Li'l Abner (1959)

Paramount, 1959

Starring Peter Palmer, Stubby Kaye, Leslie Parrish, and Billie Hayes

Directed by Melvin Frank

Music by Gene dePaul; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Lil' Abner was one of the most popular comic strips of the mid-20th century. From 1934 to 1977, millions of Americans followed the hilarious shenanigans going on in the Kentucky hillbilly town Dogpatch, where characters had names like Earthquake McGoon and Evil-Eye Fleagle and the spoof was broad, hilarious, and firing everywhere. The main characters were the title character, a handsome but hulking young man who was forever being pursued by the sweet Daisy Mae. When Daisy Mae finally caught him in 1952, it was a national event. The strip was popular enough to inspire a hit Broadway musical in 1956. The film version did well enough when it debuted in 1959, but is it still as funny almost 70 years later? Let's begin on "A Typical Day" in Dogpatch and find out...

The Story: Things are moving along in Dogpatch pretty much the way they usually do, with formidable Mammy Yokum (Hayes) giving her strapping son Abner (Palmer) his Yokumberry Tonic, and Abner being chased by lovely Daisy Mae Scragg (Parrish). The ladies are more excited about Sadie Hawkins Day, when the women of the town chase the men they hope to marry. They're shocked to find out Sadie Hawkins Day may not go on this year when Dogpatch is declared the most useless town in the US and is marked for nuclear bomb testing. 

The residents toss out everything they can think of to keep their town from being destroyed, until Mammy tells the government about that Yokumberry tonic. Not only does the government want the tonic, but so does General Bullmoose (Howard St. John). He enters his mistress Appassionata Von Climax (Stella Stevens) in the Sadie Hawkins Day Race and has her catch Abner. She'll marry him and get the tonic recipe, then kill him. 

Daisy Mae and Abner's parents are so horrified when they discover Bullmoose' plot, Daisy Mae agrees to marry Earthquake McGoon (Bern Hoffman), "the dirtiest wrassler in the world," to get him to help. Daisy thinks she'll be stuck being McGoon's wife, but it's the government who figure out what the tonic really does when they use it on the men of Dogpatch...and Abner's Pappy (Joe E. Marks) who finds a way to give his strapping son the gumption to go after the lady he truly loves.

The Song and Dance: You can't fault the cast on this one. Most of them were in the stage version as well, including Palmer as a perfect Abner, Stubby Kaye as the matchmaker Marryin' Sam (who leads most of the chorus numbers), and Julie Newmar, who doesn't need to speak a word for the audience to understand why she's called Stupefyin' Jones. My favorite by far is Billie Hayes, who replaced Charlotte Rae as Mammy on Broadway. I hope she was as much fun as she is here. "Formidable" doesn't begin to describe this tough-minded witch of a hillbilly. You can certainly see why she'd go on to play a more obvious witch in the even stranger world of Sid Kroft over a decade later. The Technicolor is gorgeous, a riot of rainbow colors mixed in every way that shouldn't work and amazingly does. Some really fun songs too, including the hit "I'm Past My Prime" for Kaye and Leslie Parrish.

The Numbers: We open over the credits with "A Typical Day," as the residents of Dogpatch introduce themselves and their unique home. Abner and the younger men of the town sing about what they'd do "If I Had My Druthers." Marryin' Sam leads the towns folk in a rousing salute to local hero "Jubilation T. Cornpone," which is heard briefly again in the finale after Dogpatch is saved. "Don't That Take the Rag Offen the Bush" and "Room Enough for Us" are numbers for the townspeople before and after learning they have to evacuate their home. 

Abner finally admits that yes, he does kinda have feelings for "Namely You," Daisy Mae. "What's Good for General Bullmoose" is performed by his lackeys several times, usually whenever he's come up with another nefarious idea. Every woman in town chases after the closest thing to eligible males during the wild Sadie Hawkins Day Ballet, including Appasionata and Daisy Mae. Daisy laments that "I'm Past My Prime," ignoring the fact that Marryin' Sam is more interested in taking her to the altar. "I Wish It Could Be Otherwise" is Abner and Daisy's big ballad right before she's supposed to marry Earthquake McGoon. The ladies of Dogpatch demand "Put Em' Back" twice, in the lab after they find out their men are now stronger but also less romantic, and in the finale, leading to "The Matrimonial Stomp" with Marryin' Sam.

Trivia: Look for Jerry Lewis in a cameo as Dogpatch resident Itchy McRabbit, and Donna Douglas (later Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies), Valerie Harper, and Beth Howland as three of the Dogpatch ladies who later catch themselves husbands. 

Lil' Abner debuted on Broadway in 1956 and was a hit, running over a year. As mentioned, Charlotte Rae was the original Mammy but left early in the show's run, Tina Louise was Appasionata Von Climax, and Edie Adams was Daisy Mae. It's only returned to New York in an Encores concert since then, but is fairly popular with regional and high school theaters. 

The film cut a couple of numbers from the original show, including a really nice ballad for Abner and Daisy, "Love In a Home," a number for the scientists "Oh Happy Day," and one for General Bullmoose, "Progress Is the Root of All Evil." 

What I Don't Like: The stage origins of this one show all too plainly. Everything is filmed flat and looks like the stage play it's based on. The sets are about as fake as you can get, which admittedly does go with the comic book vibe. As in many musicals of the 1950's, the chorus numbers really have nothing to do with anything - "Rag Offen the Bush" and "Room Enough for Us" come out of nowhere and contribute nothing to the story. Also, if you don't go in for broad comedy or hillbilly comedy, or you don't know much about the mid-late 50's, you'll probably want to hurry elsewhere quickly. 

The Big Finale: This is funny and tuneful enough to get a recommendation if you love wacky hillbilly comedies or the big, bold, bright musicals of the 50's and 60's. 

Home Media: Don't be fooled - this one is currently DVD-only. Plex is listed as having it online, but they really show the non-musical, black and white 1940 film version. (Which admittedly has a few virtues of its own, including Buster Keaton as Native Lonesome Polecat.)

DVD

Daddy Long Legs (1955)

20th Century Fox, 1955

Starring Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Fred Clark, and Thelma Ritter

Directed by Jean Negulesco

Music and Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

This week, we jump ahead to the 1950's for one of my favorite underrated musicals. Leslie Caron was one of the most popular stars of the decade, in and out of musicals. She started the decade in the Oscar-winning An American In Paris with Gene Kelly, and while Lili wasn't a huge hit, her personal notices were glowing. Astaire personally asked her to star alongside him in this updated musical version of the 1912 novel of the same name. We've already seen it done once at this blog, as the adorable Shirley Temple vehicle Curly Top in 1935. How different is this version from that previous one? Let's begin at the home of millionaire Jervis Pendleton III (Astaire) as we see people touring his home and find out...

The Story: Jervis is on assignment in France when he stops at an orphanage to use their telephone. While there, he sees 18-year-old Julie Andre (Caron) working with the younger children and is enchanted with her vivacity, her creativity, and her intelligence. Over the protests of his fussy aide Griggs (Clark), he arranges for her to attend college in the United States with his niece Linda (Terry Moore). To avoid a scandal, he says he'll keep a hands-off approach, and she can write to him about her progress once a month. 

Jervis doesn't even look at Julie's letters at first, until his secretary Alice Pritchard (Thelma Ritter) brings them to his attention. Julie calls him her benefactor "Daddy Long Legs," after the long shadow the orphans saw when he was first in France, but she's getting tired of never hearing from him. He finally connects with her at a school dance while visiting Linda with her mother Gertrude (Kathryn Giveny) and falls for her, taking her out on the town and sending the boy who is interested in her to work in Bolivia. Griggs points out their rather large age difference, which makes Jarvis flee for several long business trips. Julie, however, is almost finished with college. She thinks she still hasn't met her "Daddy Long Legs" and wonders if he or Jervis really love her. It's Alice who finally convinces the men that age matters less than love, companionship, and compatibility. 

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had making this - Fred Astaire's wife died right before filming began and they almost replaced him, the studio originally wanted Mitzi Gaynor for Julie - it actually came out quite well. Astaire and Caron work better than you might think. Like Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face two years later, Caron's warm, airy persona helps to transcend their age differences. The Technicolor glows here, especially in Caron's two witty dream ballets and the gorgeous 50's gowns, tutus, and suits for Astaire and Clark. Mercer's songs are lovely too. "Something's Gotta Give" was nominated for an Oscar and has since become a jazz standard.

The Numbers: We open with Jervis showing off his drumming skills to an annoyed Griggs in the instrumental drum-and-dance routine "History of the Beat." Julie teaches the orphans that "C-A-T Spells Cat" as Jervis watches them in delight at the orphanage. She wanders around the outdoor classroom in shock and delight as an offscreen chorus sings about her "Daddy Long Legs" after she's told she'll be going to college in the US. "Welcome Egghead" the other college girls tease when Julie arrives. "Julie's Dream Ballet" is the first of two instrumental ballets. Julie imagines what her "Daddy Long Legs" looks like. Jervis dances as a Texas millionaire doing a square dance, a sensual playboy after all the ladies, or Julie's guardian angel. 

"The Sluefoot" is the big chorus number at the dance, with Ray Anthony and His Orchestra and the Pied Pipers. Jervis and Julie turn the intimate dance into a delightful moment. Jervis brings her to New York, where he sings "Something's Gotta Give" at the penthouse he sets her up in, and they dance together. This is followed by the instrumental "Dancing Through Life" ballet as the two kick up their heels in all of the fashionable Manhattan clubs. Julie's dream of meeting her benefactor becomes a "Nightmare Ballet" as she dreams of dancing for Jervis in a Paris ballet, encountering him in a smoky cafe in Hong Kong, and chasing him through carnival in Rio. The movie ends with the brief "Dream" as Julie finally realizes who her benefactor is. 

Trivia: This would be the only movie Caron or Astaire made for 20th Century Fox.

If Astaire looks a little red-eyed and upset at a few junctures...well, see the death of his beloved wife mentioned above. They pushed back filming to give him more room to process his grief.

This is the third version of Daddy Long Legs 20th Century Fox made, and the fourth time the 1912 children's novel made it to the big screen. In addition to Curly Top, Mary Pickford did a silent version in 1919, while Janet Gaynor would appear in a non-musical sound remake in 1931. It would become a London stage musical, Love From Judy, in 1952. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, while the age difference doesn't bother me, some people may find 50-something Astaire dancing with 20-something Caron (and kissing her in the end, a rarity for Astaire's films) to be a tad creepy. Second, this movie, for all the lovely art direction and costumes, didn't really need the lavish Cinemascope. It's really an intimate four-person story at its core. We have the one chorus number in "Sluefoot." Most of the songs are duets, solos, or ballets. Clark and Ritter are the only ones besides Astaire and Caron who even remotely register. We barely see Caron's roommates, which is a shame because they're pretty funny when we do meet them, and Kelly Brown as Jimmy McBride barely registers as window dressing.

The Big Finale: The age difference aside, this is a must-see if you're a fan of Astaire, Caron, or the big lavish ballet-filled musicals of the 1950's. 

Home Media: The DVD and Blu-Ray are hard-to-find and often pricey at this writing. Your best bet would be streaming. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Somebody Loves Me

Paramount, 1952

Starring Betty Hutton, Ralph Meeker, Billie Bird, and Robert Keith

Directed by Irving Brecher

Music and Lyrics by various

We return to Woman's History Month with our second Betty Hutton biographical film. Hutton was still one of Paramount's biggest stars when she appeared in this film on one of the pioneering ladies of jazz. She's paired here with Ralph Meeker, then an up-and-coming leading man who was just coming off the original run of Mister Roberts. How well do they do as one of the most popular couples in vaudeville during the 1920's and 30's? Let's begin with Blossom Seely (Hutton) singing in a San Francisco nightclub in 1906...right before the San Francisco earthquake hits...and find out...

The Story: The first theater to reopen after the quake recovery is Grauman's Vaudeville. The manager said he'd put Blossom and her friend Essie (Bird) on the bill, but Blossom is last. Not only that, he gives her best song to the more refined headliner Nola Beach (Adele Jergens). Essie makes use of a banana and a hungry monkey to make sure Blossom gets that song. Not only does she get the spot, she's a sensation who becomes one of the top vaudeville headliners. 

While traveling in Paris, Blossom sees handsome Benny Fields (Meeker) and his buddies Forrest (Henry Slate) and Henry (Sid Tomack) performing at a club. She invites the guys to perform with her, but she really wants Benny. The other two go on without him after their number, which infuriates Blossom and Benny and causes Benny to break up the act. Blossom and Benny become a team, but he's consistently late for rehearsals and is always out with some girl...before he reveals that he wants to marry her. She's thrilled at first, but when she goes on vacation without him, he claims he married her for her fame. They break up, but he can't get bookings without her. She arranges for him to get a solo act...but he doesn't appreciate it until her friend Sam Doyle (Keith) points out how much she cares about him and wants him to be happy.

The Song and Dance: For all the Technicolor and lavish gowns for Hutton and Bird, I like how intimate this is compared to most biographies of this ilk. The focus is where it should be, on the two leads and Blossom's two best friends. Hutton herself is surprisingly subdued for her, though she does get to have fun tearing through two of Seely's signature numbers, "Toddlin' the Toledo" and "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans." Meeker matches her well as the tough guy who thinks he's marrying her for her fame, but ends up falling for her anyway. Oh, and look for Jack Benny introducing the two of them with a brief but hilarious routine with his violin. 

The Numbers: We open in that saloon in San Francisco with Blossom attempting the "Teasin' Rag" and "I Can't Tell You Why I Love You but I Do" before the earthquake hits. The more elegant Nola Beach sings "Honey, Oh My Honey" and starts "Toddlin' the Toledo" before a hungry monkey sits on her dress train. Blossom finishes the song in a far more energetic style. We then get a medley of "Dixie June," "San Francisco Bay," and "Smiles" for the doughboys in the trenches during World War I, ending with a major celebration after the end of the war. 

Meeker gets his first number on the ship to America, "I Cried for You." Their big number leads, with a stereotypical black maid dressing Blossom, leads into the more romantic "Rose Room." Blossom has way more fun with the black and yellow "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans." Forrest and Henry get into big trouble doing a number on their own afterwards, which leads to Benny breaking up the act. "Jealous" is a far simpler act, just the two of them at the piano...but it's a pretty accurate assessment of her feelings about his carousing. After they marry, she declares she'll "Love Him."

The one major chorus number is also the film's most problematic today. Hutton sings "Wang-Wang Blues," "Mister Banjo Man," and "Dixie Dreams" in blackface. Her rendition of "Dixie Dreams" is lovely, but it's also hard to separate it from the racial connotations. Benny's "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry" is drowned out by a noisy and indifferent audience and two comics who tear off his clothes. They sing "On Your Own Little Feet" together in her room, then he reprises "Dixie June." He reprises the number with chorus girls at the theater, along with "Thanks to You." They finish with "Somebody Loves Me."

Trivia: Unlike many film biographies, this one had a happy ending in real-life and on-screen. Seeley did go into retirement after the death of vaudeville in the mid-30's. The relative success of this film pushed her and Fields back out into the limelight. They performed together on stage, record, and television until his death in 1959. She would continue into the 60's as a solo act, becoming one of the great female jazz singers of the 20th century until her death in 1974. 

Hutton was pretty much the only person who wasn't dubbed. Meeker was dubbed by Pat Morgan, Adele Jergens by Barbara Ames, Sid Tomack by Le Clark, and Henry Slate by Jack Baker. 

Film debut of character actor Nick Adams.

Hutton's last movie for Paramount.

What I Don't Like: First of all, see all that dubbing above. Couldn't they have found someone whose singing voice actually sounded like it belonged to Meeker? Morgan's voice is way too deep to be Meeker's. Second, this is about as typical of a biography as you can get. Meeker usually did film noir or drama and is not the first person you think as a leading man in a musical, and Hutton is oddly subdued for her. (She'd just come from surgery to remove growths on her throat, which explains a lot about her performance.) It has some bright spots and good songs, but is largely pretty ho-hum. 

The Big Finale: This is mainly for major fans of Hutton or the big 50's biographical musicals. 

Home Media: Which makes it just as well that the only place you can currently find it is YouTube.

YouTube

Lost In Alaska

Universal, 1952

Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Tom Ewell, and Mitzi Green

Directed by Jean Yarbourgh 

Music and Lyrics by Henry Mancini

Let's take a winter trip to Alaska and celebrate the last weeks of the season in this Abbott and Costello Yukon comedy. This was, in fact, Bud and Lou's second winter-themed musical after the comic thriller Hit the Ice. By this point, Bud and Lou had tangled with almost every monster in Universal's roster, gone to war, and had dealt with fairy-tale giants in pastel Cinecolor. This time, they go back in history to San Francisco in the 1890's, when a well-meaning fireman helps a seemingly down-on-his-luck man jumping off a pier...and get into a load of trouble for doing so...

The Story: Genial George Bell (Costello) and his best friend Tom Watson (Abbott) take the man home after they save him from drowning. Turns out the man is "Nugget" Joe McDermott (Ewell), the former sheriff of Skagway, Alaska. He was just turned down by his girl Rosette (Green) and thinks he has nothing to live for. Tom and George are quick to point out that the 2 million in gold he's hauling around is certainly something to live for. After getting a telegram claiming Rosette wants to marry him after all, Joe is so grateful to Tom and George for saving him, he gives them a gold nugget. Turn's out to be some very foolish gold when the duo discover at the bank next day that the local police think they killed Joe instead of helping him. They hit the boat to get him to clear their names, but end up going to Alaska with him instead.

Turns out Rosette isn't really that interested in him, but everyone else in Skagway sure is. Tom, George, and Joe are shot at almost the minute they arrive. Joe left money to his "old timer" friends in his will, and now they're more interested in gold than in their friendship. They're not the only ones. Rosette's boss Jake Stillman (Bruce Cabot) wants her to marry him, so he can kill Joe and get the gold. She warns the trio instead, joining them as they flee into Alaska and Eskimo territory, all the while pursued by Jake and his men and Joe's so-called, gold-crazed "friends."

The Song and Dance: Surprisingly long on plot for one of Bud and Lou's films. There are some very funny moments, especially when they actually do make it to Alaska. I love them having to track across the frozen wastes and get literally frozen. There's also a few good jokes with them dealing with the Eskimo tribe, one of the few Alaskan/Yukon cliches Bing Crosby and Bob Hope missed in the similar Road to Utopia. Mitzi Green has a few good moments of her own, and Ewell's casual acceptance of everyone in town being after him is good for a few chuckles. 

The Numbers: Rosette claims "I'm Just a Country Gal" when we first meet her at the saloon in Skagway. She even imitates another famous barroom song from a warmer western, Marlene Dietrich performing "See What the Boys In the Back Room Will Have" from Destry Rides Again. She claims it's "A Hot Time in the Igloo Tonight" when she dances with the Eskimos. 

Trivia: First movie for Henry Mancini. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, this is far from Mancini's best work. His two numbers are hardly distinguished in any way. Second, yes, northern Native stereotypes abound, including the Natives being called "Eskimo" instead of "Inuit." Third, this isn't Abbot and Costello's best work, either. It's basically an imitation Road to Utopia with more of an accent on comedy and few of the routines they're famous for. Rosette jumps back and forth so much in her interest in Tom, it seems like almost an afterthought when they do end up together in the end. Fourth, what happened to Tom and George being on the lam? Did they ever clear their names in San Francisco?

The Big Finale: Mainly of interest to major fans of Abbott and Costello. 

Home Media: Can be found on solo on streaming and on disc as part of two Abbott and Costello collections.

DVD - The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello: Vol 3

Blu Ray - Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Collection

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - The Vagabond King (1956)

Paramount, 1956

Starring Oreste Kirkop, Kathryn Grayson, Rita Moreno, and Walter Hampden

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Music by Rudolf Friml; Lyrics by Brian Hooker and Johnny Burke

Operetta made a comeback in the early 1950's when several classic operettas of the 1910's and 20's were recreated on TV and on record. Paramount saw the success of The Student Prince at MGM and "spectaculars" like The Chocolate Soldier on television and went looking for their own version of Mario Lanza. They thought they found him in Maltese opera tenor Oreste Kirkop, who, despite his limited knowledge of English, was handsome, manly, and possessed a marvelous singing voice. They picked up Kathryn Grayson from MGM and gave dancer Rita Moreno one of her first major roles, but then let it sit on the shelf for over a year before it was released to an indifferent public. Did this deserve that fate, or should this rousing color retelling of Francois Villon's story deserve another chance to rule? Let's begin with the scheming Duke of Burgundy (Tom Duggan) and his men just outside of Paris and find out...

The Story: Francois Villon (Kirkop) and his fellow vagabonds are arrested by Louis the XI (Hampden) and his men when they visit the tavern he frequents disguised as peasants. Louis anoints him the new provost marshal after his actual marshal Thibault (Leslie Nielson) is revealed to be a spy to Burgundy. He's hoping to enlist him and his fellow peasants, poets, and drinks in battling the Duke and his army. Earlier in the day, Francois had encountered the beautiful Princess Katherine (Grayson) at a church and had fallen hopelessly in love with her, despite already having a girlfriend in the tavern wench Hugette (Moreno). It's the ladies who are willing to lay down the line - and in Hugette's case, her own life - to make sure Louis stays on the throne and Francois stays off the hangman's noose.

The Song and Dance: The ladies are the stand-outs here amid the brilliantly colored pageantry of 15th-century France. Grayson is equally spunky and sweet, especially later-on, when she begins to fall for Villon. Moreno brings enough fire and passion to Hugette to power the entire City of Lights, and is certainly more realistic as a tavern wench than cutesy Lillian Roth was. The production benefits from the improved Technicolor, with lavish medieval costumes and fanciful headgear for both genders that would make the rainbow pale. We even get a medieval ballet near the end with a literal warring heaven and hell that gives us a good idea of court amusements among the rich in the fifteenth century. And at least if they had to have additional numbers, Friml actually got to write the music this time. 

The Numbers: Our first number is "Bon Jour," which introduces us to Francois and his men as they travel back to Paris, waving to the peasants they see along the way. Hugette joins the vagabonds for the swirling chorus number "Viva La You" at the tavern. Katherine performs "Some Day" in the courtyard as she dreams of the man she saw at the church. Francois, Hugette, and the Vagabonds make "Comparisons" between the wealthy and the poor and Burgundy and Louis just before Francois is arrested. "Hugette Waltz" takes us to the dungeons as Hugette laments the loss of her beloved rogue. 

"Only a Rose" is performed in the courtyard, with Francois telling Katherine how much he's fallen for her. "Watch Out for the Devil" is the big ballet depicting the fight between heaven and hell - or Louis and Burgundy in this case - performed by Katherine and Francois. We end with "Song of the Vagabonds" for Francois and the chorus as they rout the Duke of Burgundy and his men and a reprise of "Only a Rose" as Francois and Katherine drive off into the countryside.

Trivia: Final movie for Katherine Grayson and only movie for Oreste Kirkop. Kirkop didn't speak English at the time. His speaking voice was dubbed by Elliot Reid.

Rita Moreno's singing voice was dubbed by Eve Boswell. 

That's Vincent Price doing the narration in the opening sequence.

What I Don't Like: The men are the problem here. While Hampden isn't bad as opportunistic Louis, Jack Lord and Leslie Nielson are simply too modern to be believable as scheming medieval spies. Kirkop is a wonderfully lusty singer, but lacks the presence of either Dennis King or Mario Lanza (who had been considered for the role early-on). He has no chemistry with Grayson or Moreno and frankly belongs back in an opera house in Malta, not film. Not to mention, the dubbing on his voice is terrible, with Reid sounding nothing like his singing voice. The sets look spectacular but are obviously fake and give the film the feeling of an overripe stage play, and Friml and Burke's added songs are pleasant but unremarkable compared to the soaring "Some Day" and "Only a Rose" or the devastating "Hugette's Waltz." 

The Big Finale: Mainly worth checking out for operetta fans like me or fans of Grayson, Moreno, or the huge colorful musicals of the 50's and 60's. 

Home Media: At press time, this rarity can only be found on YouTube. 

YouTube

Happy Go Lovely

RKO/Associated British-Pathe, 1951

Starring Vera-Ellen, David Niven, Cesar Romero, and Diane Hart

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

Music by Mischa Spoliansky; Lyrics by Barbara Gordon and Mischa Spoliansky

William Bendix wasn't the only American film star to work in England during the 1950's. Vera-Ellen, Cesar Romero, and director H. Bruce Humberstone joined British star David Niven to make this veddy English take on the backstage extravaganza. How does the story of a chorus girl who mistaken for the sweetheart of a millionaire look nowadays? Let's begin in a theater at Edinburgh, Scotland, during the first preview of the show Frolics for You and find out...

The Story: Right now, it's looking like there might not be a show. Director-producer John Frost (Romero) can't afford to pay his cast, let alone his creditors. Chorus girl Janet Jones (Vera-Ellen), desperately late for rehearsal one day, gets a ride from Bates (Hugh Dempster), the genial chauffeur for millionaire B.G Bruno (Niven). The moment she's seen stepping out of a millionaire's limo, everyone at the theater thinks she and Bruno are an item. Frost decides to use this to his advantage, giving Janet the star role after the original star quits and telling his creditors he now has a millionaire backing his show. Janet even gets a visit from the dressmaker (Barbara Couper) who had been hounding her to pay her before to make new clothes.

The clothes bill finally gets back to the real B.G Bruno. Bruno is an unassuming young greeting card tycoon who is more interested in his business than romance. He goes to Janet, only for her to mistake him for the reporter who is supposed to interview her, Paul Tracy (Gordon Jackson). B.G is so charmed by her, he lets her think he's Tracy. She and her friend Mae (Hart) even convince him to "play" B.G Bruno when Frost demands to see him. Bruno does give him money for the show...but now Janet thinks he's in trouble for forging a check and tries to get him out of that theater, and fast!

The Song and Dance: Debonair Niven and sassy, charming Vera-Ellen aren't the first people I'd pair off, but they're surprisingly cute together in this really fun backstager. His wiry charm and her brittle warmth play off each other well, and they have so much chemistry, I wish they'd worked together again. They're backed by a lovely production at England's Elstree Studios, with a gorgeous soft Technicolor palate, lovely gowns for the ladies, and fine suits for Niven.

The Numbers: The movie opens with the lavish "Macintosh's Wedding," the original big number before the star quits. A young Scotsman isn't thrilled to marry his sweetheart, until a bump on the head convinces him otherwise! The lovely "One, Two, Three" is a charming ballet with Janet and the chorus dancing in frilly white dresses over rainbow petticoats. "London Town" is the other big chorus routine, a ballet with Janet as a tourist who falls for a British guard. "Would You, Could You?" ends the film with Janet's big solo ballet, pirouetting in a gorgeous white and gold dress as she dances for the audience, but only has eyes for B.G.

Trivia: This is a loose remake of two earlier European movies, the German And Who Is Kissing Me? from 1933 and English Paradise for Two from 1937. 

What I Don't Like: Cute though it is, story is not this movie's strong suit. The backstage aspect is nothing you haven't seen in put-on-a-show films on both sides of the pond, while the romantic aspect is so tangled, B.G isn't the only one questioning his identity by the end! Romero is less charming and more annoying as the other transplanted American (though interestingly, he doesn't end up paired off with Mae or one of the other chorus girls, which I thought they might end up doing). 

The Big Finale: If you love Niven, Vera-Ellen, or 50's musicals, you might want to travel over to Scotland and give this highland fling a shot.

Home Media: It's in the public domain, so it can pretty much be found anywhere on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Saluting Our Veterans - Idol On Parade

Columbia, 1959

Starring Anthony Newley, William Bendix, Anne Aubrey, and Lionel Jeffries

Directed by John Gilling

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate Veteran's Day overseas and honor those who fought and died in Europe with this British comedy. Elvis Presley being drafted into the Army in 1958 made so many headlines, it became fodder for everything from Broadway musicals to TV show episodes. Anthony Newley was an up-and-coming star songwriter and performer in England around the same time. He'd started out as a child actor in the late 40's, but by 1959, was one of the most popular singers in the country. This low-budget black and white comedy was the movie that made him a star, but does it still entertain 60 years after Elvis came back from the Army? Let's begin with Newley's character, rock star Jeep Jackson, at one of his concerts and find out...

The Story: Jeep is shocked when he's mistaken for another J. Jackson and called into military service. He's not popular at first. He's used to the rock star life and keeps trying to sneak out the camp or return to his recording career. He's popular with his fellow recruits, who enjoy hearing him sing spoofs of the officers, but not with said officers. Irish Drill Sargent Lush (Bendix) is particularly fed up with his antics. The ladies are more pleased, especially Caroline (Aubrey), the friend of wealthy Bertie Barnett (Jeffries). It's not until he records a best-selling ballad that the rest of the camp comes to appreciate him...and he begins to realize that there's a lot more to serving your country than playing jokey songs about your superior officers.

The Song and Dance: Bendix and Newley are almost the whole show in this cute spoof of Royal Army life in 1959. Newley is charming enough that I can understand why he was so popular in 1959. Although his singing style is closer to crooning than Elvis, he still has a way with his own songs and other people's. Bendix is hilarious as the lug of a drill sergeant who spends most of his time screaming at Jeep, and even manages a semi-credible Irish accent.

The Numbers: We open with "Idle On Parade" as we see why girls are so crazy about Jeep at one of his concerts. "Won't Get No Promotion" is his spoof of the officers, including Lush, for the men in the barracks. "I've Waited So Long" is performed several times, including Jeep's attempt to sing it after having done drill sergeant work with Lush and the silkier version heard on that hit record. "Idle Rock-a-Boogie" and "Saturday Night Rock-a-Boogie" are his songs performed near the end, before he leaves.

Trivia: The movie the soldiers go see, The Cockleshell Heroes, was one of Anthony Newley's earliest film appearances. 

Known in England as Idle On Parade.

What I Don't Like: This is pretty obviously a British B comedy from the late 50's. Jefferies isn't bad as the snobbish Bertie, but Aubrey's character isn't much more than a love interest. Despite "I've Been Waiting So Long" being a #3 hit in England, the songs aren't all that memorable, and the plot is even less-so. The second half in particular, with Jeep managing to continue his singing career, gets a little too fluffy for its own good. 

The Big Finale: Only for the most ardent fans of Newley, Bendix, or the British or rock musicals of the 50's and early 60's.

Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of the Sony Pictures Screen Classics By Request made-to-order DVD line.

DVD

Musicals On TV - Hansel and Gretel (1958)

NBC, 1958

Starring Barbara Cook, Red Buttons, Stubby Kaye, and Hans Conried

Directed by Paul Bogart

Music by Alec Wilder; Lyrics by William Engvik

Let's take in one more fantasy before moving on to our Halloween Horror-a-Thon next week. The success of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in 1957 prompted a series of fairy-take musicals on TV in the late 50's. NBC, who had originally commissioned Cinderella, gathered an impressive cast for this charming retelling of the famous Grimm's story about two children who end up in the clutches of a witch in a candy house. Does it reach the heights of Cinderella? Let's begin in the town square, as the Town Crier (Kaye) announces the beginning of Market Day, and find out...

The Story: A poor woodcarver (Rudy Vallee) and his wife (Rise Stevens) are having trouble selling their wares at the market. The witch (Conried) and her helpers Eenie (Will B. Able), Meenie (Paula Laurence), Miney (Shaike Ophr) and Moe (Sondra Lee) buys all of their wares after she discovers they have two children, Hansel (Buttons) and Gretel (Cook). The children, horrified when they drink all the milk and don't leave any for their parents, follow the witch into the woods. The town crier and their parents realize that the witch turns any children she gets her hands on into gingerbread and follows them.

The Song and Dance: Buttons and Cook may seem like an odd choice to play the young brother-sister duo, but they're both hilarious and adorable. Conried is a riot as the witch who eats greedy little children. What I can see in the terrible copy currently on YouTube indicates a charming fairy-tale production, with lavish peasant dresses for the ladies and lederhosen for the men. Some of the songs aren't bad, either, especially the siblings' song "Much Too Happy Dancing." 

The Numbers: We open with the Town Crier announcing "Market Today" and the town showing off its wares. Father, the Town Crier, and the shopkeepers in town insist there's a reason that "Men Run the World." "Morning Song" and "Evening Song" are Gretel's introductory numbers. She insists to Hansel that they're "Much Too Happy Dancing" to mind their empty stomachs. "Ernie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe" sing about what they do in the woods, and they wonder "What Little Girls are Made Of?" with Gretel.

What I Don't Like: First of all, I wish someone would take a crack at restoring this! The copy currently on YouTube is dreadful, barely viewable. More importantly, this is kind of strange for a TV musical production. Though some of the songs aren't bad, they really don't seem to relate to the story. They spend so much time with the Town Crier and the parents, we honestly don't see as much of Hansel and Gretel as you might think. 

The Big Finale: Between the bad copy on YouTube and this being just ok despite the great cast, you're better off looking for the soundtrack CD and letting this one be consumed by the witch.

Home Media: As mentioned, this can only be found in a blurry, faded black and white copy on YouTube. At the least, the copy does include the original commercials for Rexall Drug Stores. 

YouTube

New Faces

20th Century Fox, 1954

Starring Eartha Kitt, Ronny Graham, Alice Ghostley, and Robert Clary

Directed by Harry Horner, John Beal, and Eugene Anderson Jr.

Music and Lyrics by various

Revues saw a revival on film and stage in the 40's, when they entertained the troops going overseas. Though they continued on Broadway for a few years after the war ended, they ended up being superseded by that upstart rival, television. Variety shows were among the most popular genres on TV in the 1950's, casting the same wide net over show business that revues once did. Why go see a theater show when you could watch the same type of acts on Ed Sullivan or Milton Berle - and even more - for free? There were a few revues on Broadway in the early 50's that did manage to do relatively well, this among them. Leonard Stillman had been putting out New Faces revues since the 1930's, always on the cheap. He struck gold with the 1954 edition, rounding up a genuinely talented cast and some great material. It was so well-received, it was adapted as a film two years later, one of Fox's earliest ventures into Cinemascope. How well did they pull this off? Let's begin backstage at the New Faces show and find out...

The Story: Wealthy Texan Mr. Clayton (Charles Watts) insists that he'll back the show if he's impressed with the talent and numbers involved...and with his daughter Virginia's (Virginia de Luce) performance. Virginia is not only frustrated that her big number keeps getting cut off, but she's fallen in love with one of the dancers. Meanwhile, diminutive Frenchman Robert Clary (himself) locks a bill collector in a dressing room before he can collect or stop the show.

The Song and Dance: And yeah, this one is all about the song and dance. There's admittedly some impressive talents here. Eartha Kitt became a recording superstar, Ghostley, Clary, Graham, and Paul Lynde were TV sitcom stalwarts, and June Carroll and Carol Lawrence were among the most popular leading ladies on Broadway in the 50's and 60's. Some of the more memorable non-musical sketches include a spoof of dark stage melodramas of the 50's featuring Lynde as the criminal father, Ghostley as his wife, and Graham as the son who'd rather play baseball than follow in his father's footsteps and Graham in a fairly amusing takeoff on Truman Capote and the southern Gothic stories he specialized in.

The Numbers: We open and close with "We're the New Faces," with said new faces stuck into a black set as they sing about why they love what they do and what we're going to see. Kitt gets the first actual number, "C'est Bon," a sultry French ditty. Virginia deLuce keeps trying to sing "He Takes Me Off His Income Tax," but never actually gets through the song before the next act is announced. Clary is "Lucky Pierre" when he's joined by the female dancers (including Carol Lawrence and Patricia Hammerlee) for a typical girls-and-guy routine. Weary woman of the world June Carroll sings wistfully about "Penny Candy" as she sees the ghosts of her childhood and recalls how others made fun of her desire to be an actress.

Alice Ghostley is a plain woman whose "Boston Beguine" may be the closest thing she gets to exotic excitement. Robert Cary is joined by Eartha Kitt and Rosemary O'Reilly to show why "Love Is a Simple Thing." Mother and daughter June Carroll and Alice Ghostley say it's "Time for Tea" as they recall how the daughter almost fell in love...but her parents drove her suitor off, and she never married. Clary's joined by Lawrence and the chorus girls again, this time offstage, to perform the traditional French song "Alouette." Eartha Kitt introduces the show's big standard, the seductive "Santa Baby," as a woman who wants a lot more than candy and an orange in her stocking for Christmas.

Graham, Ghostley, and the chorus spoof operetta waltzes as they describe the delights of damp "Waltzing In Venice," then "Taking Off the Mask." For Robert Clary, everything is "Raining Memories." Kitt is a Turkish woman singing about "Uska Dara." Robert Clary is a school boy who claims "I'm In Love With Miss Logan," but gets quite disappointed when he realizes Miss Logan has someone else. The chorus gets the world's only hoedown dedicated to the trial of that infamous murderess "Lizzie Borden." Kitt and Clary go back into French mode with "Bal, petit bal." Kitt finishes things off with "Monotonous,"as a star who is bored with her life of fame.

Trivia: Film debuts of Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, and Carol Lawrence.

What I Don't Like: For all the wonderful numbers and performances, this doesn't really belong on film. It's a filmed play and doesn't pretend to be anything else. This intimate revue didn't need the widescreen and made no use of it whatsoever. There's a lot that hasn't dated well, too, notably Lynde's rather annoying safari sketch and Graham's Truman Capote takeoff. (No matter how funny Graham is in that segment, a lot of people aren't that familiar with Capote's work nowadays.) The story is piffle and adds absolutely nothing to the numbers or the movie.

The Big Finale: Even with the above caveats, this is still worth seeing for the performances and songs alone if you're a fan of any of the above stars or of 50's musicals and revues. 

Home Media: In the public domain, so it's pretty easily found anywhere. Tubi currently has it for free (though in a rather blurry copy).

DVD

Tubi

Seven Hills of Rome

MGM, 1957

Starring Mario Lanza, Marisa Allasio, Renato Rascel, and Peggy Castie

Directed by Roy Rowland

Music and Lyrics by various

Having visited Mexico in our last Mario Lanza vehicle, we head to Italy for an all together happier story. This is actually a co-production between American studio MGM and the Italian studio Titanus, where most of the interiors were filmed. As such, it's as much about Italy and its people, which was just beginning to emerge from its post-war malaise, as it is about Lanza and his music. How well does Lanza work in the story of an Italian American opera singer who discovers more than great scenery when he follows his socialite fiancee to Rome? Let's begin in the US and find out...

The Story: Marc Revere (Lanza) is working on his own TV show when he finds out his high society fiancee Carol Ralston (Castle) is flying to Rome. He follows her, looking up his cousin Pepe Bonelli (Rascel) to stay with. On the train to Rome, he meets sweet young Raffella Marini (Allasio), who needs a place to stay. She ends up with the guys, which causes considerable friction with Carol when they arrive in Rome. Angry when Carol is out with a male escort, he gets into a fight with the man and destroys the bar where he's singing. He ends up performing there for free to pay for the damages...but it does finally make him realize which woman is truly right for him.

The Song and Dance: This is basically "Serenade done right," or at least less melodramatic. It's an almost identical story - Lanza plays an opera singer in love with a wealthy woman who falls for a girl closer to his own age in an exotic land - but in this case, the land makes all the difference. The burning passions and bullfights of Mexico are replaced by a buoyant post-war Italy, where every rugged green landscape is drenched in glittering sunlight and Rome isn't merely the romantic land of ruin, but the very living world of Pepe and his neighbors. Rascel is hilarious as Lanza's cousin, while Allasio is so sweet and lovely, you understand why Marc fell for her. Lanza is far looser and funnier here playing off Rascel than he is in most of his vehicles. His imitations of several popular singers of the time deftly reveals that he did have a sense of humor to go with the artistry. The scenery really is gorgeous, with its stunning views of those seven hills and of a modern Rome.

The Numbers: We open with the title song over the credits. Rascel sings his own "Arrivedeci Roma" when his cousin arrives in Italy. "Calypso Italiano" plays over the sequence where Raffella, Marc, and Pedro fly over the Italian countryside in a helicopter. Pedro sings and plays "Vogliamoci tanto bene" during the party, while Marc encourages everyone to "Come and Dance With Me." Lanza sings a bit from "The Loveliest Night of the Year," his hit from The Great Caruso, along with the Italian song "Cielito Lindo." He does imitations of Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Dean Martin, and Louis Armstrong.

Trivia: Allasio's last film (she gave up her career to marry a count) and Lanza's second-to-last film.

Known as Arrivedeci Roma in Italy. That was to have been the title of Lanza's next film in 1960, but he passed away before filming could begin. 

What I Don't Like: While infinitely more palatable than the melodrama in Serenade, this is still a pretty fluffy story. Carol is so obviously wrong and obnoxious from the start, you wonder why Marc pursued her in the first place. More often than not, the story, the music, and even Lanza are secondary to all that gorgeous footage of Italy. This was an Italian-American co-production, and it's more than likely that the Italians were eager to build themselves up again after their wartime sacrifices.

The Big Finale: By far my favorite of the three Lanza vehicles I reviewed this week, the great music and gorgeous scenery makes this worth checking out for fans of Lanza, opera, or 50's musicals.

Home Media: Once again, easily found on streaming and DVD, the latter from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Serenade

Warner Bros, 1956

Starring Mario Lanza, Vincent Price, Joan Fontaine, and Sara Montiel

Directed by Anthony Mann

Music and Lyrics by various

Lanza's temperamental and erratic behavior on the set of Because You're Mine didn't make him popular with pretty much anyone on the MGM lot. His difficulty with his ballooning weight and his temperament ultimately cost him the title role in the operetta The Student Prince, where he had the indignity of dubbing another actor. Warners picked him up when MGM put him on suspension and tossed him into this cauldron of opera sequences and overheated melodrama. They also gave him the up-and-coming Mann as a director, a James M. Cahn story, and Fontaine and Price, two of the biggest actors in Hollywood, in the cast. How does an opera singer's affair with an older socialite look today? Let's begin at the grape vines of Napa Valley, California, where one young opera hopeful is about to get a job that will change his life, and find out...

The Story: Damon Vinceni (Lanza) gets a job at a local restaurant known for hiring opera hopefuls. It's here that he meets socialite and producer Kendall Hale (Fontaine) and her companion Charles Winthrop (Price). She tags him for an opera star the moment she sees him. He gets singing lessons she paid for and, with their help and hers, is able to make his debut at the San Francisco opera. He truly loves Kendall, but she's known for being fickle. When she turns her attention to handsome young sculptor Marco Roselli (Vince Edwards), he has a nervous breakdown and walks off-stage during a performance of Otello. 

Traveling to Mexico to recover and regain his voice, he falls for beautiful bullfighter's daughter Juana Montes (Montiel) and marries her. His manager Tonio (Harry Bellaver) calls him back to perform at that same local restaurant again. Damon brings Juana, but she feels out of place among San Francisco's opera elite. She thinks she's lost him when Kendall and the San Francisco opera seemingly take him back. It's not until tragedy strikes and Damon almost loses Juana that he finally realizes which woman he truly cares about.

The Song and Dance: Lanza and Fontaine make a surprisingly sharp couple in this operatic melodrama. Her brittle sass helps cut through his temperamental bravado. Vincent Price plays off both of them beautifully as the sarcastic friend caught in the middle of their tryst. Gorgeous costumes (especially in the opera sequences) and vivid cinematography of the real Mexico helps ground the romance. Mann, mostly known for his action movies, does manage the occasional interesting touches, once again mostly during Damon's sojourn in Mexico.

The Numbers: We open at the vineyard, with Damon singing "Nessun Dorma" to the other workers while driving a tractor. "Dio Ti Giocondi" from Otello is his number at the restaurant. He sings "Serenade" and "My Destiny" for Kendall and Charles. We get "Il Mio Tesoro" from Don Giovanni at singing practice, then a lovely "Ave Maria." Next up is a montage of Damon's great opera roles, including the Italian Tenor Aria from "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Di Quella Pira" from "Il Trovotore." The Otello number is reprised...but not finished before Damon walks off the stage in frustration. "Tono a Surrento" is Damon's big number in Mexico after he's recovered his voice and married Juana. "O Paradiso" is his number at the nightclub after he gets his job back there. He sings "O Soave Faniculla" from La Boheme before tragedy strikes. We end the movie with him reprising the title song onstage.

What I Don't Like: Not only is this overheated melodramatic mush, but it apparently doesn't have much to do with the James M. Cain book that inspired it. There, the impresario and socialite is male and gay, Damon is far less ethnic, and the Mexican woman he falls for is a prostitute who wants to open a brothel for him. The movie is also way beyond too long at over two hours. This load of operatic hogwash barely has enough going on for one hour, let alone two. Montiel lacks the charisma of her co-stars, coming off as bland rather than young and passionate.

The Big Finale: Unless you really love Lanza, I'd leave this one stranded onstage. You're better off looking for the film's soundtrack instead.

Home Media: Once again, easily found on streaming and DVD, the latter from the Warmer Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Because You're Mine

MGM, 1952

Starring Mario Lanza, Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore, and Rita Corday

Directed by Alexander Hall

Music and Lyrics by various

For our last three-review week until next month, we're going to look at three of the vehicles featuring Philadelphia opera sensation Mario Lanza. He had just come off the smash success of his biggest vehicle The Great Caruso when MGM rushed him into this one. He had reservations, to say the least, about the quality of the script and the leading lady, which led to myriad tensions and problems on the set. Was all the fuss and fury worth it? To find out, let's begin as a narrator explains about the then-prevalent draft system, and one man, opera star Renaldo Rossano (Lanza), who is caught in it...

The Story: Renaldo and his girlfriend and singing partner Francesca Landers (Corday) are furious that the US Army has drafted him right before a major radio performance. Renaldo gets lucky when it turns out his sergeant, "Bat" Batterson (Whitmore), is a big fan of his. In fact, he wants him to help out his younger sister Bridget's (Morrow) career. Renaldo is reluctant to at first, until he discovers that Bridget is not only lovely, she can really sing. He claims he's going to get her to New York to be heard by his manager Albert Foster (Eduard Franz), but his real interest is in that performance. 

Neither Bat nor Bridget are terribly happy when they find out about the deception. Bat starts treating Renaldo far more harshly, culminating in a fistfight that lands them both in the brig. Good thing there's a delegation of United Nations officials arriving who absolutely must hear Renaldo sing, and Renaldo's mother is willing to explain her son's behavior to Bridget.

The Song and Dance: With a story that slight, the song and some good performances are the main interest here. Whitmore and Jeff Bennet are by far the most interesting as the opera-loving military man and his frustrated girlfriend. Spring Byington and Curtis Cooksey have a few funny moments as one of the top generals on campus and his fluttery wife. Doretta Morrow was better-known for her work in stage and TV musicals at this time. It's too bad she'd never do another film. She really does sing beautifully, and manages to be both attractive and frosty when she realizes Renaldo's deception.

The Numbers: We open with a sequence from the opera Cavallera Rusticana as we see Renaldo's original job and how popular he is. He performs "Granada" for the troops after his arrival. Bridget sings a commercial jingle "Gummy for Your Tummy" when we're first introduced to her. She also gets the Cole Porter standard "You Do Something To Me." Renaldo gets "The Songs That the Angels Sing" and "Lee-Ah-Loo" at camp. Bridget and Renaldo duet on the hit title song twice, first at home, then in the finale in front of the United Nations delegate. Renaldo's fellow private Artie Pilcher (Bobby Van) does an instrumental dance routine around the barracks near the end of the movie. Lanza performs a powerful version of "The Lord's Prayer" for the congregation at the camp church, including Bat and Bridget.

Trivia: Lanza apparently behaved abominably during filming, turning the making of this movie into a nightmare. His weight ballooned constantly, and he treated Morrorw so badly, she'd never make another movie.

What I Don't Like: I can kind of see Lanza's point. This is low-grade genre fluff, especially disappointing coming after the genuine drama of The Great Caruso. The story is silly, boring, and ultimately besides the point, and the script is dull to the point of inertia. The only reason to see this is to watch Lanza sing a couple of great songs and interact with some of MGM's better character actors. 

The Big Finale: Yeah, this is for the most ardent Lanza fans only. All others would be better off looking for his commercial recording of the title song and skipping this.

Home Media: On streaming and DVD, the latter from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Pardners

Paramount, 1956

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lori Nelson, and John Baragrey

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

We're staying out west with two more popular comedians who ironically also began at Paramount. By 1956, rumors abounded that Martin and Lewis were breaking up their very profitable partnership and going solo. This movie was one way they denied those rumors. How does this remake of the Bing Crosby vehicle Rhythm On the Range look nowadays? Let's begin out west, as Matilda Kinglsey (Agnes Moorehead) flees the K Ranch with her son Wade Jr shortly before bandits kill her husband Wade (Lewis) and his partner Slim Mosley (Martin) and find out...

The Story: Wade Jr. (Lewis) longs to be a cowboy in the real wild West, but his mother would rather he marry a formidable girl from a wealthy family. He's impressed with the son of Slim (Martin), who is a ranch hand at the K-Ranch, and his cousin Carol (Lori Nelson), who runs it, and follows them to the rodeo. Slim wants to win a bull named Cuddles and replenish their stock after a raid, but Wade's bungling costs him the top prize. Feeling guilty and still wanting to see the authentic West, Wade buys him Cuddles and inadvertently ends up following him there when he gets stranded on the train. Slim was annoyed with Wade at first, but finally warms up with him to the point where they agree to become partners like their fathers.

There's even more trouble when they do finally arrive at the K Ranch. Banker Dan Hollis (Baragrey) has been trying to buy the ranch and sell the land for a dam and asking Carol to marry him. She's not interested in selling or marrying him. Slim, hoping to avoid teasing, claims Wade is Killer Jones, the roughest, toughest man in the entire state. The townspeople dub Wade their new sheriff, but because they think he's the one who stopped a runaway stagecoach. It was really Slim, who has to help keep Wade from ending up like all the other sheriffs in town and dig up the dirt on who is really after the K Ranch and its holdings.

The Song and Dance: You'd never know Martn and Lewis were having problems by this point with hilarious performances here. Martin has more to do, for once, and runs with it, especially in the second half when he's supposed to be protecting Wade and making him look like a lawman. Though this starts out relatively similar to Rhythm On the Range, once they get Cuddles to the ranch, it becomes a whole different - and frankly, far more interesting - story. The focus on Martin, Lewis, and Lewis' antics as a mama's boy who learns to take care of himself also keeps this from degenerating into a series of unrelated specialty numbers like Rhythm did near the end of the film. Not to mention, this feels a lot more like an actual western complete with bandits, shoot-outs, and land-grabbing schemes.

The Numbers: "The Wind, The Wind" is Slim's song at the rodeo, which he performs to win enough money for Cuddles after Wade's antics end with him dropping out of the bucking bronco race. "Buckskin Beauty" is Wade's song once he's out west. They declare themselves "Pardners," first on the way out west with Cuddles, and later in the finale. Slim sings "Me N' You N' the Moon" later for Carol when they're at the ranch.

Trivia: Taurog also directed Rhythm on the Range. 

What I Don't Like: Martin and Lewis are really the only ones who have much to do. Nelson and Jackie Loughery as the saloon dancer Wade falls for barely register as much more than love interests. Both Hollises are pretty obvious villains, too. Where this really falters is with the music. Rhythm on the Range produced the standard "I'm an Old Cowhand" and had a few other decent songs. None of the four numbers here get anywhere close to that, though "The Wind The Wind" is mildly interesting.

The Big Finale: One of Martin and Lewis' better later vehicles is worth checking out for fans of theirs or of 50's comedy.

Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of a collection of Martin and Lewis movies, though the solo Blu-Ray is due on September 12th. At the moment, you may be better off streaming this. Like most Martin-Lewis titles, this can currently be found for free with commercials at the Paramount-owned Pluto TV.

DVD - Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection Volume 2

Blu-Ray

Pluto TV On Demand

Musicals On TV - The Desert Song (1955)

NBC, 1955

Starring Nelson Eddy, Gale Sherwood, Otto Kruger, and John Conte

Directed by Max Liebman

Music by Sigmund Romberg; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach

This was the other big operetta that debuted on NBC in 1955. In fact, it might be an even more likely prospect for an adaptation than The Chocolate Soldier. It was a bit newer, having originally debuted in 1926. It had already turned up three times on film, most recently in 1953 with Gordon MacRae as the heroic Red Shadow. Baritone Nelson Eddy was no stranger to the role, having sung it on records for years. How well does he do with the story of the French general's son who masquerades as the leader of the Riffs in North Africa in 1925? Let's begin with the Riffs and their masked leader The Red Shadow (Eddy) getting ready to fight against the French Legionnaires and find out...

The Story: The Red Shadow does indeed lead a double life. By night, he leads the Riffs on a rebellion against French rule. During the day, he's Pierre Birabeau, the son of General Birabeau (Kruger), who is the leader of the French garrison. Pierre passes himself off as a weakling to deflect suspicion, which becomes more of a problem with the arrival of spirited Margot Bonavalet (Sherwood). Her fiancee is the valiant Captain Paul Fontaine (Conte), a stoic fighter who is everything gentle Pierre isn't. 

Pierre falls hard for Margot, but she's looking for excitement, not someone who seems more like a good friend than a lover. He kidnaps her when he's the Red Shadow and takes her to the fortress of his friend Ali Ben Ali (Salvatore Baccaloni), the head of the Riff tribes. Margot does fall in love with him here, even as she wonders who he really is. When jealous dancing girl Azuri (Violet Essen) gives away his location, the general captures the Riffs and insists on a duel. The Red Shadow, however, can't fight his own father. Margot is horrified when the Riffs turn him out to the desert with a broken sword in shame...but then Pierre turns up back in Morocco with that same sword, and she realizes who she truly loves.

The Song and Dance: The supporting cast and interesting story are what shine here. Baccaloni is a jovial desert chieftain, Kruger a father alternately concerned about his weakling son and the rebellion, and tenor Earl Williams is lovely as the Red Shadow's second-in-command. This also probably comes the closest of any screen Desert Song to the actual show. It still drops all of the comic characters and their numbers, including Pierre's goofy friend Benjy, but it otherwise feels a lot more like what people saw on the stage in 1926 than the 1953 or 1943 versions do.

The Song and Dance: The movie opens with "Ho! Bold Men of Morocco" and "The Riff Song" as the Red Shadow and his men discuss their recent battles. After a short Arabian dance, we get the local women in the outpost wondering "Why Did We Marry Soldiers?" in a lively chorus number. The ladies join their men for the "French Military Marching Song." "O Pretty Maid of France" is Paul's introduction of Margot. Margot admits to Pierre that she longs for the heady thrill of "Romance." Hassi's more interested in the desert life that's "Soft as a Pigeon Lights Upon the Sand." We see what Azuri does for a living with her short solo dance number. Pierre tries to woo Margot, but she finds his idea of courtly love too slow. "Then You Will Know" I love you, Pierre tries to explain.

The Red Shadow appears at the outpost to sing the title song with Margot before we see Bambi Lynn and Rod Alexander more-or-less reprise what they were doing with "The Desert Song Ballet." Dancers in Spanish costumes represent the Spanish side of Africa with "My Little Castagnette." Ali Ben Ali insists that the Red Shadow "Let Love Go." Hassi talks about how "One Flower Grows In Your Garden," but Pierre and Ali care more that they're "One Alone." Margot admits her growing feelings about the Red Shadow in "The Sabre Song." The Red Shadow sings his "Farewell" in a reprise of "One Alone" after he refuses to fight his father. We get a brief reprise of "French Military Marching Song" when the soldiers return to the outpost, then more of Azuri's dance, ending with reprises of the title song and "One Alone."

Trivia: This, The Chocolate Soldier, and Satin and Spurs were part of the series Max Liebman Presents, which broadcast a series of lavish (for TV in the 50's) musicals on Saturdays from 1954 to 1956. 

A young Neil Simon was among those brought in to modernize and streamline the dialogue. 

The Desert Song originally opened on Broadway in 1926, where it was a major hit, one of the biggest hit operettas of the 20's. A short-lived revival in the 70's moved the setting to the 30's, for some reason. It hasn't been seen on Broadway since then, but remains popular with opera and light opera companies. 

This is the only surviving footage of Eddy appearing in a live television musical. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, the constant ballets and dance numbers only fit in slightly better here than they do in Chocolate Solider. No matter how passionately they dance, Lynn and Alexander's big ballet numbers simply weren't necessary and really slow the pacing. Eddy is way too old to be playing the Red Shadow or Pierre and only comes off as slightly less stiff than in his movies with Jeanette MacDonald, and Sherwood's not a whole lot more animated as Margot. Essen's not a believable dancing girl, either. In fact, it's pretty obvious the Arabians are all opera singers in bad makeup, even in the poor black and white copies currently available.

The Big Finale: While far from bad, this is really only for fans of Eddy or 50's musicals. There's better versions of The Desert Song out there.  

Home Media: Same deal as The Chocolate Soldier. The VAI disc is expensive, but it can currently be found on YouTube.

DVD

YouTube

Musicals On TV - The Chocolate Soldier (1955)

NBC, 1955

Starring Rise Stevens, Eddie Albert, Akim Tarmiroff, and Earl Wrightson

Directed by Max Liebman

Music by Oscar Strauss; Lyrics by Stansilaus Stange and Carolyn Leigh

We're going to stay in the 50's this week, but move into a completely different medium and genre. Operetta, the most fanciful and rarefied of musical genres, made a comeback in the 50's, both on the big and small screens. Musicals were getting grander, wider, louder, and suddenly, operettas, with their lavish stories and huge voices singing of passionate romance, didn't look quite as out of place. Several operas and operettas were adapted for television in the 50's as the new medium sought classier material that would elevate the masses. The Chocolate Solder had originally been a big MGM musical with Stevens in 1941, but that version wasn't able to use the original plot. How does this operetta look when it comes closer to the original source material, George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man? Let's begin in "the public square, in any middle-sized country, in the middle of Europe" and find out...

The Story: Nadina (Stevens), the daughter of Mayor Ludvick (Tamrioff), is engaged to Alexis (Wrightson), a handsome soldier in the army. She dreams of his return, but gets quite a shock when a man claiming to be an enemy soldier (Albert) climbs in her window. He's really Bumeril, a Swiss mercenary who would rather be eating chocolate than fighting. She has to hide him from Alexis and her father when they come upstairs, then leads him into the wine cellar. He does manage to evade the drunk soldiers who come looking for him and escape. 

Shortly after, Mayor Ludvick holds a ball to announce Nadina and Alexis' wedding. Nadina is dismayed to discover Alexis is boastful and obnoxious, hardly the valiant solider she imagined. Meanwhile, Bumeril has returned in a more lavish uniform, impersonating a general whom Ludvick is trying to impress. After he's caught and accused of spying, Nadina comes to his defense at a trial. It looks like all may be lost, until the country really goes to war, and Bumeril's blundering inadvertently turns him into the hero of Nadina's dreams. 

The Song and Dance: This ended up being really adorable, especially for an operetta. Albert in particular is having a blast as the mercenary who'd rather make cocoa, not war. His strutting around during the ball with that enormous plumed helmet is hilarious. Tamirkoff has almost as much fun playing Nadina's blustering father, and Stevens is a funny and knowing Nadina. We have a relatively lavish production for TV too, with gorgeous bustled gowns and pretty European peasant dresses for the ladies and uniforms dripping with braid and brass for the men.

The Numbers: We open with the soldiers' arrival and the peasants in the square announcing "Here We Come." The soldiers give us our first of two large-scale chorus numbers as they show off their abilities for the ladies. Nadina sings of "Our Happy Wedding Day" and "My Hero" as she imagines her marriage to Alexis. Bumeril laments that Nadina refuses to give him any "Sympathy" after he turns up in her room. Alexis and the soldiers "Seek the Spy," but end up getting drunk while looking for him. 

The second half opens with the dancers in the ballroom, waltzing to a glittering instrumental number. Nadina sings "Melodrama" as she admits she's not quite so fond of Alexis as she had been. Wrightson, Tamirkoff, and the chorus boast about "Alexis the Hero" back at the ball. Bumeril sings about "A Quiet Voice" as he waltzes with Nadina, even as she tries to get him to leave. Her response is to remind him that he's little more than a coward and not her fiancee in the title song. This is directly followed by a ballet with Bambi Lynn as Nadina and Rod Alexander as Bumeril, replaying the first act as they dance Bumreril's escape from the soldiers. 

Alexis sings his own praises, to Nadina's amusement, as he claims "Never Was There Such a Lover." She performs "The Letter Song" as she composes a letter to Bumeril, turning him away. It and "My Hero" are heard again in the court room, when Nadina finally confesses her feelings about her not-so-valiant "Chocolate Soldier." Most of the country just declares "Thank the Lord the War Is Over." It ends with everyone reprising "My Hero" after Bumeril's blundering is revealed to have won the war.

What I Don't Like: This is very much TV in 1955. First of all, the original musical has been considerably simplified. There was a originally a subplot involving Bumeril taking the Mayor's coat filled with pictures from all the ladies of the town, including Nadina's, that isn't included here. Second, although the dancing is lovely, the waltz at the ball and the Lynn/Alexander ballet sequence are completely extraneous. Neither really move the plot along and are more there to show off the dancing and costumes and Lynn and Alexander than the story. There's also the dark, grainy copy on the VAI DVD, but as with other TV musicals of this vintage, we're lucky to have this at all. Most of these musical specials were filmed live, and many remain lost.

The Big Finale: This is a charming, frothy chocolate treat if you're a fan of Albert, Stevens, or vintage operetta and can get past the limitations of early television.

Home Media: It's on DVD, but like all of the VAI titles, it can be expensive. You're better off looking for this one used or on YouTube.

DVD

YouTube

Don't Knock the Rock

Columbia Pictures, 1956

Starring Alan Dale, Alan Freed, Fay Baker, and Patricia Hardy

Directed by Fred F. Sears

Music and Lyrics by various

The Poverty Row studios weren't the only ones who recognized rock as a popular genre among the young. By 1956, almost every studio in Hollywood wanted to cash in on this big new teen sound. Columbia jumped on the band wagon with Rock Around the Clock, the first musical to have a true rock score. That went over so well, they grabbed Bill Haley and the Comets for more of the same, here joined by Little Richard and the Treniers, among others. How well does the story of teens in a small town who show their parents that rock is hardly a corrupting influence come off today? Let's begin with those teens dancing up a storm over the credits and find out...

The Story: Rock star Arnie Haines (Dale) flees Freed's constant promotion to spend the rest of the summer in his hometown. He discovers on his arrival that, while the teens in the town adore him, their parents are far less welcoming. They believe rock to be a corrupting influence on the young, especially the stuffy Mayor Bagley (Pierre Watkin) and influential columnist Arline MacLaine (Baker). Arline's daughter Francine (Hardy) not only doesn't share her mother's opinion about rock, she falls for Artie. 

Francine and Artie set up a concert with big name acts like Bill Haley and the Comets and Little Richard, but it's disrupted by a fist fight set up by jealous Sunny Everett (Jana Lund), who also has a crush on Artie. Artie's ready to give up and leave, but Francine convinces him to do one last show. They claim it's a pageant of art and culture...but it really proves that art changes over time, and today's rebellious youth music is tomorrow's happy nostalgia.

The Song and Dance: This is at least a little closer to what most people probably think of when they hear "early rock musical." Hardy is an attractive and sensible Francine, and Baker is wonderfully witty as her skeptical journalist mother. We also have a far more interesting story, almost a precursor to Footloose thirty years later. Not only does this movie discuss many parents' real-life attitudes towards rock at the time, it reminds people that rock was hardly the first musical genre adults thought would "corrupt" young people. We also get some sensational dancing here to go with that music, including the wild dance routine at Artie's apartment after his show in the opening. 

The Numbers: We open with Haley's rendition of the title song over the credits. Dale sings "I Cry More" (one of the first published songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) and "You're Just Right" at a nightclub. Haley's numbers include " "Hot Dog Buddy Buddy," the instrumental "Goofin' Around," and "Calling All Comets." Their version of "Rip It Up" is heard over the big jitterbug routine at their first concert, and we hear the audio for "Hook, Line, and Sinker." Dave Apple and the Applejacks get "Applejack" and "Country Dance." Little Richard tears things up with two of his classics, "Long Tall Sally" and "Tutti-Fruitti." The Treniers "Come Out of the Bushes" and are "Rocking On a Saturday Night."

What I Don't Like: While the story is more interesting, the cast for the most part isn't any better than Rock Rock Rock! Dale is so blank and dull, you wonder what the girls see in him. Freed has more to do here, but he's no actor and comes off as stiff, not at all like someone who would be caught up in a payola scam by 1960. This is once again a vehicle for the music, and anything else takes a back seat.

The Big Finale: Pretty much the same deal here. For early rock enthusiasts and major fans of Haley or Little Richard only. Everyone else is better off looking for their records or watching Footloose again. 

Home Media: The DVD double feature with Rock Around the Clock is currently expensive on Amazon. It's on YouTube, though the copy is glitchy and keeps stopping every few minutes.

DVD - Rock Around the Clock/Don't Knock the Rock 

YouTube

Rock Rock Rock!

Distributor's Corporation of America, 1956

Starring Tuesday Weld, Fran Manfred, Teddy Randazzo, and Jacqueline Kerr

Directed by Will Price

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we dance into the end of summer with two 50's B-movies featuring sterling examples of early rock acts. Most "rock" movies from the early years of the genre were standard programmers with rock numbers from acts big and small tossed into a barely-there plot. This may be the major example of that genre. How does the story of a teen who learns a valuable lesson in money management while trying to buy a dress for a dance look today? Let's begin at the local malt shop, as sweet teen Dori Graham (Weld) talks to her friend Arabella (Manfred) about their school's upcoming prom and find out...

The Story: Dori's father (Jack Collins) is tired of his daughter spending all her allowance on frivolities and then begging for more, so he cuts off her charge accounts in order to teach her the value of a dollar. This becomes a problem when she wants to buy a strapless evening gown for prom, so she can be glamorous like new girl Gloria Barker (Kerr). Gloria has designs on her boyfriend Tommy Rogers (Randazzo), especially after he wins Alan Freed's (Himself) TV talent contest. Her father gives her 15 dollars and says she can earn the rest. After going to her local bank, she gets the idea she can just have Arabella loan her 15 dollars, then give it to Gloria to buy a dress and keep the dress as collateral. Trouble is, Dori not only doesn't know anything about how banks or money work, but Gloria has no intention of giving up either the dress or her claim on Tommy's heart.

The Song and Dance: And the song and dance, along with those nifty prom gowns the girls scrimped and saved for, are really the only saving graces here. If you're a fan of 50's rock, have I got a treat for you. You get not only legends like Chuck Barry, the Flamingos, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, but groups who are less well-known today like Johnny Burnette Trio and the Moonglows, too. The real Alan Reed even gives us an idea of what made his early shows such a smash. It's a real time capsule of when rock was just starting to make waves.

The Numbers: We hear the title number twice, over the credits during shots of bands and kids dancing, and later at the prom near the end, both times performed by Jimmy Cavello and His House Rockers.. Connie Francis dubs Weld for her ballad "I Haven't Got a Sweetheart" at the malt shop in the opening and the more heart-rendering "Little Blue Wren" after Dori thinks Tommy's dumped her. Tommy sings "The Things Your Heart Needs" at school, and later gets "Thanks to You" at the talent show and "Won't You Give Me a Chance?" at the dance.

Ivy Schulman is supposed to be someone's kid sister, but she ends up singing (rather creepily) about how she wants to "Rock, Pretty Baby." Alan Freed is heard twice, doing "Rock and Roll Boogie" on the talent show and in the finale, performing "Right Now, Right Now." The Flamningos get "Would I Be Crying?" at the TV show. The Three Chuckles get the big "We're Gonna Rock Tonight" with Randazzo in the finale. Frankie Lymon and his groups have two numbers at the prom, "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" and "Baby Baby." The Moonglows get "Over and Over Again." The Johnny Burdette Trio sing "Lonesome Train."

What I Don't Like: The plot and the actors are bland and really very silly. Dori is so impossibly naive and stupid, she believes every word Gloria tells her about Tommy and has no idea how to even figure out 1 percent of something. It's painfully obvious this was a B-film. The sets are minimalistic, and the only lavish costumes are at the prom. The only reason this one exists is for that music.

The Big Finale: And that's the only reason to see this one today. This is for huge fans of early rock only. Everyone else would be better off looking for the recordings made by these groups and ignoring this.

Home Media: It's in the public domain, so it's easily found on DVD and online.

DVD

Tubi

Lucky Me

Warner Bros, 1954

Starring Doris Day, Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, and Nancy Walker

Directed by Jack Donahue

Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

Our next vacation was anything but smooth sailing for Day. By 1954, she was suffering from panic attacks and delayed filming several times to rest. Even when she did resume filming, the panic attacks continued, making things difficult for everyone involved. On the upside, this would be the first musical film to make use of the new wide CinemaScope screen and featured a great cast that included later TV favorites Silvers, Walker, and Cummings. How well do they do with the rather strange story of a superstitious singer who falls for a songwriter and tries to help her troupe get in his show? Let's begin in Miami, as Candy Williams (Day) admits just how superstitious she is, and find out...

The Story: Candy and the members of the troupe she belongs to - Flo Needly (Walker), Hap Schneider (Silvers), and Duke McNeely (Eddie Foy Jr) - are stranded in Miami without a penny to their names after their show folds. They end up working off a huge dinner in a lavish hotel. Maid Flo sees songwriter Dick Carson (Cummings) working on songs for a new Broadway show and thinks they might be able to audition. Candy already met him. She thought he was an auto mechanic named Eddie, thanks to the name on the jalopy he was driving when he met her. 

She's furious when he does finally admit who he really is, thinking he was just trying to take advantage of her. The others do finally arrange to sing one of Dick's songs so Candy can audition for the show. It works, and though Candy is still skeptical, he does hire them...until Lorraine Thayer (Martha Hyer), the daughter of the show's backer Otis Thayer (Bill Goodwin), walks in and sees them together. She has her own interests in Dick and refuses to let her father back the show with Candy in it. Dick's ready to give up, but Candy and the others finally disguise themselves and enter Otis' birthday party to show him what he's missing if he doesn't give Dick and this shows a chance.

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble during filming, Day is honestly rather charming. She and the three comedians are most of the show and really do carry the day here. Silvers and Foy have their own fun as the conniving head of the group and the more elegant one, while Walker does her best with the material as the other female member. The costumes are lovely, too, with some attractive 50's gowns for Day and Walker and suits for the men. 

The Numbers: We open with Candy relating everything she worries about as she wrecks havoc in downtown Miami with "The Superstition Song." "High Hopes and Men" is Silvers and Day's number at the empty show downtown, with the two of them relating how they distrust the opposite sex. "I Speak to the Stars" was a hit at the time, and no wonder with this lovely production. Candy literally "speaks to the stars" as she dreams of singing the number in a silvery landscape, with glittering specs of stars over her. "Bluebells of Broadway" is the troupe's Scottish-themed audition number. The romantic "Take a Memo to the Moon" the ballad Lorraine catches Candy and Dick performing that convinces her Candy is a threat. Candy performs the title song in the end.

What I Don't Like: I'm afraid Day was right. No wonder she had panic attacks while filming this piffle. No amount of CinemaScope or pretty dresses can cover the fact that the story is utterly preposterous and annoyingly silly, even by musical standards. Cummings is more smarmy than charming, and despite some location filming in Miami, most of the movie is incredibly studio-bound. The songs are cute but nothing special as well. 

The Big Finale: Definitely not Day's best; recommended mostly for her fans or fans of the three comedians. 

Home Media: Can be found on DVD via the Warner Archives and streaming; the latter is currently on Tubi for free with commercials. 

DVD

Tubi