Rosie the Riveter

Republic, 1944

Starring Jane Frazee, Frank Albertson, Barbara Jo Allen, and Frank Jenks

Directed by Joseph Santley

Music and Lyrics by various

Musicals were an important part of morale during World War II. They boosted people's spirits on the home front and gave the studios a chance to really go all-out with showing off the stars on their lots. Even the "Poverty Row" low-budget studios got in on it, churning out dozens of B-movies about life during wartime and how those still at home coped. How does one of these movies, named for the popular propaganda poster encouraging women to take work at the factories and the novelty song inspired by it, look today? Let's begin as four factory workers try desperately to get one room for rent and find out...

The Story: Rosie Warren (Frazee) and Vera Watson (Allen) end up having to share the last room in town with two fellow defense plant workers, Charlie Doran (Albertson) and Kelly Kennedy (Jenks). Rosie tries to hide the situation from her stuffy fiancée Wayne Calhoun (Frank Fenton), who also happens to be her boss at the plant. 

Meanwhile, Granma Quill (Maude Eburne), the owner of the house, keeps having to kick people out because her daughter Stella (Ellen Lowe) is constantly feuding with her husband Clem (Lloyd Corrigan). Vera and Rosie try to get them back together...and then Rosie gets into trouble when she's photographed half-naked in the rain with Charlie. She tells the cops their married to get them off their backs, and now the whole town knows. Plus, she sold Wayne's engagement ring to get rent money and now has to get it back.

The Song and Dance: Like The Sky's the Limit, this makes interesting use of a familiar situation of the time. With so many workers pouring into factory towns, there wasn't nearly enough room to hold them all. Rooms really were that hard to come by. It gives a feeling of intimacy and realism to a story that's otherwise pretty goofy. Also adding realism are the glimpses of the inside of the factory and the work that went on in these factories. With the low-budget production, it's almost more like a wartime sitcom from a later era than a movie. There's also its encouragement of its female workers. In fact, Rosie puts off her wedding to Wayne to focus more on her work. 

Favorite Number: Rosie tries to explain why "I Don't Want Anyone at All" to Wayne as he drives her home and she attempts to avoid telling him about the ring and her set-up with the room. Rosie and a quartet get to perform "The Friendly Tavern Polka" for dancers jitterbugging up a storm at the local bar. "Rosie the Riveter" is the sole large-scale production number. The plant celebrates in the finale as dancers perform with airplanes on poles and do a faux-Busby Berkley overhead formations shot.

What I Don't Like: Um, did I mention this is a low-budget B musical? Everyone's performances are broad, silly, and/or stiff. There's no fancy trappings like Technicolor or huge set pieces, barely any dancing at all besides the "Rosie the Riveter" finale and the Polka jitterbugs, and not even really that much music. Probably the only actor familiar to most people nowadays would be Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Granma Quill's mouthy grandson. And obviously, if you don't know anything about the home front and what went on in the US during World War II, you probably won't get most of what's going on.

The Big Finale: It still works for it's intended purpose, which is as a cute and patriotic way to pass an hour and a half if you know anything about World War II and the early 40's. 

Home Media: This isn't on currently on DVD as far as I can tell, but it can be found for streaming on several sites.

Amazon Prime

Vudu

Animation Celebration Saturday - A Goofy Movie

Disney, 1995

Voices of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, and Kellie Martin

Directed by Kevin Lima

Music and Lyrics by various

Betty Grable is hardly the only person whose summer vacation didn't go the way she planned. This continuation of the early 90's cartoon Goof Troop shows what happens when everyone's favorite slapstick-prone single dog dad and his teen son go on a wild ride...and learn a lot about how to communicate with one another in the process. How does this story of father-son bonding gone wrong look nowadays? Let's begin in a golden field, somewhere in the mind of 14-year-old Max Goof (Marsden), and find out...

The Story: Max ends his school year by turning a dull assembly into a concert for his favorite singer Powerline (Tevin Campbell) with the help of his buddies PJ (Rob Paulsen) and Bobby (Pauly Shore). His sweet crush Roxanne (Martin) is impressed, enough for him to ask her on a date. His principal (Wallace Shawn), is furious. He calls his father Goofy (Farmer) and claims his son may be heading for a terrible future if he continues to pull such stunts. 

Horrified, Goofy takes his son on a two week road trip to Lake Destiny in the hope of keeping him on the straight and narrow. Max tells Roxanne his dad knows Powerline and they're actually going to the big concert. Now Max has to figure out how to get there, with his sanity intact...and without hurting his father's feelings in the process.

The Animation: Considering this was farmed out to at least three overseas Disney animation units, not bad. Looks a bit better than the Goof Troop TV series generally did, anyway. Goofy and Pete were redrawn to more closely resemble what they looked like in the original shorts, and the kids actually do look like dog teens. There's some nicely-done set pieces later in the film, especially Max and Goof on the river and the Powerline concert near the end.

The Song and Dance: Who knew Goofy could be so funny and so heartbreaking? It's really interesting to watch how his relationship with Max evolves in this movie, from a sullen teen tired of his dad's antics and a dad who desperately wants to reconnect to his child to a more mutual understanding. Farmer gives Goofy more emotion than you might think possible, especially when they're stuck in the car on the river; Marsden was so well-received as Max, he's been the character's primary voice artist ever since. The teen characters are surprisingly realistic for a Disney movie, too, especially in the opening number where we see just about every teenage stereotype in the book as they all cheer getting out of school. 

Favorite Number: "After Today" is the big opening song, with every kid in school, from the popular jocks to the geeks to Max and his buddies, singing about how thrilled they are to be done for the summer. "Stand Out" is Max's impromptu Powerline number at the assembly, complete with the closest thing three 14-year-old boys could manage to big screen special effects and Max being lifted into the air. 

Goofy's thrilled to take Max "On the Open Road." Max...not so much. Maybe the kid would be more interested in the number if he saw some of the incredibly weird things happening on the highway, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck thumbing a ride, a trio of comely cowgirls, a guy in cement shoes, and a dancing corpse.  Max and Goofy finally find common ground when they're bumping down the river on what's left of their car, admitting that "Nobody Else But You" would care as much about them. "I 2 I" is Powerline's number at the concert, as father, son, and pop star finally come together to celebrate bonding and how we can find love through communication.

Trivia: Long-time country actor Pat Buttram's last film role. Listen for him as the obnoxious costumed character who won't leave Max alone at Lester's Possum Park.

The movie was originally made in late 1993, but production problems in France and original producer Jefferey Katzenberger's departure held it back until 1995.

What I Don't Like: As fun as this is, I can understand why it's not held in the same regard as the huge Disney epics and Pixar films released around the same time. The story is a bit cliched, especially once Max and Goofy get on the road. Max may adore Roxanne, but she doesn't do much besides look adorable, and most of the other kids do even less. Despite PJ's panic over how his father will react to the Powerline stunt at the assembly, we never do see how he reacts, or if PJ was punished for it. There's also the fact that so much of this, from Powerline and special effects and baggy costume to Pete's then-top-of-the-line trailer to references to other Disney films of the time, is very early 90's and has dated a bit.

There's also the changes from Goof Troop to consider. Max and Goofy were never this antagonistic on the show, and we never see any other characters besides Goofy, Max, Pete, and PJ, like their pets and Pete's wife and daughter. 

The Big Finale: If your older kids love Goofy or are fans of Goof Troop, or you have fond memories of seeing it on video in the mid-late 90's, you'll want to hit the open road and check this out.

Home Media: Out of print on DVD, and the Blu-Ray was only released through the Disney Movie Club. Streaming is by far your best bet for this one; Disney Plus has it for free with a subscription.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Hollywood Canteen

Warner Bros, 1944

Starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Dane Clark, and Bette Davis

Directed by Delmer Daves

Music and Lyrics by various

During World War II, every major city and large town had a free canteen where servicemen could let off steam and dance the night away to their favorite bands. Inspired by the Stage Door Canteen in New York, Bette Davis and John Garfield began the Hollywood Canteen on Sunset Boulevard in October 1942. By 1944, it was so popular, Warner Bros cooked up this movie featuring almost every star on the lot doing their bit for the boys. Let's begin overseas with the boys as they prepare to go on leave and see just how big the Hollywood Canteen was...

The Story: Slim Green (Hutton) and his buddy Sergeant Nolan (Clark) are Army soldiers on leave from the South Pacific for three days. The spend their time in LA at the Hollywood Canteen, meeting real celebrities and watching the big-name acts. Slim wants nothing more than to meet ingénue Joan Leslie (Herself), whom he has a huge crush on. He first wins a kiss with her, then gets a date when he's the millionth soldier to enter the Canteen. They get so close after that date, the papers claim they're married...but he is a soldier on leave, and he can't stay forever...

The Song and Dance: And the song and dance are the main reason to see this nowadays. As adorable as youngsters Leslie and Hutton are together, the real interest are in the many, many Warners stars (and a few from elsewhere) who turn up here. Even those who don't actually sing get a few lines or a bit. Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre intimidate a serviceman who knocks around Patty Andrews. SZ Sakall endures soldiers pinching his cheeks. Paul Henried gives Clark advice on dealing with women in the kitchen. Joan Crawford dances with Clark and is amused when he thinks she's not the real deal. Founders Bette Davis and John Garfield give speeches on the importance of the Canteen and its history. Even Roy Rogers shows up on his horse Trigger for a number. 

At the very least, the backing of the major studios means this is a tad fancier-looking than the similar Stage Door Canteen. Location shooting in the actual LA, including the Sunset Strip and Bel-Air Estates, adds an air of real Hollywood glamor that the grittier New York-based canteen musical lacks. 

Favorite Numbers: We kick off well with Jane Wyman and Jack Carson getting a cute tap routine to "What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" Singing group The Golden Gate Quartet revealed why they were the first African-Americans to perform at a presidential inauguration with their catchy "The General Jumped at Dawn." Eddie Cantor has fun with Nora Martin as they admit "We're Having a Baby." "Don't Fence Me In" is heard twice, first while Roy Rogers shows off his riding on Trigger, and later in a more typical version by the Andrews Sisters. Joe E. Brown and Dennis Morgan make an odd pair in the chorus number "How Can You Tell a Yank." Jack Benny joins violinist Joseph Szigeti for a dueling violins version of "The Souvenir." Dancer Joan McCracken, then appearing in the original Broadway cast of Oklahoma!, performs a "Ballet In Jive" as a little country girl who gets caught up in the whirl of Hollywood nightclubs and glamor. 

The Oscar-nominated hit here was the ballad "Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart." Joan Leslie (dubbed by Sally Sweetland) initially introduces it with the chorus early in the film. Opera singer Kitty Carlisle gets a more effective version at the very end, when Slim thinks Joan stood him up and writes her a note before his leave ends.

What I Don't Like: Even more than Stage Door Canteen, this is basically a revue and an advertisement for the real Hollywood Canteen. The thin story (so implausible, Ann Sheridan turned down Leslie's role because she thought it was too silly) is merely a framework to hang all those great songs. Some of the "gosh gee" dialogue and Davis and Garfield's more self-congratulatory speeches towards the middle and end of the movie sound more annoying than uplifting nowadays. The larger production also loses some of that feeling of intimacy that made Stage Door Canteen so much of its time. 

The Big Finale: The excellent numbers make it a bit more tolerable than the similar Star Spangled Rhythm, but it's still mainly for fans of the World War II era or big band lovers. 

Home Media: The solo DVD is part of the Warner Archives collection. It can also be found on streaming and as part of the Warner Bros Homefront DVD set. 

DVD

DVD - Warner Bros Homefront Collection

Amazon Prime

Moon Over Miami

20th Century Fox, 1941

Starring Betty Grable, Carole Landis, Charlotte Greenwood, and Don Ameche

Directed by Walter Lang

Music by Leo Robin; Lyrics by Ralph Rainger

We kick off the summer season with a movie about a vacation that didn't go quite as planned. Betty Grable and Don Ameche worked out so well in the smash hit Down Argentine Way, they were rushed into this movie the moment Ameche was free. This was Grable's second starring vehicle, and it would turn her into one of the biggest stars of the early 40's. How does this light warm-weather frappe look today? Let's begin in Texas, as two sisters deal with the lunch crowd at a local hash house, and find out...

The Story: Kay (Grable) and Barbara (Landis) Latimer and their Aunt Susan (Greenwood) are thrilled when they inherit money from a deceased uncle. It's just enough for the trio to travel to Miami and find rich husbands. Kay poses as a wealthy heiress, Barbara as her secretary, and Susan as her maid. Hotel bellhop Jack O'Hara (Jack Haley) quickly falls for Susan, while Kay picks up suitors in handsome young rich man's son Jeff Boulton (Robert Cummings) and mining heir Phil O'Neil (Ameche). 

Phil's no more what he claims to be than Kay is. He turns her over to Jeff so she can live her dream of instant wealth. Trouble is, Barbara's also fallen for Jeff, and Jack's figured out their secret. Now the ladies have to find a way to get Kay married to the right man, before Jack spills the beans about their lack of cash.

The Song and Dance: Sun-drenched confection set the standard for all of the Grable musicals of the 40's set in an exotic location. She (and maybe a funny friend or two) head to the location, mingle with weird locals, get involved with at least one or two handsome leading men, and sing and dance with big bands between romantic comedy complications. The good cast here helps a lot. Ameche may not be the best singer or dancer, but he's a lot more interesting than most of the men who played opposite Grable. Greenwood and Haley have some funny moments as the servant couple, including a hilarious dance routine. Lots of Technicolor location shooting in the real Florida (including Cypress Gardens) adds authentic Sunshine State flavor.

(I also appreciate that this is yet another Grable musical that ends with the leading men friends instead of coming to blows or leaving over the ladies. Most of her musicals seem to be too amiable for any actual villains.)

Favorite Number: The movie begins at the Texas road house where the girls are singing waitresses in tight short uniforms asking their customers "What Can I Do for You?" "Miami (Oh Me, Oh Mi-Ami)" starts off as a travelogue with a chorus as we see overhead shots of the city and ends with the three ladies dancing and singing into their plush hotel room. The ballad "You've Started Something" turns up several times, including as a big dance routine in the hotel night club for Grable and the Condos Brothers. Haley and Greenwood ask "Is That Good?" as they show off their trademarked high kicks and stiff-legged dancing while preparing dinner. Grable teaches choreographer and dancer Hermes Pan the "Kindergarten Conga," performed to the tune of several nursery rhymes, later on in the night club.

What I Don't Like: If the story sounds familiar, this is a remake of the 1938 non-musical comedy Three Blind Mice. It would turn up twice more at Fox, as the 1946 musical Three Little Girls In Blue and a final non-musical comedy in 1956, How to Marry a Millionaire. Like the other versions, this is about the fluffiest summertime entertainment you can get. Not really much happens, besides Jack's threats to reveal the girls near the end. Cummings has far less personality than Ameche and is mainly there to be handsome, and as lovely as she is, Landis doesn't really have that much to do. 

The Big Finale: If you want to introduce someone to Betty Grable's more "exotic" vehicles, the nice cast and enjoyable numbers makes this a great place to start. Recommended for fans of Grable or of big 40's musicals. 

Home Media: Originally a Marquee Musical, this is currently DVD only from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives. 

DVD

Happy Father's Day! - Three Smart Girls

Universal, 1936

Starring Deanna Durbin, Charles Winninger, Nan Grey, and Barbara Reed

Directed by Henry Koster

Music by Bronslau Kaper and Walter Jurman; Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Deanna Durbin came to Universal earlier in 1936 being dropped by MGM, who had plenty of operatic stars. Universal was in dire straits at that point. Their monster movies weren't the draws they'd been in the early 30's, and Show Boat aside, they largely gave up on musicals after the early talkie era. This was her first appearance in a feature...and it was such a smash, it and her next few films literally saved the company from bankrupsy. Let's start on the lakes in Switzerland with the three young woman of the title to find out what made this such a hit...

The Story: Joan (Grey), Kay (Reed), and Penny (Durbin) are shocked when they learn that their father, millionaire Judson Craig (Winninger), is going to be married to a gold digger half his age (Binnie Barnes).  They run away to New York to keep him from going through with the ceremony. He's happy to see them and even puts them up in his apartment, under the watchful eye of his butler Binns (Ernest Cossart). His fiancee Donna isn't happy to see them and enlists the aid of her fussy mother (Alice Brady) to keep the girls out of their hair.

Frustrated, Kay and Joan hire what they think is a drunk impersonating a Count (Ray Milland) to seduce Donna. Not only is he not what he claims he is, but to Kay's horror, he falls for her instead. Meanwhile, Joan has her sights set on her father's assistant Bill Evans (John "Dusty" King). It's up to Penny to finally bring everyone together and remind her father of just how much he loves his three smart and funny girls.

The Song and Dance: Film musicals don't often fall into family comedy territory...and when they do, they're usually about performing families. Three Smart Girls comes off more like an early Parent Trap or a black-and-white version of a 90's family comedy where kids easily outwit clueless adults. This may be a rich family, but Durbin is the only performer...and she's played pretty much as a normal 14-year-old who just wants her dad back in her life. 

You can see why Durbin became a major star after this movie. She's naturally charming on-screen and has real chemistry with blustery Winninger. They have a very funny sequence where they literally fall over laughing after they trip over her bed. Durbin's such a charmer, she manages to almost convince an entire station of New York cops that she's run away to become an opera singer. 

Favorite Number: Durbin performs "My Heart Is Singing" in the opening as she and her sisters go boating in Lake Geneva, dressed in identical sailor outfits. "Someone to Care for Me" is initially performed by Barnes at the piano, but Durbin later sings it to Winninger before her bedtime to explain why she and the girls are trying to get rid of Donna. "Il Bacio" is the operatic aria Durbin sings to the cops when she's trying to convince them that she ran away to become an opera star...and from the semi-impressed looks on their faces, they almost sort-of believe it.

Trivia: Nominated for Best Picture in 1937. 

What I Don't Like: This is pretty much a sitcom with a few songs shoehorned in, and as such, it's fairly small-scale. As much fun as Durbin is in her scenes, I actually wish she had even more to do. She disappears for a long stretch when her sisters are hiring the Count (Milland) and trying to get Barnes to fall for him. It's all cute but very predictable - you know where this is going well before the girls and their suitors do. It's also a tad dated. Divorce, remarriage, and blended families are considered to be a lot more acceptable nowadays. 

The Big Finale: Adorable bit of family fluff that might be fun to watch with your own dad after the barbecue this Father's Day. 

Home Media: The Oscar nomination is likely the reason this is one of Durbin's few films easily available on DVD and streaming. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Two Sisters from Boston

MGM, 1946

Starring Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Peter Lawford, and Jimmy Durante

Directed by Henry Koster

Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Ralph Freed

During and directly after World War II, there was a burst of nostalgia for simpler times and less tumultuous eras. We already saw one example of how the musicals from this time celebrated the past in One Sunday Afternoon. MGM in particular did many musicals set in the immediate past, especially after the roaring success of Meet Me In St. Louis in 1944. They were also fond of musicals featuring opera or operetta stars with operatic music and sequences from operas. This one combines both those approaches into one story of a young woman who shocks her family by her choice of career. How does this turn-of-the-twentieth-century tale of class differences look now? Let's begin in Boston, as the ancient relatives of Miss Martha Chandler (Allyson) plays the piano, and find out...

The Story: Martha and her Aunt Jennifer (Isobel Elsom) and blustery Uncle Johnathan (Harry Hayden) rush quickly to New York when someone at the party claims to have seen Martha's sister Abigail (Kathryn Grayson) singing in the dive bar The Golden Rooster. Yes, she does perform numbers there with its proprietor Spike (Jimmy Durante) under the name "High C Susie." She wanted to become an opera singer, but the money her stingy uncle sent her barely paid for piano lessons. Working at the bar is her way of earning cash for lessons.

Spike sneaks her into a show featuring opera star Olstrom (Lauriz Melichor), but she accidentally ruins the show, to Olstrom's horror and her family's delight. Martha stays on to convince her sister to give up singing and marry the handsome art patron Lawrence Tyburt Patterson Jr. Not only does Lawrence fall for her instead, but after he gets Abigail an audition with his own stuffy parents, Martha has to convince them that she's the one singing at the Bowery to give her sister a chance.

The Song and Dance: The cast and the early 1900's atmosphere are the thing here. Allyson and Grayson both have a great deal of fun, with Allyson playing against type as the sheltered society girl who faints at the mere sight of bare skin. Ben Blue has a smaller part, playing a butler who can only remember things when he's drunk, but he does manage to get a couple of nice gags. He's especially funny in the very beginning, when he's ardently pursuing Abigail. Durante has a couple of nice moments claiming he knows people - including Olstrom - to get Abigail into the opera. The costumes and sets also do quite well recreating both the downtown and uptown New York in 1900.

Oh, and I really appreciate that they didn't try to match Abigail with anyone, which a lot of musicals would have done. Her real interest is in a career, not romance. 

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with Durante introducing himself and Grayson and greeting a drunk and rowdy house in his own "Hello, Hello." That goes directly into Abigail's number as she more-or-less explains her predicament in the stripper chorus number "There are Two Sides to Ev'ry Girl." Durante gets a second number with Grayson, "Down By the Ocean," as he and Abigail spoof early 1900's courtship and Martha gets a look at her sister's (relatively) brief bathing costume. Martha tries to perform with the chorus girls in her brief costume without ending up fainting onstage as they sing about the men they'll meet "After the Show." 

The Lohengrin opera sequence starts out with Melichor in great voice as he performs before the dancing crowds of admiring peasants...but ends in chaos, thanks to Abigail's attempts to be noticed. The Marie Antoinette opera was written for the film and ends it in spectacular fashion as Abigail, in her gigantic ruffled gown and high wig, proves to Olstrom that she can, indeed, sing very well when she's not trying to show off. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, Lawford is basically a block of wood as the handsome art patron who nearly turns both sisters away. He's obviously not happy to be there and is dull as dishwater in a badly-written role. There's also the whole story revolving around how notoriously stuffy Boston was still considered to be in 1946...something that many people won't get today. Lawrence and Abigail's family come off as less well-meaning and more obnoxious and cold. Frankly, with a family like that, no wonder Abigail ran off to the big city.

And I'm a bit surprised this one isn't in Technicolor. This is the kind of thing that screams for color, especially from MGM in this era.

The Big Finale: The cast and some good numbers gives this one a bit of the zip that One Sunday Afternoon lacked, despite the dated story. Fans of the stars, opera, and musicals of the 1940's will want to check it out.

Home Media: Currently DVD-only from the Warner Archives.

DVD

One Sunday Afternoon

Warner Bros, 1948

Starring Dennis Morgan, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, and Dorothy Malone

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Music and Lyrics by Ralph Blaine and others

This is Walsh's second go-around with One Sunday Afternoon. The story of a pugnacious dentist who recalls how he lost the girl he loved to his go-getting best friend was previously filmed as a non-musical comedy in 1933 with Gary Cooper as the dentist, and then by Walsh in 1941 as The Strawberry Blonde with James Cagney. Since the vintage 1890's tunes inserted into Strawberry Blonde were well-received, Warners turned it into a full-on musical for the remake. Let's start on the front stoop of Biff Grimes' (Morgan) dental office and see how well they did with the adaptation...

The Story: Biff recalls how his relationship with wealthy Hugo Barnstead (DeFore) fractured after Barnstead calls him up frantically one Sunday to have emergency work done. Years before, Hugo and Biff were the best of friends. They both fell for beautiful and flirtatious strawberry blonde Virginia Brush (Paige), but it was Hugo who ended up marrying her. Biff finally married Virginia's feminist best friend Amy Lind (Malone). To make up for stealing Virginia from him, Hugo offers him the vice presidency in his company. It sounds prestigious, but all Biff actually does is sign papers. He ends up going to jail when one of those projects he signed off on was a building made with substandard materials that collapsed. Being away from Amy finally makes him realize how much he loves her...and how much he'd rather be what he is than even be in love with a strawberry blonde. 

The Song and Dance: Charming Technicolor confection beautifully recreates the world of 120 years ago, when couples went for walks on Sunday and revenge could be as simple as pulling teeth. Malone in particular makes a lovely Amy, tough when she's discussing the importance of women's rights, then sweet and blushing when Biff realizes she's not as icy as she makes herself out to be. Ben Blue has some very funny moments, and there really should be more all-female barbershop quartets - the brief number from the one in his barber shop mid-way through sounded great. 

Favorite Number: The title song is heard many times, notably in the beginning when Biff starts a fight with a couple of Yale college kids who keep playing it. The two couples go for a breezy ride "In Our Merry Oldsmobile" before the car's tire gets a flat. Ben Blue serenades his girl Daisy (Dorothy Ford) on "A Bicycle Built for Two" and shows off his dexterity by jumping all around it as it moves. Morgan sings the reel "West Virginia" in a chorus number on board the ship...before he steps out to break up Hugo and Virginia. Abashed when she's caught not being as tough as she claims, Amy finally admits how "Girls Were Made to Take Care of Boys."

What I Don't Like: First and foremost, Malone is the only lead who works (other than she didn't do her own singing). Paige is merely window dressing as the girl the boys are all chasing and DeFore is too goofy to make anyone believe he could be a treacherous jerk. Laid-back Morgan is badly miscast as an impulsive tough guy. He's definitely not James Cagney...and that's really what the role needs. Doesn't help that Blaine's original songs, other than the oft-reprised title number, are pretty forgettable. The movie is just too bland for something that ends with the dentist contemplating killing a guy with laughing gas.

The Big Finale: Cute but bland time-waster if you run into it on TCM on a dull Sunday afternoon or are a fan of any of the stars. 

Home Media: Out of print on Warners Archive DVD. Streaming is your best bet.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Musicals On TV - Through the Looking Glass (1966)

NBC, 1966

Starring Judi Rolin, Nanette Fabray, Robert Coote, and Roy Castle

Directed by Alan Handley

Music by Moose Charlap; Lyrics by Elsie Simmons

NBC hoped to revive their 90-minute Producers' Showcase musical spectaculars of the 50's with this color fantasy adapted from the second Alice book. Like the Mary Martin Peter Pan, this is based after a children's fantasy novel, with music by Moose Charlap and relatively elaborate costumes and scenery for the time. It ups the ante with an all-star cast and a slightly darker tone that sticks relatively close to the Lewis Carrol novel. Let's start at the home of a modern Alice (Rolin), as she wishes her father (Richard Denning) would allow her to attend a grown-up party, and see how well they did with bringing this fantasy to the small screen...

The Story: Alice is called through the mirror in the living room by the Red King (Coote). He and the other chessboard queens and kings are being terrorized by the Jabberwock (Jack Palance), who won't allow them to rule in their own kingdom. Alice claims she isn't afraid of any old Jabberwock and follows them into the Looking Glass World and down the Blue Road. If she can get to the Palace, she can become queen and stop the Jabberwock's reign. She's helped along her way by various strange characters, especially Lester the Jester (Roy Castle), a jolly joker who claims to be her friend and can appear anywhere.

The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing in this funny fantasy. For all the fairy-tale trappings, between the laugh track, it being recorded on tape, and sitcom veterans like Moorehead and Coote hamming it up, it often feels more like a comedy of the time with dark-ish overtones than Peter Pan. Montalban enjoys playing against type as the most gentle and fatherly of the royals, Fabray and Moorehead have a ball as the ditzy White Queen and imperious Red Queen, the Smothers Brothers make a hilarious Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and Palance revels in his villainy (and weird Bob Mackie costume) as the nasty monstrous Jabberwock.

Favorite Number: Alice admonishes the kings and queens that they can't take back their kingdoms, "Not If You Run Away." They explain to her how there's "Two Sides to Everything" in Looking Glass Land, including royalty and monsters. The White Queen laments "I Wasn't Meant to Be Queen" as Alice helps her try to organize her thoughts and her wrap and she wishes she was better at ruling. "The Jabberwock's Song" introduces the wicked monster who wants nothing more than to spread fear and havoc. The kindly White King gently reminds a drowsy Alice that "Some Summer Day," she'll be a grown woman looking back fondly at her time in Looking Glass Land.

What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with Lester? This random heroic Joker character feels more like a refugee from Wizard of Oz than Through the Looking Glass...and in fact, was inspired by the popularity of Oz in its yearly special broadcasts at the time. There's other touches that are a bit more Oz-like as well, such as the Blue Road and the idea of the characters all being people at the party Alice's parents are holding. The awkward chess pieces and Jabberwock costumes limit the characters' movements, which may be why there isn't much dancing outside of the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum "Alphabet Song" number. Also, the Jabberwock was originally a poem and a monster that scared Dee and Dum, not the protagonist. There's also the fact that, while the music isn't bad, it's not nearly as memorable as Charlap's score for Peter Pan.

The Big Finale: Cute family musical if you're looking for something different to show older kids who love the Alice stories or fantasy tales. 

Home Media: DVD only from SFM Entertainment.

DVD

Cult Flops - Bells are Ringing

MGM, 1960

Starring Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Jean Stapleton, and Fred Clark

Directed by Vincente Minelli 

Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Arthur Freed and his tight-knit Unit produced many of MGM's famous most famous musical productions, from The Wizard of Oz to Gigi...but by 1960, MGM and musicals in general were in trouble. Between the collapse of the studio system and television increasingly encroaching on older and family audiences, Freed's musicals were no longer the major cash cows they'd been through the mid-50's. Did Bells are Ringing allow the Freed Unit to go out in a blaze of glory, or should we hang up on this bell? Let's begin with a musical commercial for the New York answering service Susanwserphone, and find out...

The Story: Ella Peterson (Holliday) is a switchboard operator at Susanswerphone with a habit of getting involved with her clients, despite her cousin Sue (Stapleton) constantly reminding her she's only supposed to be giving messages. She's especially fond of playwright Jeff Moss (Martin), who just separated from his partner and is now supposed to come up with a play in 24 hours. She speaks to him in a warm, friendly old lady voice he calls "Mom." 

Upset when she can't get through to him with a message telling him to write his play or else, she goes to his apartment to deliver it. He's smitten with her sincerity and honesty, though she nervously calls herself "Melisande Scott." That goes so well, she dresses up to bring messages to two of her other clients, a dentist (Bernie West) who composes songs on his air hose, and a young actor (Frank Gorshin) who needs to give up imitating Marlon Brando punks to get parts. She's not as happy when Jeff invites her to a fancy party where she feels out of place and small and runs out. Not to mention, one of their clients are actually gangsters using their "record" business as a front for illegal horse betting, and they're even less happy when Ella accidentally switches one of their orders.

The Song and Dance: Martin and Holliday make a surprisingly cute couple in this charming and colorful romantic comedy. You'd never guess Holliday was sick during filming, or that this would be her last movie. She's wonderful as sweet, nervous Ella, who is more at home spreading joy among strangers than at a party or bottling up her natural inclination to help. Stapleton and Eddie Foy Jr. have their own fun with the gangster subplot, especially when they're on a date at "The Gypsy" bar and she's reveling in his fancy talk. Gorshin and West are hilarious in their brief roles as Ella's most unique clients, especially Gorshin's attempt at a bad Brando imitation. 

Favorite Number: We open with the title song against a montage of beautiful, glamorous ladies all waiting breathlessly for messages that only Susanswerphone can deliver. Holliday talks about how "It's a Perfect Relationship" between her and Jeff, even though they've never met. Bookie J. Otto Pranz (Foy Jr.) leads a chorus of unlikely gamblers in a subway tunnel extolling how "It's a Simple System." Ella and Jeff sing about how it's "Better Than a Dream" when she's thrilled to have met him and he's thrilled to have found a girl who is sweet, sincere, and able to push him to really work. Jeff sings on Times Square streets to tell all of New York how "I Met a Girl." Fed up with being told not to help and scared to explain everything to Jeff, Ella belts to Sue how "I'm Going Back" in a fare-thee-well finale. 

The big ones here are the standards "Just In Time" and "The Party's Over." The latter is a sweet duet for Ella and Jeff as they dance and clown for tenement audiences before entering the high-society party. After the party goes badly, Ella flees and laments that "The Party's Over."

Trivia: More of the stage score was filmed but cut, including the comedy number for Ella and Inspector Barnes (Dort Clark) "Is It a Crime?" and the rest of "Mu Cha Cha." "Crime" exists and is included on the DVD, along with a new song for Dean Martin that was also filmed but cut, "My Guiding Star." 

Holliday and Stapleton reprise their original roles from the Broadway production. It was a huge hit in 1956, running three years. A 2001 revival with Faith Prince as Ella had backstage problems and got poor reviews, barely lasting two months. It did better in a small-scale London revival in 2010 and in concerts in New York and Chicago. 

What I Don't Like: What's an answering service, many modern viewers may ask? An answering service provided messages for business people or busy families who often didn't have the time to answer every phone call that came through in the mid-20th century. The arrival of affordable answering machines in the 70's and 80's killed them off quickly, well before cell phones came into regular usage. 

Between the story revolving around a type of business that most people nowadays haven't heard of, the silly gangster side plot, and references to Brando method acting and all those celebrities in "Drop That Name' at the party, this musical is incredibly dated. I suspect that's a big part of the reason most subsequent revivals haven't done as well (even reviews for the Encores concert in 2006 complained about it). 

The Big Finale: Charming romantic comedy is worth checking out for fans of Holliday, Martin, or the big Broadway shows of the 50's and 60's. 

Home Media: Easily found in all major formats; DVD and Blu-Ray are currently available from the Warner Archives.

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Cult Flops - Rose Marie (1954)

MGM, 1954

Starring Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Fernando Lamas, and Bert Lahr

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

Music by Rudolf Friml; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto A. Haurbach, and Paul Francis Webster

Operetta, with its romantic stories and soaring light opera songs, made a comeback in the 1950's. Many operettas were performed on early television and in concert halls. Opera singers made recordings of old favorites from the 1910's and 20's like Rose Marie. The studios began to dust off some of those operettas for revival around the middle of the decade. MGM already filmed Rose Marie in as a (now lost) silent in 1928 and a vehicle for singers Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in 1936. How does the show look, now that it's back to more-or-less its original plot? Let's start in the wilds of Canada, as Mountie Mike Malone (Keel) looks for his man...er, woman...and find out...

The Story: Rose Marie Lemaitre (Blyth) becomes Malone's ward after the death of her father. She hates the idea of being dragged back to his barracks, but eventually becomes something of a mascot. Malone sees her as a cute kid, but the Inspector (Ray Collins) reminds her that she's a growing woman, and she needs formal training. Malone eventually sends her to Lady Jane Dunstock (Marjorie Main) in a small town nearby. Rose Marie is taught how to dance and wear gowns, but what she really wants is to see the handsome trapper James Severn Duvall (Lamas) again. Even after Duvall steals money from a town dance, she can't help falling in love with him.

She's devastated when Duvall is accused of murdering a Native chief. She's sure he didn't do it, but Mike's determined to get his man...until he finds evidence that Duvall's cast-aside Native lover Wanda (Joan Taylor) may be involved in the chief's demise.

The Song and Dance: Now this is probably a lot more like what people think of when they hear the words "operetta." Rose Marie is back to being a spirited young woman, and she now has two lovers, the kindly but firm Mountie bound by duty and the bad boy trapper she falls for, even though she knows he's a thief and a local troublemaker. Bert Lahr and Marjorie Main have some great moments as the clumsy Mountie who never gets his man or promotion and the tough noblewoman tasked with turning Rose Marie into a real lady...and who wouldn't mind getting her hands on that goofy Mountie. Keel too does very well as the Mountie who gets his man, but loses his lady. 

Real Canadian scenery is another selling point. This is the first musical done in Cinemascope, and it looks gorgeous, with many long shots of majestic pines and towering cliffs. 

Favorite Number: Mike tries to explain to tough-minded little Rose Marie "The Right Place for a Girl," but she's having none of it. She wants to be "Free to Be Free" and to live the way she chooses. We get a montage of how Rose Marie grows to love Malone and "The Mounties" and is eventually considered to be one of them. Barney McCorkle tells rousing stories explaining why he's "The Mountie Who Never Got His Man" in Lady Jane's saloon. Jim Duvall tells Rose Marie the story of the "Indian Love Call" when she goes to see him in the mountains, leading to this show's most famous standard. "Totem Tom Tom" is the big totem dance routine for the Indians, complete with waving feather sticks and a maiden shoved against the tote.

Trivia: Main and Lahr originally had a duet, "Love and Kisses." It was cut, but exists and is included on the Warner Archives DVD. 

"Totem Tom Tom" was Busby Berkeley's last screen assignment. 

The original Broadway show was a huge success in 1924. It hasn't been seen in New York since then, but it remains popular with light opera companies. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, while I'm glad we're seeing the original story, it hasn't dated well. Today, I suspect Rose Marie would do just fine out in the wilderness, though I do give Malone credit for realizing she's just not dainty lady material. I almost wish she'd ended up with Malone, who at least treated her well. Jim was a bit of a jerk who carelessly tossed aside one woman for her and stole from the dance. And why didn't they keep most of the original songs along with most of the original story? They only use three songs from the Broadway show.

There's also the entire Indian subplot. While Chief Black Eagle was played by a real Native (and a real Chief, at that), Wanda is obviously a white woman in bad red makeup. We also have the Indians being more-or-less the villains; in the original play, they were working with a wealthy white man who was after Rose Marie. The whole thing might come off as more than a little distasteful for some members of the audience today.

The Big Finale: This is actually not a bad starting point if you're interested in learning more about operetta on the big screen and can handle the Indian subplot, or are a big fan of Keel and the musicals of the 1950's. 

Home Media: On streaming and DVD in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives. 

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Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Care Bears Adventure In Wonderland

Cineplex Odeon Films, 1987

Voices of Bob Dermer, Tracey Moore, Jim Henshaw, and Dan Hennessey 

Directed by Raymond Jafelice

Music and Lyrics by John Sebastian and Maribeth Solomon 

By 1987, the Care Bears were a world-wide phenomenon. A cartoon series based after Care Bears II: A New Generation debuted on ABC in the fall of 1986 and was almost as big of a success as the first movie. The second film did well enough on video and cable for Nelvana to go ahead with a third film, which was in development as early as June 1986. This one adapts classic literature, letting the Care Bears interact with characters from the beloved novels Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. How does their third theatrical go-around look today? Let's begin in Care-a-Lot as the Care Bears start their day and find out...

The Story: The White Rabbit (Keith Knight) comes to Care-a-Lot to seek his niece Swift Heart Rabbit's (Eva Almos) help in finding the Princess of Wonderland (Alyson Court). If she doesn't turn up, the evil Wizard (Colin Fox) will take over Wonderland and strip it of its craziness. The Care Bears and Cousins discover that Alice (Moore), an ordinary little girl who laments her dull life and not being "special" enough, is a dead ringer for the missing Princess. Half of the group searches for the elusive Mad Hatter (Keith Hampshire), who went to rescue the Princess from the grumpy Jabberwocky (Hampshire), while the others help the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts (Elizabeth Hanna) teach Alice all about being a princess. 

The wizard and his two henchmen Dim (John Stocker) and Dum (Hennessey) do anything they can to keep Alice from becoming queen, including sending her on a "princess test" to prove she's worthy of royalty.

The Animation: Pretty much what was on the Care Bears Family TV show at this point. To give it credit, with fewer characters to focus on, there's far fewer continuity bobbles and characters who are in scenes they shouldn't be. While the animation is occasionally stiff, it's also colorful, with some truly unique designs on the ever-evolving Cheshire Cat and the other wacky citizens of Wonderland.

The Song and Dance: Nelvana's first of two cracks at adapting a famous fantasy story (the other would be the Christmas special The Care Bears Nutcracker Suite) definitely has some enjoyable moments. Dim and Dum can be hilarious, especially when controlling the Big Red Rotten Robots on the checkerboard and their freak-outs over spiders. Alice herself is a lot tougher than most of the earlier kids in these shows. She knows better than to buy the Wizard's ridiculous and obnoxious plot from the get-go and proves to be a lot tougher and funnier than you'd think at first, especially during the Tea and Croquet Game and while getting battered on the side of the mountain during the Princess Test. 

Favorite Number: We kick off with the irrelevant but catchy "Rise and Shine," as the Care Bears go about their usual morning rituals and duties. John Sebastian, who wrote the remaining songs, performs "Has Anybody Seen This Girl?" as the Bears and Cousins go around the world and out of this world - literally - in search of the Princess and their introduction to the wild, zany, anything-goes world of "Wonderland," where bees look like Bs and caterpillars are traffic cops. The Cheshire Cat plays with funky neons and the then-new hip hop scene with his surreal raps "Don't Forget to Use Your Head" and "Remember to Use Your Heart." The Mad Hatter is "Mad About Hats" as he shows off his collection of hats big, small, and everywhere in between for the Bears and Cousins.

What I Don't Like: The big disappointment here are the villains. Other than a few gags from Dim and Dum, the Wizard and his henchmen aren't nearly as memorable or scary as the Spirit in the Book from Care Bears Movie or Dark Heart from Care Bears II. The Queen might have made a better (and more book-relevant) villain, but she's played more as a sweet older woman. 

In fact, other than a few references and characters like the Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter, this doesn't really have much to do with the original Alice books...or with the Care Bears, for that matter. The Bears and Cousins react to the lunacy around them, use the Care Bear Stare at the end, and have a few jokes with the Mad Hatter's hat collection. Any kiddie characters from 80's young kids' cartoons probably could have been substituted to similar effect. In fact, most of the Bears and Cousins are only seen during the opening "Rise and Shine" number and are never seen or heard from again.

The Big Finale: Pleasant enough hour if you or your kids are Care Bears or Alice fans; casual viewers will want to seek out the Family show or the easier-to-find first two movies instead. 

Home Media: Not on DVD in North America (though it can be found in Europe and Australia). YouTube is currently the only way to find this on this side of the pond. 

YouTube

Fame (1980)

MGM, 1980

Starring Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Lisa Monroe, and Antonia Franceschi

Directed by Alan Parker

Music and Lyrics by various

Of the four major film musicals that debuted in 1980, this one was by far the most successful at the time. Inspired by A Chorus Line and the real-life New York High School of the Performing Arts, this love letter to the kids who dream eventually became a world-wide franchise, with a long-running TV show, a remake, and a stage version. How does the gritty original film look today? Let's begin at the high school with the incoming freshmen auditioning - and showing off their talents (or lack thereof)...

The Story: We follow eight accepted students through their years at the high school and see how they grow and change. Coco Hernandez (Cara) has a phenomenal voice and is the school's best all-around student. Her boyfriend Bruno (Curreri) is into electronic music. His rock and synthesizer songs shocks the school's conservative orchestra teacher Mr. Shorofsky (Albert Hague). For Raul Garcia - or as he calls himself, Ralph Garci (Barry Miller) - his dream of being a stand-up comedian is an escape from the horrors of life in the barrios of the Bronx. Closeted homosexual actor Montgomery McNeil (Paul McCrane) befriends shy Jewish girl Doris Finsecker (Maureen Teefy), who is intimidated by the more colorful personalities around her. 

The dancers have their own problems. Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray), who originally auditioned with a friend but ended up being the better performer, can't read and is constantly at odds with his English teacher Mrs. Sherwood (Anne Meara). Hilary Van Dorn (Antonia Franceschi) is obsessed with becoming a great ballerina, while Lisa Monroe (Laura Dean) isn't really that interested in dancing. We see how each student learns, grows, and discovers more about themselves through the course of each school year...and how they all discover how hard it is to find that elusive "fame."

The Song and Dance: Those of you expecting something more like the light-hearted High School Musical franchise may be surprised at how dark this is, especially for the time. These are real teenagers with real problems...so real, some of them, like the dive into Montgomery's homosexuality at the end and the candid sequence with Hilary at the abortion clinic, may be ahead of their time. Location shooting in the gritty and down-at-the-heels New York of the early 80's adds greatly to the documentary feel. Miller and Cara do particularly well as the Freddie Prinze-obsessed comic who sees show business as his way out of squalor, and the wanna-be singer and actress who keeps pushing Bruno to bring his music where it can be heard. 

Favorite Number: The movie is probably best-known for its three big chorus numbers for the teenagers. "Hot Lunch Jam" is an actual jam, with kids improvising their own dance and music while doing a wild and colorful number over bad pizza. It's so catchy, even the lunch ladies eventually sing and dance along. The title song brings everyone out into the streets as Bruno's cab-driving father Angelo (Eddie Barth) blasts his sons' music from the top of his taxi. It's a literal traffic-stopper, with most of the cast performing intricate dance moves as cars honk around them. "I Sing the Body Electric" takes us to their graduation, as all of the kids show what they've learned...and everyone proves that there's always a chance to shine. 

Some solo routines make an impression, too. Cara's thoughtful ballad "Out Here On My Own," performed on the piano later in the film after her sobering encounter with a sleazy producer. Montgomery plays the guitar and performs McCrane's own composition, "Is It Okay If I Call You Mine."

Trivia: The "Fame" number was filmed before the song was written; the kids were actually dancing to Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff." 

The real-life New York High School for the Performing Arts wasn't thrilled about the concept of the movie and wouldn't allow the crew to film there. The movie was actually filmed at the closed Haaran High School and Performance Space 122, with exteriors filmed at the then-abandoned Church of the St. Mary the Virgin. PA merged with the High School of Music & Art in 1984 and today is known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. 

Acting debut of Meg Tilly, who appears as one of the dancers.

Spawned a long-running syndicated TV series from 1983 to 1987, a film remake in 2009, and a second series in 1997-1998 called Fame L.A. 

What I Don't Like: As I mentioned earlier, this is a pretty dark movie. While the kids do all make it out alive, it's clear that not all of them will realize their dreams. It discusses some heavy subjects for a "teen flick," and once again, those who are expecting something lighter or more fantastical should look elsewhere. 

This is also another movie where you need to take that R rating seriously. As honest as it is about is subject matter, there's also homosexual and ethnic slurs, tons of cursing, drug use, sexual references, and some brief shots of girls in their underthings when the boys are peeking through the walls in their bathrooms. 

The Big Finale: Those who remember when this was a huge hit in the early 80's and older teens with their own interest in the performing arts will find a lot to enjoy in this unflinching look at what it takes to "remember my name."

Home Media: The continuing success of this franchise means it's easily found in all formats (as is most of the TV show). 

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Amazon Prime

Flashdance

Paramount, 1983

Starring Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Sunny Johnson, and Lilla Skala

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Music and Lyrics by various

The cable channel MTV (Music Television) launched with much fanfare in 1981 and became an instant success, especially among teenagers and young adults who responded heavily to its fast-paced and flashy editing style. Suddenly, every movie in the 80's was being advertised with a music video for its big song, even if it wasn't a musical. Out-and-out musicals also briefly became popular...but they weren't like the musicals of old, with performers singing a showtune, then doing a dance number. Quick editing and dynamic routines were danced over pre-recorded songs, giving these movies a hip, gritty edge that the old-fashioned stories lack. How does this hit about a teen who badly wants to become a dancer look today? Let's meet Alex Owens (Beals) as she's about to go into her dance and find out...

The Story: Alex works as a welder in a Pittsburgh steel mill by day. At night, she does sexy dances at a local bar to make money for ballet school. Though she wants to join the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory, their application that asks for experience keeps scaring her off. She has no real experience besides her bar work and her dancing in her converted warehouse home. Her mentor, retired ballerina Hanna Long (Skala), encourages her dreams. So do her co-workers, wanna-be comic Richie (Kyle T. Heffner) and aspiring figure skater Jeanie (Johnson). 

She first meets handsome 30-something Nick Hurley (Nouri), the owner of the steel mill where she works, at the bar. He's immediately smitten with her and keeps trying to ask her out, but it takes longer for her to warm up to him. Meanwhile, Jeanie's having her own problems after her first skating competition goes badly and Richie finally leaves for LA. Alex catches her working in a strip joint, and then, she's angry with Nick for pulling strings to get her an audition with the Conservatory. It takes the loss of Hanna and a story from a fellow dancer at the bar to make her truly understand the importance of taking chances on our dreams.

The Song and Dance: This is the second movie I've reviewed in a row featuring a romance between a much older man and a super-mature teenage girl. Jennifer Beals also turned 18 during filming...and while she's not as mature for her age as Joan Leslie in The Sky's the Limit, you still wouldn't peg her for a kid barely out of high school. I can see why she (and those famous ripped sweatshirts) became a star here. She reeks grit and determination. Nouri, as the rich mill owner who clawed his way from poverty and hopes to help Alex do the same, is the only one who comes close to her. Some location shooting in authentic Pittsburgh locations, including Alex riding her bike on actual streets, add to the gritty Steel City feel.

Favorite Number: We open with one of the two famous routines from this one, Alex's erotic dance in a brief red leotard around a chair and bare blue bulbs that ends with her sending water splashing over her, "He's a Dream." "Maniac" takes us to her warehouse home as she shows off her daily dancing routine. She also gets the bizarre Laura Brannigan number "Imagination," with her in white geisha makeup, stripping from a bulky glitter-covered kimono to a red dress to a t-shirt and blue leggings, dancing around a TV set as strobe lights go off. (Those of you who are sensitive to flashing lights will want to watch out for this one.) 

Another dancer at the club gets to perform the kinkier "Manhunt" in scanty leather. The other big Laura Brannigan song, "Gloria," provides the backdrop for Jeanie's skating routine. It begins well...but ends with her sitting despondently on the ice after two flubs bring her dreams crashing to earth.

By far the most iconic number here is the Oscar-winning "What a Feeling!" in the finale. After a shaky start, Alex finally shows the judges - and the audience - what she can really do. We get everything from breakdancing moves to amazing back bends to ballet...and despite it being obvious that several different dancers were used (none of them Beals), you can still understand why the judges were so impressed.

Trivia: The famous cut-off sweatshirt Beals wears early in the film came about by accident. Beals had a sweatshirt that shrunk, and she had to cut off the collar to get it on. It later became a major mid-80's fashion trend and can be seen on the original poster.

There is a stage musical version that's played England, including the West End. It was to have played Broadway in 2013, but has been put "on hold."

What I Don't Like: Was it a requirement for every 80's dance movie to have an annoyingly melodramatic and old-fashioned plot? I found Alex's problems with Nick to be a huge bore as a kid, and they're not really that much more interesting today. There's also the age difference between Nick and Alex. Nouri really was 36 at the time, and it's sometimes creepy to watch him so ardently pursue her. Alex is no prize on occasion herself, insulting his ex-wife and whining over not having enough experience when she's already dancing in bars at 18. And couldn't they have found an actual dancer - and only one dancer - to play Alex? As in Footloose, the dance doubles are almost comically obvious, including the breakdancer with the mustache. 

Oh, and despite the lead character being 18, heed the R rating here. Violence, lots of cursing, Alex's insinuation that she and Nick slept together, and topless dancers at the strip joint make this absolutely not for children. 

The Big Finale: In the end, I found this to be slightly more enjoyable than the similar Footloose, thanks to Beals' mostly charming performance and those famous routines. If you love musical soap operas or the fast-paced film musicals of the 1980's, this one is still worth pushing through the bar crowd to check out.

Home Media: Easy to find in every format, often for under ten dollars. A new Blu-Ray with tons of extras was released a year ago. 

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