The Cannon Group, 1989
Starring Amelia Shankley, Isabella Rossillini, Craig T. Nelson, and Rocco Sisto
Directed by Adam Brooks
Music by Stephan Lawrence; Lyrics by Michael Korte
Undaunted by the failure of The Apple, the Cannon Group returned to making musicals in 1986. This time, however, they used more traditional show tunes to tell well-known fairy tales for the family market. We've already seen two earlier releases in the Cannon Movie Tales series, Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast. How does the final movie in the series compare, not only to those, but to the original Grimm's story? Let's start off in the woods as little Linet (Shankley) searches for fairies and find out...
The Story: Linet lives with her mother Jean (Rossillini) at the edge of the forest. Jean was once a great lady who lived in a castle, but after her husband Percival (Nelson) vanished during the war, his wicked twin Godfrey (Nelson) took over. Godfrey (Nelson) wishes to marry Jean and believes his brother to be dead, but she remains true to her husband. After he beats a peasant farmer (Julian Chagrin) who owes him taxes, the farmer is healed by Jean's kindly mother Bess (Helen Glazary). Wanting to know more about this, he sends his lackey Dagger (Sisto), a wolf who can transform into a man, after Bess. Linet runs into him in the woods, where he persuades her to pick wildflowers for her grandmother. Even if he can't get Granny, he still may be able to get his big eyes and teeth on the fearless little girl...
The Song and Dance: Not bad. Rossellini makes a lovely, motherly noblewoman, and Sisto is obviously having a great time as the half-man, half-wolf who so enjoys doing what he does. Shankley is fine when we actually see her. The segments filmed outdoors look just as good here as they did in Rumpelstiltskin, with just the right soft fantasy look.
Favorite Number: Sisto delights in prancing around to his big villain song, "Good at Being Bad," as he describes why he loves what he does. Rossillini first sings the touching "You Won't Be Here In the Morning" to reassure Linet that she'll be safe. Nelson performs it later as Percival finds his way back to the kingdom. The peasants recall earlier days of more fertile crops in the film's sole large chorus number, "Green In the Blue." Sisto and Shankley describe why one should never trust the people we meet on the road in the catchy "Never Talk to Strangers."
What I Don't Like: The side story with the twin brothers and Jean and Nanny Bess is unnecessary padding at best, confusing at worst. Linet isn't in most of the movie that's supposed to be about her. She doesn't even get the famous red cape until half-way through the movie! The wolf being a werewolf is creepy as heck and may come off as more than a little uncomfortable for many people today. Nelson is too American for this story and is completely out of place, whether he's the good or bad brother. At lease he has a good singing voice, which is more than can be said for Rossellini, Her "You Won't Be There In the Morning" comes off as tuneless. There's also that tinny synthesizer score and the cheap sets and werewolf makeup that are at odds with the fairy tale magic they're trying to convey.
The Big Finale: Worth seeing at least once if you love fairy tales or have kids who are fantasy fans.
Home Media: Easy to find for cheap on DVD and streaming. Vudu currently has it for free with ads.
DVD
Vudu
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Cult Flops - The Apple
The Cannon Group, 1980
Starring Catherine Mary Stewart, George Gilmour, Grace Kennedy, and Vladek Sheybal
Directed by Menahem Golem
Music by Coby Recht; Lyrics by Iris Recht
Even low-budget studios wanted to cash in on the disco craze. Inspired by his difficulties with a major French music company, Recht started writing this one in 1977. He couldn't get anyone to sign until he hit on Golem, an old friend. Golem thought it would make a wonderful movie and started filming in West Berlin in 1979 It's creators thought it was going to be the next big thing. By the time it came out in June 1980, it ran into that huge disco backlash and wound up being one of the bigger failures of the year. How does this disco Faust allegory look now? Let's start at the Euro...er, Worldvision Song Festival at West Berlin's Internationales Congress Centrum in 1994 and find out...
The Story: Naive young Canadians Alphie (Gilmour) and Bibi (Stewart) enter the contest with their gentle love song, but sabotaged by the evil Mr. Boogalow (Sheybal) and his minions. They want the pair from Boogalow International Music, Dandi (Allan Love) and Pandi (Grace Kennedy), to win. Boogalow invites them to a party at his home, and then to his office to sign a contract. Alphie insists both times that something is wrong. Dandi comes onto Bibi at the party, convincing her to sign the contract. She becomes the biggest star on the planet, spreading the evil message of BIM until everyone is under Boogalow's influence.
Alphie is still trying to sell his pop ballads, but he's not doing well. He lives in a falling-down building run by a fussy Jewish lady (Miriam Margoyles) who wishes he'd pay the rent. He tries to get Bibi back, but is first beaten by Boogalow's mooks, then seduced by Pandi. Realizing how much he loves her, Pandi finally sends Bibi after her sweetheart. They fall in with a group of hippies...but it'll take literal divine intervention to save this biblical pair and the people who have protected them...
The Song and Dance: This movie is so insane, it's in a class by itself. The glittery sci-fi costumes and wild neon makeup say less "1994" than "Rainbow Brite on every recreational drug available in 1980." Everyone either overacts with a rabid ferocity or fades into the woodwork, and it's oddly complimentary to the movie's in-your-face style.
Favorite Number: Dandi initially seduces Bibi with "Made for Me" at Boogalow's party as the guests throw in their own dance moves to help convince her. Boogalow, his second-in-command Shake (Ray Shell), and the chorus introduce Alphie and Bibi to the world of "Showbizness" in a huge, glitzy dance number in the lobby of Boogalow International Music shortly before they go upstairs to check out their contracts. Alphie thinks he sees Dandi giving "The Apple" to Bibi in an extremely obvious Adam and Eve allegory. Pandi gets her own seduction number with "Coming," as she and the chorus make love and try to sway Alphie to their side.
What I Don't Like: Nothing in this movie makes the slightest bit of sense. There's plot holes the size of Europe. We don't find out how they invited Alphie and Bibi to the party after they sabotaged them, or what happened to Alphie's landlady, or how BIM took over so quickly, or why Pandi suddenly changed sides. The movie frequently shows it's the cheap cash-in it is, from bad special effects to the lousy script and acting to the ridiculous, out-of-nowhere ending. This movie has all the subtlety of a ten-ton brick to the face.
The Big Finale: ...And yet, for all the idiocy, I still liked it better than Can't Stop the Music. It's obvious they took this seriously and were trying hard to make a decent biblical allegory, using the music of the time. Is it great? No. Is it even good? Not at all. But it's definitely it's own thing. If you love movies that are so bad, they're fascinating, you'll want to take a look at this.
Home Media: It's cult status makes it easy to find in all formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Catherine Mary Stewart, George Gilmour, Grace Kennedy, and Vladek Sheybal
Directed by Menahem Golem
Music by Coby Recht; Lyrics by Iris Recht
Even low-budget studios wanted to cash in on the disco craze. Inspired by his difficulties with a major French music company, Recht started writing this one in 1977. He couldn't get anyone to sign until he hit on Golem, an old friend. Golem thought it would make a wonderful movie and started filming in West Berlin in 1979 It's creators thought it was going to be the next big thing. By the time it came out in June 1980, it ran into that huge disco backlash and wound up being one of the bigger failures of the year. How does this disco Faust allegory look now? Let's start at the Euro...er, Worldvision Song Festival at West Berlin's Internationales Congress Centrum in 1994 and find out...
The Story: Naive young Canadians Alphie (Gilmour) and Bibi (Stewart) enter the contest with their gentle love song, but sabotaged by the evil Mr. Boogalow (Sheybal) and his minions. They want the pair from Boogalow International Music, Dandi (Allan Love) and Pandi (Grace Kennedy), to win. Boogalow invites them to a party at his home, and then to his office to sign a contract. Alphie insists both times that something is wrong. Dandi comes onto Bibi at the party, convincing her to sign the contract. She becomes the biggest star on the planet, spreading the evil message of BIM until everyone is under Boogalow's influence.
Alphie is still trying to sell his pop ballads, but he's not doing well. He lives in a falling-down building run by a fussy Jewish lady (Miriam Margoyles) who wishes he'd pay the rent. He tries to get Bibi back, but is first beaten by Boogalow's mooks, then seduced by Pandi. Realizing how much he loves her, Pandi finally sends Bibi after her sweetheart. They fall in with a group of hippies...but it'll take literal divine intervention to save this biblical pair and the people who have protected them...
The Song and Dance: This movie is so insane, it's in a class by itself. The glittery sci-fi costumes and wild neon makeup say less "1994" than "Rainbow Brite on every recreational drug available in 1980." Everyone either overacts with a rabid ferocity or fades into the woodwork, and it's oddly complimentary to the movie's in-your-face style.
Favorite Number: Dandi initially seduces Bibi with "Made for Me" at Boogalow's party as the guests throw in their own dance moves to help convince her. Boogalow, his second-in-command Shake (Ray Shell), and the chorus introduce Alphie and Bibi to the world of "Showbizness" in a huge, glitzy dance number in the lobby of Boogalow International Music shortly before they go upstairs to check out their contracts. Alphie thinks he sees Dandi giving "The Apple" to Bibi in an extremely obvious Adam and Eve allegory. Pandi gets her own seduction number with "Coming," as she and the chorus make love and try to sway Alphie to their side.
What I Don't Like: Nothing in this movie makes the slightest bit of sense. There's plot holes the size of Europe. We don't find out how they invited Alphie and Bibi to the party after they sabotaged them, or what happened to Alphie's landlady, or how BIM took over so quickly, or why Pandi suddenly changed sides. The movie frequently shows it's the cheap cash-in it is, from bad special effects to the lousy script and acting to the ridiculous, out-of-nowhere ending. This movie has all the subtlety of a ten-ton brick to the face.
The Big Finale: ...And yet, for all the idiocy, I still liked it better than Can't Stop the Music. It's obvious they took this seriously and were trying hard to make a decent biblical allegory, using the music of the time. Is it great? No. Is it even good? Not at all. But it's definitely it's own thing. If you love movies that are so bad, they're fascinating, you'll want to take a look at this.
Home Media: It's cult status makes it easy to find in all formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Cult Flops - Can't Stop the Music
Associated Film Distribution, 1980
Starring Steve Gutenberg, Valerie Perrine, Bruce Jenner, and The Village People (Alex Briley, David Hodo, Glenn Hughes, Randy Jones, Felipe Rose, and Ray Simpson)
Directed by Nancy Walker
Music by Jaques Morallei; Lyrics by various
Like Xanadu, this movie was another reaction to the overwhelming popularity of disco in the late 70's. Producer Allan Carr was coming off the mega-success of Grease and decided to follow that up with an original production. The Village People, six guys in various "working guys" costumes like cowboy or construction worker, were also coming off the huge hits "YMCA" and "In the Navy" and were one of the hottest groups on the planet at that point.
It may have made sense at the time to put them in a lavish musical inspired by the Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney "put on a show" musicals of the 1930's, but...well, let's just say that several bizarre choices in cast and crew and an overdose of camp made this one one go off the rails in spectacular fashion. How bad is it? Let's start in a crowded record store in New York City, where a hopeful young songwriter is about to change his life forever, and find out...
The Story: Jack Morell (Gutenberg) quits his job at a Grenwich Village record store to take a job as a DJ at a disco/country dance club. His roommate Samantha (Perrine) is initially skeptical, until she hears the big song he wrote about her. Seeing how it whips the crowd at the club into a frenzy, she suggests he shops it around to music executives she knows. The only taker is her sleazy ex-boyfriend Steve Waits (Paul Sand), who is more interested in her than Jack and his music, but she does manage to convince him to let them make a demo.
Now, all they need is a band. Good thing Samantha happens to have a friend from the disco club who dresses as a Native American (Rose) and an old friend who is a construction worker and model (Hodo), and a friend of hers just happens to know a cop (Simpson) and a National Guardsman (Briley), all of whom have wonderful singing voices. They also encounter Ron White (Jenner), a lawyer from St. Louis who is still getting use to the different sexual standards in New York. He leaves their big party in shock from all the sexy dancing, but changes his mind the next day when he realizes how much he likes Sam.
Ron offers to let them use his law office for their auditions, which somehow attracts the weirdest acts this side of The Gong Show. They do manage to pick up a singing motorcyclist in leather (Hughes) who was looking for someone to do his taxes, but Ron's boss (Russell Nype) is shocked at the display. Ron eventually quits to focus on the group. Sam tries to get Steve to offer up a contract, but turns down the one he does offer. She and the others first opt for a pay-party, but the commercial they make for milk is deemed a little too controversial. Fortunately, Ron's mother (Barbara Rush) is heavily into charity and may have an option that'll be the perfect way to showcase the group...
The Song and Dance: Well...you can't say this one isn't unique. If you didn't know when it was made, the glittering opening credits alone would give it away. The entire production screams "1979" in every way possible, from the women's plumed hats and floaty floral dresses to the men basically not wearing much of anything. Even Ron sheds his suit for a midriff-bearing t-shirt once he leaves the law firm. I don't think any mainstream movie before this (or possibly since) shows so much of the male anatomy.
Favorite Number: "Magic Night" is the party at Jack and Samantha's house in Grenwich Village that so offended Ron. It's really everyone sexy-dancing around each other as the Village People sings, and even includes a faux-Busby Berkeley overhead shot. "YMCA" is mainly shots of mostly-naked men doing sports at the free recreational center. "Milkshake" is the big milk commercial number. It's supposed to be a salute to big 30's chorus numbers, with everyone in creamy white and tapping around glasses of milk, but it's so campy and badly choreographed, it's more of an unintentional parody.
What I Don't Like: Pretty much everything else. This is just a plain bad movie. Gutenberg, Perrine, and Jenner all play obnoxious, self-centered people who turn down several offers that would have helped them along but didn't fit their "want it all" image. The Village People are not only bad actors, but have no personality beyond their costumes. The movie puts so much focus on Jack and his songs and Ron and Samantha and their on-again, off-again romance, the Village People are barely seen in their own film. Nancy Walker, normally a TV and stage comedienne, was hardly the director to make sense of this idiocy (and spent most of the shoot fighting with Perrine to boot).
The dialogue is stilted, dreadful, and poorly acted by everyone. Even with the overlong two-hour running time, things still happen too easily for the characters. Every time there's a conflict, a character actor or friend who just "happens" to have connections is trotted in, and the problem is solved. There's no real struggle or downward spiral, or frankly much of a plot. It's basically hanging on the numbers and...well, if you don't like disco or the glittering high camp that is often associated with that music, you won't know what to make of sex-drenched lunacy like "Milkshake" and the onstage title song that ends the film.
The Big Finale: While I ultimately found Xanadu to be weirdly charming despite its excesses, this one is just weird. Don't touch this with a hundred-foot pole unless you're a major fan of disco, the Village People, Gutenberg, or the late 70's-early 80's camp aesthetic in general.
Home Media: Out of print on DVD and a little pricey on Blu-Ray. Streaming may be your best bet if you absolutely must see this.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Steve Gutenberg, Valerie Perrine, Bruce Jenner, and The Village People (Alex Briley, David Hodo, Glenn Hughes, Randy Jones, Felipe Rose, and Ray Simpson)
Directed by Nancy Walker
Music by Jaques Morallei; Lyrics by various
Like Xanadu, this movie was another reaction to the overwhelming popularity of disco in the late 70's. Producer Allan Carr was coming off the mega-success of Grease and decided to follow that up with an original production. The Village People, six guys in various "working guys" costumes like cowboy or construction worker, were also coming off the huge hits "YMCA" and "In the Navy" and were one of the hottest groups on the planet at that point.
It may have made sense at the time to put them in a lavish musical inspired by the Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney "put on a show" musicals of the 1930's, but...well, let's just say that several bizarre choices in cast and crew and an overdose of camp made this one one go off the rails in spectacular fashion. How bad is it? Let's start in a crowded record store in New York City, where a hopeful young songwriter is about to change his life forever, and find out...
The Story: Jack Morell (Gutenberg) quits his job at a Grenwich Village record store to take a job as a DJ at a disco/country dance club. His roommate Samantha (Perrine) is initially skeptical, until she hears the big song he wrote about her. Seeing how it whips the crowd at the club into a frenzy, she suggests he shops it around to music executives she knows. The only taker is her sleazy ex-boyfriend Steve Waits (Paul Sand), who is more interested in her than Jack and his music, but she does manage to convince him to let them make a demo.
Now, all they need is a band. Good thing Samantha happens to have a friend from the disco club who dresses as a Native American (Rose) and an old friend who is a construction worker and model (Hodo), and a friend of hers just happens to know a cop (Simpson) and a National Guardsman (Briley), all of whom have wonderful singing voices. They also encounter Ron White (Jenner), a lawyer from St. Louis who is still getting use to the different sexual standards in New York. He leaves their big party in shock from all the sexy dancing, but changes his mind the next day when he realizes how much he likes Sam.
Ron offers to let them use his law office for their auditions, which somehow attracts the weirdest acts this side of The Gong Show. They do manage to pick up a singing motorcyclist in leather (Hughes) who was looking for someone to do his taxes, but Ron's boss (Russell Nype) is shocked at the display. Ron eventually quits to focus on the group. Sam tries to get Steve to offer up a contract, but turns down the one he does offer. She and the others first opt for a pay-party, but the commercial they make for milk is deemed a little too controversial. Fortunately, Ron's mother (Barbara Rush) is heavily into charity and may have an option that'll be the perfect way to showcase the group...
The Song and Dance: Well...you can't say this one isn't unique. If you didn't know when it was made, the glittering opening credits alone would give it away. The entire production screams "1979" in every way possible, from the women's plumed hats and floaty floral dresses to the men basically not wearing much of anything. Even Ron sheds his suit for a midriff-bearing t-shirt once he leaves the law firm. I don't think any mainstream movie before this (or possibly since) shows so much of the male anatomy.
Favorite Number: "Magic Night" is the party at Jack and Samantha's house in Grenwich Village that so offended Ron. It's really everyone sexy-dancing around each other as the Village People sings, and even includes a faux-Busby Berkeley overhead shot. "YMCA" is mainly shots of mostly-naked men doing sports at the free recreational center. "Milkshake" is the big milk commercial number. It's supposed to be a salute to big 30's chorus numbers, with everyone in creamy white and tapping around glasses of milk, but it's so campy and badly choreographed, it's more of an unintentional parody.
What I Don't Like: Pretty much everything else. This is just a plain bad movie. Gutenberg, Perrine, and Jenner all play obnoxious, self-centered people who turn down several offers that would have helped them along but didn't fit their "want it all" image. The Village People are not only bad actors, but have no personality beyond their costumes. The movie puts so much focus on Jack and his songs and Ron and Samantha and their on-again, off-again romance, the Village People are barely seen in their own film. Nancy Walker, normally a TV and stage comedienne, was hardly the director to make sense of this idiocy (and spent most of the shoot fighting with Perrine to boot).
The dialogue is stilted, dreadful, and poorly acted by everyone. Even with the overlong two-hour running time, things still happen too easily for the characters. Every time there's a conflict, a character actor or friend who just "happens" to have connections is trotted in, and the problem is solved. There's no real struggle or downward spiral, or frankly much of a plot. It's basically hanging on the numbers and...well, if you don't like disco or the glittering high camp that is often associated with that music, you won't know what to make of sex-drenched lunacy like "Milkshake" and the onstage title song that ends the film.
The Big Finale: While I ultimately found Xanadu to be weirdly charming despite its excesses, this one is just weird. Don't touch this with a hundred-foot pole unless you're a major fan of disco, the Village People, Gutenberg, or the late 70's-early 80's camp aesthetic in general.
Home Media: Out of print on DVD and a little pricey on Blu-Ray. Streaming may be your best bet if you absolutely must see this.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Happy Memorial Day! - Here Comes the Waves
Paramount, 1944
Starring Betty Hutton, Bing Crosby, Sonny Tufts, and Ann Doran
Directed by Mark Sandrich
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
During World War II, for the first time, the Armed Services recruited women as well as men. Women took the places of men on the homefront, teaching them to fly, doing office work, engineering parachutes, and driving delivery vehicles. The WAVES were a real group, the United States Naval Reserve, and many women did leave their jobs and homes to volunteer. What happens to a pair of twins who decide to join those ranks in order to meet a handsome singer who is determined to follow his father's footsteps? Let's head to Los Angeles, where the WAVES are signing people up, to find out...
The Story: Rosemary Allison (Hutton) enlists her and twin sister Susie (Hutton) into the WAVES, despite them being very different. Rosemary is a smart and serious brunette; Susie is a noisy, scatterbrained blonde. Susie is obsessed with singer Johnny Cabot (Crosby), to the point where she brings her collection of his records with her to the barracks and listen to them while she bathes. She's beyond thrilled when she and her sister meet her idol at a club while on leave. Johnny, however, is far more interested in Rosemary than her sister.
He's trying to get his friend Windy (Tufts) to get him into the Navy, so he can serve on the same boat as his father. Susie's horrified at the idea of him getting killed and sends in a suggestion that he star in and direct a show to aid WAVES recruitment. Johnny thinks it was Windy's idea, and Rosemary thinks it was Johnny's and that he's more interested in himself than the show. Windy finds out it was Susie's idea, and first tries to get Johnny to think Rosemary's not into him, then have to figure out how to keep him with the show when he's determined to be on that ship.
The Song and Dance: The fun thing about this one is how it acknowledges and plays with Bing's fame in the 30's and early 40's. Most people think of girls drooling over recording stars as being a relatively recent thing, but as this movie points out, it's been around for decades. Yes, Bing was a teen idol, and yes, he was so popular that women would faint dead away if they spoke to him. Susie's not the only one obsessed with him, either. We see women collapse just from him singing "That Old Black Magic" at a concert, and his popularity with the ladies is also used as a plot point when Susie calls out to the ladies on the street to mob him and keep him from fleeing the show.
Favorite Number: "The Navy Song" in the opening serves to introduce the viewer to the WAVES program as we see women recruiting for the group, and then to the Allisons and their very different personalities when they pick up the song for their nightclub act. Bing gets two decent ballads, "Let's Take the Long Way Home" as he accompanies Rosemary back to the barracks, and the romantic idol "I Promise You" in the show, this time with Rosemary in a white dress and flower in her hair as they swear to always be faithful. Hutton and the WAVES chorus spoofs female and male sailor stereotypes as she claims "There's a Fellow Waiting in Poughkeepsie"...and in every port around the world and Johnny and Windy prepare for their dates.
What I Don't Like: The film itself is pretty much one long recruitment advertisement for the WAVES. Hutton's role isn't well-written - Susie comes off as annoying and clingy, Rosemary as frigid and obnoxious when she refuses to listen to Johnny's honest explanation about the letter. The movie's best-known (and Oscar-nominated) song, "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive," is unfortunately introduced in a clumsy blackface number featuring Bing and Tufts as a pair of lazy black stereotypes. The movie's big finale, it's title number, is also strangely dull, with the women just marching onstage in time to the music. They could have least have done some more effects or marched into the audience or something.
The Big Finale: Necessary only for major fans of Crosby, Hutton, or 40's musicals. Everyone else would probably be better-off looking for Crosby's commercial recording of "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive."
Home Media: Currently available as part of the made-to-order Universal Vault collection or on several Bing Crosby DVD sets.
DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection
DVD - Bing Crosby: The Silver Screen Collection
Starring Betty Hutton, Bing Crosby, Sonny Tufts, and Ann Doran
Directed by Mark Sandrich
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
During World War II, for the first time, the Armed Services recruited women as well as men. Women took the places of men on the homefront, teaching them to fly, doing office work, engineering parachutes, and driving delivery vehicles. The WAVES were a real group, the United States Naval Reserve, and many women did leave their jobs and homes to volunteer. What happens to a pair of twins who decide to join those ranks in order to meet a handsome singer who is determined to follow his father's footsteps? Let's head to Los Angeles, where the WAVES are signing people up, to find out...
The Story: Rosemary Allison (Hutton) enlists her and twin sister Susie (Hutton) into the WAVES, despite them being very different. Rosemary is a smart and serious brunette; Susie is a noisy, scatterbrained blonde. Susie is obsessed with singer Johnny Cabot (Crosby), to the point where she brings her collection of his records with her to the barracks and listen to them while she bathes. She's beyond thrilled when she and her sister meet her idol at a club while on leave. Johnny, however, is far more interested in Rosemary than her sister.
He's trying to get his friend Windy (Tufts) to get him into the Navy, so he can serve on the same boat as his father. Susie's horrified at the idea of him getting killed and sends in a suggestion that he star in and direct a show to aid WAVES recruitment. Johnny thinks it was Windy's idea, and Rosemary thinks it was Johnny's and that he's more interested in himself than the show. Windy finds out it was Susie's idea, and first tries to get Johnny to think Rosemary's not into him, then have to figure out how to keep him with the show when he's determined to be on that ship.
The Song and Dance: The fun thing about this one is how it acknowledges and plays with Bing's fame in the 30's and early 40's. Most people think of girls drooling over recording stars as being a relatively recent thing, but as this movie points out, it's been around for decades. Yes, Bing was a teen idol, and yes, he was so popular that women would faint dead away if they spoke to him. Susie's not the only one obsessed with him, either. We see women collapse just from him singing "That Old Black Magic" at a concert, and his popularity with the ladies is also used as a plot point when Susie calls out to the ladies on the street to mob him and keep him from fleeing the show.
Favorite Number: "The Navy Song" in the opening serves to introduce the viewer to the WAVES program as we see women recruiting for the group, and then to the Allisons and their very different personalities when they pick up the song for their nightclub act. Bing gets two decent ballads, "Let's Take the Long Way Home" as he accompanies Rosemary back to the barracks, and the romantic idol "I Promise You" in the show, this time with Rosemary in a white dress and flower in her hair as they swear to always be faithful. Hutton and the WAVES chorus spoofs female and male sailor stereotypes as she claims "There's a Fellow Waiting in Poughkeepsie"...and in every port around the world and Johnny and Windy prepare for their dates.
What I Don't Like: The film itself is pretty much one long recruitment advertisement for the WAVES. Hutton's role isn't well-written - Susie comes off as annoying and clingy, Rosemary as frigid and obnoxious when she refuses to listen to Johnny's honest explanation about the letter. The movie's best-known (and Oscar-nominated) song, "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive," is unfortunately introduced in a clumsy blackface number featuring Bing and Tufts as a pair of lazy black stereotypes. The movie's big finale, it's title number, is also strangely dull, with the women just marching onstage in time to the music. They could have least have done some more effects or marched into the audience or something.
The Big Finale: Necessary only for major fans of Crosby, Hutton, or 40's musicals. Everyone else would probably be better-off looking for Crosby's commercial recording of "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive."
Home Media: Currently available as part of the made-to-order Universal Vault collection or on several Bing Crosby DVD sets.
DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection
DVD - Bing Crosby: The Silver Screen Collection
Thursday, May 21, 2020
The Gang's All Here
20th Century Fox, 1943
Starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, James Ellison, and Phil Baker
Directed by Busby Berkeley
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Leo Robin and others
Alice Faye's last starring role in a musical was also Busby Berkeley's attempt to prove he could still film imaginative, elaborate musical numbers despite wartime restrictions. Carmen Miranda was also just starting to make her mark in Hollywood after success on Broadway and in her native Brazil, and 20th Century Fox wanted to promote her as a major star. How does the tale of a singer who falls for the soldier son of a rich businessman look nowadays? Let's head to the Club New Yorker in Manhattan for the start of a show and find out...
The Story: Wealthy executive A.J Mason, Sr. (Eugene Palatte) takes his son Andrew Junior (Ellison) to the club to celebrate his joining the Army. They drag along Mason's partner Peyton Potter (Edward Everett Horton), though he's worried about his wife Blossom (Charlotte Greenwood) finding out he's there. He's even more nervous after vivacious Brazilian dancer Dorita (Miranda) picks him to dance with. Andrew is delighted to dance with performer Eadie Allen (Faye), whom he eventually falls for Eadie is working for Broadway Canteen and isn't supposed to date servicemen; Andrew gives her the name Sgt. Pat Casey to get around the restrictions, ignoring the fact that he already has a fiancee, Potter's daughter Vivian (Sheila Ryan). They fall in love; Eadie even meets him at the station.
She becomes a star at the club; he becomes a war hero. A.J is delighted and tries to book a welcome home party for Andrew at the New Yorker. When manager Phil Baker (himself) insists that they're closed to rehearse a new show, A.J invites them to rehearse at his and Potter's homes. Potter is upset that his wife may find out...and Edie isn't happy when she realizes that Andrew already has another woman.
The Song and Dance: And "song and dance" is the operative phrase here. The cliched story is lifted by the sparkling cast and truly bizarre musical numbers. Faye is lovely and even touching in her last starring role in a musical, and Palatte and Horton have fun as the fuddy-duddy businessmen who learn to let go of some of their prejudices and appreciate show people. And if you ever wanted to know why Carmen Miranda was huge in the 40's and early 50's, this is by far the best place to go to find out. She's central to most of the major numbers and has a great time vamping and swinging with Palatte. The costumes alone are incredible, with the wild fruit-trimmed dresses for "Lady In the Tutti-Fruitti Hat" and glowing "The Neon Ballet" dance outfits.
The color alone makes you wish Berkeley was able to do more musicals in color. The print I saw burst off the screen, with gem-like tones that nearly glowed in their incandescence.
Favorite Number: The movie starts off with a taste of what's to come - a spooky face in mostly darkness that eventually leads to the flowing "Brazil," and then to Miranda shaking her hips to "You Discover You're In New York." Faye gets two good ballads, "No Love, No Nothin'" in her room after she thinks her soldier's abandoned her, and "Journey to a Star," first to Andrew after she meets him, then with the chorus and a host of color-filtered fountains in the finale.
The two big numbers here show Berkeley at his most surreal and downright insane. "The Polka Dot Ballet" kicks off with Faye singing to children dancing in old-fashioned polka-dot bustle and starched collars...then somehow morphs into a surreal neon-lit celebration of dots in all their forms, including people dancing in sleek outfits holding neon circles in effects that pre-date Tron by 40 years. The finale, with everyone's floating heads coming out of nowhere, come off as more creepy than fantastic.
By far the most famous song here is "The Lady In the Tutti Frutti Hat." Women in yellow skirts hold waving bananas that are so sexually suggestive, especially for the 40's, that the studio had to tell the women to keep them under the torso. Somehow, Carmen Miranda shaking her hips and wiggling her rear morphs into Berkeley's signature overhead camera formations, spinning kaleidoscopes of dizzy colors, and more fruit than you can shake a book by Freud at.
What I Don't Like: Did I mention that plot? It's silly, confusing, and ultimately besides the point. This one is all about the numbers. Ellison is so dull, especially compared to all the lunacy around him, that you understand why Vivian eventually drops him. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra get prominent billing, but they're mostly around for specialty numbers and to do "Paducah" with Miranda. This is also very much a movie of its time, with lots of references to the war years that people who aren't into the time period may miss or not understand.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Berkeley's wild style, Faye, Miranda, or the musicals of the 40's, this is a must-see for the insanely creative numbers alone.
Home Media: While it was never on video, it's now easy to find on most formats. (The Blu-Ray is fairly pricey and is said to be from a transfer that's not as bright as what's currently streaming or on the later DVD release.)
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, James Ellison, and Phil Baker
Directed by Busby Berkeley
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Leo Robin and others
Alice Faye's last starring role in a musical was also Busby Berkeley's attempt to prove he could still film imaginative, elaborate musical numbers despite wartime restrictions. Carmen Miranda was also just starting to make her mark in Hollywood after success on Broadway and in her native Brazil, and 20th Century Fox wanted to promote her as a major star. How does the tale of a singer who falls for the soldier son of a rich businessman look nowadays? Let's head to the Club New Yorker in Manhattan for the start of a show and find out...
The Story: Wealthy executive A.J Mason, Sr. (Eugene Palatte) takes his son Andrew Junior (Ellison) to the club to celebrate his joining the Army. They drag along Mason's partner Peyton Potter (Edward Everett Horton), though he's worried about his wife Blossom (Charlotte Greenwood) finding out he's there. He's even more nervous after vivacious Brazilian dancer Dorita (Miranda) picks him to dance with. Andrew is delighted to dance with performer Eadie Allen (Faye), whom he eventually falls for Eadie is working for Broadway Canteen and isn't supposed to date servicemen; Andrew gives her the name Sgt. Pat Casey to get around the restrictions, ignoring the fact that he already has a fiancee, Potter's daughter Vivian (Sheila Ryan). They fall in love; Eadie even meets him at the station.
She becomes a star at the club; he becomes a war hero. A.J is delighted and tries to book a welcome home party for Andrew at the New Yorker. When manager Phil Baker (himself) insists that they're closed to rehearse a new show, A.J invites them to rehearse at his and Potter's homes. Potter is upset that his wife may find out...and Edie isn't happy when she realizes that Andrew already has another woman.
The Song and Dance: And "song and dance" is the operative phrase here. The cliched story is lifted by the sparkling cast and truly bizarre musical numbers. Faye is lovely and even touching in her last starring role in a musical, and Palatte and Horton have fun as the fuddy-duddy businessmen who learn to let go of some of their prejudices and appreciate show people. And if you ever wanted to know why Carmen Miranda was huge in the 40's and early 50's, this is by far the best place to go to find out. She's central to most of the major numbers and has a great time vamping and swinging with Palatte. The costumes alone are incredible, with the wild fruit-trimmed dresses for "Lady In the Tutti-Fruitti Hat" and glowing "The Neon Ballet" dance outfits.
The color alone makes you wish Berkeley was able to do more musicals in color. The print I saw burst off the screen, with gem-like tones that nearly glowed in their incandescence.
Favorite Number: The movie starts off with a taste of what's to come - a spooky face in mostly darkness that eventually leads to the flowing "Brazil," and then to Miranda shaking her hips to "You Discover You're In New York." Faye gets two good ballads, "No Love, No Nothin'" in her room after she thinks her soldier's abandoned her, and "Journey to a Star," first to Andrew after she meets him, then with the chorus and a host of color-filtered fountains in the finale.
The two big numbers here show Berkeley at his most surreal and downright insane. "The Polka Dot Ballet" kicks off with Faye singing to children dancing in old-fashioned polka-dot bustle and starched collars...then somehow morphs into a surreal neon-lit celebration of dots in all their forms, including people dancing in sleek outfits holding neon circles in effects that pre-date Tron by 40 years. The finale, with everyone's floating heads coming out of nowhere, come off as more creepy than fantastic.
By far the most famous song here is "The Lady In the Tutti Frutti Hat." Women in yellow skirts hold waving bananas that are so sexually suggestive, especially for the 40's, that the studio had to tell the women to keep them under the torso. Somehow, Carmen Miranda shaking her hips and wiggling her rear morphs into Berkeley's signature overhead camera formations, spinning kaleidoscopes of dizzy colors, and more fruit than you can shake a book by Freud at.
What I Don't Like: Did I mention that plot? It's silly, confusing, and ultimately besides the point. This one is all about the numbers. Ellison is so dull, especially compared to all the lunacy around him, that you understand why Vivian eventually drops him. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra get prominent billing, but they're mostly around for specialty numbers and to do "Paducah" with Miranda. This is also very much a movie of its time, with lots of references to the war years that people who aren't into the time period may miss or not understand.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Berkeley's wild style, Faye, Miranda, or the musicals of the 40's, this is a must-see for the insanely creative numbers alone.
Home Media: While it was never on video, it's now easy to find on most formats. (The Blu-Ray is fairly pricey and is said to be from a transfer that's not as bright as what's currently streaming or on the later DVD release.)
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Footlight Parade
Warner Bros, 1933
Starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell
Directed by Lloyd Bacon; Musical Numbers Directed by Busby Berkeley
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Al Dubin and others
This is the last of the three backstage movies Warners put out in 1933 that redefined the film musical. By this point, Warners already typecast Cagney as a gangster. Wishing to show off his other talents, he campaigned hard for the role of Chester Kent, the nervy stage producer in their newest extravaganza. In what other ways does this film differ from the earlier 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933? Let's head to a theater in New York...a movie theater...and find out...
The Story: With Broadway on the rocks during the Great Depression, Chester switches to creating "prologues," live musical numbers that played before films in larger houses. He's under pressure from his partners to come up with ideas for dozens of numbers, so they can sell them to major theater chains and skim off the profits. There's a spy in his company who keeps selling off his ideas to a rival, his choreographer (Frank McHugh) does nothing but whine, and the woman he hires to help him (Vivian Rich) is a gold-digger who is only interested in his money. There's also the secretary (Keeler) who switches to dancing and the singer (Powell) who was initially hired because he's the "protege" of the producer's wife but asks to become an assistant.
Chester's partners manage to get him a contract with the Apolinaris theater circuit, just as they reveal their stealing and Chester's ex-wife Cynthia (Renee Whitney) tries to blackmail him. Fed up with the espionage, Chester sequesters all performers and personnel in the studio for three days while they work on a trio of huge numbers to impress Mr. Apolinaris (Paul Porcasi). Chester's secretary Nan (Blondell) looks for the spy...and wishes her boss would see her as more than a helpmate.
The Song and Dance: The unique setting and great cast makes this my personal favorite of the trio of hit Warners musicals from 1933. Cagney and his rapid-fire rhythm assures that this remains fast-paced and zesty, with racy pre-Code zingers flying fast and furious from just about everyone. Blondell in particular gets some choice snark at the pretentious Dodd. Even Keeler and Powell come off well (and a tad more adult) as the tart office girl who decides she'd rather be back onstage and the juvenile who isn't as "kept" as she thinks.
Favorite Number: "Sittin' On a Backyard Fence" has Keeler and the chorus girls in cat suits to prowl around the neighborhood and chase frisky mouse Billy Barty. As strange as it seems to have women doing dance steps in cat suits, it still looks less creepy than last year's Cats. "Shanghai Lil" brings Cagney in in what starts as the dramatic tale of a sailor looking for the Chinese girl he loves and ends as a patriotic tribute, with soldiers making eagle formations.
By far the most famous song from this one is "By a Waterfall." What starts as a slightly syrupy romantic rendezvous with Keeler and Powell turns into a massive cascade of hundreds of women in bathing suits following formations and becoming a human waterfall on a giant cake. It likely inspired much of Berkeley's work on Esther Williams' even bigger vehicles in the 1950's.
What I Don't Like: Other than "By a Waterfall," the music isn't quite as memorable as in the previous films. "Honeymoon Hotel" is an imitation "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and goes on for way too long, and "Shanghai Lil" is marred by Asian stereotypes and the fact that Keeler is neither Asian, nor the temptress type. While not a bad dancer, she's not at Cagney's level and has a hard time keeping up with him during their duet.
Not to mention, there's so much going on and so many plot lines that turn up in such a short time, many people may have a hard time just trying to figure out who's who and what's going on.
The Big Finale: If you love Cagney or the lavish backstage musicals of the 1930's, this is one parade you'll absolutely want to join.
Home Media: It was just re-released on DVD via the Warner Archives last month and is easy to find on streaming as well.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell
Directed by Lloyd Bacon; Musical Numbers Directed by Busby Berkeley
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Al Dubin and others
This is the last of the three backstage movies Warners put out in 1933 that redefined the film musical. By this point, Warners already typecast Cagney as a gangster. Wishing to show off his other talents, he campaigned hard for the role of Chester Kent, the nervy stage producer in their newest extravaganza. In what other ways does this film differ from the earlier 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933? Let's head to a theater in New York...a movie theater...and find out...
The Story: With Broadway on the rocks during the Great Depression, Chester switches to creating "prologues," live musical numbers that played before films in larger houses. He's under pressure from his partners to come up with ideas for dozens of numbers, so they can sell them to major theater chains and skim off the profits. There's a spy in his company who keeps selling off his ideas to a rival, his choreographer (Frank McHugh) does nothing but whine, and the woman he hires to help him (Vivian Rich) is a gold-digger who is only interested in his money. There's also the secretary (Keeler) who switches to dancing and the singer (Powell) who was initially hired because he's the "protege" of the producer's wife but asks to become an assistant.
Chester's partners manage to get him a contract with the Apolinaris theater circuit, just as they reveal their stealing and Chester's ex-wife Cynthia (Renee Whitney) tries to blackmail him. Fed up with the espionage, Chester sequesters all performers and personnel in the studio for three days while they work on a trio of huge numbers to impress Mr. Apolinaris (Paul Porcasi). Chester's secretary Nan (Blondell) looks for the spy...and wishes her boss would see her as more than a helpmate.
The Song and Dance: The unique setting and great cast makes this my personal favorite of the trio of hit Warners musicals from 1933. Cagney and his rapid-fire rhythm assures that this remains fast-paced and zesty, with racy pre-Code zingers flying fast and furious from just about everyone. Blondell in particular gets some choice snark at the pretentious Dodd. Even Keeler and Powell come off well (and a tad more adult) as the tart office girl who decides she'd rather be back onstage and the juvenile who isn't as "kept" as she thinks.
Favorite Number: "Sittin' On a Backyard Fence" has Keeler and the chorus girls in cat suits to prowl around the neighborhood and chase frisky mouse Billy Barty. As strange as it seems to have women doing dance steps in cat suits, it still looks less creepy than last year's Cats. "Shanghai Lil" brings Cagney in in what starts as the dramatic tale of a sailor looking for the Chinese girl he loves and ends as a patriotic tribute, with soldiers making eagle formations.
By far the most famous song from this one is "By a Waterfall." What starts as a slightly syrupy romantic rendezvous with Keeler and Powell turns into a massive cascade of hundreds of women in bathing suits following formations and becoming a human waterfall on a giant cake. It likely inspired much of Berkeley's work on Esther Williams' even bigger vehicles in the 1950's.
What I Don't Like: Other than "By a Waterfall," the music isn't quite as memorable as in the previous films. "Honeymoon Hotel" is an imitation "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and goes on for way too long, and "Shanghai Lil" is marred by Asian stereotypes and the fact that Keeler is neither Asian, nor the temptress type. While not a bad dancer, she's not at Cagney's level and has a hard time keeping up with him during their duet.
Not to mention, there's so much going on and so many plot lines that turn up in such a short time, many people may have a hard time just trying to figure out who's who and what's going on.
The Big Finale: If you love Cagney or the lavish backstage musicals of the 1930's, this is one parade you'll absolutely want to join.
Home Media: It was just re-released on DVD via the Warner Archives last month and is easy to find on streaming as well.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Animation Celebration Saturday - Mr. Bug Goes to Town
Paramount, 1941
Voices of Jack Mercer, Stan Freed, Tedd Pierce, and Pauline Loth
Directed by Dave Fleischer and Shamus Culhane
Music by Hoagy Carmichael and Sam Timburg; Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Flush from the runaway success of Gulliver's Travels, Paramount wanted Dave and Max Fleischer to quickly whip up another blockbuster, in time for Christmas 1941. This time, there were major problems from the get-go. Dave and Max's relationship was rapidly deteriorating, to the point where Paramount put a clause in their new contract to allow one brother or the other to leave after they finished the film. It got so bad, the brothers communicated via memos passed between them. Did they still manage to give them a good movie despite the troubles? Let's head to an aging garden in New York City, next to an old cottage, and find out...
The Story: A group of bugs live in the garden of Dick (Kenny Gardner) and Mary (Gwen Williams) Dickens. Dick is a struggling songwriter who doesn't have the money to repair the fence around the garden, allowing people to use it for a shortcut and toss their cigarette butts into the greenery. The bugs live in fear as the butts burn their homes and the humans trample them.
"Real estate magnate" C. Bagely Beetle (Pierce) wants to marry the lovely Honey (Loth), but she's holding out for the return of her sweetheart Hoppity (Freed). The good-natured young cricket does return, just in time to save Honey's father Mr. Bumble's (Mercer) Honey Shop from a cigar butt. He tells Honey he'll find the "Lowlanders" a new place to live, but his first choice of a penthouse garden isn't as safe as it looks. Even when the rest of the community shuns him, Honey believes in him. After he discovers a plot by Beetle to keep the Dickens from getting a much-needed check that could repair the fence, he has to figure out how to get the "Human Ones" their rightful money and lead his community to a better home than they could have ever hoped for.
The Animation: Unlike Gulliver's Travels, which used realistic rotoscoped figures with cartoonier ones with mixed results, here the rotoscoping is limited to "the Human Ones." It does make everything flow a bit better and works more with the melodramatic story. There's still a ton of detail bursting from the frame, and the Technicolor, whether it's depicting the bugs' home or the sizzling red rivets in the skyscraper, really pops here. Check out the wild scene where Hoppity gets electrocuted at the nightclub and turns into a neon outline, giving a wild performance that Honey thinks is a new dance.
The Song and Dance: It's too bad this one never really got a fair shake then or now. In some ways, it's an improvement on Gulliver's Travels. The story is less episodic, and even a little dark for the time, considering what happens to the Dickens' and the bugs' original home. The sidekicks are limited to Beetle's mosquito and fly hench-bugs, who are not only fairly funny, but have some bearing on the story.
Favorite Number: "Katy Did, Katy Didn't" is the big nightclub number that starts with bugs singing to ladybug chorus girls and ends with Hoppity's electrified neon dance routine. "I'll Dance at Your Wedding (Honey Dear)" is another chorus routine, this one showing how the bug community prepares for Honey and Mr. Beetle's wedding. "Be My Little Baby Bumblebee" becomes a cute duet for Honey and Hoppity on their way back from the club. "We'll Be the Couple In the Castle" is the Dickens' big ballad that causes all the fuss with the check later in the film.
Trivia: Dave Fleischer did resign after the film's completion.
This was the first animated movie to credit the voice cast. It was also Paramount's last animated film until Charlotte's Web in 1973.
The release date was originally supposed to be December 5th, 1941, but then the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It didn't make it out in the US until February 1942, after which it was such a huge flop, other studios canceled their planned animated films.
This is also known under the titles Hoppity Goes to Town and Bugville.
What I Don't Like: The melodramatic story is cliched to the max. Most of the characters are your basic stock drama tropes - the damsel in distress, the eager everyguy, the evil businessman, the cute kid, etc. The few songs aren't much more memorable. Beetle is one of those villains who is just so much more personable than the heroes, you almost wish he would get Honey.
The Big Finale: Fans of vintage animation and families with older kids who can handle the cliches and some of the darker elements may find this worth checking out.
Home Media: As a public domain film, there's a couple of copies floating around. The best one currently can be found under the title Hoppity Goes to Town and is often sold for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Voices of Jack Mercer, Stan Freed, Tedd Pierce, and Pauline Loth
Directed by Dave Fleischer and Shamus Culhane
Music by Hoagy Carmichael and Sam Timburg; Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Flush from the runaway success of Gulliver's Travels, Paramount wanted Dave and Max Fleischer to quickly whip up another blockbuster, in time for Christmas 1941. This time, there were major problems from the get-go. Dave and Max's relationship was rapidly deteriorating, to the point where Paramount put a clause in their new contract to allow one brother or the other to leave after they finished the film. It got so bad, the brothers communicated via memos passed between them. Did they still manage to give them a good movie despite the troubles? Let's head to an aging garden in New York City, next to an old cottage, and find out...
The Story: A group of bugs live in the garden of Dick (Kenny Gardner) and Mary (Gwen Williams) Dickens. Dick is a struggling songwriter who doesn't have the money to repair the fence around the garden, allowing people to use it for a shortcut and toss their cigarette butts into the greenery. The bugs live in fear as the butts burn their homes and the humans trample them.
"Real estate magnate" C. Bagely Beetle (Pierce) wants to marry the lovely Honey (Loth), but she's holding out for the return of her sweetheart Hoppity (Freed). The good-natured young cricket does return, just in time to save Honey's father Mr. Bumble's (Mercer) Honey Shop from a cigar butt. He tells Honey he'll find the "Lowlanders" a new place to live, but his first choice of a penthouse garden isn't as safe as it looks. Even when the rest of the community shuns him, Honey believes in him. After he discovers a plot by Beetle to keep the Dickens from getting a much-needed check that could repair the fence, he has to figure out how to get the "Human Ones" their rightful money and lead his community to a better home than they could have ever hoped for.
The Animation: Unlike Gulliver's Travels, which used realistic rotoscoped figures with cartoonier ones with mixed results, here the rotoscoping is limited to "the Human Ones." It does make everything flow a bit better and works more with the melodramatic story. There's still a ton of detail bursting from the frame, and the Technicolor, whether it's depicting the bugs' home or the sizzling red rivets in the skyscraper, really pops here. Check out the wild scene where Hoppity gets electrocuted at the nightclub and turns into a neon outline, giving a wild performance that Honey thinks is a new dance.
The Song and Dance: It's too bad this one never really got a fair shake then or now. In some ways, it's an improvement on Gulliver's Travels. The story is less episodic, and even a little dark for the time, considering what happens to the Dickens' and the bugs' original home. The sidekicks are limited to Beetle's mosquito and fly hench-bugs, who are not only fairly funny, but have some bearing on the story.
Favorite Number: "Katy Did, Katy Didn't" is the big nightclub number that starts with bugs singing to ladybug chorus girls and ends with Hoppity's electrified neon dance routine. "I'll Dance at Your Wedding (Honey Dear)" is another chorus routine, this one showing how the bug community prepares for Honey and Mr. Beetle's wedding. "Be My Little Baby Bumblebee" becomes a cute duet for Honey and Hoppity on their way back from the club. "We'll Be the Couple In the Castle" is the Dickens' big ballad that causes all the fuss with the check later in the film.
Trivia: Dave Fleischer did resign after the film's completion.
This was the first animated movie to credit the voice cast. It was also Paramount's last animated film until Charlotte's Web in 1973.
The release date was originally supposed to be December 5th, 1941, but then the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It didn't make it out in the US until February 1942, after which it was such a huge flop, other studios canceled their planned animated films.
This is also known under the titles Hoppity Goes to Town and Bugville.
What I Don't Like: The melodramatic story is cliched to the max. Most of the characters are your basic stock drama tropes - the damsel in distress, the eager everyguy, the evil businessman, the cute kid, etc. The few songs aren't much more memorable. Beetle is one of those villains who is just so much more personable than the heroes, you almost wish he would get Honey.
The Big Finale: Fans of vintage animation and families with older kids who can handle the cliches and some of the darker elements may find this worth checking out.
Home Media: As a public domain film, there's a couple of copies floating around. The best one currently can be found under the title Hoppity Goes to Town and is often sold for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Thursday, May 14, 2020
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Paramount, 1970
Starring Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Jack Nicholson, and Larry Blyden
Directed by Vincent Minnelli
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Streisand was on a roll after the success of Funny Girl, and while Hello Dolly! ultimately lost money, she wasn't the reason. Vincent Minnelli, admiring the success of huge historical musicals like The Sound of Music, wanted to turn the 1966 Broadway fantasy into a three-hour movie epic. Paramount initially agreed, until they saw the results and cost, and slashed the running time. Was all the tinkering worth it? Let's start on the roof of an apartment building in New York, as Daisy Gamble (Streisand) sings to her plants and makes them grow, and find out...
The Story: Daisy goes to psychiatrist Marc Chabot (Montand) to cure her of a five-pack-a-day smoking habit. Her fussy fiancee Warren (Blyden) is hoping to get an important job with benefits, and his wife has to be perfect. After she goes under, Chabot discovers through questioning that she lived a previous life during the early 1800's as Lady Melinda Winpole Wayne Tentrees, a temptress who dropped one husband and used her ESP to make her second husband very rich before he betrayed her. He also learns that Daisy herself has ESP; she's able to make flowers grow with her singing and knows when the phone rings before it does.
Chabot is fascinated by Melinda and starts bringing her out even when Daisy isn't there. His theories on reincarnation aren't as well-received and get him into trouble with school dean Dr. Mason Hume (Bob Newhart). The school wants him to drop the research and spare them further embarrassment. Daisy has no idea what's going on until she hears one of his recordings of their sessions. She's livid that he loved her former self, not who she currently is, and refuses to come back...until he calls her one last time...
The Song and Dance: Streisand dominates this very strange musical fantasy. She sings the vast majority of the music, including the hit "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" and a reprise of the standard title song. Minnelli always did do wonders with color, and this movie is no exception. It starts off with stunning time-lapse photography of brilliant flowers growing thanks to Daisy's voice, and there's the sumptuous scenes of Regency England (filmed in the real Brighton and East Sussex).
Favorite Number: The time-lapse flower number opens the film, with Daisy encouraging the plants to "Hurry Up! It's Lovely Out Here." Melinda's first song is "Love With All the Trimmings" as she seduces Lord Tweltrees at a royal banquet...and later after she gets him. Daisy tries to "Go To Sleep" after a date with Marc, but all she can think of is him and how different he is from Larry as she tosses and turns in her colorful bedding. "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" is an angry and heartbroken Daisy wondering how Marc fell for someone who is only in her head after she hears the tapes, and Streisand really powerhouses through it. "Come To Me" shows off New York in its late 60's glory as Marc sings for Daisy to come back to him wherever she is...and somehow, half the city is able to sing along and try to convince her to return!
Trivia: The movie was originally over three hours long, but Paramount ultimately wasn't happy with the results and made Minnelli lose almost an hour of footage. Among the casualties were a duet for Streisand and Nicholson as her ex-stepbrother Tad (Nicholson) "Who Is There Among Us Who Knows," Daisy and Warren's duet "Wait 'Til We're Sixty-Five," and two chorus numbers in the Regency segments.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1965 and ran for almost seven months, not bad for the time. A slightly revised version turned up in an Encores! concert with Kristin Chenowith as Daisy/Melinda in 2000. The show got a far heavier revision in 2011 that turned Daisy into David Gamble, a gay flower shop owner who had been a torch singer named Melinda in a previous life. That wound up being one of the bigger flops of 2011, running less than a month.
What I Don't Like: This fluffy little story should not have been drawn out for two hours, let alone three. No wonder most revivals to date haven't made sense of the plot. Montand and Streisand reportedly didn't get along and have zero chemistry, which may be why this one of the rare musicals where the leads don't end up together and are perfectly happy with that. (Granted, the stage version did toss them together, so they get a little credit for not going for the obvious ending.)
Montand can't really sing or provide the necessary "oomph" to his two big numbers "Melinda" and "Come To Me." Nicholson and Newhart are barely in the movie and don't do much when they do appear. Most of the Regency sequences are really more there to show off the fancy costuming than anything, and said costumes are gorgeous but really smack more of the early 70's than the early 1800's, especially the turbans many of the ladies wear.
The Big Finale: Recommended mostly for fans of Streisand and the epic Broadway adaptations of the late 60's and early 70's.
Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats; the DVD is currently available via the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Jack Nicholson, and Larry Blyden
Directed by Vincent Minnelli
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Streisand was on a roll after the success of Funny Girl, and while Hello Dolly! ultimately lost money, she wasn't the reason. Vincent Minnelli, admiring the success of huge historical musicals like The Sound of Music, wanted to turn the 1966 Broadway fantasy into a three-hour movie epic. Paramount initially agreed, until they saw the results and cost, and slashed the running time. Was all the tinkering worth it? Let's start on the roof of an apartment building in New York, as Daisy Gamble (Streisand) sings to her plants and makes them grow, and find out...
The Story: Daisy goes to psychiatrist Marc Chabot (Montand) to cure her of a five-pack-a-day smoking habit. Her fussy fiancee Warren (Blyden) is hoping to get an important job with benefits, and his wife has to be perfect. After she goes under, Chabot discovers through questioning that she lived a previous life during the early 1800's as Lady Melinda Winpole Wayne Tentrees, a temptress who dropped one husband and used her ESP to make her second husband very rich before he betrayed her. He also learns that Daisy herself has ESP; she's able to make flowers grow with her singing and knows when the phone rings before it does.
Chabot is fascinated by Melinda and starts bringing her out even when Daisy isn't there. His theories on reincarnation aren't as well-received and get him into trouble with school dean Dr. Mason Hume (Bob Newhart). The school wants him to drop the research and spare them further embarrassment. Daisy has no idea what's going on until she hears one of his recordings of their sessions. She's livid that he loved her former self, not who she currently is, and refuses to come back...until he calls her one last time...
The Song and Dance: Streisand dominates this very strange musical fantasy. She sings the vast majority of the music, including the hit "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" and a reprise of the standard title song. Minnelli always did do wonders with color, and this movie is no exception. It starts off with stunning time-lapse photography of brilliant flowers growing thanks to Daisy's voice, and there's the sumptuous scenes of Regency England (filmed in the real Brighton and East Sussex).
Favorite Number: The time-lapse flower number opens the film, with Daisy encouraging the plants to "Hurry Up! It's Lovely Out Here." Melinda's first song is "Love With All the Trimmings" as she seduces Lord Tweltrees at a royal banquet...and later after she gets him. Daisy tries to "Go To Sleep" after a date with Marc, but all she can think of is him and how different he is from Larry as she tosses and turns in her colorful bedding. "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" is an angry and heartbroken Daisy wondering how Marc fell for someone who is only in her head after she hears the tapes, and Streisand really powerhouses through it. "Come To Me" shows off New York in its late 60's glory as Marc sings for Daisy to come back to him wherever she is...and somehow, half the city is able to sing along and try to convince her to return!
Trivia: The movie was originally over three hours long, but Paramount ultimately wasn't happy with the results and made Minnelli lose almost an hour of footage. Among the casualties were a duet for Streisand and Nicholson as her ex-stepbrother Tad (Nicholson) "Who Is There Among Us Who Knows," Daisy and Warren's duet "Wait 'Til We're Sixty-Five," and two chorus numbers in the Regency segments.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1965 and ran for almost seven months, not bad for the time. A slightly revised version turned up in an Encores! concert with Kristin Chenowith as Daisy/Melinda in 2000. The show got a far heavier revision in 2011 that turned Daisy into David Gamble, a gay flower shop owner who had been a torch singer named Melinda in a previous life. That wound up being one of the bigger flops of 2011, running less than a month.
What I Don't Like: This fluffy little story should not have been drawn out for two hours, let alone three. No wonder most revivals to date haven't made sense of the plot. Montand and Streisand reportedly didn't get along and have zero chemistry, which may be why this one of the rare musicals where the leads don't end up together and are perfectly happy with that. (Granted, the stage version did toss them together, so they get a little credit for not going for the obvious ending.)
Montand can't really sing or provide the necessary "oomph" to his two big numbers "Melinda" and "Come To Me." Nicholson and Newhart are barely in the movie and don't do much when they do appear. Most of the Regency sequences are really more there to show off the fancy costuming than anything, and said costumes are gorgeous but really smack more of the early 70's than the early 1800's, especially the turbans many of the ladies wear.
The Big Finale: Recommended mostly for fans of Streisand and the epic Broadway adaptations of the late 60's and early 70's.
Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats; the DVD is currently available via the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Roman Scandals
United Artists, 1933
Starring Eddie Cantor, Edward Arnold, Gloria Stuart, and David Manners
Directed by Frank Tuttle
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Al Dubin and others
Eddie Cantor is another comedian who was wildly popular in the 20's and 30's, but isn't as well-regarded today. He started out as one of the most beloved comics in the Ziegfeld Follies, and after the success of the 1930 film Whoopee, switched producers to Samuel Goldwyn. This was his biggest hit under Goldwyn, an unusual fantasy with a Depression slant and big Busby Berkeley numbers filled with half-naked Goldwyn Girls. Is it as much fun today during these equally troubled times? Let's head to the town of West Rome, Oklahoma, where a temple of Roman history is about to open, and find out....
The Story: Eddie (Cantor) is a harmless little fellow who has been sleeping in the new Roman museum, to the annoyance of a local big shot. The rich man wants to demolish a park where homeless people currently live to build a jail. Eddie stands up for the people, but he's not well-regarded by most officials in the town. He tends to give food away at the grocery instead of selling it and seems to know more about ancient Rome than even the museum's founder.
After he's run out of town, Eddie wishes he was in ancient Rome, where everything is simpler. To his shock, he suddenly gets his wish, strolling right into Rome...and finds that corruption is nothing new. The Emperor Valerius (Arnold) is building huge gathering places for the rich like the Circus Maximus, then raising taxes and bribing senators to look the other way. Eddie almost ends up as a slave, but he's freed by kind and handsome Josephus (Manners). Josephus quickly falls for the lovely Princess Sylvia (Stuart) of Briton, who was captured by Valerius. Becoming the Emperor's food taster, Eddie has to figure out how to expose Valerius' plans and avoid his scheming wife Agrippa (Veree Teasdale) who wants to poison him.
The Song and Dance: This was a bit of a surprise. Cantor is genuinely funny here, with some hilarious lines after the Roman guards find him wandering into town and when he's trying to avoid tasting the Emperor's poisoned nightingales. (It helps that playwrights William Anthony McGuire and George Kaufman had a hand in the script and story.) The production is lavish for the time, with giant sets and elaborate costumes in Rome and massive Berkeley numbers that rival anything he did at Warners. Arnold and Teasdale also do well as the Imperial couple who are more interested in getting money and killing off each other than running an Empire.
The fantasy is interesting, too. It almost feels like an earlier, gender-reversed Wizard of Oz. Here, though, Eddie learns that he can stand up to a bully and make West Rome really be "no place like home."
Favorite Number: Eddie kicks things off singing to the townspeople of West Rome about how they'll "Build a Little Home" from cast off junk, even if they have to do it in the street. Things pick up considerably with "No More Love," a dramatic number in the slave market performed by Ruth Etting, showing how brutal the slavers are to their ladies. This oddly intense (and rather sexist) routine ends with one woman throwing herself off the big cake-like structure where the women are chained. The big hit from this one was "Keep Young and Beautiful," which has Eddie in blackface singing about the ladies attracting their men as the scantily-clad Goldwyn Girls bathe and "beautify" themselves to do just that.
What I Don't Like: First of all, this is a pre-Code movie. In addition to the Goldwyn Girls parading around in scanty togas and long Godiva hair, Eddie makes a few jokes that might be considered risque even today (including one birth control joke), and there's the weird and somewhat sexist "No More Love" and "Keep Young and Beautiful" numbers. Eddie is in blackface before and during "Keep Young and Beautiful" for no real reason. Stuart and Manners are stiff and dull compared to all the hams around them; they don't even get a romantic ballad.
The Big Finale: If you've ever wanted to give Cantor and his vehicles a try, the decent cast, elaborate production, and great music might make this the best place to start.
Home Media: Currently available on DVD via the Warner Archives and on Amazon Prime.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Eddie Cantor, Edward Arnold, Gloria Stuart, and David Manners
Directed by Frank Tuttle
Music by Harry Warren and others; Lyrics by Al Dubin and others
Eddie Cantor is another comedian who was wildly popular in the 20's and 30's, but isn't as well-regarded today. He started out as one of the most beloved comics in the Ziegfeld Follies, and after the success of the 1930 film Whoopee, switched producers to Samuel Goldwyn. This was his biggest hit under Goldwyn, an unusual fantasy with a Depression slant and big Busby Berkeley numbers filled with half-naked Goldwyn Girls. Is it as much fun today during these equally troubled times? Let's head to the town of West Rome, Oklahoma, where a temple of Roman history is about to open, and find out....
The Story: Eddie (Cantor) is a harmless little fellow who has been sleeping in the new Roman museum, to the annoyance of a local big shot. The rich man wants to demolish a park where homeless people currently live to build a jail. Eddie stands up for the people, but he's not well-regarded by most officials in the town. He tends to give food away at the grocery instead of selling it and seems to know more about ancient Rome than even the museum's founder.
After he's run out of town, Eddie wishes he was in ancient Rome, where everything is simpler. To his shock, he suddenly gets his wish, strolling right into Rome...and finds that corruption is nothing new. The Emperor Valerius (Arnold) is building huge gathering places for the rich like the Circus Maximus, then raising taxes and bribing senators to look the other way. Eddie almost ends up as a slave, but he's freed by kind and handsome Josephus (Manners). Josephus quickly falls for the lovely Princess Sylvia (Stuart) of Briton, who was captured by Valerius. Becoming the Emperor's food taster, Eddie has to figure out how to expose Valerius' plans and avoid his scheming wife Agrippa (Veree Teasdale) who wants to poison him.
The Song and Dance: This was a bit of a surprise. Cantor is genuinely funny here, with some hilarious lines after the Roman guards find him wandering into town and when he's trying to avoid tasting the Emperor's poisoned nightingales. (It helps that playwrights William Anthony McGuire and George Kaufman had a hand in the script and story.) The production is lavish for the time, with giant sets and elaborate costumes in Rome and massive Berkeley numbers that rival anything he did at Warners. Arnold and Teasdale also do well as the Imperial couple who are more interested in getting money and killing off each other than running an Empire.
The fantasy is interesting, too. It almost feels like an earlier, gender-reversed Wizard of Oz. Here, though, Eddie learns that he can stand up to a bully and make West Rome really be "no place like home."
Favorite Number: Eddie kicks things off singing to the townspeople of West Rome about how they'll "Build a Little Home" from cast off junk, even if they have to do it in the street. Things pick up considerably with "No More Love," a dramatic number in the slave market performed by Ruth Etting, showing how brutal the slavers are to their ladies. This oddly intense (and rather sexist) routine ends with one woman throwing herself off the big cake-like structure where the women are chained. The big hit from this one was "Keep Young and Beautiful," which has Eddie in blackface singing about the ladies attracting their men as the scantily-clad Goldwyn Girls bathe and "beautify" themselves to do just that.
What I Don't Like: First of all, this is a pre-Code movie. In addition to the Goldwyn Girls parading around in scanty togas and long Godiva hair, Eddie makes a few jokes that might be considered risque even today (including one birth control joke), and there's the weird and somewhat sexist "No More Love" and "Keep Young and Beautiful" numbers. Eddie is in blackface before and during "Keep Young and Beautiful" for no real reason. Stuart and Manners are stiff and dull compared to all the hams around them; they don't even get a romantic ballad.
The Big Finale: If you've ever wanted to give Cantor and his vehicles a try, the decent cast, elaborate production, and great music might make this the best place to start.
Home Media: Currently available on DVD via the Warner Archives and on Amazon Prime.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1962)
Warner Bros, 1962
Starring Rosalind Russell, Karl Malden, Natalie Wood, and Ann Jillian
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Stephan Sondheim
Not all mothers are as sweet as Myrtle Burt from last year's Mother's Day review Mother Wore Tights. Rose Hovick is the ultimate stage mother, pushing and shoving her young into show business, no matter what else they might want. The show remains wildly popular on Broadway to this day, but how does the first film version look now? Let's head to a small-time children's talent show, where two girls are about to audition, and find out...
The Story: Rose (Russell) is determined that her pretty blonde daughter June (Jillian) will be a vaudeville star, at the expense of her shy and less-talented older child Louise (Wood). Snitching money from her reluctant father, she hooks up with Herbie (Malden), a candy salesman with show business connections. Herbie helps her round up boys to perform in a vaudeville act centering around girlish and personable June, with Louise among the boys.
The act goes over well for a while...until the kids grow into teens, and Herbie begins to demand Rose marries him. June and the boys are tired of Rose regurgitating the same old act in different costumes and ultimately quit. Louise and Herbie are fed up as well, but Rose has another brainstorm. Now, the girls are boys, Louise is at the center, and Rose figures they're back on top.
Trouble is, it's now the 1930's. Not only is it in the midst of the Great Depression, but the one-two punch of radio and sound films is killing vaudeville. The new act ends up in burlesque, which with its strippers and slapstick comics, was the lowest possible rung for performers. Rose is ready to give up and marry Herbie...but she still wants to make Louise a star. If not vaudeville, Louise will become a star in burlesque, as the most famous stripper in history, Gypsy Rose Lee!
The Song and Dance: There's a reason this is considered to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. For once, the script of a musical is its strongest asset, making us understand why Rose can be such a force of nature and still attract Herbie and Louise. Russell does well enough with the book scenes, especially arguing with Wood towards the end, when she's finally realizing that her daughters are grown and don't need her constant fussing anymore. Wood more than matches her as the tomboy who's spent her life being told she has no talent, only to discover that her innocent womanhood may be her greatest "talent." Malden does equally well as Rose's soft-hearted lover, who loves her, but just wishes she'd stop shoving at her girls and be a wife.
Favorite Number: "Let Me Entertain You" is sung several times throughout the film, starting with June and Lousie performing it as a cutesy kid number at the children's talent show. It ends with Louise turning it into her big stripper number when she gets onstage at the burlesque show and realizes where her talent really lays.
Wood and Jillian also get the lament "If Mama Were Married" at the Orpheum theater, when they wish their mother would just give up the act and marry Herbie. Rose lures Herbie with the ballad "Small World" after he helps her when her car breaks down on the way to Seattle, and again when she thinks they're going to hit the big time, "You'll Never Get Away From Me." One of the boys (Paul Wallace) shows his dreamed-about solo act "All I Need Is the Girl" to a hopeful Louise. Three low-down but good-hearted strippers give Louise the advice that "You've Gotta Get a Gimmick," as they show hilariously just how different and similar to one another their "gimmicks" are.
Trivia: "Together Wherever We Go" and Herbie's part of "You'll Never Get Away From Me" were filmed, but cut. They exist and are included as extras on the DVD and Blu-Ray (though not in the best shape).
Ironically, given Rosalind Russell was dubbed, Natalie Wood did her own singing on "If Mamma Was Married," "Let Me Entertain You," and "Little Lamb."
What I Don't Like: Russell doesn't do as well when she's actually called on to sing. She was dubbed by Lisa Kirk, which leaves the big first and second-act closers "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Rose's Turn" without the necessary oomph to really portray Rose's determination. And it's obvious this is a Broadway adaptation of the 1960's. The movie is too long and very stagy; it's basically a filmed Broadway play.
The Big Finale: Come for Russell as the ultimate domineering stage mama; stay for the strong supporting cast, delightful score, and one of the best scripts in any musical.
Home Media: Easily found on all formats, including streaming; the Blu-Ray is from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Rosalind Russell, Karl Malden, Natalie Wood, and Ann Jillian
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Stephan Sondheim
Not all mothers are as sweet as Myrtle Burt from last year's Mother's Day review Mother Wore Tights. Rose Hovick is the ultimate stage mother, pushing and shoving her young into show business, no matter what else they might want. The show remains wildly popular on Broadway to this day, but how does the first film version look now? Let's head to a small-time children's talent show, where two girls are about to audition, and find out...
The Story: Rose (Russell) is determined that her pretty blonde daughter June (Jillian) will be a vaudeville star, at the expense of her shy and less-talented older child Louise (Wood). Snitching money from her reluctant father, she hooks up with Herbie (Malden), a candy salesman with show business connections. Herbie helps her round up boys to perform in a vaudeville act centering around girlish and personable June, with Louise among the boys.
The act goes over well for a while...until the kids grow into teens, and Herbie begins to demand Rose marries him. June and the boys are tired of Rose regurgitating the same old act in different costumes and ultimately quit. Louise and Herbie are fed up as well, but Rose has another brainstorm. Now, the girls are boys, Louise is at the center, and Rose figures they're back on top.
Trouble is, it's now the 1930's. Not only is it in the midst of the Great Depression, but the one-two punch of radio and sound films is killing vaudeville. The new act ends up in burlesque, which with its strippers and slapstick comics, was the lowest possible rung for performers. Rose is ready to give up and marry Herbie...but she still wants to make Louise a star. If not vaudeville, Louise will become a star in burlesque, as the most famous stripper in history, Gypsy Rose Lee!
The Song and Dance: There's a reason this is considered to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. For once, the script of a musical is its strongest asset, making us understand why Rose can be such a force of nature and still attract Herbie and Louise. Russell does well enough with the book scenes, especially arguing with Wood towards the end, when she's finally realizing that her daughters are grown and don't need her constant fussing anymore. Wood more than matches her as the tomboy who's spent her life being told she has no talent, only to discover that her innocent womanhood may be her greatest "talent." Malden does equally well as Rose's soft-hearted lover, who loves her, but just wishes she'd stop shoving at her girls and be a wife.
Favorite Number: "Let Me Entertain You" is sung several times throughout the film, starting with June and Lousie performing it as a cutesy kid number at the children's talent show. It ends with Louise turning it into her big stripper number when she gets onstage at the burlesque show and realizes where her talent really lays.
Wood and Jillian also get the lament "If Mama Were Married" at the Orpheum theater, when they wish their mother would just give up the act and marry Herbie. Rose lures Herbie with the ballad "Small World" after he helps her when her car breaks down on the way to Seattle, and again when she thinks they're going to hit the big time, "You'll Never Get Away From Me." One of the boys (Paul Wallace) shows his dreamed-about solo act "All I Need Is the Girl" to a hopeful Louise. Three low-down but good-hearted strippers give Louise the advice that "You've Gotta Get a Gimmick," as they show hilariously just how different and similar to one another their "gimmicks" are.
Trivia: "Together Wherever We Go" and Herbie's part of "You'll Never Get Away From Me" were filmed, but cut. They exist and are included as extras on the DVD and Blu-Ray (though not in the best shape).
Ironically, given Rosalind Russell was dubbed, Natalie Wood did her own singing on "If Mamma Was Married," "Let Me Entertain You," and "Little Lamb."
What I Don't Like: Russell doesn't do as well when she's actually called on to sing. She was dubbed by Lisa Kirk, which leaves the big first and second-act closers "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Rose's Turn" without the necessary oomph to really portray Rose's determination. And it's obvious this is a Broadway adaptation of the 1960's. The movie is too long and very stagy; it's basically a filmed Broadway play.
The Big Finale: Come for Russell as the ultimate domineering stage mama; stay for the strong supporting cast, delightful score, and one of the best scripts in any musical.
Home Media: Easily found on all formats, including streaming; the Blu-Ray is from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Cult Flops - Just Imagine
Fox Studios, 1930
Starring El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, and Marjorie White
Directed by David Butler
Music by Ray Henderson; Lyrics by B.G DeSylva and Lew Brown
With musicals still doing big business early in 1930, many studios were experimenting with the format. Even now, science fiction musicals aren't exactly common; in the early sound era, the mere idea may have been insane. Fox built a gigantic, heavily detailed futuristic model city and early special effects, some of which still look good to this day. The rest...well, let's start with a prologue detailing the changes in the world from 1880 to 1930, and then from 1930 to the glittering future world of 1980, and find out...
The Story: In 1980, all humans now have letters and numbers for names, and all marriages are sanctioned by the state. The marriage tribunal sanction the union of LN-18 (O'Sullivan) to wealthy but nasty MT-3 (Kenneth Thomson), but LN really loves J-21 (Garrick). Meanwhile, scientists have revived a man who was struck by lightning in the past, a Swedish immigrant now known as Single-O (Brendel). J-21 and his buddy RT-42 (Frank Albertson) take Single-O under their wing and introduces him to the pills that are now their dinners and drinks. They visit LN and her best friend D-6 (White) at their apartment. Her father went out with MT, but the despicable suitor thought there was something wrong and returned. Unfortunately, Single-O, who is addicted to liquor-pills, gives the men away.
Hoping to prove himself worthy of LN, J-21 joins RT on a three-man ship heading for Mars. Single-O stows away, hoping to snitch more of those liquor pills. On arrival, the trio discover the natives-like Queen LooLoo (Joyzelle Joyner) and King Loko (Ivan Linow) and their tribe. In the middle of an opera put on by Martian orang-outangs, the King and Queen's evil twins invade the country. Turns out that everyone on Mars has an evil twin, and the royals are no exception. Now these strange visitors from another world have to figure out how to stop the uprising and make it home in 4 days, before J-21's beloved LN marries the wrong man.
The Song and Dance: I give Fox's art direction department credit. This movie still looks incredible, and at a time that's way before computer effects. The detailed city was done entirely in miniatures, with amazing details, down to flickering lights and things that did come pass like warm-air hand dryers. The sequence where the scientists revive Single-O is equally cool and detailed, even managing a little suspense. The Martian invasion is also fairly detailed and action-packed.
Favorite Number: Garrick gets the first number, as J-21 explains why he loves his sweetheart so much in "There's Something About an Old-Fashioned Girl." Garrick gets the ballad "(I am the Words) You are the Melody" to woo his sweetheart in her room; she sings it later before he leaves for Mars. Marjorie White and Frank Albertson duet on the sole hit from this score, the cute "Never Swat a Fly," at the party for the two Mars explorers' departure.
Trivia: The miniature city was so big, it took a team of 205 technicians to build it over five months in a former balloon hanger, was wired with 15,000 miniature lights, and cost Fox $168,000.
By the time the movie came out in November 1930, musicals had fallen rapidly out of fashion. The sci-fi angle alone wasn't enough to save it, and it wound up being one of the year's bigger flops. Fox finally got their money out of the movie by renting the miniature city out to other studios, including Universal for their Flash Gordon serials. The studios wouldn't try a major sci-fi movie again until 1950.
The equipment that revived Single-O was also rented to Universal later in the 30's. If it looks familiar, it's the equipment that helped bring Frankenstein to life in the 1932 film version.
What I Don't Like: For all the elaborate sets and futuristic details, this is pretty much a standard romantic triangle. The dialogue is stiff and the acting is worse. The characters, especially J-21 and LN-18, are dull and cliched, and between Joynelle's scanty costumes and the oddly stereotyped native business, the entire Mars sequence comes off as more weird than anything. The score is just as cliched, with only "Swat a Fly" coming off well. Brendel was a wildly popular comedian during the late silent and early sound years, but a lot of his Swedish hayseed gags haven't dated well and makes him more annoying than funny for most audiences now.
The Big Finale: If you want to check out a musical that's truly unique or are a fan of early sci-fi, this is worth digging around for at least once as a curiosity.
Home Media: This is another rarity that at press time can only be found at museums and on YouTube.
YouTube
Starring El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, and Marjorie White
Directed by David Butler
Music by Ray Henderson; Lyrics by B.G DeSylva and Lew Brown
With musicals still doing big business early in 1930, many studios were experimenting with the format. Even now, science fiction musicals aren't exactly common; in the early sound era, the mere idea may have been insane. Fox built a gigantic, heavily detailed futuristic model city and early special effects, some of which still look good to this day. The rest...well, let's start with a prologue detailing the changes in the world from 1880 to 1930, and then from 1930 to the glittering future world of 1980, and find out...
The Story: In 1980, all humans now have letters and numbers for names, and all marriages are sanctioned by the state. The marriage tribunal sanction the union of LN-18 (O'Sullivan) to wealthy but nasty MT-3 (Kenneth Thomson), but LN really loves J-21 (Garrick). Meanwhile, scientists have revived a man who was struck by lightning in the past, a Swedish immigrant now known as Single-O (Brendel). J-21 and his buddy RT-42 (Frank Albertson) take Single-O under their wing and introduces him to the pills that are now their dinners and drinks. They visit LN and her best friend D-6 (White) at their apartment. Her father went out with MT, but the despicable suitor thought there was something wrong and returned. Unfortunately, Single-O, who is addicted to liquor-pills, gives the men away.
Hoping to prove himself worthy of LN, J-21 joins RT on a three-man ship heading for Mars. Single-O stows away, hoping to snitch more of those liquor pills. On arrival, the trio discover the natives-like Queen LooLoo (Joyzelle Joyner) and King Loko (Ivan Linow) and their tribe. In the middle of an opera put on by Martian orang-outangs, the King and Queen's evil twins invade the country. Turns out that everyone on Mars has an evil twin, and the royals are no exception. Now these strange visitors from another world have to figure out how to stop the uprising and make it home in 4 days, before J-21's beloved LN marries the wrong man.
The Song and Dance: I give Fox's art direction department credit. This movie still looks incredible, and at a time that's way before computer effects. The detailed city was done entirely in miniatures, with amazing details, down to flickering lights and things that did come pass like warm-air hand dryers. The sequence where the scientists revive Single-O is equally cool and detailed, even managing a little suspense. The Martian invasion is also fairly detailed and action-packed.
Favorite Number: Garrick gets the first number, as J-21 explains why he loves his sweetheart so much in "There's Something About an Old-Fashioned Girl." Garrick gets the ballad "(I am the Words) You are the Melody" to woo his sweetheart in her room; she sings it later before he leaves for Mars. Marjorie White and Frank Albertson duet on the sole hit from this score, the cute "Never Swat a Fly," at the party for the two Mars explorers' departure.
Trivia: The miniature city was so big, it took a team of 205 technicians to build it over five months in a former balloon hanger, was wired with 15,000 miniature lights, and cost Fox $168,000.
By the time the movie came out in November 1930, musicals had fallen rapidly out of fashion. The sci-fi angle alone wasn't enough to save it, and it wound up being one of the year's bigger flops. Fox finally got their money out of the movie by renting the miniature city out to other studios, including Universal for their Flash Gordon serials. The studios wouldn't try a major sci-fi movie again until 1950.
The equipment that revived Single-O was also rented to Universal later in the 30's. If it looks familiar, it's the equipment that helped bring Frankenstein to life in the 1932 film version.
What I Don't Like: For all the elaborate sets and futuristic details, this is pretty much a standard romantic triangle. The dialogue is stiff and the acting is worse. The characters, especially J-21 and LN-18, are dull and cliched, and between Joynelle's scanty costumes and the oddly stereotyped native business, the entire Mars sequence comes off as more weird than anything. The score is just as cliched, with only "Swat a Fly" coming off well. Brendel was a wildly popular comedian during the late silent and early sound years, but a lot of his Swedish hayseed gags haven't dated well and makes him more annoying than funny for most audiences now.
The Big Finale: If you want to check out a musical that's truly unique or are a fan of early sci-fi, this is worth digging around for at least once as a curiosity.
Home Media: This is another rarity that at press time can only be found at museums and on YouTube.
YouTube
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
You Were Never Lovelier
Columbia Pictures, 1942
Starring Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire, Adolph Menjou, and Isobel Elsom
Directed by William A. Seiter
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
We're taking a trip down to South America today in honor of Cinco Del Mayo for the second of two movies to pair Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. This romantic comedy with music was based after a popular Argentine comedy; it wound up being a huge hit over here as well, including three Oscar nominations. How does the story of a dancer who finds himself tangled with an Argentinian beauty and her family look now? Let's start at the race tracks in Buenos Aires and find out...
The Story: In need of money after losing big at the tracks, American dancer Bob Davis (Astaire) goes to the owner of the Sky Room nightclub Eduardo Acuna (Menjou). His fussy receptionist Fernando (Gus Schilling) won't let him pass, but Xavier Cugat (himself) finds Bob a job singing at Acuna's daughter's wedding. Acuna has a rule that each of his four daughters must get married in turn. It's now Maria's (Hayworth) turn to marry. She hasn't found anyone she likes yet, to the despair of her younger sisters who have found beaus they wish to wed.
After Bob claims Maria has an icy personality, Eduardo writes love notes attached to orchids to fan her flame and put her in a more romantic mood. She has no idea who sent them, until she sees Bob delivering them for her father at the door and assumes it's him. Eduardo convinces Bob to try to steer her away from him in exchange for doing his dance at the club (at a later date). Bob's too charming for it to work, and he and Maria fall for each other instead. Now both men have to figure out how to keep up the deception without hurting Maria or muddling things further.
The Song and Dance: A terrific cast and one of Jerome Kern's best scores makes this a vast improvement over the earlier Astaire-Hayworth vehicle You'll Never Get Rich. Menjou is a delight as Maria's stubborn, overprotective father, who wants to see his daughter married off as per tradition to someone who'll make him happy. I also like sarcastic Isobel Elsom as Maria's godmother, who was once in love with Eduardo herself. There's some wonderfully funny moments with the fussy secretary Fernando as well when he constantly tries to get Bob out of the office, with little success.
Favorite Number: The Oscar-nominated ballad "Dearly Beloved" shows up twice, first as a solo song for Astaire with Cugat's orchestra at the wedding, then as a brief, sexy dance for Hayworth after she thinks Astaire is the one for her. Astaire considered the Latin-tinged "Audition Dance" at the office to be one of his best, and it does make good use of the enclosed space. "The Shorty George" is a dynamic dance routine for Astaire and Hayworth at the club that radiates fun and is a joy to watch.
The big number here is "I'm Old Fashioned." Not only is it my favorite song from the score, but it gets a number worthy of it too, with Astaire and Hayworth dancing on the romantic patio of her family's home. It's gorgeous and lovely, and makes me wish Astaire went back for a third go-around with Hayworth.
Trivia: The rehearsal halls at Columbia were all full, so Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth worked on their complicated numbers together in a room over Hollywood Cemetary.
What I Don't Like: Not only is the story fluffy and rather silly, but it's very dated. Even the movie acknowledges how old-fashioned Eduardo's views on love and marriage were and are. While the costumes are appropriately glamorous, the sets don't really look much like Buenos Aries. This probably could have been set anywhere in South America - or anywhere on the globe - and worked just fine.
The Big Finale: Worth catching for Astaire and Hayworth and the fabulous music alone.
Home Media: The DVD is currently out of print, but you can find it on TCM and The Criterion Channel with a subscription.
DVD
Starring Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire, Adolph Menjou, and Isobel Elsom
Directed by William A. Seiter
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
We're taking a trip down to South America today in honor of Cinco Del Mayo for the second of two movies to pair Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. This romantic comedy with music was based after a popular Argentine comedy; it wound up being a huge hit over here as well, including three Oscar nominations. How does the story of a dancer who finds himself tangled with an Argentinian beauty and her family look now? Let's start at the race tracks in Buenos Aires and find out...
The Story: In need of money after losing big at the tracks, American dancer Bob Davis (Astaire) goes to the owner of the Sky Room nightclub Eduardo Acuna (Menjou). His fussy receptionist Fernando (Gus Schilling) won't let him pass, but Xavier Cugat (himself) finds Bob a job singing at Acuna's daughter's wedding. Acuna has a rule that each of his four daughters must get married in turn. It's now Maria's (Hayworth) turn to marry. She hasn't found anyone she likes yet, to the despair of her younger sisters who have found beaus they wish to wed.
After Bob claims Maria has an icy personality, Eduardo writes love notes attached to orchids to fan her flame and put her in a more romantic mood. She has no idea who sent them, until she sees Bob delivering them for her father at the door and assumes it's him. Eduardo convinces Bob to try to steer her away from him in exchange for doing his dance at the club (at a later date). Bob's too charming for it to work, and he and Maria fall for each other instead. Now both men have to figure out how to keep up the deception without hurting Maria or muddling things further.
The Song and Dance: A terrific cast and one of Jerome Kern's best scores makes this a vast improvement over the earlier Astaire-Hayworth vehicle You'll Never Get Rich. Menjou is a delight as Maria's stubborn, overprotective father, who wants to see his daughter married off as per tradition to someone who'll make him happy. I also like sarcastic Isobel Elsom as Maria's godmother, who was once in love with Eduardo herself. There's some wonderfully funny moments with the fussy secretary Fernando as well when he constantly tries to get Bob out of the office, with little success.
Favorite Number: The Oscar-nominated ballad "Dearly Beloved" shows up twice, first as a solo song for Astaire with Cugat's orchestra at the wedding, then as a brief, sexy dance for Hayworth after she thinks Astaire is the one for her. Astaire considered the Latin-tinged "Audition Dance" at the office to be one of his best, and it does make good use of the enclosed space. "The Shorty George" is a dynamic dance routine for Astaire and Hayworth at the club that radiates fun and is a joy to watch.
The big number here is "I'm Old Fashioned." Not only is it my favorite song from the score, but it gets a number worthy of it too, with Astaire and Hayworth dancing on the romantic patio of her family's home. It's gorgeous and lovely, and makes me wish Astaire went back for a third go-around with Hayworth.
Trivia: The rehearsal halls at Columbia were all full, so Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth worked on their complicated numbers together in a room over Hollywood Cemetary.
What I Don't Like: Not only is the story fluffy and rather silly, but it's very dated. Even the movie acknowledges how old-fashioned Eduardo's views on love and marriage were and are. While the costumes are appropriately glamorous, the sets don't really look much like Buenos Aries. This probably could have been set anywhere in South America - or anywhere on the globe - and worked just fine.
The Big Finale: Worth catching for Astaire and Hayworth and the fabulous music alone.
Home Media: The DVD is currently out of print, but you can find it on TCM and The Criterion Channel with a subscription.
DVD
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Family Fun Saturday - Curly Top
20th Century Fox, 1935
Starring Shirley Temple, Rochelle Hudson, John Boles, and Arthur Treacher
Directed by Irving Cummings
Music by Ray Henderson; Lyrics by Ted Koehler and others
Shirley Temple was at the height of her popularity as 20th Century Fox's number one star when this one came out. It's technically a remake of the Mary Pickford vehicle Daddy Long Legs, refashioned for the time and for Temple's sweet-little-girl persona. How does the story of a bachelor who adopts two girls anonymously- and falls for the older one - look nowadays? Let's head to the Lakeside Orphanage, just as one particular little miss is introducing us to her pets, and find out...
The Story: Elizabeth Blair (Temple) and her older sister Mary (Hudson) live at the orphanage with Elizabeth's pet pony and duck. Grouchy Mrs. Higgins (Rafaela Ottiano) threatens to take away Elizabeth's beloved friends after she brings them in to visit the other girls. She gets into even more trouble when she dances on tables during lunch and makes fun of the head trustee. Another trustee, Edward Morgan (Boles), likes Elizabeth's spunk and claims that he's taking her and Mary doing it on behalf of a non-existent "Hiram Jones."
While Elizabeth charms Morgan's servants, especially the butler Reynolds (Treacher) and his aunt Genevieve (Esther Dale), Mary and Edward gradually fall for each other, but Edward won't admit it. Thinking he doesn't love her, Mary claims she's going to marry a handsome young Navy pilot named Jimmy Rogers (Maurice Murphy), but the truth is, she doesn't really love him...and Elizabeth is determined to bring both of her favorite adults together!
The Song and Dance: Charming Temple romantic comedy is best-known for introducing one of her most iconic songs, "Animal Crackers In My Soup." It's also one of four movies she did with Treacher; they always worked very well together, and this one is no exception. There's some hilarious scenes, especially when Temple is making fun of the trustee in his coat and hat and towards the end with the servants.
One thing I like - the fact that this is an adaptation that sticks at least somewhat closely to the original story allows it to avoid several of the cliches that run rampant in Temple's movies, including a nasty grouch trying to take her away from her family.
Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with "Animal Crackers," which has Shirley performing the sweetly silly song for the girls in the orphanage while dancing on tables. She poses as Cupid during Boles' big ballad "It's All So New to Me," which he performs on the piano after he realizes he loves Mary. "When I Grow Up" is the big number for Shirley at a benefit performance for the orphanage. She ages from child to woman getting married to elderly lady, and while the song itself isn't bad, the concept and execution are more than a little bizarre. Treacher and the servants do better with a brief reprise later. The other big number here is the title song almost at the finale. Boles plays as Shirley does a rather nifty solo tap dance on his piano.
What I Don't Like: Mary is completely unnecessary, her Navy boyfriend in the second half even moreso. When we do see Mary, she's stiff as a board, and Rogers really fails to make any kind of an impression. Most of the songs pale besides "Animal Crackers," and there's that strange "When I Grow Up" number for Temple, too.
The Big Finale: Cute enough time-passer if you're a romantic comedy fan or have kids who love Temple.
Home Media: Like most of Temple's films, it's easy to find on streaming or DVD.
DVD
DVD - The Shirley Temple Collection: Volume One
Amazon Prime
Starring Shirley Temple, Rochelle Hudson, John Boles, and Arthur Treacher
Directed by Irving Cummings
Music by Ray Henderson; Lyrics by Ted Koehler and others
Shirley Temple was at the height of her popularity as 20th Century Fox's number one star when this one came out. It's technically a remake of the Mary Pickford vehicle Daddy Long Legs, refashioned for the time and for Temple's sweet-little-girl persona. How does the story of a bachelor who adopts two girls anonymously- and falls for the older one - look nowadays? Let's head to the Lakeside Orphanage, just as one particular little miss is introducing us to her pets, and find out...
The Story: Elizabeth Blair (Temple) and her older sister Mary (Hudson) live at the orphanage with Elizabeth's pet pony and duck. Grouchy Mrs. Higgins (Rafaela Ottiano) threatens to take away Elizabeth's beloved friends after she brings them in to visit the other girls. She gets into even more trouble when she dances on tables during lunch and makes fun of the head trustee. Another trustee, Edward Morgan (Boles), likes Elizabeth's spunk and claims that he's taking her and Mary doing it on behalf of a non-existent "Hiram Jones."
While Elizabeth charms Morgan's servants, especially the butler Reynolds (Treacher) and his aunt Genevieve (Esther Dale), Mary and Edward gradually fall for each other, but Edward won't admit it. Thinking he doesn't love her, Mary claims she's going to marry a handsome young Navy pilot named Jimmy Rogers (Maurice Murphy), but the truth is, she doesn't really love him...and Elizabeth is determined to bring both of her favorite adults together!
The Song and Dance: Charming Temple romantic comedy is best-known for introducing one of her most iconic songs, "Animal Crackers In My Soup." It's also one of four movies she did with Treacher; they always worked very well together, and this one is no exception. There's some hilarious scenes, especially when Temple is making fun of the trustee in his coat and hat and towards the end with the servants.
One thing I like - the fact that this is an adaptation that sticks at least somewhat closely to the original story allows it to avoid several of the cliches that run rampant in Temple's movies, including a nasty grouch trying to take her away from her family.
Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with "Animal Crackers," which has Shirley performing the sweetly silly song for the girls in the orphanage while dancing on tables. She poses as Cupid during Boles' big ballad "It's All So New to Me," which he performs on the piano after he realizes he loves Mary. "When I Grow Up" is the big number for Shirley at a benefit performance for the orphanage. She ages from child to woman getting married to elderly lady, and while the song itself isn't bad, the concept and execution are more than a little bizarre. Treacher and the servants do better with a brief reprise later. The other big number here is the title song almost at the finale. Boles plays as Shirley does a rather nifty solo tap dance on his piano.
What I Don't Like: Mary is completely unnecessary, her Navy boyfriend in the second half even moreso. When we do see Mary, she's stiff as a board, and Rogers really fails to make any kind of an impression. Most of the songs pale besides "Animal Crackers," and there's that strange "When I Grow Up" number for Temple, too.
The Big Finale: Cute enough time-passer if you're a romantic comedy fan or have kids who love Temple.
Home Media: Like most of Temple's films, it's easy to find on streaming or DVD.
DVD
DVD - The Shirley Temple Collection: Volume One
Amazon Prime
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