who is covering the fair for a local station. He claims to have a girl in every city, and she's uncertain about him at first, but he finally brings her around. Wayne, however, has a girl at home, and Emily's not the type of girl you bring home to mother. Not to mention, Jerry's angling to work in a bigger market.
The Song and Dance: I have no idea why they moved this to Texas from Iowa, but it does make for some nice cinematography. There's some lovely widescreen shots of dusty Texas, especially in the beginning on the Frake farm. Location shooting at the real-life Texas and Oklahoma state fairs helps add to the southwestern feel.
Pat Boone and Ann-Margaret are by far the stand-outs here as the girl who's been around and the boy who's wild for her, no matter what kind of a woman she is. Boone comes off as surprisingly sexy and charismatic, given his squeaky-clean image, and matches red-hot Ann-Margaret better than you might think. Their chemistry lends their love scenes an unusual amount of heat for a musical.
Favorite Number: Boone gets a relaxed "That's For Me" around the car track after he first meets Emily and falls for her at first sight. Of Rodgers' solo contributions, my favorites were the adorable "More Than Just a Friend," sung by Mr. Frake to Blue Boy when he's trying to buoy his spirits at the fair, Boone and Ann-Margaret's lovely duet "Willing and Eager," and the Frakes' sweet song on the merry-go-round at the fair, "The Little Things In Texas."
Trivia: Alice Faye came out of retirement to appear in this film.
This was Ann-Margaret's second movie after Pocketful of Miracles.
This was not the last version of State Fair, though to date it's been the last on the big screen. A stage version with additional music from other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows made Broadway briefly in 1997, and a non-musical TV film debuted in 1976.
What I Don't Like: This movie has the opposite problem from the 1946 State Fair. Here, it's Margie and her suitor who are the dull ones. Bland Tiffin barely registers (and is dubbed), and Darrin is so smarmy and creepy, you wonder why Margie's interested in him. Faye and Ewell are cute together, but neither especially feel like Texas farmers with young adult children.
There's music problems, too. The remaining Rodgers solo songs aren't nearly as memorable as the originals. Darrin's ballad "This Isn't Heaven' is especially dull. "Isn't It Kind of Fun" becomes an inexplicably strange number for Ann-Margaret and the chorus. It starts with cutesy romance and ends with her and the chorus in black outfits and a sexy red background, and it just doesn't work. Jose Ferrer, who mainly worked in drama, probably wasn't the best choice to direct a rural musical, either.
The Big Finale: Like this summer's version of The Lion King, this remake simply was not necessary. Only worth checking out if you're a major fan of Boone, Faye, or Ann-Margaret. Everyone else is probably fine with the 1946 film.
Home Media: Currently, this can only be found on the out-of-print 2-disc special edition State Fair DVD set. Check used venues or look for it occasionally on TCM.
DVD
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Family Fun Extra - The Muppet Movie
Associated Film Distribution, 1979
Voices of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, and Dave Golez
Directed by James Frawley
Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams
Like the Peanuts a decade earlier, the Muppets came to movies via television. The Muppet Show was a huge hit throughout most of the 70's, enough for Jim Henson to consider expanding his empire to the big screen. Is the first feature-length Muppet film as much fun as the show, or should it be left on the back roads? Let's head to a screening for this very film with the Muppets and find out...
The Story: The movie tells the (supposed) origins of the Muppets and how they met. Kermit begins in a Florida swamp, but he hits the road when a lost Hollywood agent (Dom DeLouise) tells him that a famous producer is holding auditions for performers to become rich and famous. He starts across the country on a bicycle, but after that's ruined, hitches a ride with frustrated bear comedian Fozzie (Oz), whom he encounters at a bar. They gradually pick up other Muppets on the way, including Gonzo (Golez) and his chicken girlfriend Camilla (Jerry Nelson) on the road, Miss Piggy (Oz) from a county fair, and Rolf the Dog (Henson) from a lounge. All the while, fried frog legs magnate Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) is following them with his nerdy assistant Max, hoping to make Kermit the spokes-frog for his restaurant franchise no matter what.
The Song and Dance: Jim Henson and their crew opted to do some experimenting on bringing the Muppets to the big screen. The ones usually sited are Kermit in the beginning, playing the banjo surrounded by water, and him on the bicycle a few minutes later. There's also Gonzo on the balloons, Fozzie driving the Studebaker, and Animal's "big" finale, to name a few "how did the do that?" moments.
The wider screen and increased emphasis on special effects haven't dulled the Muppets' lovable personalities. They come across as just as fun and believable on the big screen as they do on the small one, from sensible Kermit to Fozzie's bad jokes and insecurities to "tougher than she looks" Piggy. You could spend a whole viewing just looking for all the goofy running gags and checking out the random cameos that pop up everywhere. As the two largest human parts, Durning has a lot of fun as the obsessive restaurant owner, and Austin Pendleton is adorable as his nerdy - and more sympathetic - assistant Max. There's also Mel Brooks as a mad scientist and Steve Martin as an extremely sarcastic waiter.
Favorite Number: By far the most famous song from this one is the gentle ballad "The Rainbow Connection." It not only helps to show off those effects I mentioned earlier (this is the one set in the swamp), but it perfectly encapsulates the Muppets' - and Jim Henson's - positive philosophy. Kermit and Fozzie hit the road in a number that has fun with driving gags, "Movin' Right Along." "Can You Picture That?" is a lively routine for the Electric Mayhem when the band helps Fozzie and Kermit evade Doc Hopper by painting their vehicle. Gonzo gets the movie's best slow number, the lovely "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" during the group's interlude in the desert after their car breaks down.
Trivia: So, how did they film that opening sequence in the swamp? Jim Henson sat in a metal container with a tube to breathe and a rubber hose that allowed him to see what was going on and operate Kermit. It took them five days to get that scene down. An overhead crane worked Kermit during the bicycle scene.
The Studebaker driven by Fozzie (and a man in the back seat) is now on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.
This was the final film of beloved ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his most famous creation, Charlie McCarthy. The movie is dedicated to Bergen.
What I Don't Like: The cameos, ranging from Telly Salvalvas to Madeline Kahn to Richard Pryor and Bob Hope, are fun to see, but they may also be confusing for those who aren't familiar with the pop culture of the late 70's. Not to mention, later Muppet films would have much stronger plots (with a bit more pathos) than this.
The Big Finale: An obvious must for Muppet fans; also fun for families looking for a laid-back musical for the entire crew.
Home Media: As the first and one of the most popular of the Muppet films, this is easily found in all major formats, often for under 5 dollars.
Monday, September 9, 2019
My Sister Eileen (1955)
Columbia, 1955
Starring Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Bob Fosse
Directed by Richard Quine
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Leo Robin
First of all, quick reminder that Musical Dreams Reviews will be on vacation hiatus from the 13th through the 20th. To make up for it, you'll be getting not one, but two extra reviews this week.
Wonderful Town was a major hit on Broadway in 1953. Columbia owned the rights to the original 1942 play the show was based on, but couldn't afford the rights for the musical and opted to create their own version. Is it as much fun as the Broadway show? Let's head to Grenwich Village in New York City with the Sherwood sisters as they search for an apartment and find out...
The Story: Ruth (Garrett) and Eileen (Leigh) Sherwood have come to New York to make their fortunes as a writer and an actress, respectively. They're sold on a Village apartment by the crafty Papa Appopolous (Kurt Kaznar), but the basement room is falling apart, has a window that opens onto the street, and a construction company is blasting to build a new subway route.
The girls don't have much luck with getting jobs at first, either. Editor Bob Baker (Lemmon) thinks Ruth's romance stories are too melodramatic, and all producers want is to ogle Eileen's body without even giving her an audition. Eileen finally meets a handsome soda jerk, Frank (Fosse), at a local drug store. He's smitten and offers to help her find decent auditions...but so's reporter Chick Clark (Tommy Rall).
While Eileen is falling for both men, Ruth has finally written a story that Baker likes, about her sister and her suitors. When he's interested, Ruth quickly claims that she's the one who it all happened to and her sister was fictitious. That makes him think she's a loose woman. Now the two women have to figure out how they can find real jobs and figure out their love lives, before their money runs out and they end up on the next train back to Ohio.
The Song and Dance: What I like about this one is it's endearingly low-key for a musical of the 1950's. It's just the story of two young women, their suitors, and a few wacky locals who discover just how hard it can be to make it in the Big Apple. It has an almost domestic feel that, like How to Succeed, brings it closer to the sitcoms of the time than your typical musical.
I'm glad they gave Garrett a chance. She's very funny as Ruth, who is shocked that there's a man out there who might like her and not her sister. Leigh is very sweet as Eileen, and Rall and Fosse are hilarious as her two suitors. And who knew Dick York would work out so well as Ted "The Wreck" Loomis, an out-of-work athlete who lives with his fiancee over the girls and visits them frequently.
Favorite Number: The girls and Papa get the jaunty "We're Great but No One Knows It" in the beginning when the girls are ready to conquer New York. The girls also get "There's Nothin' Like Love" when Ruth explains to her sister why she has trouble with men. Rall and Fosse join the ladies for the rousing brass band spoof "Give Me a Band and My Baby" when they're all on the town.
Fosse's choreography shines in two extended instrumental dance numbers. His show-off routine with Rall is more typical of his style, with the men competing to see who can do Fosse's stylized moves better. A duet with Leigh towards the end is more romantic than usual for Fosse, with sweeping spins and longing glances.
What I Don't Like: Some aspects of this story haven't dated well. Bob may have been right that Ruth needed to "write what she knows," but he was a major jerk after she claimed she was the one with the many suitors. And Frank wasn't much better; nowadays, "Bohemian" would hardly be the worst thing you could accuse someone of, and I suspect Wreck sleeping in their apartment would cause far less of a stir.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of the cast or want to try a smaller musical, you'll want to get to know the Sherwood sisters and their eccentric Grenwich Village neighbors, too.
Home Media: Once again, the limited-edition Twilight Time Blu-Ray is expensive, making DVD and streaming your best option. It's also on that Musicals 20 Movies Mill Creek set.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Bob Fosse
Directed by Richard Quine
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Leo Robin
First of all, quick reminder that Musical Dreams Reviews will be on vacation hiatus from the 13th through the 20th. To make up for it, you'll be getting not one, but two extra reviews this week.
Wonderful Town was a major hit on Broadway in 1953. Columbia owned the rights to the original 1942 play the show was based on, but couldn't afford the rights for the musical and opted to create their own version. Is it as much fun as the Broadway show? Let's head to Grenwich Village in New York City with the Sherwood sisters as they search for an apartment and find out...
The Story: Ruth (Garrett) and Eileen (Leigh) Sherwood have come to New York to make their fortunes as a writer and an actress, respectively. They're sold on a Village apartment by the crafty Papa Appopolous (Kurt Kaznar), but the basement room is falling apart, has a window that opens onto the street, and a construction company is blasting to build a new subway route.
The girls don't have much luck with getting jobs at first, either. Editor Bob Baker (Lemmon) thinks Ruth's romance stories are too melodramatic, and all producers want is to ogle Eileen's body without even giving her an audition. Eileen finally meets a handsome soda jerk, Frank (Fosse), at a local drug store. He's smitten and offers to help her find decent auditions...but so's reporter Chick Clark (Tommy Rall).
While Eileen is falling for both men, Ruth has finally written a story that Baker likes, about her sister and her suitors. When he's interested, Ruth quickly claims that she's the one who it all happened to and her sister was fictitious. That makes him think she's a loose woman. Now the two women have to figure out how they can find real jobs and figure out their love lives, before their money runs out and they end up on the next train back to Ohio.
The Song and Dance: What I like about this one is it's endearingly low-key for a musical of the 1950's. It's just the story of two young women, their suitors, and a few wacky locals who discover just how hard it can be to make it in the Big Apple. It has an almost domestic feel that, like How to Succeed, brings it closer to the sitcoms of the time than your typical musical.
I'm glad they gave Garrett a chance. She's very funny as Ruth, who is shocked that there's a man out there who might like her and not her sister. Leigh is very sweet as Eileen, and Rall and Fosse are hilarious as her two suitors. And who knew Dick York would work out so well as Ted "The Wreck" Loomis, an out-of-work athlete who lives with his fiancee over the girls and visits them frequently.
Favorite Number: The girls and Papa get the jaunty "We're Great but No One Knows It" in the beginning when the girls are ready to conquer New York. The girls also get "There's Nothin' Like Love" when Ruth explains to her sister why she has trouble with men. Rall and Fosse join the ladies for the rousing brass band spoof "Give Me a Band and My Baby" when they're all on the town.
Fosse's choreography shines in two extended instrumental dance numbers. His show-off routine with Rall is more typical of his style, with the men competing to see who can do Fosse's stylized moves better. A duet with Leigh towards the end is more romantic than usual for Fosse, with sweeping spins and longing glances.
What I Don't Like: Some aspects of this story haven't dated well. Bob may have been right that Ruth needed to "write what she knows," but he was a major jerk after she claimed she was the one with the many suitors. And Frank wasn't much better; nowadays, "Bohemian" would hardly be the worst thing you could accuse someone of, and I suspect Wreck sleeping in their apartment would cause far less of a stir.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of the cast or want to try a smaller musical, you'll want to get to know the Sherwood sisters and their eccentric Grenwich Village neighbors, too.
Home Media: Once again, the limited-edition Twilight Time Blu-Ray is expensive, making DVD and streaming your best option. It's also on that Musicals 20 Movies Mill Creek set.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Animation Celebration Saturday - A Boy Named Charlie Brown
National General Pictures, 1969
Voices of Peter Robbins, Pamela Ferdyn, Glenn Gilger, and Bill Melendez
Directed by Bill Melendez
Music and Lyrics by Vince Guaraldi, John Scott Trotter, and Rod McKuen
The Peanuts specials were wildly popular in the mid-late 1960's, bringing the beloved Charles Schultz comic strips ably to life. Many of them are still associated with the holidays to this day. Long-time Peanuts director and producer Bill Melendez decided that they were successful enough to make the jump to the big screen. How does Charlie Brown and his kites and baseball games look in a feature-length film? We're going to start with Charlie preparing that infamous kite as we find out...
The Story: Poor Charlie Brown (Robbins) just can't catch a break. Whether it's a kite that won't fly or losing a baseball game or local psychiatrist-stand owner Lucy Van Pelt (Ferdyn) relating his many faults, nothing every seems to go right for him. That is, until he manages to win the class spelling bee, and then the school spelling bee. Now Lucy wants to be his agent, and every kid in school is rooting for him. Linus even gives him his blanket as a good-luck charm. That lasts about five minutes before Linus can't stand missing his blanket. He and Snoopy follow Charlie Brown to New York to retrieve it, then to watch Charlie compete. Win or lose, Charlie knows he did try...and that he'll always be "good ol' Charlie Brown" to his friends.
The Animation: Melendez and his crew did their best with the limited budget they had. While it retains the sketchy look of the show, there's more movement and slightly more refined character animation. Where the artwork really shines is in several extended instrumental sequences that blend random images with watercolor backgrounds and even rotoscoping, blended in time to classical music. They look stunning, and even soothing, especially Schroeder's piano piece.
The Song and Dance: Just as charming as the specials. There's some wonderful bits in this film, starting with Charlie Brown and his kite and ending with him trying to kick Lucy's football again. Considering how often he loses in the comics and specials, it's almost cathartic to see him win for a change, and how the kids cheer for him. There's even a little drama with Linus' missing blanket.
Favorite Number: "I Before E" is a catchy tune for Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy as they practice for the school. Lucy and her friends sing "Failure Face" in the opening to give Charlie their opinion of him after the baseball game doesn't work out...but they change their tune with "Champion Charlie Brown" after he's won the school spelling bee. There's also McKuen's sweet and laid-back title song over the opening and closing credits.
The real stand-outs are the instrumental numbers. "The Star Spangled Banner" mixes patriotic imagery with drawings of the kids with their hats off just before the game, and it's short but stirring. Schroeder's piano solo and a later number with Snoopy skating at Rockerfeller Center in New York are more soothing, mixing gorgeous watercolors and stunning colors with artwork of the Schroeder and his piano or Snoopy on the ice. The skating number even has some nicely-done rotoscoping of hockey players during a faster segment with Snoopy playing ice hockey.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're looking for a more linear story, this isn't it. There's a lot of filler, especially in the second half. A segment with Snoopy chasing the Red Baron is well-done but not really connected to anything else. Linus' desperate search through Manhattan for his blanket almost comes off dramatic and feels slightly out-of-place in the mostly comic story.
The Big Picture: If you or your kids are fans of the Peanuts and have enjoyed the specials, this might be a great way to introduce Charlie Brown and his never-say-die world outside of the holidays.
Home Media: Easy find on DVD and Blu-Ray, alone and in collections with the other original Peanuts films of the 1970's and early 80's.
DVD
DVD - Peanuts Double Feature: A Boy Named Charlie Brown & Snoopy Come Home
Blu-Ray
Voices of Peter Robbins, Pamela Ferdyn, Glenn Gilger, and Bill Melendez
Directed by Bill Melendez
Music and Lyrics by Vince Guaraldi, John Scott Trotter, and Rod McKuen
The Peanuts specials were wildly popular in the mid-late 1960's, bringing the beloved Charles Schultz comic strips ably to life. Many of them are still associated with the holidays to this day. Long-time Peanuts director and producer Bill Melendez decided that they were successful enough to make the jump to the big screen. How does Charlie Brown and his kites and baseball games look in a feature-length film? We're going to start with Charlie preparing that infamous kite as we find out...
The Story: Poor Charlie Brown (Robbins) just can't catch a break. Whether it's a kite that won't fly or losing a baseball game or local psychiatrist-stand owner Lucy Van Pelt (Ferdyn) relating his many faults, nothing every seems to go right for him. That is, until he manages to win the class spelling bee, and then the school spelling bee. Now Lucy wants to be his agent, and every kid in school is rooting for him. Linus even gives him his blanket as a good-luck charm. That lasts about five minutes before Linus can't stand missing his blanket. He and Snoopy follow Charlie Brown to New York to retrieve it, then to watch Charlie compete. Win or lose, Charlie knows he did try...and that he'll always be "good ol' Charlie Brown" to his friends.
The Animation: Melendez and his crew did their best with the limited budget they had. While it retains the sketchy look of the show, there's more movement and slightly more refined character animation. Where the artwork really shines is in several extended instrumental sequences that blend random images with watercolor backgrounds and even rotoscoping, blended in time to classical music. They look stunning, and even soothing, especially Schroeder's piano piece.
The Song and Dance: Just as charming as the specials. There's some wonderful bits in this film, starting with Charlie Brown and his kite and ending with him trying to kick Lucy's football again. Considering how often he loses in the comics and specials, it's almost cathartic to see him win for a change, and how the kids cheer for him. There's even a little drama with Linus' missing blanket.
Favorite Number: "I Before E" is a catchy tune for Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy as they practice for the school. Lucy and her friends sing "Failure Face" in the opening to give Charlie their opinion of him after the baseball game doesn't work out...but they change their tune with "Champion Charlie Brown" after he's won the school spelling bee. There's also McKuen's sweet and laid-back title song over the opening and closing credits.
The real stand-outs are the instrumental numbers. "The Star Spangled Banner" mixes patriotic imagery with drawings of the kids with their hats off just before the game, and it's short but stirring. Schroeder's piano solo and a later number with Snoopy skating at Rockerfeller Center in New York are more soothing, mixing gorgeous watercolors and stunning colors with artwork of the Schroeder and his piano or Snoopy on the ice. The skating number even has some nicely-done rotoscoping of hockey players during a faster segment with Snoopy playing ice hockey.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're looking for a more linear story, this isn't it. There's a lot of filler, especially in the second half. A segment with Snoopy chasing the Red Baron is well-done but not really connected to anything else. Linus' desperate search through Manhattan for his blanket almost comes off dramatic and feels slightly out-of-place in the mostly comic story.
The Big Picture: If you or your kids are fans of the Peanuts and have enjoyed the specials, this might be a great way to introduce Charlie Brown and his never-say-die world outside of the holidays.
Home Media: Easy find on DVD and Blu-Ray, alone and in collections with the other original Peanuts films of the 1970's and early 80's.
DVD
DVD - Peanuts Double Feature: A Boy Named Charlie Brown & Snoopy Come Home
Blu-Ray
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Back to School Again - College Humor
Paramount, 1933
Starring Bing Crosby, Richard Arlen, Jack Oakie, and Mary Carlisle
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
Music by Arthur Johnson; Lyrics by Sam Coslow
We jump ahead to the early 30's for our second musical on higher education. Bing Crosby was already an up-and-coming star when he made this major hit. Despite Oakie and Arlen being the nominal stars, he - and his crooning of several songs - are what the public really came to see. George Burns and Gracie Allen are hanging out in there too as daffy food workers. Let's take a trip down the Old Ox Road to Midwest University and see how this collegiate tale stands up today....
The Story: Barney Shirrel (Oakie) is excited to be starting his first semester at Midwest. His girlfriend Amber (Mary Kornman) wishes he'd just take some time to be with her. He's throwing himself into his law and engineering studies. After he joins a fraternity, the school's alcoholic football star Mondrake (Arlen) convinces him to join the team. Mondrake's having his own woman problems. He gave his football sweater to Barney's sister Barbara (Carlisle), but she's falling for the crooning Professor Danvers (Crosby). It starts to effect his performance, to the point where he ends up in jail before an important game.
Danvers does get him released in time for the game, but it doesn't make him popular with Midwest's president (Lumsden Hare). Despite Mondrake's stardom, he's expelled, and Danvers leaves. Barbara admits to Mondrake that she doesn't love him and returns to Danvers. Meanwhile, Barney has been sowing his own wild oats, to Amber's annoyance. He's so drunk at the big game between Midwest and Nebraska, he gets knocked out. Can Danvers and Mondrake get him moving again in time to make that all-important touchdown?
The Song and Dance: Bing's the main attraction, but there's a few others who stand out. George Burns and Gracie Allen do turn up for one bit and a song mid-way through, and they have a funny moment towards the end where George tries to explain the intricacies of football to his scatterbrained wife. Arlen is decent as the footballer who wins the game but loses the girl as well, especially when he finally lets Barbara be with the man she wants to be with. Kornman is cute as a button as the exasperated Amber.
Favorite Number: "Down the Old Ox Road" is a surprisingly creative chorus routine that starts with Oakie and Kornman singing about a romantic lane that exists only in the imagination of lovers. They pass it from student to student, until it eventually reaches the school, where Bing finishes it off. "Learn to Croon" is also fun, as Bing teaches his students the ins and outs of singing in the early 30's.
What I Don't Like: For a movie called College Humor, this college isn't especially humorous. Oakie's lumbering antics don't mix well with Arlen's cliched "alcoholic student makes a comeback" plot or Crosby's songs. Not to mention, Arlen and Oakie are way too old to pass for football players or college students, and Crosby is too young to be a professor.
Almost everyone else is misused. Burns and Allen, other than a couple of brief moments and one song, are barely in the film. I really wish there'd been more focus on the music - and more numbers like "Learn to Croon" and "Old Ox Road" - and less on the melodramatic romances.
The Big Finale: For fans of Crosby or pre-code musicals only.
Home Media: As with many other Bing titles, it is available solo as part of the Universal Vault collection, but your best bet is to pick it up as part of a 4-disc set with five other Bing movies from his 30's-40's heyday.
DVD
DVD - The Bing Crosby Collection
Starring Bing Crosby, Richard Arlen, Jack Oakie, and Mary Carlisle
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
Music by Arthur Johnson; Lyrics by Sam Coslow
We jump ahead to the early 30's for our second musical on higher education. Bing Crosby was already an up-and-coming star when he made this major hit. Despite Oakie and Arlen being the nominal stars, he - and his crooning of several songs - are what the public really came to see. George Burns and Gracie Allen are hanging out in there too as daffy food workers. Let's take a trip down the Old Ox Road to Midwest University and see how this collegiate tale stands up today....
The Story: Barney Shirrel (Oakie) is excited to be starting his first semester at Midwest. His girlfriend Amber (Mary Kornman) wishes he'd just take some time to be with her. He's throwing himself into his law and engineering studies. After he joins a fraternity, the school's alcoholic football star Mondrake (Arlen) convinces him to join the team. Mondrake's having his own woman problems. He gave his football sweater to Barney's sister Barbara (Carlisle), but she's falling for the crooning Professor Danvers (Crosby). It starts to effect his performance, to the point where he ends up in jail before an important game.
Danvers does get him released in time for the game, but it doesn't make him popular with Midwest's president (Lumsden Hare). Despite Mondrake's stardom, he's expelled, and Danvers leaves. Barbara admits to Mondrake that she doesn't love him and returns to Danvers. Meanwhile, Barney has been sowing his own wild oats, to Amber's annoyance. He's so drunk at the big game between Midwest and Nebraska, he gets knocked out. Can Danvers and Mondrake get him moving again in time to make that all-important touchdown?
The Song and Dance: Bing's the main attraction, but there's a few others who stand out. George Burns and Gracie Allen do turn up for one bit and a song mid-way through, and they have a funny moment towards the end where George tries to explain the intricacies of football to his scatterbrained wife. Arlen is decent as the footballer who wins the game but loses the girl as well, especially when he finally lets Barbara be with the man she wants to be with. Kornman is cute as a button as the exasperated Amber.
Favorite Number: "Down the Old Ox Road" is a surprisingly creative chorus routine that starts with Oakie and Kornman singing about a romantic lane that exists only in the imagination of lovers. They pass it from student to student, until it eventually reaches the school, where Bing finishes it off. "Learn to Croon" is also fun, as Bing teaches his students the ins and outs of singing in the early 30's.
What I Don't Like: For a movie called College Humor, this college isn't especially humorous. Oakie's lumbering antics don't mix well with Arlen's cliched "alcoholic student makes a comeback" plot or Crosby's songs. Not to mention, Arlen and Oakie are way too old to pass for football players or college students, and Crosby is too young to be a professor.
Almost everyone else is misused. Burns and Allen, other than a couple of brief moments and one song, are barely in the film. I really wish there'd been more focus on the music - and more numbers like "Learn to Croon" and "Old Ox Road" - and less on the melodramatic romances.
The Big Finale: For fans of Crosby or pre-code musicals only.
Home Media: As with many other Bing titles, it is available solo as part of the Universal Vault collection, but your best bet is to pick it up as part of a 4-disc set with five other Bing movies from his 30's-40's heyday.
DVD
DVD - The Bing Crosby Collection
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Back to School Again - Good News (1947)
MGM, 1947
Starring June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Joan McCracken, and Patricia Marshall
Directed by Charles Walters
Music and lyrics by various
We celebrate the start of the school year in my part of the US with two vintage musicals about college in simpler times. This was a huge hit on Broadway in 1927, and for many years was considered to be the musical about college. MGM had already adapted it in 1930, but there had already been a run of imitation school-themed musicals and it only did fair at the box office. They tried again in color seventeen years later, with a slightly updated story and a cast of up-and-comers, including newly varnished director Walters. Is it "good news," or does it fumble the football? Let's head to a rally at Tait College and find out...
The Story: Tommy Marlowe (Lawford) is the golden boy of Tait, it's most beloved football star and popular student. He considers himself to be a major ladies man, until pretty and snooty co-ed Pat McClellen (Marshall) turns him down. She's only interested in men with money. Poor scholarship student Connie Lane (Allyson) is pretty much the only girl who isn't swayed by Marlowe's charm. She's top at languages, and it's to her that Tommy turns when Pat kisses him off with a French insult. She gives him an impromptu French lesson, after which, he joins a French class and she's smitten. Unfortunately, Connie's best friend Babe Doolittle (McCracken) tells Pat that Tommy's rich...and now, Pat's after him. Tommy breaks a date with Connie and lets his grades slide to be with her. His French grades are so bad, Connie has to tutor him in order for him to be in the big game. She thinks he wants Pat, but he's having second thoughts.
Meanwhile, Tommy's football buddy, perennial bench-warmer Bobby Turner (Ray McDonald), is trying to avoid Babe, but Babe has a crush on him and keeps trying to get his attention. He's avoiding her because she already has a guy, the possessive football player Beef (Loren Tindall). It's Connie who finally comes up with a brilliant plan that gives everyone what they want.
The Song and Dance: High-energy chorus routines and some terrific choreography gives this one a lot of vitality. Everyone's having a great time with the vivacious numbers, including sassy Allyson, suave Lawford, goofy McDonald, and especially McCracken. It's a shame she didn't do more movies. She'a a ball to watch as Babe, especially when she's trying her hardest to pursue the man of her dreams. She also gets one of the funniest bits in the movie when she's hiding in Bobby's car to get a chance to talk to him, and half the football team ends up sitting on her when they're driving to the local soda shoppe. Her reaction after they arrive is priceless. I also love that it's Connie who settles everything, and shows just how important using your head to solve a problem can be.
Favorite Number: As mentioned, it's the chorus numbers where this really shines. McCracken and McDonald leads everyone through a whirling "Pass That Peace Pipe" at the soda shoppe, while Allyson teaches Lawford and the students how to do "The Varsity Drag" in the finale. A young Mel Torme joins Lawford to encourage McDonald to "Be a Ladies' Man," has a nice segment in the ensemble number "Lucky In Love," and get to run through "The Best Things In Life are Free" in the end.
Roger Edens, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green wrote three songs directly for the film; "Pass That Peace Pipe" and "The French Lesson" made it in. "French Lesson" is just that, as Allyson gives willing pupil Lawford a fast lesson in the basics of French. He takes to it faster than expected in a funny and tongue-twisting number.
Trivia: Good News originally debuted on Broadway in 1927. It was one of the major hits of the late 20's, bringing all the rah-rah enthusiasm of the era to the Big White Way. A revival in 1974 starring Stubby Kaye and Alice Faye didn't do anything resembling as well.
The 1930 Good News does exist, but its color finale is lost. It's only available in part on the DVD for the remake. Also on that DVD is the remaining new song from Edens, Comden, and Green, "An Easier Way," that was dropped from the movie.
That was actually Lawford teaching Allyson French in their song! In real life, he was a cultured Brit who spoke French fluently and taught it to her for the film.
"Pass That Peace Pipe" was nominated for an Oscar.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, the story is not the strongest in the world. This is just a fluffy bit of nostalgic fun. None of the film versions (or later stage rewrites) use the entire original score, and it might have been nice to hear. While the costumes and settings do look vaguely collegiate, they don't really look 20's. The boys are all right, but other than some low-slung dresses during the party scenes, the girls' outfits, hair, and makeup are pure 1947. And speaking of the costumes, if Connie is supposed to be poor, how can she afford the three fancy dresses she wears in the formal sequences? Borrowed them from her fellow co-eds?
While most of the song is performed to an instrumental break and nonsense words, some of the lyrics and choreography in the early goings of "Pass That Peace Pipe" may be considered more than a little bit in Native American stereotype territory nowadays.
The Big Finale: Colorful and energetic, this is a fun romp for lovers of dance, the cast, or MGM musicals.
Home Media: Currently on DVD via the Warner Archives and on several streaming companies.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Joan McCracken, and Patricia Marshall
Directed by Charles Walters
Music and lyrics by various
We celebrate the start of the school year in my part of the US with two vintage musicals about college in simpler times. This was a huge hit on Broadway in 1927, and for many years was considered to be the musical about college. MGM had already adapted it in 1930, but there had already been a run of imitation school-themed musicals and it only did fair at the box office. They tried again in color seventeen years later, with a slightly updated story and a cast of up-and-comers, including newly varnished director Walters. Is it "good news," or does it fumble the football? Let's head to a rally at Tait College and find out...
The Story: Tommy Marlowe (Lawford) is the golden boy of Tait, it's most beloved football star and popular student. He considers himself to be a major ladies man, until pretty and snooty co-ed Pat McClellen (Marshall) turns him down. She's only interested in men with money. Poor scholarship student Connie Lane (Allyson) is pretty much the only girl who isn't swayed by Marlowe's charm. She's top at languages, and it's to her that Tommy turns when Pat kisses him off with a French insult. She gives him an impromptu French lesson, after which, he joins a French class and she's smitten. Unfortunately, Connie's best friend Babe Doolittle (McCracken) tells Pat that Tommy's rich...and now, Pat's after him. Tommy breaks a date with Connie and lets his grades slide to be with her. His French grades are so bad, Connie has to tutor him in order for him to be in the big game. She thinks he wants Pat, but he's having second thoughts.
Meanwhile, Tommy's football buddy, perennial bench-warmer Bobby Turner (Ray McDonald), is trying to avoid Babe, but Babe has a crush on him and keeps trying to get his attention. He's avoiding her because she already has a guy, the possessive football player Beef (Loren Tindall). It's Connie who finally comes up with a brilliant plan that gives everyone what they want.
The Song and Dance: High-energy chorus routines and some terrific choreography gives this one a lot of vitality. Everyone's having a great time with the vivacious numbers, including sassy Allyson, suave Lawford, goofy McDonald, and especially McCracken. It's a shame she didn't do more movies. She'a a ball to watch as Babe, especially when she's trying her hardest to pursue the man of her dreams. She also gets one of the funniest bits in the movie when she's hiding in Bobby's car to get a chance to talk to him, and half the football team ends up sitting on her when they're driving to the local soda shoppe. Her reaction after they arrive is priceless. I also love that it's Connie who settles everything, and shows just how important using your head to solve a problem can be.
Favorite Number: As mentioned, it's the chorus numbers where this really shines. McCracken and McDonald leads everyone through a whirling "Pass That Peace Pipe" at the soda shoppe, while Allyson teaches Lawford and the students how to do "The Varsity Drag" in the finale. A young Mel Torme joins Lawford to encourage McDonald to "Be a Ladies' Man," has a nice segment in the ensemble number "Lucky In Love," and get to run through "The Best Things In Life are Free" in the end.
Roger Edens, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green wrote three songs directly for the film; "Pass That Peace Pipe" and "The French Lesson" made it in. "French Lesson" is just that, as Allyson gives willing pupil Lawford a fast lesson in the basics of French. He takes to it faster than expected in a funny and tongue-twisting number.
Trivia: Good News originally debuted on Broadway in 1927. It was one of the major hits of the late 20's, bringing all the rah-rah enthusiasm of the era to the Big White Way. A revival in 1974 starring Stubby Kaye and Alice Faye didn't do anything resembling as well.
The 1930 Good News does exist, but its color finale is lost. It's only available in part on the DVD for the remake. Also on that DVD is the remaining new song from Edens, Comden, and Green, "An Easier Way," that was dropped from the movie.
That was actually Lawford teaching Allyson French in their song! In real life, he was a cultured Brit who spoke French fluently and taught it to her for the film.
"Pass That Peace Pipe" was nominated for an Oscar.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, the story is not the strongest in the world. This is just a fluffy bit of nostalgic fun. None of the film versions (or later stage rewrites) use the entire original score, and it might have been nice to hear. While the costumes and settings do look vaguely collegiate, they don't really look 20's. The boys are all right, but other than some low-slung dresses during the party scenes, the girls' outfits, hair, and makeup are pure 1947. And speaking of the costumes, if Connie is supposed to be poor, how can she afford the three fancy dresses she wears in the formal sequences? Borrowed them from her fellow co-eds?
While most of the song is performed to an instrumental break and nonsense words, some of the lyrics and choreography in the early goings of "Pass That Peace Pipe" may be considered more than a little bit in Native American stereotype territory nowadays.
The Big Finale: Colorful and energetic, this is a fun romp for lovers of dance, the cast, or MGM musicals.
Home Media: Currently on DVD via the Warner Archives and on several streaming companies.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Monday, September 2, 2019
Happy Labor Day! - How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
United Artists, 1967
Starring Robert Morse, Michelle Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Maureen Arthur
Directed by David Swift
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews will be going on hiatus from September 13th to 20th for vacation. As I did with my vacation in May, I'll be doing three extra reviews during the remaining weeks of the month to make up for it, starting today.
We honor Labor Day with a musical about working and moving up the corporate ladder. How to Succeed was seen as a breath of fresh air on Broadway when it debuted in 1961, an office satire that was considered to be so on the mark at the time, it won a Pulitzer. Does the movie resonate equally well nowadays, or is it like a stale office party? Let's take the subway to the World Wide Wicket Company and find out...
The Story: J. Pierrpont Finch (Morse) is a window-washer right now, but he's just bought a book that will help him rise to the top of the business world. He starts out in the mail room, where it turns out that the supervisor (Sammy Smith) is retiring. He ultimately passes that job to whiny Bud Frump (Anthony Teague), who isn't happy that he's now stuck handling mail.
Finch keeps moving up the ladder, inspired by the pretty and sensible secretary Rosemary (Lee). He's helped in this by another secretary, curvaceous sexpot Hedy LaRue (Arthur), who can distract almost any executive. He's managed to charm almost every women at the company, but the men, especially president J.B Biggley (Vallee), are more suspicious about his motives. When he ends up as head of Advertising, he gets into trouble, thanks to Hedy, and needs all his cunning and creative finagling to not only keep his job, but come out on top.
The Song and Dance: The office spoof and modern setting (complete with exterior filming in New York) makes this unique among the big-budget fantasy and historical musicals that were being filmed in the mid-60's. It's more like a two-hour sitcom from this era than a typical musical from this era, and it's just as refreshing on the big screen as it was on Broadway. It even features a lot of actors better-known for their TV work and a director who mainly worked on television, David Swift. Lee, in her film debut, is adorable as loyal Rosemary, Arthur is hilarious as the typist with more curves than brains, and Teague isn't bad as the scheming Frump.
Favorite Number: The "Secretary Is Not a Toy" number takes advantage of the widescreen process with inventive abstract choreography that ably shows how the secretaries doge their bosses' advances. Lee gets to perform a lovely "I Believe In You" as a straight ballad to encourage Ponty early-on. He co-opts it later for his love song to himself in the men's bathroom, as the other executives plot to stop his meteoric rise. Kay Reynolds, as Rosemary's best friend Smitty, gets to reveal what her pal and Ponty are thinking in my favorite song from this show, "Been a Long Day."
Trivia: How to Succeed was a huge hit that won 7 Tonys (including Best Musical) and the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Two revivals, in 1995 with Matthew Broderick as Finch and in 2011 with Daniel Ratcliffe, also did fairly well. There was also apparently a TV version in 1975.
What I Don't Like: Morse and Vallee, despite having appeared in the original Broadway production, are a little over-the-top compared to the TV people working around them. They feel more goofy than real. Though Finch's ambition was toned down from the original show, he can still come off as a little jerk who cares more about his own ambitions than anything else, including his supposedly beloved Rosemary.
While some of the jokes - no one having an original idea, all the brown-nosing - still resonate today, other parts of this show haven't dated as well. This is especially apparent with the secretaries. Even by 1967, Rosemary's "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" and Smitty and the other girls' gold-digging "Cinderella Darling," were already sounding out of place. The way almost every man in this film behaves around the secretaries, including Hedy, would be grounds for sexual harassment suits today. There's also all the ladies' low-slung dresses and crazy hair and makeup, not to mention everyone smoking like a chimney.
There are some songs cut from the show I wish they'd retained. "Coffee Break," while extraneous, might have been fun on the big screen, and the secretaries do get the funny "Paris Original" at the party. Biggley loses his other major song, the spoof ballad "Love From a Heart of Gold."
The Big Finale: If you love the sitcoms or comedies of the 60's or are tempted to try a musical spoof, you'll want to play it "The Company Way" with the employees of the World Wide Wicket Company, too.
Home Media: Go with DVD or streaming. The limited edition Blu-Ray from Twilight Time is pricey.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Robert Morse, Michelle Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Maureen Arthur
Directed by David Swift
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews will be going on hiatus from September 13th to 20th for vacation. As I did with my vacation in May, I'll be doing three extra reviews during the remaining weeks of the month to make up for it, starting today.
We honor Labor Day with a musical about working and moving up the corporate ladder. How to Succeed was seen as a breath of fresh air on Broadway when it debuted in 1961, an office satire that was considered to be so on the mark at the time, it won a Pulitzer. Does the movie resonate equally well nowadays, or is it like a stale office party? Let's take the subway to the World Wide Wicket Company and find out...
The Story: J. Pierrpont Finch (Morse) is a window-washer right now, but he's just bought a book that will help him rise to the top of the business world. He starts out in the mail room, where it turns out that the supervisor (Sammy Smith) is retiring. He ultimately passes that job to whiny Bud Frump (Anthony Teague), who isn't happy that he's now stuck handling mail.
Finch keeps moving up the ladder, inspired by the pretty and sensible secretary Rosemary (Lee). He's helped in this by another secretary, curvaceous sexpot Hedy LaRue (Arthur), who can distract almost any executive. He's managed to charm almost every women at the company, but the men, especially president J.B Biggley (Vallee), are more suspicious about his motives. When he ends up as head of Advertising, he gets into trouble, thanks to Hedy, and needs all his cunning and creative finagling to not only keep his job, but come out on top.
The Song and Dance: The office spoof and modern setting (complete with exterior filming in New York) makes this unique among the big-budget fantasy and historical musicals that were being filmed in the mid-60's. It's more like a two-hour sitcom from this era than a typical musical from this era, and it's just as refreshing on the big screen as it was on Broadway. It even features a lot of actors better-known for their TV work and a director who mainly worked on television, David Swift. Lee, in her film debut, is adorable as loyal Rosemary, Arthur is hilarious as the typist with more curves than brains, and Teague isn't bad as the scheming Frump.
Favorite Number: The "Secretary Is Not a Toy" number takes advantage of the widescreen process with inventive abstract choreography that ably shows how the secretaries doge their bosses' advances. Lee gets to perform a lovely "I Believe In You" as a straight ballad to encourage Ponty early-on. He co-opts it later for his love song to himself in the men's bathroom, as the other executives plot to stop his meteoric rise. Kay Reynolds, as Rosemary's best friend Smitty, gets to reveal what her pal and Ponty are thinking in my favorite song from this show, "Been a Long Day."
Trivia: How to Succeed was a huge hit that won 7 Tonys (including Best Musical) and the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Two revivals, in 1995 with Matthew Broderick as Finch and in 2011 with Daniel Ratcliffe, also did fairly well. There was also apparently a TV version in 1975.
What I Don't Like: Morse and Vallee, despite having appeared in the original Broadway production, are a little over-the-top compared to the TV people working around them. They feel more goofy than real. Though Finch's ambition was toned down from the original show, he can still come off as a little jerk who cares more about his own ambitions than anything else, including his supposedly beloved Rosemary.
While some of the jokes - no one having an original idea, all the brown-nosing - still resonate today, other parts of this show haven't dated as well. This is especially apparent with the secretaries. Even by 1967, Rosemary's "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" and Smitty and the other girls' gold-digging "Cinderella Darling," were already sounding out of place. The way almost every man in this film behaves around the secretaries, including Hedy, would be grounds for sexual harassment suits today. There's also all the ladies' low-slung dresses and crazy hair and makeup, not to mention everyone smoking like a chimney.
There are some songs cut from the show I wish they'd retained. "Coffee Break," while extraneous, might have been fun on the big screen, and the secretaries do get the funny "Paris Original" at the party. Biggley loses his other major song, the spoof ballad "Love From a Heart of Gold."
The Big Finale: If you love the sitcoms or comedies of the 60's or are tempted to try a musical spoof, you'll want to play it "The Company Way" with the employees of the World Wide Wicket Company, too.
Home Media: Go with DVD or streaming. The limited edition Blu-Ray from Twilight Time is pricey.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
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