Musicals On TV - Dames at Sea

NBC, 1971

Starring Ann-Margaret, Anne Meara, Ann Miller, and Harvey Evans

Directed by Martin Charnin and Walter C. Miller

Music by Jim Wise; Lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller

Hoping to drum up viewers, the networks revived the hour-long musical format in the late 60's and early 70's. The Bell System Family Theater was NBC's blanket term for a series of hour-long specials that ranged from heart-tugging dramas to big Broadway shows. We've already seen one of them, George M!, last year for our All-American Weekdays. Dames at Sea actually started way off Broadway as a satirical skit in a small cafe. It moved off-Broadway in 1968 and was a huge hit in its tiny staging, with six performers backed by a piano. How does this small-time spoof of big Berkeley-style movies look today? Let's start off on-stage with one of the highlights, big star Mona Kent (Miller) tapping away to "Wall Street," and find out...

The Story: "Wall Street" ends with Mona insisting the rehearsal went badly. Her fits of temperament are driving the show's director Hennessy (Fred Gwynne) crazy. Into this hot bed of intrigue walks little Ruby (Ann-Margaret), straight off the bus from Centerville, Utah. Wise-cracking chorus girl Joan (Meara) convinces Hennessy to take her on the spot. She hasn't eaten in three days, though. As Joan goes to find food, she faints into the arms of sailor and aspiring songwriter Dick (Harvey Evans). They almost literally fall in love at first sight. Mona, however, hears Dick's songs and thinks they'd be perfect for her. Ruby catches them together and thinks she's lost him.

That's not the only thing she's lost. Hennessy gives them the bad news that the theater is to be torn down. Dick offers the battle cruiser where he's stationed as the theater. Turns out the Captain, Lucky (Dick Shawn), is an old flame of Mona's. She's easily able to persuade him, but she's still after Dick and his songs, too. She has Ruby thrown out when she shows her up, but it turns out that Ruby may be the only one who can save the production when Mona can't continue.

The Song and Dance: Terrific cast makes the most of the hilarious spoof. Ann-Margaret is adorable playing against type as the dewy Ruby Keeler ingenue, and Broadway actor Evans is sweetly clueless as her songwriting sailor swain. Miller, who usually played types that came closer to Joan in her MGM days, relishes being the temperamental diva who doesn't like to remember she came from humble beginnings. 

For once, the lower TV budget works in the show's favor. It still looks small enough to pass for an off-Broadway satire, while big enough to fill the small screen. The costumes are especially well-done, from the sailor uniforms to Joan's loud plaids and Ruby's little-girl-pink ruffles, not to mention some of the more spectacular lounge outfits Mona stomps around in.

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with its strongest asset, Miller tapping up a storm as she dances with chorus girls and ticker tape on "Wall Street." Ruby faints dead away in Dick's arms...and the moment she awakens, they sing about how "It's You." Mona makes fun of blues songs lamenting unfaithful lovers while sitting on top of a piano for "That Mister Man of Mine." Ruby's own lament after she catches Mona and Dick together, "Raining In My Heart," turns into a chorus routine under umbrellas and plastic raincoats. Joan rallies everyone for "Good Times are Here to Stay" after the theater's been condemned. 

The title song is heard twice, as a number for the sailors to persuade Lucky to use the ship for the show, and in the opening and closing.  "Star Tar" is the big number on the battleship that does, indeed, turn Ruby into a star. She dances up a storm with the sailors, and even has a spectacular finale. The actual finale is "Let's Have a Simple Wedding" as the three couples come together on the ship, with sailor ushers and chorus girl bridesmaids. 

Trivia: This was a huge hit at the off-Broadway Bouwerie Lane Theater in 1968, running over a year and making a real-life star out of its original Ruby, Bernadette Peters. A London mounting in a larger theater ran a half a year in 1969. It tried Broadway in 2015, but once again proved to be too small for a large venue and barely lasted three months. It does remain popular with high schools and regional theaters looking for a small show. 

What I Don't Like: While the TV movie isn't as big as the West End or Broadway versions, having an orchestra and all those chorus girls and sailors does still kind of lose the point of doing a big show with a small cast. It also cut a lot of characters and songs from the original to fit the time slot. Lucky was originally Dick's sidekick, and Hennessy and the Captain were played by the same person. Here, the Captain is merged with Lucky. Among the songs dropped were two solos for Dick and Ruby, "The Sailor of My Dreams" and "Broadway Baby," and a second duet for them, "There's Something About You." Mona was rehearsing a number called "The Echo Waltz" when she got seasick. Joan and Lucky had their own duet, "Choo-Choo Honeymoon." 

(Also, you probably need to have seen at least one or two of the 30's Busby Berkeley musicals this movie is spoofing to get what they're going for here.)

The Big Finale: Once again, it's a shame this is the only filming of this show to date. This is highly recommended if you're a fan of the cast or the real Busby Berkeley musicals of the 30's and is just too cute for words.

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

YouTube

Reveille With Beverly

Columbia Pictures, 1943

Starring Ann Miller, William Wright, Dick Purcell, and Franklin Pangborn

Directed by Charles Barton

Music and Lyrics by various

During World War II, Miller starred in a series of inexpensive B musicals featuring her dancing and the music of various big bands and singers. Reveille With Beverly was unique among those films, and even among musical films period. It was an adaptation of a hit music show that became an enormous favorite with soldiers during the war years hoping to hear a friendly voice and familiar music from home. How does this somehow translate into the story of a young woman who finally gets her chance to break into radio when she becomes the soldiers' favorite DJ? Let's start at that radio station with our first act and find out...

The Story: Beverly Ross (Miller) is supposed to be the switchboard operator at KFEL, but she would give anything to be on the radio. Her boss Mr. Kennedy (Tim Ryan) won't listen to her many ideas about getting a show focusing on swing and jive on the air. He prefers classical music. He fires her after she abandons the switchboard to do a commercial on the air, but then lets her take over for the dull early morning host Vernon Lewis (Pangborn) while he's on vacation. She turns his sleepy early-morning classical show into a showcase of the latest swing music and becomes wildly popular with the GIs just getting up for reveille. 

Her brother Eddie (Larry Parks) introduces her to two of his fellow soldiers, Barry Lang (Wright) and Andy Adams (Purcell). Andy used to be the wealthy Barry's chauffeur, but them getting into the same unit puts them on far more equal footing. Barry makes a bet with Andy that he can't get a girl with his millions and tells Beverly he's Andy. He even suggests the name for her show, Reveille With Beverly, and ponies up the cash to sponsor her when Lewis returns and wants his job back. The guys think she'll never know...until she announces a tour of camps to boost morale and wants to see both of them...

The Song and Dance: With a story that slim, the real highlights are Miller as the determined Beverly and the musical numbers. They're more like early music videos or musical shorts of the time, with the real singers on Beverly's records performing the actual songs they made famous. We even get a cameo from Frank Sinatra. It's almost like a black-and-white version of early MTV with a thin plot tying it together. Miller gets to show off her comedic side as she dashes from job to job and throws out comic patter between numbers for the boys in Europe and Asia. Pangborn and Ryan have a few good moments as the snobbish classical DJ and her blow-hard boss, who doesn't get her music, but does understand the bottom line.

Favorite Number: In fact, the film opens with one of those "illustrated" numbers, the Mills Brothers singing the Latin "Cielito Lindo." Once Beverly starts her show, the music really kicks in. Bob Crosby and His Orchestra give us a nice "Big Noise From Winnekta," while Duke Ellington and his folks, along with singer Betty Roche, give us a really swinging version of "Take the 'A' Train." Beverly plays Sinatra's heartfelt version of the Cole Porter standard "Night and Day" after she loses her show to Lewis; when she gets it back, she gives the boys "Cow Cow Boogie," sung by Ella Mae Morse with Freddie Slack and His Orchestra. 

A trio called "The Radio Rogues" do imitations of popular radio singers then on the air during the show at the military camp, including Kate Smith singing "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" and Irish tenor Morton Downey Sr. doing "Wabash Moon." The Mills Brothers return, this time with the more traditional "Sweet Lucy Brown." The movie puts its best foot forward for its big finale and only large-scale production number. Miller taps up a storm for the boys with "Thumbs Up and V for Victory."

Trivia: Look fast for Irene Ryan as Mr. Kennedy's whiny switchboard operator and secretary.

Beverly's former boss Mr. Smith (Andrew Tombes) claims that clumsy record store clerk Elmer has "broken more records than Whirlaway," the horse who won the Triple Crown in 1941. 

Reveille With Beverly was indeed a real-life early-morning radio program on KFEL from Denver that ran from 1941 to 1944 and was broadcast by the Armed Forces Radio. Jean Ruth was the actual hostess and creator of the show.

What I Don't Like: Did I mention how thin the plot is? It's so thin, and Wright and Purcell are so interchangeable, no wonder they go to war before Beverly has to choose between them. It's barely of consequence which guy she ends up with, or really who sponsored her show. Miller, for all her screen time, doesn't get a chance to dance or sing beyond her big number in the finale. Like Carolina Blues, many, many references to the World War II home front - from rationing to the Radio Rogues' spoofs of then-popular radio performers - may baffle people today who aren't familiar with the era. And the gag with Miller running back and forth from the record job to the station and back again when she gets her radio gig back runs on for way too long and may annoy viewers as much as Mr. Smith. 

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Miller or the big band, swing, and jazz music of the World War II era, this movie is worth tracking down for the numbers alone. 

Home Media: This rare musical can only be found on YouTube at the moment and occasionally on TCM. 

YouTube 

Carolina Blues

Columbia Pictures, 1944

Starring Kay Kyser, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, and Jeff Donnell

Directed by Leigh Jason

Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Dudley Brooks

No big band leader made more of his association with films (and radio, too) than the enterprising Kay Kyser. He started out as a musician in Chicago in the late 20's, but his real metier was as a bandleader and announcer. By the 1940's, his Kollege of Musical Knowledge game show was a major hit on radio and his records sold in the thousands. Unlike most big bands in movies, who played a few numbers and didn't figure much into the action, Kyser and his band were entertaining enough to be front and center. This is the last in a series of movies revolving around his wacky adventures with and without his orchestra. How does Kay's trip to his home state of North Carolina look nowadays? Let's start with Kyser and the band as they arrive at the airport after a long USO tour and find out...

The Story: Kay and his band are supposed to be resting after their big show. Instead, they end up playing gigs at a local shipyard to boost plant workers' morale. This proves to be a bit of a problem for Kay, as his vocalist Georgia Carroll (herself) just left to get married. The owner of the shipyard, Phineas Carver (Moore), offers his talented daughter Julie (Miller), as a replacement. Kay's not too keen on the idea, until he sees what Julie can really do. Meanwhile, his publicist Charlotte (Donnell) is quite happily chasing his dour coronet player Ish Kabibble (M.A Bogue). 

The Song and Dance: It's all about the music and dance here. They rounded up some terrific performers, including a rare solo routine by Harold Nicholas without his brother. Miller's charming and funny as ever as the ambitious singer and dancer, and Moore has a few funny bits as her father who wants to push her hard into the spotlight. Check out the scene at the concert where he plays every member of the Carver family - including the women! Donnell and Ish Kabbible have a few amusing moments too, especially when he gives her a grenade and she throws it away, only for it to make their first kiss more explosive than he planned. 

Favorite Number: Our first number is Kyser's lament about the tiniest state in the US, "Poor Little Rhode Island," with singers Sully Mason, Harold Babbitt, and a vocal quartet. Carroll gets the lovely ballad "You Make Me Dream Too Much" early-on, before she's due to leave the band. Miller's big tap solo is the lively "Thanks a Lot" as she shows everyone, including her family, what she can do. "Mr. Beebe" is the number for Harold Nicholas, the Four Step Brothers, and dancer and choreographer Marie Bryant. Nicholas gets a rare but enjoyable chance to show off his solo moves. Carroll joins Julie for "Thinkin' About the Wabash" as she finally goes on officially as band singer.

Trivia: Carroll's last movie; Kyser's last full-length film. He'd make one more appearance in a short discussing his radio show before putting more focus on his band and his business opportunities elsewhere. 

Carroll did eventually get married...to Kyser. Their union lasted until his death in 1985.

What I Don't Like: This is very much a movie of its time. Miller's name is the only one most people will recognize unless they're big fans of big band music, tap, or old-time radio. Ish Kabbible, for instance, was a popular comedian with Kyser's band and elsewhere on radio, but most people nowadays probably won't remember his name nowadays, or even get his sarcastic shtick with his goofy poems. There's a lot of references to the time period, from workers in defense plants to the need for big bands to tour constantly in order to boost morale, that those who don't know anything about the time period probably won't get. 

The Big Finale: It's all cheerful fun if you're a fan of Kyser, big band music, or the small-scale big band musicals of the 1940's. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, including as part of a 20-musical film collection from Mill Creek.

DVD

DVD - Musical 20 Movie Collection

Amazon Prime

Texas Carnival

MGM, 1951

Starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, and Ann Miller

Directed by Charles Walters

Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

In the 1950's and 60's, Americans became fascinated with Texas and other southwestern and mid-western states as oil production boomed and drillers became millionaires. How does the story of one such Texas oil man and the two carnival performers who become entangled with him look today? Let's begin on the midway of that carnival, as Cornelius "Corny" Quinell (Skelton) throws a pitch for the dunk booth featuring his beautiful partner Debbie Telford (Williams) and find out...

The Story: Corny and Debbie haven't had much luck at the carnival. Debbie's desperately hungry when Corny helps a drunk man with a cheating carny at another booth. The man turns out to be Texas rancher and oil man Dan Sabinas (Keenan Wynn). Sabinas calls him brother and even lets him return his car to the hotel he and his sister Marilla (Paula Raymond) are staying at. 

Turns out Marilla is out of town, and Sabinas drunkenly ends up in Mexico. When Corny and Debbie pull up in Sabinas' huge car, everyone thinks they're the millionaires. Corny decides he enjoys the luxury, and Debbie just likes being fed. Corny falls for Sunshine Jackson (Miller), the brassy daughter of the town sheriff. Debbie's interested in Sabinas' head foreman Slim Shelby (Keel). 

After Corny accidentally loses $17,000 in a poker game, the others enter him in a chuck wagon race to earn the money. Dan turns up mad as a hornet because someone's in his room. Corny tries to get him drunk again, but has to ride the race drunk with Debbie and Slim's help. 

The Song and Dance: Williams and Skelton come together for the third and final time in this noisy bit of fluff. Skelton's having a great time with his brand of wild slapstick and goofy facial expressions. Check out him getting drunk with Sabinas, or attempting to drive the chuck wagon as more and more of it ends up on the ground. The colorful western costumes, with their fringes and buckskins and gingham and elaborate embroidery, and brilliant Technicolor wide open spaces make the movie feel a lot more lavish than the small story would indicate. 

Favorite Number: We open with "The Carny's Pitch," as Corny encourages cowboys to throw a ball at Williams in a glitzy pink bathing suit and see if they can dunk her. "It's Dynamite" is Miller's big solo tap routine in the hotel ballroom as Sunshine shows what she thinks is a rich oil man what she can do as she taps on a piano. "Whoa, Emma" is the folksy ballad about a beloved mare for Slim and the cowboy chorus as they gather around the fire. Debbie's attempt at a speech during a party in the ballroom somehow turns into the film's sole large-scale production number, a wild version of "Deep In the Heart of Texas" with Miller and the chorus.

The film's best "number" and Williams' only swimming ballet doesn't actually take place in the water. Slim rescued the famished Debbie from drowning after she arrived at the hotel still hungry. His mind equates her with the water...which is why, in a nifty bit of special effects, she's seen as a swimming vision swishing around his hotel room in white gauze and silver glitter. She's his "underwater dream" as Williams put it in That's Entertainment III. 

What I Don't Like: This is awfully short for a major MGM musical. I wonder if they planned more numbers that either weren't filmed, or ended up on the cutting room floor. Williams surprisingly has no swimming routines besides the dream sequence and Slim rescuing Debbie from the pool. Other than her two big numbers, Miller is barely used. Keel doesn't really do much besides rescue Debbie, either. The title's a cheat, too. While the movie is set in Texas, it's only at the carnival in the first ten minutes or so and the last five minutes. It's mostly set at and around the hotel. The music is dull and the script even moreso. This is a bizarre bit of fluff that could have done with a little sharpening. 

The Big Finale: Probably best for fans of Skelton or those looking for a fun way to pass an hour on TCM.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, the former in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Happy Memorial Day! - Hit the Deck (1955)

MGM, 1955

Starring Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Russ Tambyn, and Vic Damone

Directed by Roy Rowland

Music by Vincent Youmans; Lyrics by various 

We honor the Navy this Memorial Day with one of the last big MGM musicals. Hit the Deck was a smash on Broadway in 1927, making instant standards out of the songs "Hallelujah" and "Sometimes I'm Happy." RKO originally filmed it in 1930, but that version has since been lost. MGM bought the rights in 1947, hoping to turn it into another On the Town. Is it as joyous as that film and another version, the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rodgers vehicle Follow the Fleet from 1936, or should it be dumped in the San Francisco harbor? Let's begin with a rousing tribute to the Navy over the credits and find out...

The Story: Chief Boatswain's Mate Bill Clark (Martin) and Officers Rico Ferrari (Damone) and Danny Smith (Tambyn) are delighted to be on shore leave in San Francisco after having spent time in Antarctica and swampland. Bill takes them to see his girlfriend Ginger. Tired of spending six years waiting for him, Ginger tells them she's found someone else and they're through. 

They're not the only ones having romance problems. Danny is worried when he finds out his older sister Susan (Powell) is dating womanizing actor Wendall Craig (Gene Raymond), hoping to get a part in his new show. He and Bill attack Craig when they find him putting the moves on Susan. Rico takes her home, only to fall for her. Craig wants to press charges, but the boys are warned by Rico's widowed mother (Kay Armen) and one of the dancers in his show, Carol Pace (Debbie Reynolds). Meanwhile, the boys try to help Mrs. Ferrari woo florist Mr. Peroni (J. Carrol Naish), and Danny is beginning to develop feelings for Carol. Now the boys have to dodge the shore patrol and Danny's Naval admiral father (Walter Pidgeon), before their love lives and shore leave come to an abrupt end. 

The Song and Dance: Charming romantic comedy with music is filmed in stunning wide Cinemascope, giving them plenty of room for huge numbers. I'm impressed that they kept all but two songs from the original 1927 Broadway show, something most adaptations of older musicals from this era seldom did. The boys may be the ones who are in the spotlight, but it's their lady friends who have the most fun. Jane Powell has a wonderful time getting to be the mature older sibling for a change and Miller's hilarious as the dancer who wishes her beau would see more of her than the sea. Naish and Armen make the most of their side plot as the older couple who are trying to start their lives and their loves over. 

Favorite Number:  We open with a stirring version of "Join the Navy" performed by the sailors over the credits. The boys sing "Hallelujah!" as they try to make a cake for their admiral in Antarctica. Ann Miller and lovely chorus girls in pinks and purples are "Keeping Myself for You" in a telephone-themed number at the theater. Martin takes over the song for the second half. Reynolds joins the sailor chorus in the theater to ask about "A Kiss Among Friends." Powell sings "Sometimes I'm Happy" for Raymond at his apartment to show him what she's capable of. Miller returns for a sizzling "Lady From the Bayou."  The boys and the girls lament 'Why Oh Why?" is love so difficult in two separate versions performed near the beginning and end of the film.  The girls' in particular is very striking, with the last long shot of them together fretting over their men. Martin finally wins Miller over with his version of the standard "More Than You Know."

"Hallelujah!" returns for the big finale at the theater, this time performed by an exuberant Armen. Seldom has the finale of any musical been this joyful or spontaneous, with Miller throwing her hat in the air and tapping her heart out, a few folks running into each other, and no one really much caring. They're all enjoying every noisy, delightful minute, and so's the audience.

My other favorite "number" isn't actually a musical number in the traditional sense. Carol and Danny escape the shore patrol through a horror-themed fun house in an amusement park. They have a ball dancing on moving floors, crawling past mirrors that make them look longer, and frolicking with performers representing Dracula and the Devil. 

Trivia: Both the show and the film are based after the play Shore Leave. Hit the Deck was indeed a hit in New York, running over a year, and went over only slightly less well in England. Outside of a few songs turning up on television in the 1950's, it doesn't seem to have reappeared again after this film. 

What I Don't Like: Wish the rest of the cast had more to do. Though Susan is the catalyst behind the boys' rowdy behavior, neither she nor Reynolds have much chemistry with their supposed on-screen sweethearts. Damone doesn't do much better here than in the more fantastical Kismet a year later, and Martin is stiff as a board. Tambyn could sing, so I have no idea why he was dubbed here. His voice sounds way too mature for the character and the actor. Not only is the story somewhat changed from the original, but it's a load of cotton candy fluff that dissolves completely near the end as all the romances start to get a little too complicated for their own good. 

The Big Finale: The decent numbers alone make this worth a watch during your Memorial Day barbecue if you're a fan of anyone in the cast or the big, splashy Broadway adaptations of the 1950's and 60's. 

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming, the former from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Two Tickets to Broadway

RKO, 1951

Starring Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Eddie Bracken, and Gloria DeHaven

Directed by James V. Kern

Music by Jules Styne and others; Lyrics by Leo Robin and others

By 1951, Hollywood was in panic mode. Audiences were flocking to that new device in their living room called television and away from aging downtown and neighborhood theaters. RKO was in the worst shape of the major studios. It had never been the most prosperous to begin with, and it's new owner and producer Howard Hughes did nothing to help with his constant fussing over the tiniest details. One of the projects he produced was this big, bright musical tale with one foot in an old-fashioned "everyone put on a show!" plot and the other in the future of media. Let's start on the road, with three chorus girls on their way back from a disastrous job, and find out just how old-fashioned...and new-fangled...this is...

The Story: Also on the bus is Nancy Peterson (Leigh), the pride of Pelican Falls, Vermont. She's hoping to become a major star on the stage, but she doesn't have an easy start. Her suitcase gets mixed-up with the one belonging to singer Dan Carter (Martin). She chews him out about stealing her things before she figures out they have the same suitcase, then takes off with his. He brings it back and learns that she too is interested in singing. 

Dan and the dancers are represented by Lew Conway (Bracken), an unscrupulous agent who will lie about anything to get his clients work. He tells Dan, the ladies, and deli owners Harry (Joe Smith) and Leo (Charles Dale) he can get them on Bob Crosby's (himself) TV show, then hires a man (Taylor Holmes) to play Crosby's producer and convince the others they can get a spot. Trouble is, Lew can only lie for so long before the others start to realize they're rehearsing for nothing...and Nancy goes to Crosby herself...

The Song and Dance: Hughes wanted to get the film as close to the major musicals made by larger studios like MGM and Paramount, and he mostly succeeded. Busby Berkeley choreographed the numbers, and while they're not as spectacular as some of his earlier ones, they're probably the best thing about this along with the cast. DeHaven enjoys a rare chance to play a tougher singer than her usual dainty ladies. She, Miller, and Barbara Laurence have a fine time as the trio of been-around-the-block chorus dancers who are about ready to throttle Lew if he doesn't give them a chance. This would also be a rare chance to see stage comedians Smith and Dale's work and Bing's bandleader brother Bob as well.

Favorite Number: Our first big number has Nancy's high school insisting she sing a salute to her hometown of "Pelican Falls" as she's about to be sent off to the big city, complete with cheerleaders tossing people around and a marching band. The Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart song "Manhattan" begins as Martin singing with the ladies at Nancy's boarding house on the piano, and ends with them turning it into a spoof of New York types and shows. 

Martin and Leigh perform "The Closer You Are" on a piano in the rain; Martin does surprisingly well as a dancer. DeHaven reminds the ladies that being like "The Worry Bird" won't help their problems in a delightful number in the park tapped by Ann Miller. Bob Crosby jokes about his relationship with his more famous brother Bing, singing "Let's Make Comparisons" to a cardboard Bing come to life. The film ends on a romantic note with "Are You In a Beautiful Dream?" as Martin performs the sweet ballad and Leigh flits around in a filmy yellow dress, against pink feathers. 

Trivia: Laurel and Hardy were originally intended to play the deli owners, but Stan Laurel got sick after filming Atoll K and they weren't able to do it. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, RKO's financial problems means Berkeley couldn't play with the camera or do a lot of the tricks he's known for. I wouldn't have known he directed this if they didn't mention it at Wikipedia and Imdb. Second, while Bracken is a wonderful comic performer, his Lew is an annoying, whiny idiot who does nothing but lie to every single person within earshot. I have no idea why anyone would ever stick by him or why his girl remains with him. For all its TV setting, the story is your basic "put on a show" that had been done before and would be done again, with little that's original. The score is also not terribly memorable, other than the aforementioned dance routines. 

There's also one of the numbers at the TV show, "Big Chief Hole-In-the-Ground." This Native American spoof with Martin as an Indian who struck oil and the ladies as his wives may have been amusing in the 50's, but it's offensive, awkward, and incredibly tacky for most viewers today. 

The Big Finale: Really for fans of the cast, Berkeley, or the big musicals of the 40's and 50's only. 

Home Media: Currently DVD-only in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Musical Documentaries - That's Entertainment, Part 2

MGM, 1976

Starring Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly

Directed by Gene Kelly

Music and Lyrics by various

That's Entertainment! was such a smash, MGM began a follow-up almost immediately. Unlike the first film, it only featured two hosts...but considering they were Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, two of the best-known and most beloved dancers in the history of film, they were all it needed. Archivists once again dove into the MGM vaults, not only for musical sequences, but for scenes from dramas and comedies featuring popular stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. How does this mix look today? Let's begin with Astaire and Kelly, as they introduce a sequence from The Band Wagon, and find out...

The Story: Two of the most famous dancers in films introduce a series of sequences from MGM films of the late 1920's through the early 60's. Among the subjects they discuss are black-and-white musicals, comedy teams and their work at the studio, musicals set in Paris, how musicals have depicted songwriting over the years, Frank Sinatra's career at MGM, and Kathrine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's work as a team. 

The Song and Dance: And for all the comic and non-musical sequences, "song and dance" are the operative words here. This is the second and last time Astaire and Kelly would dance together. Kelly was 64 when he made this film and Astaire turned 77 shortly after filming, but you'd never know it from watching them dance together. They were good friends in real-life and are obviously enjoying the opportunity to work together. Kelly was right that their dances literally keep the film moving, more than a host standing in front of a set could. 

Of the non-musical segments, my favorite by far was almost the entire stateroom sequence from Night at the Opera. You can never go wrong with The Marx Brothers. The Hepburn-Tracy montage, showing off their equally fascinating appearances in comedies and dramas, is also well-done. 

Favorite Number: We kick things off with the title number from The Band Wagon, joining sequences from other films that illustrate the lyrics as Astaire, Oscar Levant, Jack Buchanon, and Nanette Fabray clown and show off their own world of entertainment. Greta Garbo gets a rare chance to wriggle to the instrumental dance number "Chica Choca" in her last film Two-Faced Woman. Judy Garland introduces one of her signature songs, "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," in the 1938 comedy Listen, Darling. Jimmy Durante gives us his own signature song "Inka Dinka Doo" in the 1944 film Two Girls and a Sailor. 

Trivia: This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on-screen, though he continued appearing in films through 1981. Gene Kelly's last time dancing on-screen would be in the 1980 cult flop Xanadu. 

Hanna-Barbara did the brief animated sequence. Saul Bass designed the imaginative opening credits that homages the various styles of credits in MGM movies of the 30's through the 50's. 

What I Don't Like: Astaire and Kelly's narration is a little better than the gushing hosts in the first movie, but it's still a little stiff. Not to mention, this admittedly misses the nostalgia factor of seeing all those major stars together in one film. The giant rainbow-colored blocks behind the men for most of their sequences look more like a kid dropped their blocks than the sets for a major documentary...especially compared to Gene's elegant segment in the real Paris. As much as I love Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, and others, I really wish they'd focused entirely on musicals again. The comedy and drama sequences feel more than a little out of place. 

And once again, there's the fact that you can find almost all of these films on DVD, Blu-Ray, or streaming now, some of them quite easily.

The Big Finale: If you love the two hosts, the first film, or are looking for more background music at home or work, this one is definitely worth checking out. 

Home Media: Same deal here - the individual DVD is out of print, but the Blu-Ray set for the full series is available, and it's on streaming. 

DVD

Blu-Ray - That's Entertainment!: The Complete Collection

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Musical Documentaries - That's Entertainment!

MGM, 1974

Hosted by Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more

Directed by Jack Haley Jr.

Music and Lyrics by various

The tagline for this one in 1974 ran "Boy, do we need it now!" And we still need it now, more than ever. Yes, I know most of these movies are on DVD and video or turn up frequently on TCM, but there's just something satisfying about seeing them all here, with the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood who actually appeared in them talking about their work. By 1974, MGM was on the way to demolishing its famous backlot. Jack Haley Jr. wanted it to go out in a blaze of glory...and he more than succeeded. Let's start on the lot with Sinatra and go way back to the beginning...of sound in movies and film musicals...and see just how much fun these numbers are after all these years...

The Story: The stars of the MGM musicals of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's talk about the history of musical film, the rise of MGM, and how MGM became synonymous with sumptuous, crowd-pleasing musicals until the studios began to disintegrate in the late 50's. Your hosts for this evening:

Frank Sinatra discusses the early talkie musicals, Eleanor Powell's vehicles, and the black-and-white musicals of the 30's and 40's.

Elizabeth Taylor discusses the musicals of the later 40's and early 50's and her involvement with them.

Peter Lawford discusses how the MGM studio system worked, how he occasionally ended up in musicals despite not really being a great singer or dancer, and the "teen musicals" featuring young talent in the late 40's and early 50's. 

James Stewart returns us to the early talkie era to discuss performers who, like Lawford, were thrown awkwardly into musicals, from Robert Montgomery to Clark Gable to his own (better than he'd admit) performance of "Easy to Love" in Born to Dance.

Mickey Rooney discusses his close friendship with Judy Garland, their famous series of "barnyard musicals," and the director who worked on them - Busby Berkeley.

Gene Kelly discusses Fred Astaire's career, including their first of two times dancing together in Ziegfeld Follies. 

Donald O'Connor discusses Esther Williams and her swimming extravaganzas of the later 40's and 50's.

Debbie Reynolds discusses how she got started at MGM and the 1951 MGM version of Show Boat.

Fred Astaire discusses the career of his good friend Gene Kelly.

Liza Minelli discusses her mother Judy Garland's career at MGM.

Bing Crosby discusses his two MGM musicals and touches on the MGM films of the mid and late 50's, including Gigi, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Hit the Deck. 

Frank Sinatra returns to end with one of the crowning jewels of MGM musicals, "The American In Paris Ballet" from the Oscar-winning 1951 film of that title. 

The Song and Dance: You want big stars? You get them here. If nothing else, this is invaluable as a record of many of these stars late in their careers, and Minnelli early in hers. In fact, at this writing, Minnelli is the only host still alive today. It's even more valuable as a record of the crumbling MGM studio, right before it was demolished to build housing units (which are still there to this day). 

Most of all...if ever a movie could be described as "feel-good," the That's Entertainment documentaries fit the bill. Despite the tinge of melancholy with the fading backlot sets, you really do get a sense of how much fun - and hard work -went into these movies, and how beloved they were for audiences of the day and (most of) the people who made them.

Favorite Number: Clark Gable gets an "A" for effort for his goofy girls-and-hoofing routine to "Puttin' On the Ritz" from the otherwise non-musical drama Idiot's Delight. Even Jimmy Stewart called the number "delightfully corny." Cary Grant does so well with his "Did I Remember?" with Jean Harlow in the drama Suzy I wish he appeared in more flat-out musicals. Garland gets a rare chance to join up with teen soprano Deanna Durbin (who later joined Universal) in "Americana" from the short Every Sunday. A montage of colorful water ballets from Esther Williams movies may show the numbers to better advantage than her generally dull vehicles do. 

What I Don't Like: This is wonderful if you love MGM musicals like I do, but first of all, this being produced by MGM means you don't get the whole story. Other studios made musicals during the Golden Age of Hollywood, too. You miss hearing about Shirley Temple and the Fox Blondes, what happened to Deanna Durbin when she was picked up by Universal, Crosby's formative years at Paramount, and Rita Hayworth and the Columbia musicals of the 40's and 50's. Second, the hosts can frequently come off as too gushy, and other than Lawford's admittance to not being a willing participant in most of his musicals, don't really get into the darker side of the Studio System. (We'll hear more about that when Lena Horne hosts in That's Entertainment III.) 

Third, there are times, like when Minnelli discusses her generation "just beginning," when the movie doesn't really date very well. There's also the fact that almost all of these films can be found in full on DVD, Blu-Ray, streaming, and cable. You no longer need to tune into a documentary to catch the best of classic musical film. 

The Big Finale: Great background music if you love musicals like me, remember when this was huge in 1974, or are a big fan of the MGM musicals of the 30's, 40's, and 50's.

Home Media: Blu-Ray and streaming seems to be your best bet for the That's Entertainment films at the moment. The solo DVDs and original That's Entertainment DVD collection are out of print and expensive, but the Blu-Ray collection from the Warner Archives was re-released last August, and all three movies and That's Dancing can be found on streaming as well.

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Blu-Ray - That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection

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Cult Flops - The Opposite Sex (1956)

MGM, 1956

Starring June Allyson, Joan Collins, Leslie Nielson, and Dolores Gray

Directed by David Miller

Music by Nicholas Brodszky and others; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and others

By the mid-50's, spurred by the popularity of the genre on TV and the stage, musicals became bigger, brighter, and bolder. This all-star retelling of the play and classic 1939 movie The Women features some of the most popular female musical stars of the stage and screen, and it's big in every way possible, from the colorful sets to the brassy numbers to the ladies' catfights. How does this story of how a group of New York socialites deal with the divorce of one of them look now? Let's head to Sydney's, a favorite hair salon among New York's wealthiest - and most gossipy - women, and find out...

The Story: Former singer Kay Hillard (Allyson) is married to wealthy stage producer Steven Hillard (Nielson). They're about to celebrate their tenth anniversary when Sylvia Fowler (Gray), a gossipy friend of Kay's, tells her Steven is having an affair with gold-digging chorus girl Crystal (Collins). Angry and hurt, Kay gets a Reno divorce, leaving him free to marry Crystal.

She joins two other divorcees - the Countess de Brion (Agnes Moorehead) and Gloria Dahl (Ann Miller) - at a ranch for divorcees. While there, they're all wooed by handsome cowboy Buck (Jeff Richards). He ends up with the newly-divorced Sylvia, but neither he nor Crystal are being faithful. Kay's little daughter Debbie (Sandy Descher) lets it slip that she heard Crystal having a phone conversation indicating that she's hardly a doting little wife. That gives Kay the ammunition she needs to get her husband back...and get even with the conniving, catty witches who ruined her marriage.

The Song and Dance: You can't fault the cast in this tale of marital infidelity and what women will do to get - and keep - their men and their security. Some of the biggest film and stage stars of the mid-50's can be found here, along with the up-and-coming Joan Collins (way before she portrayed a more calculating gold-digger in Dynasty). My favorite sequence by far is the hilarious cat fight between Miller and Gray after the latter learns that the former ended up with her previous husband. It builds up well to a very funny ending. The Metrocolor production is stunning, with gorgeous, glittering sets and costumes representing the highest echelons of New York society and the down-home world of the Reno ranch for divorcees.

Favorite Number: "Yellow Gold" is the number performed by the chorus - including Collins - featuring hundreds of bananas that makes pregnant mother Edith Potter (Joan Blondell) so sick. Allyson sings "Now Baby Now" backed by a male chorus playing purple base cellos at her radio show as she revels in her newly-free status. "Rock and Roll Tumbleweed" is Buck's big number at the club, and it's given a relaxed workout by Richards, backed by a country combo.

Trivia: This was the last movie for Charlotte Greenwood, who played the owner of the divorcees-only ranch, and would be June Allyson's last role at MGM. 

Jo Ann Greer dubbed June Allyson on the ballad "A Perfect Love." 

Yes, that is Dean Jones, who later starred in several Disney comedies in the 1960's and 70's and the stage musical Company, as the assistant stage manager and messenger in the beginning. 

Grace Kelly, Eleanor Parker, and Esther Williams were all considered for Kay Hillard.

What I Don't Like: First of all, the dubbing on "A Perfect Love" is badly done and way too obvious. It doesn't sound like Allyson's voice at all. Second, the only people who get to do what they're good at are Allyson and Collins. Miller doesn't dance, Gray only sings over the opening credits, Blondell is hardly the mother type, and Greenwood and Ann Sheridan (as Kay's sympathetic best friend) have little to do. The songs are either performed by Allyson or the chorus, other than the one song for Richards. I would have liked to have heard from other characters, too, including the other divorcees. 

The original film and play are all-female...and maybe the musical should have been, too. The men don't really add much to the proceedings besides Richards' "Rock and Roll Tumbleweeds" number and as hunks of meat to fight over. If they had to be there, there should have been a duet in there somewhere. And this whole thing really goes on for way too long. The chorus numbers are nice, but once again serve to pad the story, rather than move it along.

The Big Finale: Despite the excellent cast, I can understand why this one didn't do well when it came out. Only recommended if you're a huge fan of any of the ladies here or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's.

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

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Cult Flops - Small Town Girl

MGM, 1953
Starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, and Bobby Van
Directed by Laszlo Kardos
Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Leo Robin

Summer Stock wasn't the only small-town, country-fied musical MGM made in the 1950's. This one takes us off the farm and onto Main Street, where wealthy New Yorker cynicism clashes with old-fashioned country values. How does this fish-out-of-water story look today? Let's start with Cindy Kimbell (Powell) and her family as they head off to church and find out...

The Story: Church services are disrupted by a car speeding through the tiny town of Duck Creek. Playboy Rick Livingston (Granger) was trying to get back to New York in time for his Broadway star girlfriend Lisa's (Miller) birthday. The town judge (Robert Keith) sentences him to 28 days in jail and community service. He's disdainful of the tiny hamlet and its straightforward residents, until he meets the judge's pretty and talented daughter Cindy. He persuades her to let him go for a night to celebrate his "dear mother's" (Billie Burke) birthday." In the course of the evening, they end up falling for each other. Not only does that scandalize the small town, but it sends local department store owner Mr. Schlemmer (S.K Sakall) into a panic. He wants to push his son Ludwig (Van) into marrying Cindy, but Ludwig has an eye on a career on the stage, not marriage.

The Song and Dance: It's all about the classic numbers here. Van and Miller are having the most fun as the talented kid with stars in his eyes and the me-first star who sees Rick as her ticket to easy street. Powell makes a funny and charming small-town sweetheart, almost making us believe she can be both smart and naive enough to let a jailed man out on a whim, and SK Sakall has a great time as Ludvig's pushy father.

Favorite Number: Powell sings the opening number in church "The Lullaby of the Lord" that's disrupted by Rick's speeding. "My Flaming Heart," the lovely ballad performed by Nat King Cole at a club in New York, was nominated for an Oscar. Ludwig, Cindy, and the girls' chorus spoof old-fashioned small-town courtship in "Fine, Fine, Fine" at the box social. Van dances in a tuxedo for passers-by at his father's store, hoping that Rick will "Take Me to Broadway."

The movie is best-known today for two genuinely nifty numbers. Busby Berkeley created the very original "I've Got to Hear That Beat" for Ann Miller, who taps her way around hands in the floor playing instruments. Listen to the song; every time Miller dances around an instrument, it takes the lead. Van's "Jumping Song" has him so happy he doesn't have to marry Cindy, he hops all over everything and everyone in town.

Trivia: Country star Hank Williams was originally going to play the sheriff, but died before filming began.

What I Don't Like: The country mouse-city mouse story is as old as the hills. The small-town setting feels less real and more like a Hollywood idea of a small country town, with the box socials and local department stores that were just starting to go out of fashion in the suburban 50's. Powell's solo "Small Towns are Smile Towns," sung to show Rick why she loves her home, is corny to the point of being ridiculous. Granger's less charming than smarmy; you almost wish Cindy had just let him rot in jail, no matter who's birthday it is.

The Big Finale: Cliched plot aside, it still deserved a lot better than it got at the box office in 1953. If' you're a fan of Powell, Van, Miller, or the MGM musicals of the 1940's and 50's, you're going to want to slow down for this one.

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

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Deep In My Heart (1954)

MGM, 1954
Starring Jose Ferrer, Merele Oberon, Helen Traubel, and Doe Avedon
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Sigmund Romberg; Lyrics by various

This was the last of the MGM "semi-revues" revolving around a famous composer of earlier in the 20th century. Sigmund Romberg did do pop or jazz-oriented music, but then and now, he's mainly known for the series of lush operettas he wrote from the late 10's through the 1930's. With operettas frequently turning up on early TV, MGM producer Joe Pasternak opted to air his "life story," with many MGM stars who specialized in operetta. How does the story of Romberg and how he went from ragtime to the concert halls look now? We join Romberg (Ferrer) as he looks for a job in a New York cafe and find out...

The Story: "Romy" really wants to write romantic operettas, but his lush music doesn't fly in newly ragtime-crazed America. With the help of Anna Mueller (Traubel), the owner of the restaurant, he composes "The Leg 'O Mutton Rag" and creates a dance sensation. He's hired by the Shuberts, who use his jazzier compositions in a series of nonsensical revues, but what he really wants is to have an operetta on Broadway. Lyricist and playwright Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) helps him whip his Maytime into shape and convinces Ziegfeld (Paul Henried) to give it a chance.

The show is a smash, but its follow-up fails. Romberg and his songwriting partners end up back writing girlie shows for the Shuberts. It's not until he meets the lovely and intelligent Lillian Harris (Doe Avedon) at a mountain resort  and falls for her that he's able to gather the inspiration to write some of the most beloved operettas of the 1920's, including New Moon and The Desert Song.

The Song and Dance: And "song and dance" are the operative words. Once again, the story is really more of a framework to hang elaborate routines based around songs done by the composer. That said, Ferrer does make a charming and energetic Romberg, and Avedon isn't bad as his love interest and eventual wife. Oberon also goes over well as Donnelly, one of the few female songwriters of the early 20th century. The lavish Technicolor production and costumes provide some truly fine eye candy, especially in the first half.

Favorite Number: Traubel and Ferrer lay into the catchy "Leg 'O Mutton Rag" at the cafe shortly after he comes looking for a job. He also gets to join his then-wife Rosemary Clooney for, appropriately, "Mr. and Mrs" in the revue medley. Gene Kelly performs with his brother Fred for the only time on film in the vaudeville beach spoof "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin'." Vic Damone and Jane Powell share two gorgeous duets from Maytime, "Road to Paradise" and "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell perform a pas de deux to "One Alone" that's sexier than anything in the 1953 Desert Song.

The movie does boast some genuinely rare tunes. Ann Miller gets to perform a comedy number from The Desert Song, "It," with a Roaring 20's-clad chorus. Howard Keel leads the male chorus through the rousing "Your Land and My Land" from the Civil War operetta My Maryland.

But the number for the record books is a truly amazing solo for Ferrer. He shows off for Lillian and her mother (Isobel Elsom) by performing all the roles in the Al Jolson vehicle he and his partners are currently working on. He sings three songs, "Goodbye Girls," "Fat, Fat Fatima," and "Jazz-a-Doo" and is such a ball of energy, he really must be seen to be believed.

What I Don't Like: Another biography with absolutely nothing to do with the composer in question. Romberg did come from Hungary, he did write pop songs for the Shuberts' Al Jolson vehicles and fluffy revues, he did hit it big with Maytime, only to return to the Shuberts, and it really was The Student Prince that finally broke him free of the grind and allowed him to stick entirely from operetta. He really did have bad luck on Broadway in the 30's, with a string of flop shows. He did better in Hollywood, writing several standards for film operettas, before making a comeback in New York in the 40's with Up In Central Park.

Almost every character besides Romberg, Donnelly, Lillian, and the big producers are fictional. His writing partners at the resort and Anna are composites of the many people he worked with throughout his career. Romberg married at least once before Lillian, and he was Hungarian, not Viennese. The songs are all out of order and often listed to be from shows other than what's claimed. Frankly, the whole movie is just one big cliche. And as with most MGM musicals of this era, once they get to the 20's, historical accuracy goes out the door. Once we get past the first half-hour or so, it looks like the 50's for the rest of the movie.

The Big Finale: Critics were rough on this one when it came out, but it's actually worn pretty well. Worth seeing for the musical numbers alone if you're a fan of operetta, the stars, or Romberg's work.

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

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Happy Memorial Day! - On the Town

MGM, 1949
Starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Vera-Ellen
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens; Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

We're honoring Memorial Day and those who fought and died for our country with a story of the adventures of three sailors on leave in a wacky New York City. This would be the third and final pairing of Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and their second movie together about sailors on shore leave. It was a huge hit in 1949, but how does it measure up nowadays? Let's join those sailors as they disembark their ship and find out...

The Story: Chip (Sinatra), Gabey (Kelly), and Ozzie (Munshin) are in New York for a day of adventure. Ozzie and Gabey intend to pursue glamorous women, while Chip just wants to see the sights. Gabey sees a poster of New York's Miss Turnstiles for the month, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), on the subway and falls in love at first sight. He takes the poster, prompting the cops to come after them for damaging property. The trio split up, searching for the elusive Ivy all over town. Chip finds cab driver Hildy Ezerhay (Betty Garrett), who'd rather he came up to her place than see all the sights in his dated guidebook. Ozzie falls for anthropologist Claire Huddesen (Ann Miller) at the Museum of Natural History, but he knocks over a dinosaur, sending them off and more cops after them.

Gabey does finally find Ivy practicing at Symphonic Hall. She tries to act aloof at first, but eventually agrees to a date with him that night. The trio and their ladies meet at the Empire State Building for triple date to several nightclubs. Gabey's upset when Ivy takes off. Hildy tries to replace her with her sniffly roommate Lucy Schmeeler (Alice Pearce), but when Gabey discovers that Ivy's working at Coney Island, they all end up following her there.

The Song and Dance: The first musical to shoot on location (if just briefly in the beginning and end), On the Town is a joyous romp with fun performances from just about everyone. Kelly and Vera-Ellen are warm and charming as the gob who wants to date a pretty girl and the girl who thinks she has to show off for him. Garrett's hilarious as the woman cab driver with more than driving a guy around town on her mind.

Favorite Number: Two of the ballets from the original Broadway On the Town made it here, the funny "Miss Turnstiles" that shows what Gabey hopes his fantasy girl looks like, and "A Day In New York," which pretty much reprises Gabey's storyline up to that point. Garrett tries to get Sinatra up to her apartment in one of the few songs retained from the original show, "Come On Up to My Place." The title number is an exuberant romp for the leads on the Empire State Building when they're about to go out for the night. Miller and Munshin have a great time describing "Prehistoric Man" at the museum.

Trivia: Kelly and Donen had to do a lot of talking to convince MGM to let them shoot in the real New York; MGM figured they'd be fine on the lot. They filmed in vans to block groupies from chasing Sinatra.

The original Broadway show debuted in 1944, and was one of the first major projects of Comden, Green, and Bernstein. It's been revived three times in New York since then, most recently in 2014.

What I Don't Like: I really wish Edens wasn't so against Bernstein's original score. Some of the songs are gorgeous, and it's disappointing that they weren't used. Most of his replacements are a bit bland. While I appreciate the historic location filming, the very real shots of the guys in New York makes the sets used in the rest of the movie look that much more fake.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of any of the cast, ballet on film, or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, this is a classic favorite that's worth going on the town to check out.

Home Media: As one of the most popular Golden Age MGM musicals, this is easily found in all major formats.

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Time Out for Rhythm

Columbia Pictures, 1941
Starring Rosemary Lane, Rudy Vallee, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Curly Howard, and Larry Fine), and Ann Miller
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Music by Saul Chaplin; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

And I'm back! My first review after my vacation hiatus is this rare B-tuner from Columbia Pictures. A surprisingly good cast for a small-scale musical enlivens this story of the maid of a popular singer who may have to go on for her boss when the singer causes trouble between a pair of agents. Let's head to a popular nightclub to see where the Three Stooges fit into all this...

The Story: Harvard graduate Danny Collins (Vallee) and mouthy agent Mike Armstrong (Richard Lane) meet at a nightclub, where the latter is admiring singer Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane). They form a fruitful partnership, including bringing Frances into the spotlight. Mike really loves her, but she has her own plans. Danny realizes that she's out for her own gain and is only using Mike, but he's too smitten to believe him. Her interference eventually destroys their friendship, causing them to break up the agency. Danny works out slightly better than Mike on his own. He discovers that Frances' maid Kitty (Miller) is an amazing dancer in her own right, but she's shy and doesn't like the spotlight. It'll take Mike seeing Frances for what she is and patching up hurt feelings with Danny to finally get Kitty out of her shell and onto the stage.

The Song and Dance: So where do the Stooges fit into this? They're messengers for Danny and Mike who really want a chance at a stage contract. As such, they get to perform some classic routines, including the first theatrical version of the "Maharajah" sketch. I like that the emphasis is on Mike and Danny's relationship with each other, not with the ladies. Not every musical has to be about romance.

Favorite Number: "The Boogie Woogie Man" is a nifty number with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra that shows off somer really cool black and white contrasting effects. Miller shines in the solo "A'Twiddlin' My Thumbs" when she's still working for Frances and is dancing as a maid and the charming duet with Allen Jenkins, "Obviously the Gentleman Prefers to Dances." The Stooges and the two secretaries they'd been flirting with join Miller for the big sparkly Latin-themed finale to the title song. (And yes, that is Curly dressed as Carmen Miranda.)

What I Don't Like: I wish Miller was in more of the movie. She really brightens the second half, and is infinitely more interesting than nasal Richard Lane and stiff Vallee. This isn't for people who prefer their musicals bigger and more epic in scope, or are looking for a meatier story. (And it's definitely not for non-Stooges fans.)

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Miller or the Stooges, or want to see what a backstage musical looks like on a small budget, this short movie is worth taking time out for.

Home Media: Currently only available as a made-to-order DVD from the Sony Choice Collection or as part of the 20 Musicals set from Mill Creek Entertainment.

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Cult Flops - Lovely to Look At

MGM, 1952
Starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Red Skelton
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy (with Vincent Minnelli)
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach, Dorothy Fields, and others

MGM had been trying to get their remake of Roberta off the ground ever since they bought the property in 1945. After almost a decade of false starts, they finally brought it together in 1952, under the name of the Oscar-nominated song Lovely to Look At. How does this trip to Roberta's compare with our previous one? Let's start in New York this time, as three young men try to convince a group of backers to produce their show, and find out...

The Story: That audition does not go well. Performers Al Marsh (Skelton), Tony Naylor (Keel), and Jerry Ralby (Gower Champion) just can't get anyone to back their new revue. They convince Tony's dancer girlfriend Bubbles (Miller) to give them the money to go to Paris after Al learns he's inherited a dress salon. Turns out he's only part-owner. His adopted cousins Stephanie (Grayson) and Clarisse (Marge Champion) own the other half. Hoping to get them to sell, Jerry and Tony romance the ladies and take them out on the town. Bubbles turns up too, hoping to get in on their new show. Tony convinces the bankers who are about to foreclose on Roberta's to let them put on an innovative new fashion show.

Meanwhile, Stephanie, besotted with how Tony has taken over the fashion show, is falling for Tony, and Jerry and Clarisse are now crazy about each other. Al has a crush on Stephanie, but he eventually starts looking Bubbles' way. It looks like Roberta's may be saved, until it turns out that their model Zsa Zsa (Zsa Zsa Gabor) has a boyfriend who is a renowned Broadway producer. He may be willing to give Tony his chance...if he leaves Roberta's right away...

The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here, along with some great dancing and fabulous 50's fashion. If you love the clothes from this era, you'll really enjoy this one. At the very least, three performers inheriting a dress shop makes slightly more sense than a football player inheriting a dress shop, and they use more of the original score than the previous version (though not the original plot). Skelton in particular has fun as the sweet comedian who's gotten too used to letting his faster-talking buddy make all the decisions; his "Go and Tell Aunt Rhodie" routine is hilarious.

Favorite Number: Ann Miller gets a good one in the beginning with the chorus boys, the racy "I'll Be Hard to Handle." Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson get in a good "You're Devastating," while Grayson has "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" here. The Champions have two fun duets, the comic "I Won't Dance" as Jerry tries to get Clarisse out of the dress shop, and a lovely instrumental "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a starry background.

The big one here is the finale, a riot of color, movement, and gowns by none other than ace costumer Adrian (who came out of retirement for this movie). Vincent Minnelli directed the fashion show sequence, and it does evince his touch, especially in its stunning use of color. The Champions have an odd cat burglar dance that looks good but doesn't have much to do with anything. Keel and Grayson's "The Touch of Your Hand" and Miller's striptease in a tight lounging outfit come off better.

Trivia: This was originally supposed to have reunited Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in 1948, but that fell through.

What I Don't Like: Bubbles was right towards the end. Tony was a jerk through most of the movie, full-stop. He took credit for pretty much everything, used the ladies and Roberta's to get what he wanted, and then almost ran out. He's such a pain, it's hard to figure out why Bubbles and Stephanie are after him.

I wish they'd been able to film in Paris. Other than Zsa Zsa, this has no French flavor whatsoever. Stephanie and Clarisse don't look or sound French (or Russian, for that matter). And I do wish they'd retained more of the original plot to go with most of the original score.

The Big Finale: This was a flop on first release, and while it's not the best MGM musical ever, I think it deserved a lot better. If you love vintage mid-20th century fashion, the cast, or classic dances, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.

Home Media: Currently only on DVD via the Warner Archives. (I actually dubbed my copy off TCM.)

DVD

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

MGM, 1948
Starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Ann Miller, and Peter Lawford
Directed by Charles Walters
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

This movie is a bit of an Easter tradition for me. I've watched it every year on Easter night or the night before Easter since I originally taped it off TCM in the late 90's. (I've since replaced that video with a DVD.) It took MGM long enough to get it off the ground in the 40's. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse were originally supposed to appear, but they got hurt and were replaced with Astaire and Miller, and there were Garland's ongoing problems as well. Plus, Astaire had originally gone into retirement and had to be coaxed back. Was all the trouble worth it? Let's head to New York's Fifth Avenue, the day before Easter 1912, and find out...

The Story: Vaudeville dancer Don Hewes (Astaire) is looking forward to spending Easter with his partner Nadine Hale (Miller), but she tells him that she just took a part in the Ziegfeld Frolic and wants to go solo. Don's crushed, and his best friend Johnny Harrow (Lawford) thinks she's being selfish. She's more interested in him, but he knows Don still loves her. Angry, Don plucks singer Hannah Brown (Garland) out of the chorus of a bar show and tells her he's going to make her his partner. He tries to recreate his vaudeville ballroom dancing act with her, but as a furious Nadine points out, she's ill-suited to it. Meanwhile, Johnny has become smitten with Hannah, and she has feelings for Don.

Don finally comes to the conclusion that ballroom dancing doesn't work with vivacious Hannah. When he retools the act to emphasize comedy and her singing, it becomes a big success. Initially offered a role in the Ziegfeld Frolics, Don turns it down when he realizes that Hannah would be competing against Nadine, realizing that he's in love with her. Luck is with them - they're given an even bigger spot in a Dillingham show. Despite the show being a hit, Nadine decides she wants one dance with Don "for old time's sake," upsetting Hannah. It's Johnny who finally brings everyone together, just in time for New York's big Easter showcase on Fifth Avenue.

The Song and Dance: This charming confection wound up being the biggest hit musical of 1948, and the second-biggest movie at the box office that year. No wonder, with this cast. Astaire and Garland work beautifully together as the dancer who thinks he's trying to get his girl back and the girl he chooses to replace her. Miller, making her MGM debut after several years of doing B musicals at Columbia, is quite funny as Nadine, and Lawford's adorably dorky as Don's law-college buddy who is pursing Hannah while being pursued by Nadine. Jules Munshin has a running gag where everyone keeps walking out of the restaurant he works at, and another where he gets to describe his best salad to the diners.

Appropriately for a movie about Easter, there's some gorgeous period costumes here. Special kudos for the amazing hats, from the "Happy Easter" montage in the beginning with women showing off the latest haberdashery fashions for Astaire to Garland's lovely pink wide-brimmed number (and Astaire's top hat with the ribbons) in the finale.

Favorite Number: Of the songs written for the film, my favorite is Lawford and Garland's adorable duet in the rain, "A Fella With an Umbrella." Lawford may not be much of a singer, but he's so cute under that umbrella, you wonder how Garland can resist him. Astaire gets two of his best solos, "Drum Crazy" in the opening as he shows a little boy the delights of drums and "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with the chorus in the Dillingham show. The latter showcases some unusual special effects, including Astaire slowing down while the rest of the dancers continue at normal speed, that still look pretty good today. Miller has an incredible "Shakin' the Blues Away" solo in the Ziegfeld Frolic, and has a nice boys-and-canes routine at the end of the chorus number "The Girl On the Magazine Cover." (By the way, see how many magazine covers represented in that song you can find on newsstands or online today.)

Probably the most famous number from this one is "A Couple of Swells," with Garland and Astaire dressed as hobos pretending to be millionaires. Considering it apparently took Garland long enough to talk Astaire into the whole thing (he didn't like not being seen dressed up), it wound up being one of the funniest routines from any classic MGM musical.

Trivia: I give Miller a lot of credit for doing as well on "Shakin' the Blues Away" as she did. She wore a back brace during filming after being thrown downstairs by her abusive then-husband.

What I Don't Like: The plot is a mess of romantic comedy cliches and can be confusing about who's chasing whom at times, especially towards the end. Don and Johnny are right about Nadine being selfish. She should have at least told Don she wanted to leave well before she took that role, or given him some notice. As cute as "Drum Crazy" is, it's really extraneous, and was likely only there to give Astaire a solo without the chorus. And as much as I love the costumes, the movie doesn't really feel very historical, or Easter-ish, for that matter. It probably could have been set anytime in the early-mid 20th century and at any time of the year without missing a beat.

The Big Finale: Fluffy story aside, the delightful music and enjoyable performances are more than enough reason to make this one a part of your Easter traditions, too.

Home Media: Alas, my two-disc DVD set appears to be out of print, but the Blu-Ray is avalible, and it can be found on several streaming platforms.

Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime