Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, and Fred Clark
Directed by Norman Taurog
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Bob Hillard
This week, we return to the wacky, ballad-filled world of Martin and Lewis with two of their later vehicles. They were already starting to fracture around this time, but much like their characters in the story, they kept up appearances for the sake of their fans. This movie is actually a bit of an anomaly for them. It's their only adaption of a Broadway show. Hazel Flagg was a musical retelling of the film Nothing Sacred. It did well enough during 1953 to prompt Paramount to reverse the genders, making Hazel Flagg, the lady who wants to live it up after she mistakenly thinks she's dying, into Homer Flagg (Lewis), and Wally Cook, the ambitious reporter whose headlines turn Hazel into the talk of the town, into a woman (Leigh). How well does this work today? Let's begin with Homer at his railroad job in a dusty desert town and find out...
The Story: Homer thinks he only has a few weeks to live after he drives a car back from an atomic bomb testing site. His friend Dr. Steve Harris (Martin) reveals him to only have a sinus condition and to not really be that sick. Wally, however, has heard about his illness in New York and smells a story. She comes down to the little desert town where both men live, offering to show Homer New York if she can write about his experiences before death. Desperate to see the big city, Homer and Steve agree and decide to keep up with the pretense of Wally's radiation poisoning.
Homer proceeds to have a grand time in the Big Apple, racking up a huge expense account and being celebrated and pampered as a celebrity wherever he goes. Steve is more interested in Wally, whom he's fallen in love with. Trouble is, not only is Homer in love with her too, but his extravagant requests are costing the newspaper money. Wally's boss Oliver Stone (Clark) is tired of paying his bills and requests three specialists to make sure he's actually dying. Steve and Homer have to dodge those specialists and find a way to continue "livin' it up" in Manhattan.
The Song and Dance: Lewis has nearly as grand of a time as Homer in one of his better later vehicles with Lewis. He especially throws himself into that wild jitterbug contest with Sherree North, swinging both of them around with total abandon. The finale in the operating room that has the duo dodging those specialists (including Sig Runman) recalls the similar - and equally hilarious - sequence in Day at the Races. Leigh equally relishes the chance to play the driven tough girl who smells a story, then ends up falling for Steve. Gorgeous color shows off the real desert and backlot New York to equal advantage.
The Numbers: Our first number introduces Steve. He's crooning the laid-back "That's What I Like" on an acoustic guitar when Homer comes in, bemoaning his illness. Even a soprano sings Homer's praises at a baseball game with "Homer, You are the Bravest Man." The hit ballad "How Do You Talk to An Angel" is heard twice. Steve sings it while dancing with Wally before the jitterbug contest begins. Homer reprises it later, singing to a photo of Wally shortly before their wedding.
"You're Gonna Dance With Me" is the big chorus jitterbug number, as vivacious Sheree and drunk Homer swing each other - and all the other dancers - across the floor. Steve takes Wally shopping after the truncated wedding, admitting that "Money Burns a Hole In My Pocket." The boys celebrate having dodged those specialists and enjoy an evening on the town with the chorus in the other hit from this show, "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard In Old New York." They reprise it in the finale, admitting that while they may not have the best jobs, but they do get to stay in Manhattan.
Trivia: Hazel Flagg debuted in September 1953. Despite "How Do You Speak to an Angel" and "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard" being hits, it didn't go over well with critics or the public. It disappeared after a disappointing four month run and has seldom been heard from since then.
Sig Ruman played the same role in the original 1937 Nothing Sacred.
What I Don't Like: There's a reason it has largely vanished. The songs are sweet, but only "Boulevard" is anywhere near Styne's best. It's definitely not for people who don't appreciate Lewis' manic brand of comedy. The slapstick runs thick, violent, and heavy here, especially during the opening railroad sequence, the jitterbug contest, and in the operating room. Not to mention, we get Lewis' bad attempts at a Japanese accent during the operating sequence that may get uncomfortably into stereotype territory for many people today.
There are also a lot of changes from the musical and Nothing Sacred. The male Wally had more to do, the doctor who made the mistake was a minor character, Hazel was from New England, not the desert, and didn't work on the railroad, and she and Wally did get married and ended up sailing to the tropics rather than admit she wasn't dying.
The Big Finale: If you love Martin and/or Lewis, this may be their best flat-out musical and is recommended for their fans or lovers of big 50's shows.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.
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