Starring Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, William Gaxton, and Beatrice Kay
Directed by George Seaton
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
I return from my vacation with this fluffy bit of fun. Betty Grable was at the height of her popularity as the number one box office draw in the world when this movie debuted. Nightclubs were also wildly popular at the time. Snazzy supper clubs in big cities drew thousands of patrons every night to dance their cares away to the sounds of all the most popular orchestras, singers, and comedy acts. The biggest clubs also had lavish floor shows, with huge revues featuring chorus girls in feathers, spangles, and not a whole lot else.
Impresario Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe opened in the basement of the Paramount Hotel in New York in 1938 and became one of the most successful clubs of the early 1940's. Its very name was enough to evoke class and sophistication during the war years. Does it do the same for this movie? Let's begin with that floor show, as Joe Davis Sr. (Gaxton) appears as a chef singing about his showgirl ingredients, and find out...
The Story: Joe Davis Jr. (Haymes) comes from medical school to visit his father. To the disappointment of his father, Joe now wants to be a singer rather than a doctor. He breaks up with his girl Claire (Kay) to focus on his son. Claire recruits chorus girl Bonnie Collins (Grable) to lure the son away from his father and show business with the promise of a mink coat. Bonnie does too well. She soon falls for Joe Jr, mink or no mink. Now she has to figure out if his place is at medical school, show business...or in her arms.
The Song and Dance: Grable and some elaborate chorus numbers are the only real reasons to see this one today. She actually does fairly well in the second half as she and Haymes toss Freud references around and she worries about losing him. The symbolism even extends to the lavish numbers, with their huge headdresses and feathered and beaded costumes for the show girls and Grable. The Technicolor glows, even in the so-so copy currently on YouTube. Phil Silvers is a lot more tolerable than usual as the backstage manager who befriends Joe Jr., and even gets a funny running gag involving him asking people why the show must go on.
Favorite Number: That opening number gives us an idea of what's to come. "Welcome to the Diamond Horseshoe" segways to "Cooking Up a Show," as French chef Joe Sr. sings about his array of chorus girl ingredients, from sugar in frills to all-American mustard and French dressing. "In Acapulco" is another big chorus routine, this time with Grable in a massive white sombrero tapping around Mexican gauchitos while singing about the famous resort town. Haymes gets the hit ballas "I Wish I Knew" with Grable and "The More I See You" solo.
"Play Me an Old Fashioned Melody" plays on the Horseshoe's original 1890's theme as Kay sings about her love for tunes of the turn of the 20th century, while a more modern Grable comes in singing about "A Nickel's Worth of Jive." This turns into a medley of songs that were hits in the 1890s and the 1940's, like "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "You'll Never Know." The "Dessert Finale" reprises the food theme from the opening, this time with the chorus girls sporting headgear made to look like famous cakes or puddings.
Trivia: The Diamond Horseshoe only lasted six years after this. It finally closed in 1951. The ballroom under the Paramount Hotel in New York is now known as Sony Hall and is mainly a venue for concerts.
Remake of the silent movie The Barker and the sound Clara Bow vehicle Hoopla.
What I Don't Like: Pretty much everything else. The story is a mess of backstage and family melodrama cliches, with a cliched script and dull music. A dream sequence mid-way through with Margaret Dumont only allowing Grable into her palatial home if she's wearing a fur coat - and Grable's in a full-on mink dress - is more bizarre than interesting. At least it related to the thin story at hand. Most of the other numbers had nothing to do with anything and were more there to advertise the club or show off Grable and Haynes. Haynes is a lot more believable as a singer than he is as an aspiring doctor and has no idea how to deal with the more dramatic moments.
The Big Finale: Only for major Betty Grable fans, fans of the musicals of the 40's, or anyone who remembers or has read about the real Diamond Horseshoe and other clubs of the 40's and 50's.
Home Media: Currently only found on YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment