The Cannon Group, 1987
Starring Rebecca DeMornay, John Savage, Yossi Graber, and Michael Schneider
Directed by Eugene Marner
Music and Lyrics by Lori McKelvey
The Cannon Group ruled B-movies in the 70's and 80's. They mainly specialized in blow-em'-up action films like the American Ninja and Death Wish series, but along the line they released everything from a 1981 retelling of Lady Chatterly's Lover to the Oscar-winning Dutch film The Assault. From 1986 to 1989, they attempted to break into the children's market with The Cannon Movie Tales, low-budget musicals intended to be straight retellings of beloved fairy tales. How does their version of the story of the girl who falls for a fearsome monster fare? Let's head to Paris to the lavish home of the wealthy merchant George (Graber) and his children and find out...
The Story: Beauty (DeMornay) loves her family, but her brothers and sisters are spoiled, shallow creatures who care only about their clothes and lovers. She doesn't mind taking care of them, but she often wonders what it would be like to have an hour of the day to devote to herself. Even after their father (Graber) loses all his money and moves them to a simpler home in the country, they still insist that she waits on them.
One day, their father receives word of a rich ship that's come into port and promises his children lavish gifts. Beauty only wishes for a lovely red rose. Turns out the ship came in ransacked and he's just as poor as ever. He stops for the night in a lonely castle, where food and a good bed appear out of nowhere. What he really wants is a rose for Beauty...but when he picks it, he's attacked by a hideous Beast (Savage). The Beast insists he send one of his daughters in his place. Beauty blames herself for what happens and accepts the offer.
The Beast spends his days creating delightful bits of magic to show her, from statues doing a dance number to paintings that come to life. Beauty, however, wishes he'd stop asking her to marry him. She's falling more in love with the handsome prince she meets in her dreams, the one who begs her to "see with her heart." It takes a trip home to make her realize how much she's come to enjoy living for herself and her new friend...and how much the Beast means to her.
The Song and Dance: I'm surprised at how charming this is for a low-budget production, and how well it sticks to the original fairy tale. This is one of the very few versions I know of to include Beauty's brothers as well as sisters. Most Beast stories eliminate the siblings or only use the sisters. I've always liked the device of the Prince turning up in Beauty's dreams. It's a lovely bit of foreshadowing that leads to the film's best song, "See With Your Heart." DeMornay makes a sweet and gentle Beauty; Savage also does fairly well as the Beast, who is far less scary at heart than he appears. There's some decent costumes as well, especially in the opening with her siblings and at the Beast's castle.
Favorite Number: "See With Your Heart" is a lovely ballad that turns up three times, including as a duet for Savage and DeMornay in her first dream when he's trying to tell her to look past appearances. "Wish For the Moon" becomes a big number for Beauty and statues in the castle gardens who come to life and dance with her as she realizes she can have anything she wants. Her siblings claim she could never live without them, wondering what she would do "Without Us" in the opening sequence.
What I Don't Like: While not as tinny or obviously low-budget as some of the other Cannon Movie Tales, the lack of finances does occasionally bleed through. The sets in particular are cheesy and cheap, undermining the magic they're going for in the Beast's castle. The film moves slower than the Beast waiting to pounce on prey. We don't even meet the Beast until almost 40 minutes in. Even when we do encounter him, the makeup on him looks more ridiculous than scary. The special effects are pretty cheap too; the dancing statues look more creepy than fun. Also, while DeMornay makes a lovely Beauty, she can't sing worth beans and sounds awkward next to Savage, who can at least carry a tune.
The Big Finale: If you're looking for a straightforward, no-frills version of the classic story, you can do far worse than this sweet film.
Home Media: The DVD is out of print; your best bet by far is checking around online. It's currently free to view with ads at streaming services Vudu and Tubi.
DVD
Tubi
Vudu
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Hairspray (2007)
New Line Cinema, 2007
Starring Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Zac Efron, and Michelle Pffeifer
Directed by Adam Shankman
Music and Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
This one had a convoluted trip to the big screen. It started out as a 1988 comedy by gross-out director John Waters. The stage adaptation hit Broadway in 2002 and proved to be such a huge hit, it returned to the big screen five years later. How does the story of a plus-sized teenager who dreams of dancing on a music show in 1962 Baltimore come off amid today's racial and musical climate? Let's head to Tracy Turnblad's room in Baltimore and follow her to school to find out...
The Story: Tracy (Blonsky) is a sweet girl with a personalty as big as she is. She and her best friend Penny (Amanda Byrne) are addicted to The Corny Collins Show, a local dance program, and its peppy dancers The Nicest Kids In Town. When the show gets an opening, Tracy auditions. Unfortunately, the show is managed by Velma Von Tussle (Pffeifer), a former beauty queen who relegates black dancers to a once-a-month "Negro Day" and neglects the other dancers to push her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) into the spotlight.
After she ends up in detention, Tracy learns new dance moves from the "Negro Day" performers, including Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). She shows off these moves at a school dance, which gets her on the show and the attention of its main male dancer Link (Efron). Tracy's unique dances make her the hit of Baltimore TV and the talk of the town, to Amber and Velma's frustration. Tracy's mother Edna (Travolta) even emerges from her laundry business to become her manager. Tracy, however, is still determined that her new friends should dance more than once a month, even if she has to join a protest started by the Negro Day host Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifa) to do it and sacrifice her own popularity.
The Song and Dance: Big, bright, bold, and a lot of fun. I love the performances here. Newcomer Blonsky is a ball of sunshine as Tracy, who's determined that everyone, black or white, should have a chance to dance. Byrne's a riot as her sweet and supportive best friend, and Efron gets to show off his teen-dream charm as the object of Tracy's affections. John Travolta does better than you might think as Tracy's worried mother in a fat suit and drag and makes a surprisingly cute couple with Christopher Walken. Candy-colored costumes mingle with down-to-Earth sets, ably showing the changes in the early 60's from Amber's frilly yellow prom gown to Tracy's abstract black-and-white minidress and straight hair. I also kind of like the changed ending that truly integrates the show and throws the spotlight on both the black and white performers.
Favorite Number: We open in high style with "Good Morning Baltimore," as Tracy describes her gritty downtown neighborhood in the perkiest possible tones. The tracking shot of her on the garbage truck's adorable. "I Can Hear the Bells" shows just how crazy about Link Tracy is as she goes through her school day dreaming about him and ignoring everything else, including rubber balls in her direction and her classwork.
"New Girl In Town" starts off cutesy, with the pastel Nicest Kids In Town doing their movies and describing Tracy's arrival...but the heat goes way up and the colors go primary as the "Negro Day" dancers take over. Seaweed and his sister Little Inez (Taylor Parks) tear up the park as they explain about being a black teen in the changing early 60's in "Run and Tell That." Travolta and Walken have a great time romping through the dance genre satire in "You're Timeless to Me."
The big one here is the classic finale, "You Can't Stop the Beat." It gives all the principals a chance to shine while relating the show's theme - it doesn't matter how big you are or what the color of your skin is, we all deserve a chance to dance. The kids throw themselves into the gyrating moves, Travolta's solo is awesome, and it ends the entire film on a burst of energy. I also have a soft spot for the additional credits song "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)."
Trivia: The Broadway version opened in 2002 and proved to be a huge hit, running for seven years. It also ran in the West End for three years with British stage star Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad. There was a TV version, Hairspray Live!, that ran on NBC in 2016 and featured Harvey Fiernstein in his original role as Edna, Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle, and Martin Short as Wilbur.
What I Don't Like: \Queen Latifa beautifully puts over the anthem "I Know Where I've Been," but the whole protest scene is a bit of mood whiplash from the rest of the effervescent plot. I do kind of wish it had retained some of the songs from the Broadway show (thought "Cooties" and "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" sneak in during the credits).
The Big Finale: This is one of the best musical films made in the 21st century. If you want a big, bright extravaganza with great dances and something to say, you'll want to grab your can of hairspray and twist on over to this one.
Home Media: As one of the newer movies I've covered, this is easily available in all formats.
DVD - Deluxe Edition
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Zac Efron, and Michelle Pffeifer
Directed by Adam Shankman
Music and Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
This one had a convoluted trip to the big screen. It started out as a 1988 comedy by gross-out director John Waters. The stage adaptation hit Broadway in 2002 and proved to be such a huge hit, it returned to the big screen five years later. How does the story of a plus-sized teenager who dreams of dancing on a music show in 1962 Baltimore come off amid today's racial and musical climate? Let's head to Tracy Turnblad's room in Baltimore and follow her to school to find out...
The Story: Tracy (Blonsky) is a sweet girl with a personalty as big as she is. She and her best friend Penny (Amanda Byrne) are addicted to The Corny Collins Show, a local dance program, and its peppy dancers The Nicest Kids In Town. When the show gets an opening, Tracy auditions. Unfortunately, the show is managed by Velma Von Tussle (Pffeifer), a former beauty queen who relegates black dancers to a once-a-month "Negro Day" and neglects the other dancers to push her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) into the spotlight.
After she ends up in detention, Tracy learns new dance moves from the "Negro Day" performers, including Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). She shows off these moves at a school dance, which gets her on the show and the attention of its main male dancer Link (Efron). Tracy's unique dances make her the hit of Baltimore TV and the talk of the town, to Amber and Velma's frustration. Tracy's mother Edna (Travolta) even emerges from her laundry business to become her manager. Tracy, however, is still determined that her new friends should dance more than once a month, even if she has to join a protest started by the Negro Day host Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifa) to do it and sacrifice her own popularity.
The Song and Dance: Big, bright, bold, and a lot of fun. I love the performances here. Newcomer Blonsky is a ball of sunshine as Tracy, who's determined that everyone, black or white, should have a chance to dance. Byrne's a riot as her sweet and supportive best friend, and Efron gets to show off his teen-dream charm as the object of Tracy's affections. John Travolta does better than you might think as Tracy's worried mother in a fat suit and drag and makes a surprisingly cute couple with Christopher Walken. Candy-colored costumes mingle with down-to-Earth sets, ably showing the changes in the early 60's from Amber's frilly yellow prom gown to Tracy's abstract black-and-white minidress and straight hair. I also kind of like the changed ending that truly integrates the show and throws the spotlight on both the black and white performers.
Favorite Number: We open in high style with "Good Morning Baltimore," as Tracy describes her gritty downtown neighborhood in the perkiest possible tones. The tracking shot of her on the garbage truck's adorable. "I Can Hear the Bells" shows just how crazy about Link Tracy is as she goes through her school day dreaming about him and ignoring everything else, including rubber balls in her direction and her classwork.
"New Girl In Town" starts off cutesy, with the pastel Nicest Kids In Town doing their movies and describing Tracy's arrival...but the heat goes way up and the colors go primary as the "Negro Day" dancers take over. Seaweed and his sister Little Inez (Taylor Parks) tear up the park as they explain about being a black teen in the changing early 60's in "Run and Tell That." Travolta and Walken have a great time romping through the dance genre satire in "You're Timeless to Me."
The big one here is the classic finale, "You Can't Stop the Beat." It gives all the principals a chance to shine while relating the show's theme - it doesn't matter how big you are or what the color of your skin is, we all deserve a chance to dance. The kids throw themselves into the gyrating moves, Travolta's solo is awesome, and it ends the entire film on a burst of energy. I also have a soft spot for the additional credits song "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)."
Trivia: The Broadway version opened in 2002 and proved to be a huge hit, running for seven years. It also ran in the West End for three years with British stage star Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad. There was a TV version, Hairspray Live!, that ran on NBC in 2016 and featured Harvey Fiernstein in his original role as Edna, Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle, and Martin Short as Wilbur.
What I Don't Like: \Queen Latifa beautifully puts over the anthem "I Know Where I've Been," but the whole protest scene is a bit of mood whiplash from the rest of the effervescent plot. I do kind of wish it had retained some of the songs from the Broadway show (thought "Cooties" and "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" sneak in during the credits).
The Big Finale: This is one of the best musical films made in the 21st century. If you want a big, bright extravaganza with great dances and something to say, you'll want to grab your can of hairspray and twist on over to this one.
Home Media: As one of the newer movies I've covered, this is easily available in all formats.
DVD - Deluxe Edition
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Hallelujah! (1929)
MGM, 1929
Starring Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine, and Harry Gray
Directed by King Vidor
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin and others
King Vidor wanted to make this one badly for a long time. He grew up in the south, watching black sharecroppers sing and work in the fields, and wondered about their lives and passions. He finally convinced MGM to give it a go after making a series of films that were either hits (The Big Parade), or were at least well-received critically (The Crowd). The arrival of sound gave him some pause, until he opted to film it as a silent and add the sound later. How did this work out, and how well does the tale of a sharecropper who's seduced by a wily woman - twice - fare nowadays? Let's head to the cotton fields of the south and find out...
The Story: Zeke (Haynes) and his little brother Spunk (Everett McGarrity) are cheated out of the 100 dollars they earned for their family's crop by con artists Chick (McKinney) and Hot Spot (Fountaine). Zeke fights Hot Spot for the money, but when Hot Spot retaliates with a gun, Spunk is the one who gets shot. Repentant, Zeke becomes a popular preacher who calls himself Brother Zekiel. Chick and Hot Spot taunt him when he rides through their area at first, but Chick eventually joins the church and claims to be reformed. She manages to seduce Zeke away from his fiancee Missy (Victoria Spivey), but ends up having an affair with Hot Spot again when Zeke ends up working in a log mill. Zeke isn't going to take her betrayal lying down, but his chasing after them ends in tragedy.
The Song and Dance: Vidor's filming this as a silent first, then adding the sound later makes this unique among static early talkies. There's more energy and movement in this film than you'll see in almost any other movie made that year. Hayes and McKinney do fairly well as the repentant preacher-turned-laborer and the lady who switches men as easily as she does silk stockings. There's a lot of complicated revivalist musical numbers and outdoor shooting, including a memorable sequence at Brother Zekiel's big meeting where a church member's baptized in a river and the shadow finale with Zeke pursuing Hot Shot through the swamp.
Favorite Number: The opening sequence is one great one, from the cotton pickers putting over "Old Folks at Home" while working to the kids tapping in two great solos at home to the down-home dancing at the impromptu wedding for a couple with 11 kids. McKinney shows why she became the first African-American woman to be given a contract with a major studio with her sexy, jazzy dance to one of the two Irving Berlin songs in the film, "Swanee Shuffle." Haynes and the chorus put over the other big Berlin song at the revivalist meeting, the dynamic "Waiting at the End of the Road."
Trivia: Like Love Me Tonight, the version currently available is the cut-down re-release from 1939.
The movie ended up being a surprise smash in 1929, one of the biggest hits of the year.
King Vidor so desperately wanted to make this film, he offered to give up his salary.
What I Don't Like: For all the vitality and complicated direction for a movie of this era, this is still an early talkie. The supporting cast is frequently not at the level of the leads and can overdo their southern accents. Syncing is occasionally off, with dialogue not moving in time with people's lips. The silent filming becomes more obvious when you see people moving a heck of a lot faster than they normally would in sound film stock. And there's the plot problems. Despite Vidor's good intentions, it can come off as condescending and annoyingly stereotypical, especially given how easily Chick seduces Zeke.
The Big Finale: If you have any interest in Vidor or the history of black and/or musical cinema, this is still highly recommended despite the dated story and early talkie bugs.
Home Media: It's popularity continues into the streaming era; it's one of the few movies of its time to be easily available on disc and streaming. The most recent DVD is a Warner Archives release.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine, and Harry Gray
Directed by King Vidor
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin and others
King Vidor wanted to make this one badly for a long time. He grew up in the south, watching black sharecroppers sing and work in the fields, and wondered about their lives and passions. He finally convinced MGM to give it a go after making a series of films that were either hits (The Big Parade), or were at least well-received critically (The Crowd). The arrival of sound gave him some pause, until he opted to film it as a silent and add the sound later. How did this work out, and how well does the tale of a sharecropper who's seduced by a wily woman - twice - fare nowadays? Let's head to the cotton fields of the south and find out...
The Story: Zeke (Haynes) and his little brother Spunk (Everett McGarrity) are cheated out of the 100 dollars they earned for their family's crop by con artists Chick (McKinney) and Hot Spot (Fountaine). Zeke fights Hot Spot for the money, but when Hot Spot retaliates with a gun, Spunk is the one who gets shot. Repentant, Zeke becomes a popular preacher who calls himself Brother Zekiel. Chick and Hot Spot taunt him when he rides through their area at first, but Chick eventually joins the church and claims to be reformed. She manages to seduce Zeke away from his fiancee Missy (Victoria Spivey), but ends up having an affair with Hot Spot again when Zeke ends up working in a log mill. Zeke isn't going to take her betrayal lying down, but his chasing after them ends in tragedy.
The Song and Dance: Vidor's filming this as a silent first, then adding the sound later makes this unique among static early talkies. There's more energy and movement in this film than you'll see in almost any other movie made that year. Hayes and McKinney do fairly well as the repentant preacher-turned-laborer and the lady who switches men as easily as she does silk stockings. There's a lot of complicated revivalist musical numbers and outdoor shooting, including a memorable sequence at Brother Zekiel's big meeting where a church member's baptized in a river and the shadow finale with Zeke pursuing Hot Shot through the swamp.
Favorite Number: The opening sequence is one great one, from the cotton pickers putting over "Old Folks at Home" while working to the kids tapping in two great solos at home to the down-home dancing at the impromptu wedding for a couple with 11 kids. McKinney shows why she became the first African-American woman to be given a contract with a major studio with her sexy, jazzy dance to one of the two Irving Berlin songs in the film, "Swanee Shuffle." Haynes and the chorus put over the other big Berlin song at the revivalist meeting, the dynamic "Waiting at the End of the Road."
Trivia: Like Love Me Tonight, the version currently available is the cut-down re-release from 1939.
The movie ended up being a surprise smash in 1929, one of the biggest hits of the year.
King Vidor so desperately wanted to make this film, he offered to give up his salary.
What I Don't Like: For all the vitality and complicated direction for a movie of this era, this is still an early talkie. The supporting cast is frequently not at the level of the leads and can overdo their southern accents. Syncing is occasionally off, with dialogue not moving in time with people's lips. The silent filming becomes more obvious when you see people moving a heck of a lot faster than they normally would in sound film stock. And there's the plot problems. Despite Vidor's good intentions, it can come off as condescending and annoyingly stereotypical, especially given how easily Chick seduces Zeke.
The Big Finale: If you have any interest in Vidor or the history of black and/or musical cinema, this is still highly recommended despite the dated story and early talkie bugs.
Home Media: It's popularity continues into the streaming era; it's one of the few movies of its time to be easily available on disc and streaming. The most recent DVD is a Warner Archives release.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Family Fun Saturday - Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
20th Century Fox, 1938
Starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, Helen Westley, and Gloria Stuart
Directed by Allan Dwan
Music by various
Most of Bill Robinson's roles in Hollywood were closer to comic relief servant, as in this Shirley Temple vehicle where he's a goofy hired hand. This is about as typical of one of her movies as you can get, with cheer-up songs and a pretty decent cast. How does this modernized retelling of the 1903 novel of the same title look now? Let's head to an audition for a kids' radio show in New York City and find out...
The Story: Rebecca Winstead (Temple) and her stepfather Harry Kipper (William Demarest) are upset when they think she's lost a big radio audition. Out a home and desperate for money, he leaves the child with her Aunt Miranda (Westley). Miranda hates show business after Rebecca's mother couldn't make it and insists she stays out of it. Rebecca loves her new home and easily makes friends with Miranda's daughter Gwen (Gloria Stuart) and her handsome next-door neighbor Tony Kent (Scott).
Turns out Tony's the executive in charge of that radio show Rebecca auditioned for, and he really wanted her for the role. When Miranda refuses to allow Rebecca on the show, they sneak her out anyway. She finally relents after hearing her sing on the show. Unfortunately, Harry also heard her. He asserts his guardianship of Rebecca, takes her from the farm, and puts her in another show. It's Rebecca who takes matters into her own hands...or voice...and figures out how to get back to the people she loves most.
The Song and Dance: There's some adorable performances in this blend of down-home antics and radio shenanigans. Scott comes off as slightly more animated here than in his appearances with Fred and Ginger, and Wesley does well as grouchy Aunt Miranda. Rebecca auditioning for a radio show, rather than being involved in a more typical stage show or movie, gives the film a slightly topical edge that most "backstagers" often lack.
Favorite Number: "An Old Straw Hat" turns up several times; the best are a duet between Rebecca and Aloysius (Bill Robinson) the farm hand when they're picking berries and her singing it on the telephone for Tony's boss. Temple also gets to perform the cheer-up ballad "Come and Get Your Happiness" during the radio show, along with a medley of her older hits that includes "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers In Your Soup." The movie ends with her and Robinson again, this time dressed as soldiers dancing on steps to "The Toy Trumpet."
What I Don't Like: Temple's movies are pretty much all the same - she's adopted by people who love her and a grump who warms up to her, but she's eventually taken away by the authorities or other guardians before returning to her family and the young lovers for a happy ending. This one is no different...and I really wish it was. I wonder what would have happened if they'd put Temple into an actual retelling of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. This has nothing in common with the book but Rebecca, her grouchy Aunt Miranda, and them living on a farm. Using all of Temple's big hits in that one radio number shows just how dull the score for this movie is. The side romances with Tony and Gwen and Aunt Miranda and Tony's servant Homer (Slim Summerville) do nothing but pad out the plot.
The Big Finale: As with most of Temple's movies, this is mainly for families with younger kids, her fans, or fans of 30's musicals.
Home Media: Out of print as a solo DVD, but it can be found in several collections of Temple films and most streaming companies.
DVD - The Shirley Temple Collection Volume 2
Amazon Prime
Starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, Helen Westley, and Gloria Stuart
Directed by Allan Dwan
Music by various
Most of Bill Robinson's roles in Hollywood were closer to comic relief servant, as in this Shirley Temple vehicle where he's a goofy hired hand. This is about as typical of one of her movies as you can get, with cheer-up songs and a pretty decent cast. How does this modernized retelling of the 1903 novel of the same title look now? Let's head to an audition for a kids' radio show in New York City and find out...
The Story: Rebecca Winstead (Temple) and her stepfather Harry Kipper (William Demarest) are upset when they think she's lost a big radio audition. Out a home and desperate for money, he leaves the child with her Aunt Miranda (Westley). Miranda hates show business after Rebecca's mother couldn't make it and insists she stays out of it. Rebecca loves her new home and easily makes friends with Miranda's daughter Gwen (Gloria Stuart) and her handsome next-door neighbor Tony Kent (Scott).
Turns out Tony's the executive in charge of that radio show Rebecca auditioned for, and he really wanted her for the role. When Miranda refuses to allow Rebecca on the show, they sneak her out anyway. She finally relents after hearing her sing on the show. Unfortunately, Harry also heard her. He asserts his guardianship of Rebecca, takes her from the farm, and puts her in another show. It's Rebecca who takes matters into her own hands...or voice...and figures out how to get back to the people she loves most.
The Song and Dance: There's some adorable performances in this blend of down-home antics and radio shenanigans. Scott comes off as slightly more animated here than in his appearances with Fred and Ginger, and Wesley does well as grouchy Aunt Miranda. Rebecca auditioning for a radio show, rather than being involved in a more typical stage show or movie, gives the film a slightly topical edge that most "backstagers" often lack.
Favorite Number: "An Old Straw Hat" turns up several times; the best are a duet between Rebecca and Aloysius (Bill Robinson) the farm hand when they're picking berries and her singing it on the telephone for Tony's boss. Temple also gets to perform the cheer-up ballad "Come and Get Your Happiness" during the radio show, along with a medley of her older hits that includes "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers In Your Soup." The movie ends with her and Robinson again, this time dressed as soldiers dancing on steps to "The Toy Trumpet."
What I Don't Like: Temple's movies are pretty much all the same - she's adopted by people who love her and a grump who warms up to her, but she's eventually taken away by the authorities or other guardians before returning to her family and the young lovers for a happy ending. This one is no different...and I really wish it was. I wonder what would have happened if they'd put Temple into an actual retelling of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. This has nothing in common with the book but Rebecca, her grouchy Aunt Miranda, and them living on a farm. Using all of Temple's big hits in that one radio number shows just how dull the score for this movie is. The side romances with Tony and Gwen and Aunt Miranda and Tony's servant Homer (Slim Summerville) do nothing but pad out the plot.
The Big Finale: As with most of Temple's movies, this is mainly for families with younger kids, her fans, or fans of 30's musicals.
Home Media: Out of print as a solo DVD, but it can be found in several collections of Temple films and most streaming companies.
DVD - The Shirley Temple Collection Volume 2
Amazon Prime
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Stormy Weather
20th Century Fox, 1943
Starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Dooley Wilson, and Fats Waller
Directed by Andrew Stone
Music and Lyrics by various
By the early 40's, Horne had become a bona-fide star at MGM and on records and tours...but only through quick musical numbers that could be easily snipped out of a movie in deference to southern audiences. This and Cabin In the Sky at MGM would be Horne's only leads in films during the 40's and 50's. It's also one of the rare times popular dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson got a lead role. The movie is supposedly a fictionalized version of his life, but it really plays more like a revue showcasing many of the black stars in Hollywood at that point. Let's start at Bill's "home" in Hollywood with his nieces and nephews and to learn how he supposedly got his start...
The Story: Bill relates his life story to his nieces and nephews after a magazine arrives in the mail with an article praising his contribution to black entertainment. He started after World War I at a nightclub with his enterprising, if constantly broke, best friend Gabe Tucker (Wilson) where he got to first show off his dancing feet. It's also where he first met Selina (Horne), a beautiful singing star with popular performer Chick Bailey (Emmett "Babe" Wallace). Bill and Gabe head down to Memphis to find work, but Bill ends up as a waiter in a small club featuring Fats Waller (himself) and his band. Bailey and Selina come in to see the talent for a show he's putting on. Selina convinces him to take Bill, but he still won't let him dance. Bill takes over his big number, impressing Selina and the audience but not Chick.
Bill wants to do his own show a bit later, but has no money. Even after Gabe claims to be rich enough to back his show, Selina's not sure she wants to give up her career for him. It takes a show for the troops to bring everyone, including Selina, back together.
The Song and Dance: As with Cabin In the Sky, there are some performances here you just won't see anywhere else. Fats Waller steals the movie despite his short screen time with his hilarious, eye-rolling, eyebrow-waggling performances of his own "Ain't Misbehavin'" and his exchanges with Ada Brown. Horne's silky style is full-on here, and she gets a rare chance at drama. Wallace has a gorgeous tenor in his "African Dance" number with Robinson, and is easy on the eyes to boot. Calloway is a hoot when he turns up during the end.
Favorite Number: Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" at the club is a major highlight, as are Calloway's two big numbers, the instrumental "Rhythm Cocktail" and his "Geechy Joe" in the huge baggy white suit as part of the finale. Robinson and Horne radiate elegance in the spangles-and-romance chorus routine "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Robinson gets to show off his stuff in "Linda Brown" with a minstrel group on the riverboat to Memphis and during another big finale routine to "My, My, Ain't That Somethin'." Horne sings a gorgeous version of the title song, which is then danced in a stunning abstract routine by Katherine Dunham and her dance troupe.
Two tap dance routines here have rarely been equaled. A young man tears up the floor to the tune of the instrumental "Nobody's Sweetheart" directly after Mae E. Johnson sings "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City," and he's a sight to behold. The one for the books is the Nicholas Brothers bringing down the house to Cab Calloway's "Jumpin' Jive" in the finale. Their grace, dexterity, and amazing splits are downright incredible - Fred Astaire called it the "greatest movie musical number he'd ever seen."
What I Don't Like: This is a rare time I wish there'd been more to the movie. It only runs a little over an hour. With all the great numbers, I'd love it if there were even more. Not to mention, the film has the same trouble with a cliched and fairly dull story as The Duke Is Tops. Horne has no chemistry with Robinson - supposedly, they didn't get along - making their romance unbelievable and a tad melodramatic. It also has absolutely nothing to do with either Robinson's life or actual history. Like most musicals from this era, other than some of the men's clothes early-on, neither the costumes nor the make-up even attempts to recreate the 1920's and 30's.
The Big Finale: Worth catching for some incredible numbers and as a showcase for black talent you won't see anywhere else.
Home Media: Streaming is your best option - the DVD is out of print and the limited-edition Blu-Ray is expensive.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Dooley Wilson, and Fats Waller
Directed by Andrew Stone
Music and Lyrics by various
By the early 40's, Horne had become a bona-fide star at MGM and on records and tours...but only through quick musical numbers that could be easily snipped out of a movie in deference to southern audiences. This and Cabin In the Sky at MGM would be Horne's only leads in films during the 40's and 50's. It's also one of the rare times popular dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson got a lead role. The movie is supposedly a fictionalized version of his life, but it really plays more like a revue showcasing many of the black stars in Hollywood at that point. Let's start at Bill's "home" in Hollywood with his nieces and nephews and to learn how he supposedly got his start...
The Story: Bill relates his life story to his nieces and nephews after a magazine arrives in the mail with an article praising his contribution to black entertainment. He started after World War I at a nightclub with his enterprising, if constantly broke, best friend Gabe Tucker (Wilson) where he got to first show off his dancing feet. It's also where he first met Selina (Horne), a beautiful singing star with popular performer Chick Bailey (Emmett "Babe" Wallace). Bill and Gabe head down to Memphis to find work, but Bill ends up as a waiter in a small club featuring Fats Waller (himself) and his band. Bailey and Selina come in to see the talent for a show he's putting on. Selina convinces him to take Bill, but he still won't let him dance. Bill takes over his big number, impressing Selina and the audience but not Chick.
Bill wants to do his own show a bit later, but has no money. Even after Gabe claims to be rich enough to back his show, Selina's not sure she wants to give up her career for him. It takes a show for the troops to bring everyone, including Selina, back together.
The Song and Dance: As with Cabin In the Sky, there are some performances here you just won't see anywhere else. Fats Waller steals the movie despite his short screen time with his hilarious, eye-rolling, eyebrow-waggling performances of his own "Ain't Misbehavin'" and his exchanges with Ada Brown. Horne's silky style is full-on here, and she gets a rare chance at drama. Wallace has a gorgeous tenor in his "African Dance" number with Robinson, and is easy on the eyes to boot. Calloway is a hoot when he turns up during the end.
Favorite Number: Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" at the club is a major highlight, as are Calloway's two big numbers, the instrumental "Rhythm Cocktail" and his "Geechy Joe" in the huge baggy white suit as part of the finale. Robinson and Horne radiate elegance in the spangles-and-romance chorus routine "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Robinson gets to show off his stuff in "Linda Brown" with a minstrel group on the riverboat to Memphis and during another big finale routine to "My, My, Ain't That Somethin'." Horne sings a gorgeous version of the title song, which is then danced in a stunning abstract routine by Katherine Dunham and her dance troupe.
Two tap dance routines here have rarely been equaled. A young man tears up the floor to the tune of the instrumental "Nobody's Sweetheart" directly after Mae E. Johnson sings "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City," and he's a sight to behold. The one for the books is the Nicholas Brothers bringing down the house to Cab Calloway's "Jumpin' Jive" in the finale. Their grace, dexterity, and amazing splits are downright incredible - Fred Astaire called it the "greatest movie musical number he'd ever seen."
What I Don't Like: This is a rare time I wish there'd been more to the movie. It only runs a little over an hour. With all the great numbers, I'd love it if there were even more. Not to mention, the film has the same trouble with a cliched and fairly dull story as The Duke Is Tops. Horne has no chemistry with Robinson - supposedly, they didn't get along - making their romance unbelievable and a tad melodramatic. It also has absolutely nothing to do with either Robinson's life or actual history. Like most musicals from this era, other than some of the men's clothes early-on, neither the costumes nor the make-up even attempts to recreate the 1920's and 30's.
The Big Finale: Worth catching for some incredible numbers and as a showcase for black talent you won't see anywhere else.
Home Media: Streaming is your best option - the DVD is out of print and the limited-edition Blu-Ray is expensive.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
The Duke Is Tops
Million Dollar Productions, 1938
Starring Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Laurence Criner, and Monte Hawley
Directed by William L. Nolte
Music and Lyrics by Harvey Brooks and Ben Ellison
We'll be honoring Black History Month for the remaining weekdays of February with musicals featuring all-black or primarily black casts, or musicals about the black experience in America. From the 1920's to the early 50's, many low-budget production companies existed to make B-pictures for black audiences, or the "race market," as they were called then. Lena Horne got her start at the tender age of 20 in one such film. Star Ralph Cooper spent most of his career as the Master of Ceremonies at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, but he also started Million Dollar Productions with two white producers and a fellow actor to make films for black audiences that were better than most of what was available for them at the time. Did they succeed? Let's head to a small nightclub where the show is just about to start and find out...
The Story: Duke Davis (Cooper) is a small-time performer and promoter who's partnered with the lovely and talented singer Ethel Andrews (Horne). Talent scouts from New York City want to hire Ethel and promote her as "The Black Nightingale," but Ethel laughs at the idea of leaving. She loves Duke too much. Duke lies to her and says he only wants money from her contract in order to force her out and improve her career. Duke's own career is nothing without Ethel, and he ends up promoting an all-black medicine show that peddles his friend Doc Doranado's (Criner) all-purpose elixir. Ethel, however, isn't doing too well in New York, either. It's up to Duke to figure out how to combine the three very different shows and send both their careers into the stratosphere.
The Song and Dance: Cooper is quite the charmer; I can believe him as a promoter and a Master of Ceremonies. Criner's a lot of fun as the slick snake oil salesman who has a lot of fun peddling his likely useless wares to suspicious audiences. Horne's not quite as smooth as she would be in her later MGM movies, but she does get to enjoy a leading role here, something she would rarely have later in her career. Along with Horne's singing, there's an impressive tap solo towards the end by Willie Covan, and some rather nice harmonizing by the Cat and the Fiddle.
Favorite Number: Horne lends her silky contralto to two decent ballads, "I Know You Remember" in the beginning and the end, and "Don't Let Our Love Song Turn Into a Blues" as part of her failed nightclub number. Cooper joins the Swing Band Harlemania Orchestra for the big dance routine "Harlem Is Harmony," nicely showing off Cowan's jazzy taps. The Cats and the Fiddle get another great harmonizing number, "Killing Jive" at the medicine show.
What I Don't Like: Yeah, it's obvious this is a low-budget show. The costumes, sets, and chorus dancers are nothing to write home about. Those expecting to see a lot of Horne will be disappointed. Cooper is the star, and it's mainly his show, including some slapstick business involving a burning trailer towards the end of the movie. The story is frankly a mass of cliches as well, especially the Ethel-Duke romance, though the medicine show middle part does give it a little zest that other backstage films lack.
The Big Finale: If you want to check out Cooper and the race movies of the 30's and 40's or see how Lena Horne got her start, this is an interesting little curio with decent performances that makes up for the lack of production values with sheer energy.
Home Media: This is in the public domain, so it's pretty easily found just about anywhere.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Laurence Criner, and Monte Hawley
Directed by William L. Nolte
Music and Lyrics by Harvey Brooks and Ben Ellison
We'll be honoring Black History Month for the remaining weekdays of February with musicals featuring all-black or primarily black casts, or musicals about the black experience in America. From the 1920's to the early 50's, many low-budget production companies existed to make B-pictures for black audiences, or the "race market," as they were called then. Lena Horne got her start at the tender age of 20 in one such film. Star Ralph Cooper spent most of his career as the Master of Ceremonies at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, but he also started Million Dollar Productions with two white producers and a fellow actor to make films for black audiences that were better than most of what was available for them at the time. Did they succeed? Let's head to a small nightclub where the show is just about to start and find out...
The Story: Duke Davis (Cooper) is a small-time performer and promoter who's partnered with the lovely and talented singer Ethel Andrews (Horne). Talent scouts from New York City want to hire Ethel and promote her as "The Black Nightingale," but Ethel laughs at the idea of leaving. She loves Duke too much. Duke lies to her and says he only wants money from her contract in order to force her out and improve her career. Duke's own career is nothing without Ethel, and he ends up promoting an all-black medicine show that peddles his friend Doc Doranado's (Criner) all-purpose elixir. Ethel, however, isn't doing too well in New York, either. It's up to Duke to figure out how to combine the three very different shows and send both their careers into the stratosphere.
The Song and Dance: Cooper is quite the charmer; I can believe him as a promoter and a Master of Ceremonies. Criner's a lot of fun as the slick snake oil salesman who has a lot of fun peddling his likely useless wares to suspicious audiences. Horne's not quite as smooth as she would be in her later MGM movies, but she does get to enjoy a leading role here, something she would rarely have later in her career. Along with Horne's singing, there's an impressive tap solo towards the end by Willie Covan, and some rather nice harmonizing by the Cat and the Fiddle.
Favorite Number: Horne lends her silky contralto to two decent ballads, "I Know You Remember" in the beginning and the end, and "Don't Let Our Love Song Turn Into a Blues" as part of her failed nightclub number. Cooper joins the Swing Band Harlemania Orchestra for the big dance routine "Harlem Is Harmony," nicely showing off Cowan's jazzy taps. The Cats and the Fiddle get another great harmonizing number, "Killing Jive" at the medicine show.
What I Don't Like: Yeah, it's obvious this is a low-budget show. The costumes, sets, and chorus dancers are nothing to write home about. Those expecting to see a lot of Horne will be disappointed. Cooper is the star, and it's mainly his show, including some slapstick business involving a burning trailer towards the end of the movie. The story is frankly a mass of cliches as well, especially the Ethel-Duke romance, though the medicine show middle part does give it a little zest that other backstage films lack.
The Big Finale: If you want to check out Cooper and the race movies of the 30's and 40's or see how Lena Horne got her start, this is an interesting little curio with decent performances that makes up for the lack of production values with sheer energy.
Home Media: This is in the public domain, so it's pretty easily found just about anywhere.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Animation Celebration Saturday - Heidi's Song
Paramount/Hanna-Barbara, 1982
Voices of Margary Gray, Lorne Greene, Roger DeWitt, and Sammy Davis Jr.
Directed by Robert Taylor
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Having done relatively well with Charlotte's Web, Hanna-Barbara decided to move ahead with another adaptation of a classic children's novel about a little girl and her animal friends. Heidi's Song began production as early as 1976, but Joseph Barbara wanted to improve the quality, and it kept getting pushed back. By the time it finally made it out, elaborate Disney-esque animated musicals were out of style, and it was a box-office failure. Does this retelling of the story of the Swiss girl who manages to charm almost everyone she comes in contact with deserve better? Let's begin with a trip to the Swiss Alps as Heidi (Gray) and her Aunt Dede (Virginia Gregg) make their way up the mountains and find out...
The Story: Heidi's aunt brings her to live with her grouchy grandfather (Greene) in his cabin in the Alps. He's not fond of her at first, until he hurts his leg when a tree falls on it and she takes care of him. She's easily makes friends with everyone, from the goats on the path to Peter (DeWitt) who attends to them. Aunt Dede eventually returns and takes her to the city to be a companion to a little girl named Klara (Pamela Ferdyn) who can't walk. Klara's servants Frouline Rottemeyer (Joan Gerber) and Sebastian (Fritz Feld) don't understand her simple country ways and often punish her, but Klara thinks she's hilarious. After they lock Heidi in the basement, it's Heidi's friends, new and old, to the rescue. With the help of Klara, they free her and return her home to her grandfather and her beloved mountains.
The Animation: Only slightly ahead of Charlotte's Web. On one hands, there's some lush and colorful backgrounds, especially during the numbers in the Alps. Joseph Barbara's push for quality didn't quite help with some other aspects. A great deal of the animation is obviously reused from shot to shot, especially that of the animals.
The Song and Dance: I remember watching this from time to time on cable when I was a kid and mostly enjoying it. It actually holds up much better than I expected. Greene's a decent gruff old grandfather, and Ferdyn (who also played Fern in Charlotte's Web) is a lovely, lively Klara. Gerber and Feld have a high old time as the villains who think they're above Heidi's country ways. The music in particular is very well done. Sammy Davis Jr. revels in his brief scene-stealing role as the king of the rats.
Favorite Number: The cheer-up ballad "An Armful of Sunshine" turns up twice, first as Grandfather is happily describing his relationship with Heidi, then as Willie the coal delivery man (Michael Bell) describes his feelings for the lovely maid Tinette (Janet Waldo) in the city. Grandfather also gets the title song twice, first as he realizes his feelings for his sweet granddaughter, then in heartbreak when she's taken away. Klara performs "Imagine" during a sequence in a ballroom where she dreams of being able to dance with a handsome prince of her own. Davis Jr. steals the movie wholesale with his brassy "Ode to a Rat" in the basement as he struts his stuff to remind the rats that they're not man's best friend.
What I Don't Like: I wish they hadn't rushed the story so much, especially in the first half. Heidi makes far more friends in city and country alike in the book and other movie versions. Frauline Rottenmeyer was nasty to Heidi in the book (though not quite to this degree), but Sebastian was originally her friend and confidante. Several sequences seem to be there just to show off the animation or the music. "Imagine," Davis Jr.'s number, and a sequence in the beginning where Heidi has a nightmare about all the spirits of the mountains trying to take her away from her grandfather are nicely shot, but have little or nothing to do with the plot. Willie and Tintette are pretty much only there to be the generic young couple and add nothing to the plot, either. And why do only the rats talk? All the other animals in the movie are treated realistically, but the rats are done in a more cartoony style and are the only ones with voices.
The Big Finale: It may not be the best animated film of the 80's, but it's still a sweet little movie with some nice performances and lovely music that deserves to be far better-known.
Home Media: The DVD is available via the Warner Archives. The streaming service Vudu currently has it for free, which is how I saw it.
DVD
Vudu
Voices of Margary Gray, Lorne Greene, Roger DeWitt, and Sammy Davis Jr.
Directed by Robert Taylor
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Having done relatively well with Charlotte's Web, Hanna-Barbara decided to move ahead with another adaptation of a classic children's novel about a little girl and her animal friends. Heidi's Song began production as early as 1976, but Joseph Barbara wanted to improve the quality, and it kept getting pushed back. By the time it finally made it out, elaborate Disney-esque animated musicals were out of style, and it was a box-office failure. Does this retelling of the story of the Swiss girl who manages to charm almost everyone she comes in contact with deserve better? Let's begin with a trip to the Swiss Alps as Heidi (Gray) and her Aunt Dede (Virginia Gregg) make their way up the mountains and find out...
The Story: Heidi's aunt brings her to live with her grouchy grandfather (Greene) in his cabin in the Alps. He's not fond of her at first, until he hurts his leg when a tree falls on it and she takes care of him. She's easily makes friends with everyone, from the goats on the path to Peter (DeWitt) who attends to them. Aunt Dede eventually returns and takes her to the city to be a companion to a little girl named Klara (Pamela Ferdyn) who can't walk. Klara's servants Frouline Rottemeyer (Joan Gerber) and Sebastian (Fritz Feld) don't understand her simple country ways and often punish her, but Klara thinks she's hilarious. After they lock Heidi in the basement, it's Heidi's friends, new and old, to the rescue. With the help of Klara, they free her and return her home to her grandfather and her beloved mountains.
The Animation: Only slightly ahead of Charlotte's Web. On one hands, there's some lush and colorful backgrounds, especially during the numbers in the Alps. Joseph Barbara's push for quality didn't quite help with some other aspects. A great deal of the animation is obviously reused from shot to shot, especially that of the animals.
The Song and Dance: I remember watching this from time to time on cable when I was a kid and mostly enjoying it. It actually holds up much better than I expected. Greene's a decent gruff old grandfather, and Ferdyn (who also played Fern in Charlotte's Web) is a lovely, lively Klara. Gerber and Feld have a high old time as the villains who think they're above Heidi's country ways. The music in particular is very well done. Sammy Davis Jr. revels in his brief scene-stealing role as the king of the rats.
Favorite Number: The cheer-up ballad "An Armful of Sunshine" turns up twice, first as Grandfather is happily describing his relationship with Heidi, then as Willie the coal delivery man (Michael Bell) describes his feelings for the lovely maid Tinette (Janet Waldo) in the city. Grandfather also gets the title song twice, first as he realizes his feelings for his sweet granddaughter, then in heartbreak when she's taken away. Klara performs "Imagine" during a sequence in a ballroom where she dreams of being able to dance with a handsome prince of her own. Davis Jr. steals the movie wholesale with his brassy "Ode to a Rat" in the basement as he struts his stuff to remind the rats that they're not man's best friend.
What I Don't Like: I wish they hadn't rushed the story so much, especially in the first half. Heidi makes far more friends in city and country alike in the book and other movie versions. Frauline Rottenmeyer was nasty to Heidi in the book (though not quite to this degree), but Sebastian was originally her friend and confidante. Several sequences seem to be there just to show off the animation or the music. "Imagine," Davis Jr.'s number, and a sequence in the beginning where Heidi has a nightmare about all the spirits of the mountains trying to take her away from her grandfather are nicely shot, but have little or nothing to do with the plot. Willie and Tintette are pretty much only there to be the generic young couple and add nothing to the plot, either. And why do only the rats talk? All the other animals in the movie are treated realistically, but the rats are done in a more cartoony style and are the only ones with voices.
The Big Finale: It may not be the best animated film of the 80's, but it's still a sweet little movie with some nice performances and lovely music that deserves to be far better-known.
Home Media: The DVD is available via the Warner Archives. The streaming service Vudu currently has it for free, which is how I saw it.
DVD
Vudu
Thursday, February 13, 2020
My Funny Valentine - Love Me Tonight
Paramount, 1932
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Maurice Chevalier, Myrna Loy, and Charlie Ruggles
Directed by Rouben Mamoulien
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
After I reviewed the tragic romance Carmen Jones for Valentine's Day last year, I figured this year's entry called for something much lighter. Rouben Mamoulien's frothy romantic comedy about a princess who falls for a tailor is considered by many critics to be one of the finest musicals of the 30's, if not of all time. Does it deserve those accolades? Let's begin the morning in Paris with the tailor Maurice (Chevalier) and the rhythmic sounds of the city and find out...
The Story: Maurice (Chevalier), tailor from Paris, travels to a country chateau to collect outstanding debts from the Viacomte de Vareze (Ruggles) for tailoring work. On the way, he passes the lovely Princess Jeanette (MacDonald), the Viacomte's niece. Jeanette is a young widow who only lives with her family because there are no eligible men of her station and rank her age in the area. He falls for her the moment he almost knocks her off the road, but she's not nearly so interested in him.
She's a lot more intrigued when the Viacomte claims he's a baron and a friend of his. Now the whole household is beholden to his charms, including the head of the family Duc d'Artelines (C. Aubrey Smith), man-crazy Valentine (Loy), and three aunts who spent most of the movie working on a tapestry. He rescues a fox from a hunt, winning over even Jeanette with his boyish ways. She's not as happy when she finally learns who he really is...but when she realizes how she feels, no matter who he is, she discovers that a modern princess can make her own happy ending.
The Song and Dance: Every book I've read about movie musicals praised this to the skies, calling it one of the best and most cinematic musicals ever made. For once, they were entirely right. Mamoulien sought to break out of the mold of static early musicals by bringing the songs off the stage and into real life. Everything makes music in the opening "The Song of Paree" sequence, taking us from the sounds of the city to Maurice's shop. "There's career-best performances from just about everyone, including Maurice and Jeanette as the lovers; Loy is a riot as Valentine, who is desperate for any kind of male companionship that isn't her family. Rodgers and Hart's songs are probably their best work in Hollywood. "Lover" and "Love Me Tonight" in particular can be heard in the background of many a Paramount movie to this day.
Favorite Number: Every number in this movie is a delight, but "Isn't It Romantic" is a major stand-out. It starts out with Maurice singing about his idea of love in his shop...and we follow the song as it carries from the city to a train to soldiers to the country and Jeanette, who gives a much more traditionally romantic view. It's one of the most exhilarating use of editing in any film musical. Chevalier has a blast with his patter number "Mimi" at the party...and it's just as cute to see various members of the family sing it afterwards in their own way. MacDonald and Chevalier duet on the lovely title song in the garden during the party, and Maurice is sent away to a montage of servants and aristocrats alike whispering that "The Son of a Gun Is Nothing But a Tailor."
Trivia: Censors cut several bits after the movie was re-released in the mid-30's. Among the losses were a few ribald comments from Valentine, Loy's rendition of "Mimi" (supposedly, her breast could be seen through her sheer nightgown) with the rest of the family, and the doctor's number as he examines Jeanette, "A Woman Needs Something Like That." Alas, a full, uncut version of the film has yet to be found.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're not a fan of frothy romantic comedy or the two stars, this won't be your glass of French champagne. It's also not for dance nuts. Here, the cameras and editing do the dancing.
The Big Finale: If any movie musical deserves to be better-known, it's this one. If you love romantic comedy, the two stars, or Mamoulien's other work, you owe to yourself to check this one out.
Home Media: While the movie is currently available through the made-to-order Universal Vault collection, the original Kino International DVD I have is neither expensive, nor difficult to find.
DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Kino International
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Maurice Chevalier, Myrna Loy, and Charlie Ruggles
Directed by Rouben Mamoulien
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
After I reviewed the tragic romance Carmen Jones for Valentine's Day last year, I figured this year's entry called for something much lighter. Rouben Mamoulien's frothy romantic comedy about a princess who falls for a tailor is considered by many critics to be one of the finest musicals of the 30's, if not of all time. Does it deserve those accolades? Let's begin the morning in Paris with the tailor Maurice (Chevalier) and the rhythmic sounds of the city and find out...
The Story: Maurice (Chevalier), tailor from Paris, travels to a country chateau to collect outstanding debts from the Viacomte de Vareze (Ruggles) for tailoring work. On the way, he passes the lovely Princess Jeanette (MacDonald), the Viacomte's niece. Jeanette is a young widow who only lives with her family because there are no eligible men of her station and rank her age in the area. He falls for her the moment he almost knocks her off the road, but she's not nearly so interested in him.
She's a lot more intrigued when the Viacomte claims he's a baron and a friend of his. Now the whole household is beholden to his charms, including the head of the family Duc d'Artelines (C. Aubrey Smith), man-crazy Valentine (Loy), and three aunts who spent most of the movie working on a tapestry. He rescues a fox from a hunt, winning over even Jeanette with his boyish ways. She's not as happy when she finally learns who he really is...but when she realizes how she feels, no matter who he is, she discovers that a modern princess can make her own happy ending.
The Song and Dance: Every book I've read about movie musicals praised this to the skies, calling it one of the best and most cinematic musicals ever made. For once, they were entirely right. Mamoulien sought to break out of the mold of static early musicals by bringing the songs off the stage and into real life. Everything makes music in the opening "The Song of Paree" sequence, taking us from the sounds of the city to Maurice's shop. "There's career-best performances from just about everyone, including Maurice and Jeanette as the lovers; Loy is a riot as Valentine, who is desperate for any kind of male companionship that isn't her family. Rodgers and Hart's songs are probably their best work in Hollywood. "Lover" and "Love Me Tonight" in particular can be heard in the background of many a Paramount movie to this day.
Favorite Number: Every number in this movie is a delight, but "Isn't It Romantic" is a major stand-out. It starts out with Maurice singing about his idea of love in his shop...and we follow the song as it carries from the city to a train to soldiers to the country and Jeanette, who gives a much more traditionally romantic view. It's one of the most exhilarating use of editing in any film musical. Chevalier has a blast with his patter number "Mimi" at the party...and it's just as cute to see various members of the family sing it afterwards in their own way. MacDonald and Chevalier duet on the lovely title song in the garden during the party, and Maurice is sent away to a montage of servants and aristocrats alike whispering that "The Son of a Gun Is Nothing But a Tailor."
Trivia: Censors cut several bits after the movie was re-released in the mid-30's. Among the losses were a few ribald comments from Valentine, Loy's rendition of "Mimi" (supposedly, her breast could be seen through her sheer nightgown) with the rest of the family, and the doctor's number as he examines Jeanette, "A Woman Needs Something Like That." Alas, a full, uncut version of the film has yet to be found.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're not a fan of frothy romantic comedy or the two stars, this won't be your glass of French champagne. It's also not for dance nuts. Here, the cameras and editing do the dancing.
The Big Finale: If any movie musical deserves to be better-known, it's this one. If you love romantic comedy, the two stars, or Mamoulien's other work, you owe to yourself to check this one out.
Home Media: While the movie is currently available through the made-to-order Universal Vault collection, the original Kino International DVD I have is neither expensive, nor difficult to find.
DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Kino International
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Sweethearts (1938)
MGM, 1938
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, and Florence Rice
Directed by W.S Van Dyke
Music by Victor Herbert and others; Lyrics by Bob Wright, Chet Forrest, and others
Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were still riding high as MGM's top musical team in 1938, despite the failure of their Girl of the Golden West earlier that year. Looking for something totally different, they hired legendary writer Dorothy Parker and her husband Alan Campbell to transform the original Victor Herbert fairy-tale operetta into a romantic comedy about married Broadway stars who are crazy about each, until Hollywood comes calling and their producer and his crew interfere. Let's go straight to the Melody Theater in New York, where Sweethearts is starting its sixth year on the boards, and find out how well they did...
The Story: Gwen Marlowe (MacDonald) and Ernest Lane (Eddy) are indeed the married stars of Sweethearts, their smash-hit operetta that's run for six years on Broadway. They're crazy about each other, to the point where he sends her love notes every day, but they don't have much time to spend together. Their producer Felix Lehman (Frank Morgan) and press agent Dink (Allyn Joslyn) keeps throwing them into radio shows and publicity stunts, while their families live with them in their home and off their money and their fading theatrical legacies. They're both fed up, enough to listen to Hollywood talent scout Norman Trumpett (Reginald Gardiner) when he encourages them to leave New York and take a contract with his studio. Desperate, Lehman uses the terrible play written by musical playwright Kronk (Mischa Auer) to convince Gwen that Ernest is having an affair with their secretary Kay Jordan (Rice).
The Song and Dance: After the false start of Maytime the year before, this was MGM's first full-length 3-strip Technicolor movie. They couldn't have picked better stars to showcase. MacDonald's warm coppery waves and Eddy's short golden locks were made for Technicolor. The cinematography is absolutely glorious, glowing with a ravishing array of rainbow colors, finishing with a well-done montage of Gwen and Ernest becoming more lonely as they travel with their two road companies. The screenplay's almost as good. You can tell Dorothy Parker had a hand in this one; the dialogue is witty and delightful, with zingers flying fast and furious from just about everyone. MacDonald's having a fine time, and Eddy's far more relaxed here than he was in most of their earlier movies. Morgan and Rice are also up to the script as the flustered producer who wants to keep his golden couple intact and the sarcastic secretary.
Favorite Number: MacDonald joins Ray Bolger for the first big number, the charming Dutch-themed dance routine "Jeanette and Her Wooden Shoes." MacDonald keeps up with Bolger admirably and acquits herself quite well with the choreography to the catchy clip-clop rhythm. She and Eddy get the more dramatic "Every Lover Must Meet His Fate" as they're held back by what I presume to be his guards. The first version of the title song is performed on a massive flowery hill, showing off its romantic couples in a sweeping duet. "Pretty as a Picture," sung at the sixth anniversary party, starts simply with MacDonald and Eddy at the piano, but ends with a chorus bringing out flower garlands and encores for more.
What I Don't Like: At it's core, this is a romantic comedy with operetta sequences. The second half, when the plot contrivances kick in, is considerably less interesting than the first half. Even the movie acknowledges how unlikely it is that Gwen would fall for such a ridiculous plot with the play and love letters. Though Ray Bolger partners MacDonald well in "Wooden Shoes" and gets to announce their "Pretty as a Picture" number, I really wish he had more to do. And frankly, the onstage numbers are so lovely, for all the fun banter and nifty modern costumes, I wonder what would have happened if they'd stuck to a revised version of the original fantasy story about a seamstress' adopted daughter who falls for a prince.
The Big Finale: If you love MacDonald and Eddy or romantic comedy or just want to see them in a different light, give this one a try.
Home Media: Currently DVD only from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, and Florence Rice
Directed by W.S Van Dyke
Music by Victor Herbert and others; Lyrics by Bob Wright, Chet Forrest, and others
Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were still riding high as MGM's top musical team in 1938, despite the failure of their Girl of the Golden West earlier that year. Looking for something totally different, they hired legendary writer Dorothy Parker and her husband Alan Campbell to transform the original Victor Herbert fairy-tale operetta into a romantic comedy about married Broadway stars who are crazy about each, until Hollywood comes calling and their producer and his crew interfere. Let's go straight to the Melody Theater in New York, where Sweethearts is starting its sixth year on the boards, and find out how well they did...
The Story: Gwen Marlowe (MacDonald) and Ernest Lane (Eddy) are indeed the married stars of Sweethearts, their smash-hit operetta that's run for six years on Broadway. They're crazy about each other, to the point where he sends her love notes every day, but they don't have much time to spend together. Their producer Felix Lehman (Frank Morgan) and press agent Dink (Allyn Joslyn) keeps throwing them into radio shows and publicity stunts, while their families live with them in their home and off their money and their fading theatrical legacies. They're both fed up, enough to listen to Hollywood talent scout Norman Trumpett (Reginald Gardiner) when he encourages them to leave New York and take a contract with his studio. Desperate, Lehman uses the terrible play written by musical playwright Kronk (Mischa Auer) to convince Gwen that Ernest is having an affair with their secretary Kay Jordan (Rice).
The Song and Dance: After the false start of Maytime the year before, this was MGM's first full-length 3-strip Technicolor movie. They couldn't have picked better stars to showcase. MacDonald's warm coppery waves and Eddy's short golden locks were made for Technicolor. The cinematography is absolutely glorious, glowing with a ravishing array of rainbow colors, finishing with a well-done montage of Gwen and Ernest becoming more lonely as they travel with their two road companies. The screenplay's almost as good. You can tell Dorothy Parker had a hand in this one; the dialogue is witty and delightful, with zingers flying fast and furious from just about everyone. MacDonald's having a fine time, and Eddy's far more relaxed here than he was in most of their earlier movies. Morgan and Rice are also up to the script as the flustered producer who wants to keep his golden couple intact and the sarcastic secretary.
Favorite Number: MacDonald joins Ray Bolger for the first big number, the charming Dutch-themed dance routine "Jeanette and Her Wooden Shoes." MacDonald keeps up with Bolger admirably and acquits herself quite well with the choreography to the catchy clip-clop rhythm. She and Eddy get the more dramatic "Every Lover Must Meet His Fate" as they're held back by what I presume to be his guards. The first version of the title song is performed on a massive flowery hill, showing off its romantic couples in a sweeping duet. "Pretty as a Picture," sung at the sixth anniversary party, starts simply with MacDonald and Eddy at the piano, but ends with a chorus bringing out flower garlands and encores for more.
What I Don't Like: At it's core, this is a romantic comedy with operetta sequences. The second half, when the plot contrivances kick in, is considerably less interesting than the first half. Even the movie acknowledges how unlikely it is that Gwen would fall for such a ridiculous plot with the play and love letters. Though Ray Bolger partners MacDonald well in "Wooden Shoes" and gets to announce their "Pretty as a Picture" number, I really wish he had more to do. And frankly, the onstage numbers are so lovely, for all the fun banter and nifty modern costumes, I wonder what would have happened if they'd stuck to a revised version of the original fantasy story about a seamstress' adopted daughter who falls for a prince.
The Big Finale: If you love MacDonald and Eddy or romantic comedy or just want to see them in a different light, give this one a try.
Home Media: Currently DVD only from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Musicals On TV - Descendants 3
Disney, 2019
Starring Dove Cameron, China Anne MacLain, Chyanne Jackson, and Sarah Jeffery
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various
Star Wars and The Avengers weren't the only sci-fi/fantasy series popular with teenagers that ended last year. In 2018, Disney announced that the third Descendants film would be the last. How does the final tale of Mal and her friends fare? We start in the Isle of the Lost this time, where the impoverished citizens dance in the street and change is in the air...
The Story: Mal (Cameron) and her friends are thrilled to return to the Isle of the Lost and bring four more villain teens to Auradon Prep. The same day, King Ben (Mitchell Hope) proposes to Mal, insisting that he wants to make her Queen of Auradon. His former girlfriend Audrey (Jeffery), daughter of Sleeping Beauty, is seething with jealousy. She steals Malificent's wand and the Queen's Crown from the Museum of Cultural History. Mal panics and decides that the best way to contain her would be to close the portal between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon. When Audrey attacks Mal, she, her friends, and new Auradon student Ceila (Jadah Marie) return to the Isle of the Lost to find Mal's father, former God of the Underworld Hades (Jackson). He has an Ember, a stone that could boost her powers enough to defeat Audrey.
Meanwhile, Audrey attacks Jane's (Brenna D'Amico) birthday party, putting almost everyone to sleep. Jane manages to escape. Ben's not so lucky and is attacked as well. Back on the Isle of the Lost, Uma (MacLain) and her crew, including Harry Hook (Thomas Dohtery) and Gil (Dylan Playfair), steal the ember and refuse to return it unless Mal agrees to let all the Isle kids attend Auradon. Mal and Uma finally admit it'll take combining powers to defeat this good princess gone bad...and that maybe everyone has a little bit of good and bad in them.
The Song and Dance: An enjoyable finale with a mildly darker undertone. Sexy Jackson absolutely steals the show as the smokin' hot (in all forms of the words) Hades. He's almost as funny as James Woods in the original Hercules, plays beautifully off Cameron, and sounds great in the numbers. McClain and Dohtery are just as much fun here as they were in the previous movie. Also, this is a good place to praise the costumes for the entire series. Disney Channel did some incredible work here. The outfits on adults, kids, Isle and Auradon residents alike are colorful, elaborate, and beautifully represents a modern idea of Disney's classic properties.
Favorite Number: Once again, we kick off with a large-scale group number with the villain kids. Mal and her pals invite the other kids of the Isle of the Lost to come to Auradon in "Good to Be Bad." Jeffery declares that she's the "Queen of Mean" as she breaks into the museum and transforms herself from prom queen to evil sorceress in pink. Jackson and Cameron reveal their frustrations at how their lives have turned out in "Do What You Gotta Do."
Trivia: Tragically, Cameron Boyce, who played Carlos, died in his sleep of an epileptic seizure in July 2019 a month before the premiere of the film. Disney postponed the red-carpet premiere in deference to his death and dedicated the movie in his memory.
What I Don't Like: First of all, the makeup on Ben when he's the Beast looks terrible. Not believable at all (or much like his dad in either animated or live-action film). The kids' acting has improved, and it's nice to see more of the adults...but this is still, at its core, a fantasy-oriented version of the same teen cliches Disney's thrown into every musical they've done for cable starting in the early 2000's. It really doesn't bring much that's new to the table.
The Big Finale: All three films are a lot of fairly harmless fun if you're a fan of the Disney animated films, the other Disney Channel musicals, or are kids between 8 and 14 or their parents.
Home Media: As the most recent release of the three, the DVD will cost you a little more. It just debuted on Disney Plus this past week.
DVD
Disney Plus
Starring Dove Cameron, China Anne MacLain, Chyanne Jackson, and Sarah Jeffery
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various
Star Wars and The Avengers weren't the only sci-fi/fantasy series popular with teenagers that ended last year. In 2018, Disney announced that the third Descendants film would be the last. How does the final tale of Mal and her friends fare? We start in the Isle of the Lost this time, where the impoverished citizens dance in the street and change is in the air...
The Story: Mal (Cameron) and her friends are thrilled to return to the Isle of the Lost and bring four more villain teens to Auradon Prep. The same day, King Ben (Mitchell Hope) proposes to Mal, insisting that he wants to make her Queen of Auradon. His former girlfriend Audrey (Jeffery), daughter of Sleeping Beauty, is seething with jealousy. She steals Malificent's wand and the Queen's Crown from the Museum of Cultural History. Mal panics and decides that the best way to contain her would be to close the portal between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon. When Audrey attacks Mal, she, her friends, and new Auradon student Ceila (Jadah Marie) return to the Isle of the Lost to find Mal's father, former God of the Underworld Hades (Jackson). He has an Ember, a stone that could boost her powers enough to defeat Audrey.
Meanwhile, Audrey attacks Jane's (Brenna D'Amico) birthday party, putting almost everyone to sleep. Jane manages to escape. Ben's not so lucky and is attacked as well. Back on the Isle of the Lost, Uma (MacLain) and her crew, including Harry Hook (Thomas Dohtery) and Gil (Dylan Playfair), steal the ember and refuse to return it unless Mal agrees to let all the Isle kids attend Auradon. Mal and Uma finally admit it'll take combining powers to defeat this good princess gone bad...and that maybe everyone has a little bit of good and bad in them.
The Song and Dance: An enjoyable finale with a mildly darker undertone. Sexy Jackson absolutely steals the show as the smokin' hot (in all forms of the words) Hades. He's almost as funny as James Woods in the original Hercules, plays beautifully off Cameron, and sounds great in the numbers. McClain and Dohtery are just as much fun here as they were in the previous movie. Also, this is a good place to praise the costumes for the entire series. Disney Channel did some incredible work here. The outfits on adults, kids, Isle and Auradon residents alike are colorful, elaborate, and beautifully represents a modern idea of Disney's classic properties.
Favorite Number: Once again, we kick off with a large-scale group number with the villain kids. Mal and her pals invite the other kids of the Isle of the Lost to come to Auradon in "Good to Be Bad." Jeffery declares that she's the "Queen of Mean" as she breaks into the museum and transforms herself from prom queen to evil sorceress in pink. Jackson and Cameron reveal their frustrations at how their lives have turned out in "Do What You Gotta Do."
Trivia: Tragically, Cameron Boyce, who played Carlos, died in his sleep of an epileptic seizure in July 2019 a month before the premiere of the film. Disney postponed the red-carpet premiere in deference to his death and dedicated the movie in his memory.
What I Don't Like: First of all, the makeup on Ben when he's the Beast looks terrible. Not believable at all (or much like his dad in either animated or live-action film). The kids' acting has improved, and it's nice to see more of the adults...but this is still, at its core, a fantasy-oriented version of the same teen cliches Disney's thrown into every musical they've done for cable starting in the early 2000's. It really doesn't bring much that's new to the table.
The Big Finale: All three films are a lot of fairly harmless fun if you're a fan of the Disney animated films, the other Disney Channel musicals, or are kids between 8 and 14 or their parents.
Home Media: As the most recent release of the three, the DVD will cost you a little more. It just debuted on Disney Plus this past week.
DVD
Disney Plus
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Musicals On TV - Descendants 2
Disney, 2017
Starring Dove Cameron, China Ann McClain, Sofia Carson, and Mitchell Hope
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various
Considering the massive success of Descendants, it was probably inevitable that there would be a sequel. Disney tested the waters with young adult novels and an animated series before releasing the second movie in July...and it was just as much of a smash success. So, how does the story of the children of Disney villains who go to school with their heroic counterparts continue? Let's return to Auradon Prep and find out...
The Story: Mal (Cameron) feels constrained by the high expectations for her role as the girlfriend of King Ben (Hope). She uses her spell book to give herself a princess makeover, including blond hair. Her best friend Evie (Carson) admonishes her for using magic as the answer to everything, and Ben's not happy when he finds out, either. Fed up, Mal finally returns to the Isle of the Lost, where she gets Dizzy (Anna Cathcart) to return her hair to purple. Evie, their guy friends Carlos (Cameron Boyce) and Jay (Booboo Stewart) and Ben follow them to convince her to come back. Not only does Mal not want to return, but Uma (McClain), the pirate daughter of Ursula (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), is jealous. She kidnaps Ben and forces Mal to bring her the Fairy Godmother's magic wand. When the Auradon kids manage to fight their way out of that, she makes use of Mal's spell book to take control of Ben himself...and force Mal to find her wicked side.
The Song and Dance: I enjoyed this one slightly more than the first. There's some genuinely interesting numbers, and I liked meeting other residents of the Isle of the Lost. McClain was the standout as Uma, who can belt a tune like a diva and does very well as they sassy pirate who resents anyone having a chance for a better life besides her. I also liked Thomas Dohtery as Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, who looks like Adam Ant with his own hanger hand and acts like his father on interesting substances. The costumes and sets remain incredible, especially in the Isle of the Lost. I love the semi-grimy waterfront and Uma's boat, and the kids look like they're having a great time during the awesome fencing sequence there.
Favorite Number: The opening number "Ways to Be Wicked" demonstrates how badly Mal wants to revert to her old self as she and her friends use poisoned apples to make Auradon a little bit naughtier (and a lot more dynamic). McClain belts "What's My Name" with aplomb as she and her boys launch their nautical moves at her mother's fish and chips bar. The villain kids attempt to teach Ben to be "Chillin' Like a Villain," but all the hip-swaying moves can't hide Ben's good nature. I'd love to know how they managed some of the amazing splits and kick moves in ankle-deep water during the finale "You and Me."
What I Don't Like: For all the improved numbers and acting, the plot is still chained to the tried and true. The whole "be yourself" thing can be telegraphed from a mile off. Jay telling Mulan's daughter Lonnie (Donna Doan) she can't be on the fencing team because of her gender is a little more interesting (and relevant in this era) than Mal's quandary with her bad and good sides or Carlos' attempts to ask Jane out and what happens to his dog. There's also very few adults around. The only parents we see are Belle, the Beast, and Ursula's tentacle. The parents were among the best things about the first film and are sorely missed.
Speaking of Ursula, the film's television roots definitely shows in the special effects. While better than most fantasy programming you'll see on cable, it's still very obvious that Mal's dragon and Uma in octopus mode are CGI models. That's also likely why we only see Ursula's one tentacle, too. She'd probably be too expensive to render fully in CGI.
The Big Finale: If you loved the first movie, you'll probably get an even bigger kick out of this one.
Home Media: Same deal here - the DVD can be found for cheap, and it's on most streaming services, including free with a subscription to Disney Plus.
DVD
Disney Plus
Starring Dove Cameron, China Ann McClain, Sofia Carson, and Mitchell Hope
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various
Considering the massive success of Descendants, it was probably inevitable that there would be a sequel. Disney tested the waters with young adult novels and an animated series before releasing the second movie in July...and it was just as much of a smash success. So, how does the story of the children of Disney villains who go to school with their heroic counterparts continue? Let's return to Auradon Prep and find out...
The Story: Mal (Cameron) feels constrained by the high expectations for her role as the girlfriend of King Ben (Hope). She uses her spell book to give herself a princess makeover, including blond hair. Her best friend Evie (Carson) admonishes her for using magic as the answer to everything, and Ben's not happy when he finds out, either. Fed up, Mal finally returns to the Isle of the Lost, where she gets Dizzy (Anna Cathcart) to return her hair to purple. Evie, their guy friends Carlos (Cameron Boyce) and Jay (Booboo Stewart) and Ben follow them to convince her to come back. Not only does Mal not want to return, but Uma (McClain), the pirate daughter of Ursula (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), is jealous. She kidnaps Ben and forces Mal to bring her the Fairy Godmother's magic wand. When the Auradon kids manage to fight their way out of that, she makes use of Mal's spell book to take control of Ben himself...and force Mal to find her wicked side.
The Song and Dance: I enjoyed this one slightly more than the first. There's some genuinely interesting numbers, and I liked meeting other residents of the Isle of the Lost. McClain was the standout as Uma, who can belt a tune like a diva and does very well as they sassy pirate who resents anyone having a chance for a better life besides her. I also liked Thomas Dohtery as Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, who looks like Adam Ant with his own hanger hand and acts like his father on interesting substances. The costumes and sets remain incredible, especially in the Isle of the Lost. I love the semi-grimy waterfront and Uma's boat, and the kids look like they're having a great time during the awesome fencing sequence there.
Favorite Number: The opening number "Ways to Be Wicked" demonstrates how badly Mal wants to revert to her old self as she and her friends use poisoned apples to make Auradon a little bit naughtier (and a lot more dynamic). McClain belts "What's My Name" with aplomb as she and her boys launch their nautical moves at her mother's fish and chips bar. The villain kids attempt to teach Ben to be "Chillin' Like a Villain," but all the hip-swaying moves can't hide Ben's good nature. I'd love to know how they managed some of the amazing splits and kick moves in ankle-deep water during the finale "You and Me."
What I Don't Like: For all the improved numbers and acting, the plot is still chained to the tried and true. The whole "be yourself" thing can be telegraphed from a mile off. Jay telling Mulan's daughter Lonnie (Donna Doan) she can't be on the fencing team because of her gender is a little more interesting (and relevant in this era) than Mal's quandary with her bad and good sides or Carlos' attempts to ask Jane out and what happens to his dog. There's also very few adults around. The only parents we see are Belle, the Beast, and Ursula's tentacle. The parents were among the best things about the first film and are sorely missed.
Speaking of Ursula, the film's television roots definitely shows in the special effects. While better than most fantasy programming you'll see on cable, it's still very obvious that Mal's dragon and Uma in octopus mode are CGI models. That's also likely why we only see Ursula's one tentacle, too. She'd probably be too expensive to render fully in CGI.
The Big Finale: If you loved the first movie, you'll probably get an even bigger kick out of this one.
Home Media: Same deal here - the DVD can be found for cheap, and it's on most streaming services, including free with a subscription to Disney Plus.
DVD
Disney Plus
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Musicals On TV - Descendants (2015)
Disney, 2015
Starring Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music by various
With Disney Plus adding the third entry in this series this week, I thought this was the perfect time to discuss the entire trilogy. It came out amid huge fanfare during the summer of 2015, with dolls, clothes, toys, and books based around the characters...and proved to just as popular as the original High School Musical. Why was this movie such a huge hit? To find out, we begin at Auradon Prep in a divided fantasy world, where a young man is about to make a decision that will turn two worlds upside-down...
The Story: Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope), son of Belle (Keegan Connor Tracy) and the Beast (Dan Payne), declares that four children from the Isle of the Lost should be allowed to attend Auradon Prep. The Isle of the Lost is where all fairy-tale villains were banished after they were defeated; it's basically a crime-ridden slum where magic is forbidden, cut off from Auradon by a barrier.
The new students chosen are Mal (Cameron), daughter of Malificent (Kristen Chenowith), Carlos (Boyce), son of Cruella Di Ville (Wendy Raquel Robinson), Jay (Stewart), son of Jafar (Maz Jobrani), and Evie (Carson), daughter of the Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy). Malificent orders them to retrieve the wand of the Fairy Godmother (Melanie Paxson) so she can take over Auradon. The kids obey her at first, until Evie realizes she has a head for chemistry, Carlos befriends a local dog, and Jay becomes the star of the school's "tourney" (a hockey/lacrosse mix) team. Mal gives Ben a cookie laced with a love potion, then regrets it when she actually falls for him. Now the kids have to decide if they want to follow in their parents' footsteps, or find their own paths.
The Song and Dance: It's pretty obvious that this is another Kenny Ortega production. We once again have a team of young people from two different words jamming in elaborate group dance routines. The difference here is that the kids aren't just from different cliques. They're literally from a whole different world with ways that aren't as pretty and pastel as those at Auradon. And it must be said that while the kids aren't bad, their parents are absolutely having the most fun. Jobram looks the part of Jafar far more than the man who played him in the live-action version, Robinson is a hoot as dog-hating Cruella Di Ville, and Chenowith is having the time of her life as a totally over-the-top Malificent who wants revenge...and expects her daughter to do the same.
Favorite Number: It begins well with "Rotten to the Core," showing off just how terrible life at the Isle of the Lost is...and how much the four kids rule the impoverished citizens as they wreck as much havoc as possible. Chenowith appears in the Museum of Cultural History in Auradon to tell her daughter with many flourishes how she wants her to be "Evil Like Me." All of the kids come together in a big, colorful dance routine in the finale at and around Auradon Prep, "Set It Off."
Trivia: The movie was so huge, it became the most watched movie in cable history at that point. The soundtrack hit #1 on the Billboard 200 charts as well.
What I Don't Like: All of the Disney magic in the world can't hide how paint-by-numbers this one is. Cameron can't conjure a potion that brings life to the syrupy ballad "If Only." Most of the other kids are generic popular preppies or cutesy teens with little personality. Jane (Brenna D'Amico), the daughter of the Fairy Godmother, is supposed to be, well, plain-Jane, but she's too cute to believe that Mal's magic could suddenly make her part of the popular crowd. The kids' more realistic performances clash rather badly with the over-the-top ones from their screen parents. And "Be Our Guest" comes off as ridiculous, with clumsy choreography and a dull performance by Hope.
The Big Finale: Like most of the Disney Channel musicals, I'm the wrong audience for this movie. This one is for older school kids, young teens, and their parents who enjoy the Disney animated movies and the other Disney Channel original films and who will get a kick out of the songs, references to the Disney canon, and the young cast.
Home Media: Along with being available on Disney Plus with a subscription there, it's also on DVD (often for under 10 dollars) and most other streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music by various
With Disney Plus adding the third entry in this series this week, I thought this was the perfect time to discuss the entire trilogy. It came out amid huge fanfare during the summer of 2015, with dolls, clothes, toys, and books based around the characters...and proved to just as popular as the original High School Musical. Why was this movie such a huge hit? To find out, we begin at Auradon Prep in a divided fantasy world, where a young man is about to make a decision that will turn two worlds upside-down...
The Story: Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope), son of Belle (Keegan Connor Tracy) and the Beast (Dan Payne), declares that four children from the Isle of the Lost should be allowed to attend Auradon Prep. The Isle of the Lost is where all fairy-tale villains were banished after they were defeated; it's basically a crime-ridden slum where magic is forbidden, cut off from Auradon by a barrier.
The new students chosen are Mal (Cameron), daughter of Malificent (Kristen Chenowith), Carlos (Boyce), son of Cruella Di Ville (Wendy Raquel Robinson), Jay (Stewart), son of Jafar (Maz Jobrani), and Evie (Carson), daughter of the Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy). Malificent orders them to retrieve the wand of the Fairy Godmother (Melanie Paxson) so she can take over Auradon. The kids obey her at first, until Evie realizes she has a head for chemistry, Carlos befriends a local dog, and Jay becomes the star of the school's "tourney" (a hockey/lacrosse mix) team. Mal gives Ben a cookie laced with a love potion, then regrets it when she actually falls for him. Now the kids have to decide if they want to follow in their parents' footsteps, or find their own paths.
The Song and Dance: It's pretty obvious that this is another Kenny Ortega production. We once again have a team of young people from two different words jamming in elaborate group dance routines. The difference here is that the kids aren't just from different cliques. They're literally from a whole different world with ways that aren't as pretty and pastel as those at Auradon. And it must be said that while the kids aren't bad, their parents are absolutely having the most fun. Jobram looks the part of Jafar far more than the man who played him in the live-action version, Robinson is a hoot as dog-hating Cruella Di Ville, and Chenowith is having the time of her life as a totally over-the-top Malificent who wants revenge...and expects her daughter to do the same.
Favorite Number: It begins well with "Rotten to the Core," showing off just how terrible life at the Isle of the Lost is...and how much the four kids rule the impoverished citizens as they wreck as much havoc as possible. Chenowith appears in the Museum of Cultural History in Auradon to tell her daughter with many flourishes how she wants her to be "Evil Like Me." All of the kids come together in a big, colorful dance routine in the finale at and around Auradon Prep, "Set It Off."
Trivia: The movie was so huge, it became the most watched movie in cable history at that point. The soundtrack hit #1 on the Billboard 200 charts as well.
What I Don't Like: All of the Disney magic in the world can't hide how paint-by-numbers this one is. Cameron can't conjure a potion that brings life to the syrupy ballad "If Only." Most of the other kids are generic popular preppies or cutesy teens with little personality. Jane (Brenna D'Amico), the daughter of the Fairy Godmother, is supposed to be, well, plain-Jane, but she's too cute to believe that Mal's magic could suddenly make her part of the popular crowd. The kids' more realistic performances clash rather badly with the over-the-top ones from their screen parents. And "Be Our Guest" comes off as ridiculous, with clumsy choreography and a dull performance by Hope.
The Big Finale: Like most of the Disney Channel musicals, I'm the wrong audience for this movie. This one is for older school kids, young teens, and their parents who enjoy the Disney animated movies and the other Disney Channel original films and who will get a kick out of the songs, references to the Disney canon, and the young cast.
Home Media: Along with being available on Disney Plus with a subscription there, it's also on DVD (often for under 10 dollars) and most other streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Happy Groundhog's Day! - Jack Frost
Rankin-Bass, 1979
Voices of Robert Morse, Buddy Hackett, Debra Clinger, and Paul Frees
Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.
Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass
Rankin-Bass continued to churn out holiday specials in the late 70's, but as those of you who read my reviews for last month may have noticed, some of them could get more than a little odd. What better character to headline a holiday special than the mythical lad himself who is said to control winter weather? They also had the habit of tying other holidays into their specials, referencing Groundhog's Day here along with Christmas and winter in general. How does this hodgepodge look nowadays? Let's head to the unfortunate town of January Junction, just as winter is about to begin, and find out...
The Story: Weather-forecasting groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete (Hackett) narrates the tale of how he and Jack Frost (Morse) came to make a deal to let him sleep for six weeks longer. Jack is an invisible sprite who creates snow and ice. He's happy with his lot, until he encounters the lovely Elisa (Clinger), the daughter of poor farmers in January Junction. After he rescues her from going over the falls, she calls him a hero. He falls hard for her and begs Father Winter (Frees) to make him human. Father Winter agrees to it for one season, sending fellow sprites Snip (Don Messick) and Holly (Dina Lynn) with him.
Elisa, however, ends up falling in love with the handsome knight Sir Ravenal (Sonny Melendrez). She has another suitor in Kubla Kraus (Frees), the Cossack King who claims all the money and building materials in the area for himself. He takes her hostage on Christmas Day, threatening to send his army of mechanical knights to destroy the town. Jack, his friends, and Sir Ravenal go after him. Sir Ravenal is hurt; Jack and the others are captured. He finally gives up his humanity to create a snowstorm that will keep Kraus from sending his knights, but can't keep sending it if a certainly little groundhog declares that spring is here...
The Animation: The designs here are similar to Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July that same year, but even more fantasy-oriented, as appropriate for the setting. They actually rendered the snow quite well, especially the glistening ice. The scenes in Kraus' castle are also pretty nifty, as are those thousand K-Knights, and the ones up in the Kingdom of Winter.
The Song and Dance: There's a lot of charm to be found in this unique hybrid of The Little Mermaid and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. This is my favorite of Morse' several Rankin-Bass roles. He's sweet and adorable as Jack, especially when he first encounters Elisa after becoming human. Frees is hilarious both as the fussy Slip and bellowing Kubla Kraus, one of the better Rankin-Bass villains. Kraus somehow manages to be buffoonish and menacing at the same time, even with him toting a mechanical dummy around. And it's rare to see them try for even a bittersweet ending - this may be their only special where the character doesn't get the girl in the end.
Favorite Number: The opening credits title song is a catchy little tune that shows us Jack at work and how the people on Earth revel in it. "There's the Rub" is a great villain song for Kubla Krous as he describes how he could have been a great ruler in other times and places. The Christmas sequence is set to the chorus routine "It's Just What I Always Wanted" as the residents of January Junction exclaim over the "dream presents" they pretend they have. Hackett performs a nice "Me and My Shadow" in the very beginning as we see just what he does and how important his shadow - and Jack's - will be to the story.
What I Don't Like: While this definitely comes off better than Christmas In July, which came out a few weeks before it, it's still not up to Rankin-Bass' earlier programs. Elisa is cute but is otherwise is a bit dull (though, to give her credit, I think she does figure out who Jack is in the end). Once again, Rankin-Bass tries to needlessly tie a holiday in. The good song aside, the whole Christmas/"dream present" segment seems kind of shoehorned in. In fact, though AMC has run it around Christmas for the past few years, I actually consider this to be more of a Groundhog's Day/general winter special.
The Big Finale: A hidden gem from Rankin-Bass with a catchy score, one of their more interesting villains, and a surprisingly bittersweet tone for them. Whether you watch it on Christmas or Groundhog's Day, it's worth checking out.
Home Media: Quite easy to find on DVD and on streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Voices of Robert Morse, Buddy Hackett, Debra Clinger, and Paul Frees
Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.
Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass
Rankin-Bass continued to churn out holiday specials in the late 70's, but as those of you who read my reviews for last month may have noticed, some of them could get more than a little odd. What better character to headline a holiday special than the mythical lad himself who is said to control winter weather? They also had the habit of tying other holidays into their specials, referencing Groundhog's Day here along with Christmas and winter in general. How does this hodgepodge look nowadays? Let's head to the unfortunate town of January Junction, just as winter is about to begin, and find out...
The Story: Weather-forecasting groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete (Hackett) narrates the tale of how he and Jack Frost (Morse) came to make a deal to let him sleep for six weeks longer. Jack is an invisible sprite who creates snow and ice. He's happy with his lot, until he encounters the lovely Elisa (Clinger), the daughter of poor farmers in January Junction. After he rescues her from going over the falls, she calls him a hero. He falls hard for her and begs Father Winter (Frees) to make him human. Father Winter agrees to it for one season, sending fellow sprites Snip (Don Messick) and Holly (Dina Lynn) with him.
Elisa, however, ends up falling in love with the handsome knight Sir Ravenal (Sonny Melendrez). She has another suitor in Kubla Kraus (Frees), the Cossack King who claims all the money and building materials in the area for himself. He takes her hostage on Christmas Day, threatening to send his army of mechanical knights to destroy the town. Jack, his friends, and Sir Ravenal go after him. Sir Ravenal is hurt; Jack and the others are captured. He finally gives up his humanity to create a snowstorm that will keep Kraus from sending his knights, but can't keep sending it if a certainly little groundhog declares that spring is here...
The Animation: The designs here are similar to Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July that same year, but even more fantasy-oriented, as appropriate for the setting. They actually rendered the snow quite well, especially the glistening ice. The scenes in Kraus' castle are also pretty nifty, as are those thousand K-Knights, and the ones up in the Kingdom of Winter.
The Song and Dance: There's a lot of charm to be found in this unique hybrid of The Little Mermaid and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. This is my favorite of Morse' several Rankin-Bass roles. He's sweet and adorable as Jack, especially when he first encounters Elisa after becoming human. Frees is hilarious both as the fussy Slip and bellowing Kubla Kraus, one of the better Rankin-Bass villains. Kraus somehow manages to be buffoonish and menacing at the same time, even with him toting a mechanical dummy around. And it's rare to see them try for even a bittersweet ending - this may be their only special where the character doesn't get the girl in the end.
Favorite Number: The opening credits title song is a catchy little tune that shows us Jack at work and how the people on Earth revel in it. "There's the Rub" is a great villain song for Kubla Krous as he describes how he could have been a great ruler in other times and places. The Christmas sequence is set to the chorus routine "It's Just What I Always Wanted" as the residents of January Junction exclaim over the "dream presents" they pretend they have. Hackett performs a nice "Me and My Shadow" in the very beginning as we see just what he does and how important his shadow - and Jack's - will be to the story.
What I Don't Like: While this definitely comes off better than Christmas In July, which came out a few weeks before it, it's still not up to Rankin-Bass' earlier programs. Elisa is cute but is otherwise is a bit dull (though, to give her credit, I think she does figure out who Jack is in the end). Once again, Rankin-Bass tries to needlessly tie a holiday in. The good song aside, the whole Christmas/"dream present" segment seems kind of shoehorned in. In fact, though AMC has run it around Christmas for the past few years, I actually consider this to be more of a Groundhog's Day/general winter special.
The Big Finale: A hidden gem from Rankin-Bass with a catchy score, one of their more interesting villains, and a surprisingly bittersweet tone for them. Whether you watch it on Christmas or Groundhog's Day, it's worth checking out.
Home Media: Quite easy to find on DVD and on streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
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