Gold Diggers of 1937

Warner Bros, 1936

Starring Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Victor Moore, and Glenda Farrell

Directed by Lloyd Bacon

Music by Harry Warren and Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg and Al Dubin

Despite the success of the 1935 Gold Diggers, Warners was starting to notice diminishing returns with its other Berkeley-esque backstage extravaganzas and lowered the budget on this one. Bacon took over the directing reigns here, letting Berkeley to concentrate on what he did best - creating elaborate dance numbers that let the cameras do the dancing. The studio initially wanted Arlen and Harburg to write the music, but they were so disappointed with the results, they brought Dubin and Warren back in. How well did they all do with the bizarre story of a life insurance salesman who convinces a Broadway producer to buy life insurance and has to keep him alive in order for him to continue to make money from it look today? Let's begin at an insurance convention in Atlantic City and find out...

The Story: Rosmer Peek (Powell) is the top salesman with his insurance company. He hires former chorus girl Norma Perry (Blondell) as his secretary and convinces Broadway producer J.J Hobart (Moore) to sign a million-dollar life insurance policy. His partners Morty Wethered (Osgood Perkins) and Tom Hugo (Charles D. Brown) squandered all of Hobart's money in the stock market. They want that million dollars to back a new Broadway show and do everything they can to push him closer to death, including sending gold digger Genevieve Larkin (Farrell) to seduce him. Genevieve ends up falling for him instead. Now there might not be a show, unless Rosmer and his friends can find another way to get the money without losing their million-dollar golden goose in the process.

The Song and Dance: I give them credit for going with a truly original story this time. I don't know of too many other musicals about singing insurance salesmen and the business of selling insurance. I also love how the insurance company eventually earns the money - via Genevieve's genuine gold digger girlfriends and the wealthy insurance men the snagged at the beginning of the film. Powell and Blondell had just gotten married a few months before this movie's release, and you can see that in their strong chemistry and playful performances. Moore's so adorable as the hypochondriac producer having the most fun he's ever had in his life, you can understand why Genevieve fell for him. Some great costumes, too, especially in the big Berkeley number in the finale, "All's Fair In Love and War."

The Numbers: We open with Powell singing the hit "With Plenty of Money and You" before and during the credits. He also gets our first chorus number, encouraging his fellow salesmen to increase their morale with "The Life Insurance Song." The first version of "Speaking of the Weather" is, surprisingly for a Berkeley musical, a plot number. Rosmer tries to flirt with Norma, even as a storm scatters the paperwork on  her desk everywhere. It's charming and cute, and Powell and Blondell have fun with it. 

"Let's Put Our Heads Together" is another chorus number as everyone at the party for the life insurance company find romance. We also get a bit of "Speaking of the Weather" here as Rosmer's buddy Boop Oglethorpe (Lee Dixon) shows off a wild, arms-and-legs tap routine and Genevieve dances with J.J. "Speaking of the Weather" is reprised again as part of the "All's Fair In Love and War" finale. This men against women military satire begins with all the lovers spooning in massive rocking chairs. This is traded in for military formations as over a hundred women in white uniforms create Berkeley's iconic overhead patterns.

Trivia: A sixth song, "Hush Mah Mouth," was apparently filmed but not used.

What I Don't Like: Did I mention how weird this is? Life insurance seems like a pretty odd subject for a musical, and mixing it with the backstage shenanigans doesn't make much sense. The "All's Fair" number is somewhat scaled-down compared to the bigger, more dramatic "Lullaby of Broadway" and "The Words are the Music In My Heart" from Gold Diggers of 1935. Considering "Plenty of Money" went on to be a hit in its own right, I'm surprised it only gets that quick run-through from Powell before the credits. You'd think Berkeley would have built that up into a big money-based number like in the earlier Gold Diggers of 1933. 

The Big Finale: Worth catching if you're a fan of the cast or the Berkeley backstage imitations of the 1930's for the good numbers and performances.

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming, the former currently from the Warner Archive.

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Musicals On TV - Bloomer Girl

NBC, 1956

Starring Barbara Cook, Keith Andes, Carmen Matthews, and Paul Ford

Directed by Alex Segal

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg

Operetta was not normally Harburg and Arlen's turf, but Harburg in particular was a passionate liberal who supported his many causes in his music. Cook was the next big thing on Broadway when this show debuted, having just come off the short-lived but well-remembered Candide and a year before her breakthrough in The Music Man. How well does she do in this recording of the 1944 Broadway hit about the fictional niece of real-life feminist and early black rights supporter Amelia "Dolly" Bloomer (Matthews)? Let's begin with the five older Applegate sisters and their mother Serena (Nydia Westman) and maid Daisy (Patricia Hammerlee) as they wait for their hoopskirt salesmen husbands to come home to Cicero Falls, New York in 1861 and find out...

The Story: Those five older Applegate sisters may be content to marry salesmen and sit around in hoopskirts, but that's not enough for youngest sister Evelina (Cook). She thoroughly believes in her Aunt Dolly Bloomer's (Matthews) views on women's and black rights, including the right to more comfortable clothing. Her frustrated father (Ford), the owner of a hoopskirt factory, encourages southern gentleman Jeff Calhoun (Andes) to court her. Evelina will have nothing to do with him until he frees his slave Pompey (Rawn Spearman). 

Jeff's more than happy to do so at first, until his brother Hamilton (Frank Overton), who thoroughly believes in the right to own slaves, protests. Evelina's father is even more upset when his daughter turns up in bloomers on a Sunday and insists on her aunt's right to perform Uncle Tom's Cabin with her girls. The women end up in jail, until Governor Newton (Paul McGrath) admits he supports their cause and lets the show go on. The show - and Evelina and Jeff's relationship - is disrupted by the Civil War. The war, however, brings many positive changes, including making Jeff see the light about the importance of freedom for all.

The Song and Dance: By far the best things about this are the period-perfect costumes and the rare chance to see Cook in her prime and Agnes deMille's original choreography, including the dramatic and much-lauded "Civil War Ballet." Cook is an adorable whirlwind, coquettish with Jeff, then easily standing up to her father and the sheriff in defence of her aunt and the causes she supports. Matthews is just as strong-willed as her aunt, and Ford is a blustery delight as her conservative father. Considering how wonderful the dancing is here, I really wish more of it had been retained. Love the costumes, too. We have full-on, period-accurate hoopskirts and bloomers for the ladies, tight suits and Civil War uniforms for the men, and tattered clothing for the slaves and black men who sing "I Got a Song."

Favorite Number: We open with "When the Boys Come Home" as the Applegate sisters and mother await the arrival of their salesmen husbands. Jeff sings about his "Evelina," but Evelina isn't impressed. Dolly, Daisy, and the Bloomer girls who work at Dolly's newspaper claim "It Was Good Enough for Grandma," but they want a lot more than sitting at home in a lively, adorable dance. Pompey declares "The Eagle and Me" equally deserve freedom. For Jeff and Evelina, everything is "Right as the Rain." 

"Sunday In Cicero Falls" starts off quietly for the chorus, until Dolly and her girls come high-stepping along with an encore of "Good Enough for Grandma" to advertise Uncle Tom's Cabin. "I Got a Song," says Pompey and two of his friends as they explain that they can't laugh, but they can sing. Dolly and Evelina sing a "Lullaby" to the ladies while in prison. Daisy prances to the upbeat "I Never Was Born" while dressed as Topsy for the Cabin production, blackface and all. The brief "Man for Sale," with an auctioneer (David Aiken) "selling" off a black man during the show. It's interrupted by the announcement of the Civil War, which leads into the stirring "Civil War Ballet." James Marshall leads the dance corps, many from the 1944 show, as they depict the men going to war, and what happens when they come home.

Trivia: Bloomer Girl ran a year and a half on Broadway in its original production, respectable for the time. Celeste Holm played Evelina; Dooley Wilson was Pompey. Its only New York stagings since then were a brief City Center revival in 1947, an off-Broadway revival in 2000, and an Encores! concert in 2001.

Brock Peters has a small role as Pompey's friend Alexander; he can be heard in "I Got a Song" and "Man for Sale." He would go on to star as Crown in the 1959 Porgy and Bess, the wrongfully accused Tom Robinson in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, and as Joseph Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 

Amelia "Dolly" Bloomer was a real-life feminist and abolitionist who lived in small-town upstate New York and advocated freer, looser clothing for women and did run a newspaper advocating her causes in the 1850's. By 1859, she'd actually moved to Iowa and had resumed wearing longer skirts, since hoopskirts and heavy petticoats were being replaced by that point by crinolines. 

What I Don't Like: There's a few reasons this is rarely seen nowadays, despite the wonderful music and dance and still-relevant subject matter. Some of the dialogue, especially concerning African-American rights, comes off as condescending or overly stiff today. There's also the second half hinging around a performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Though it's downplayed from the original show, where it was a major set piece that included an expanded "Man for Sale" and a sequence derived from Eliza crossing the ice, we still get Hammerlee's too-goofy blackface "I Never Was Born" number. 

The Uncle Tom's Cabin sequence wasn't the only one to be cut down for television. Most of the other dance routines were dropped as well, along with numbers for Evelina's brothers-in-law and the men in Cicero Falls ("The Farmer's Whiskers," "Pretty as a Picture"), a solo for Daisy ("T'Morra, T'Morra"), and a third duet for Evelina and Jeff ("Rakish Young Man With the Whiskers"). Also, basic warning that this is a fuzzy black-and-white recording of a show originally broadcast live and in color. Considering how many such shows have been lost to time, we're lucky to have this at all.

The Big Finale: The terrific music and ballets and the fact that this doesn't turn up often onstage nowadays makes this rare program worth checking out for fans of Cook, Harburg and Arlen, or the folksy Americana shows of the 40's and 50's. 

Home Media: It's in print, but like all VAI International DVD releases, is expensive online. You're better off checking eBay or other used venues for this.

DVD

Strike Me Pink

Goldwyn/United Artists, 1936

Starring Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Sailly Eilers, and Harry Einstein (Parkyakarkus) 

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Lew Brown

By the mid-30's, the Goldwyn/Cantor extravaganzas weren't the only game in town for merriment. Berkeley had moved to Warners, while the Production Code ensured that the Goldwyn Girls could no longer show skin and Cantor's blackface numbers couldn't be quite so suggestive. Musicals had come back into fashion, and now every studio was creating lavish spectaculars featuing big numbers with lots of pretty girls. How does Cantor's last movie for Goldwyn reflect these changes? Let's begin, not with Cantor, but with college student Butch Carson (Gordon Jones) as he defends a smaller student from bullies, and find out...

The Story: Butch is a sweet guy, but he's not very bright. He turns to his friend Eddie Pink (Cantor), the owner of the tailor shop where he studies, to help him ace his final exams. He was supposed to take over managing his mother Hattie Carson's (Helene Lowell) amusement park, but joins the Navy instead. Eddie, who has read a book on how to be more assertive, gallantly agrees to take the job.

He instantly regrets it when he realizes that a group of gangsters led by Mr. Couple (William Frawley) have been pushing to have their illegal slot machines in the amusement park and have killed all of Eddie's predecessors. He manages to avoid their bullets and hypnotize one of their men, though he doesn't have much luck dodging his meddling bodyguard Parkyakarkus (Einstein). His crush on nightclub singer Joyce Lennox (Merman) may be what does him in when she convinces him that she killed a man. He'll do anything to help her, but even he thinks there's something going on when gangsters phony ghosts who can burp and play cards start chasing him and Parkyakarkus all over the amusement park!

The Song and Dance: Cantor dominates this from start to finish. He does get some good routines, especially when he's hypnotizing gangsters or convincing them he's impervious to their bullets. (I also appreciate that this is one of two Goldwyn movies where he doesn't end up in blackface, not even to avoid the mob.) Eliers gets a few good lines as his disbelieving secretary, and Frawley's a decent menacing gangster. Goldwyn's usual lavishness gives us gorgeous gowns for the ladies and location shooting at the long-gone The Pike amusement pier in Long Beach, California. 

Favorite Number: Taurog begins Merman's nightclub number "First You Have Me High" with a striking shot of her in black, with just her white face surrounded by a dark background. This eventually becomes dozens of dancing Goldwyn Girls who are joined by handsome partners as they swirl around her. Cantor admires comely Dona Drake and the Goldwyn Girls as they swirl across the stage, singing about how "The Lady Dances." Merman and Cantor sing on the Ferris wheel about how he'll be smoking a "Calabash Pipe" when they grow old together, despite her having no real interest in him. Merman gets to solo on the peppier "Shake It Off With Rhythm," this time joined by Sunnie O'Dea and the Goldwyn Girls tapping to their mirrored reflections.

Trivia: Look for a young Brian Donlevy among the thugs threatening Eddie. 

What I Don't Like: No one besides Cantor and the gangsters really have all that much to do. Merman is top-billed with Cantor, but other than her numbers and luring Eddie with her phony murder story during the middle of the movie, she's barely there. You think Jones will be a prominent character, from what a big deal they make over Eddie helping Butch out in the opening, but he vanishes after ten minutes and is neither seen, nor heard from again. Harold Arlen and Lew Brown's songs are lovely, but not that memorable.

The Big Finale: Fine for major fans of Cantor or Merman. Casual viewers will want to start with one of his earlier, better-received vehicles like The Kid from Spain or Roman Scandals. 

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

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At the Circus

MGM, 1939

Starring The Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, and Harpo), Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, and Margaret Dumont

Directed by Edward Buzzell

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg

A Day at the Races was a hit in 1937, but things had changed at MGM in the two years between the making of that film and this one. Producer Irving Thalberg passed away a few months before the release of Races. He was one of the people who was instrumental in bringing the Marxes from Paramount and had been their biggest supporter at MGM. Louis B. Mayer, who took over as head of the studio, was far less receptive to the Marxes' wacky brand of comedy. How do the Marxes manage to get involved with a circus that's on the verge of going under, a gorilla carrying a club, and an amorous trapeze artist? To find out, let's begin backstage at the Wilson Circus and see what's going on behind the scenes...

The Story: Jeff Wilson (Baker) owes $10,000 on his circus to John Carter (James Burke), who intends to use it as a front for his gangster activities. Jeff's hidden the money in the cage of Gibraltar, their star gorilla (Charles Gemora). Carter's men Goliath the strongman (Nat Pendleton) and little man Professor Atom (Jerry Maren) knock him out and steal the money. If Jeff can't make the circus a success, he won't be able to marry his horse trainer fiancee Julie Randall (Rice).  

Fortunately, Jeff has help in the form of circus employee Tony Pirelli (Chico) and Goliath's assistant Punchy (Harpo). Tony called lawyer J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho) to figure out who wants the money and why. Loophole tries to get the money off of Burke's trapeze artist girlfriend Peerless Pauline (Eve Arden), but she outsmarts him. Tony and Punchy don't do any better searching Goliath's room. Loophole finally goes to Jeff's wealthy Aunt Suzanna Dukesbury (Dumont) to convince her that the circus would be perfect for her big Newport party. Carter, however, is ready to do anything, even burn the circus down, to keep that money from being found.

The Song and Dance: The Marxes do manage to get a few genuinely good gags and sequences here. Chico and Harpo have a great time searching Goliath's room as they destroy his pillows and let the feathers fly. Arden has her own fun being one of the very few people who ever managed to put one over on Groucho. Dumont doesn't come in until more than half-way through the movie, but she does get shot out of a cannon in the finale. Even some of the music comes across. Groucho gets one of his best numbers from any of the movies with the hilarious "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"; Chico's version of "Beer Barrel Polka" is pretty nifty, too.

Favorite Number: We open and close with the big circus number "Step Up and Take a Bow." Julie sings it to her horses in the first few minutes; Jeff performs it during the show in the end. Julie and Jeff sing the nursery rhyme-inspired ballad "Two Blind Loves" twice. It's originally heard as a duet over a cup of coffee while they wait for the circus train to leave. Jeff sings it alone later, when they're worried the circus may close. Harpo does the bizarre chorus number "Swingali" with big Dudley Dickerson and a group of black children on the circus grounds. He plays several different instruments for them, ending with his harp performance of "Blue Moon." Chico amuses the circus people with "Beer Barrel Polka" on the piano during the train trip.

The number for the books is Groucho's "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." Groucho follows "Beer Barrel Polka" with this wild rendition of Harburg's hilarious comic ditty about the infamous tattoo artist who has just about everything in history you can imagine drawn on her shapely chest. Groucho really throws himself into the song, shaking and swinging with abandon, and Chico has fun accompanying him. It's by far the film's best moment.

Trivia: Buster Keaton was supposed to supply gags for this film, but his lengthy and stylized sequences didn't mix well with the Marxes' looser form of comedy. When the Marxes complained, Keaton basically said he was doing what he'd been paid to do.

What I Don't Like: Actually, no matter what the Marxes thought, Keaton's longer comedy sequences aren't the problem here. While the songs generally fit in better than the ones in A Day at the Races did, other than "Lydia" and the harp and piano performances, they still seem a bit off. "Three Blind Loves" is especially bad, with a sing-song melody and drippy lyrics that are far from Harburg or Arlen's best work. There's way too much emphasis on the cliche "save the circus" story, too.  Baker and Rice are horribly bland, and we see far too much of them. Frankly, I would have rather seen more of the fairly funny Arlen or brought Dumont in earlier to play off Groucho. 

The Big Finale: Marx Brothers fans will want this one for "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" and some great gags near the beginning and end. Everyone else is better off starting with Night at the Opera or Day at the Races for a taste of the Marxes at MGM. 

Home Media: Easily found on streaming and DVD, the latter from the Warner Archives.

DVD

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Saluting Our Troops - Up In Arms

Samuel Goldwyn Productions/RKO, 1944

Starring Danny Kaye, Dinah Shore, Dana Andrews, and Constance Dowling

Directed by Elliot Nugent

Music and Lyrics by various

We salute the men and women of the Armed Services for Veteran's Day with Danny Kaye's first feature-length movie and vehicle for Goldwyn. Ever since Eddie Cantor left in the late 30's, Goldwyn had looked for another star comedian of his caliber. He found him in former nightclub comic Kaye, who had just scored a major success on Broadway in the stage hit Lady In the Dark. Goldwyn spared no expense for Kaye's first film, pairing him with beloved radio singer Shore and heartthrob Andrews in what amounted to a World War II-themed remake of Cantor's first sound film Whoopee! How does the story of a hypochondriac who ends up in the Army look today? Let's start in the hospital, where elevator operator Danny Weems (Kaye) constantly rattles on to people about their non-existent health problems, and find out...

The Story: Nurse Virginia Merrill (Shore) is in love with Danny, but he's in love with another nurse, Mary Morgan (Dowling). Mary's really interested in Danny's best friend Joe (Andrews). Danny is horrified when he's drafted into the Army. All those germs overseas! Joe joins up to keep an eye on him. Mary and Virginia are also enlisted as Army nurses. Danny smuggles Mary onboard their transport ship to the South Pacific, but they're caught and he ends up in the brig. 

He's still in prison after they land on the South Seas island. That works to his advantage when he's inadvertently rescued by a troop of Japanese soldiers. He's going to have to do a lot more than worry about these guys' health when he has to impersonate their head commander and capture them himself!

The Song and Dance: Kaye bursts out of the gate running on his first try. He did a few low-budget shorts in the late 30's, but nothing like this. He runs with it, sometimes literally, whether he's rattling off lists of his non-existent symptoms (and everyone else's), or doing a song and dance in literal Hell with Shore. Shore's not bad as the nurse who is really interested in him. She manages to hold her own with him in the Hell number and sounds gorgeous on her ballads. 

Favorite Number: Kaye's best number is early in the film, when he recreates what sounds like Goldwyn's idea of the  musical Something For the Boys in lobby of a movie theater. He even gets the patrons doing a Carmen Miranda conga line at one point. Shore performs the gentle ballad "Now I Know" while making a record for the folks back home at a carnival. "All Out For Freedom" is the big rousing chorus number as everyone, the soldiers and the nurses, march onto the transport boat. The chorus also joins in for Shore's other ballad, the bluesy "Tess' Torch Song" on board ship. Kaye's other patter number, which he performs to distract the troops from Mary's presence, is "Melody In 4 F." 

The one for the books is Kaye's dream sequence near the end of the film. We first have him in a pastel nightclub, complete with pale blue goat on a leash, as he's about to marry his Mary. That dream turns quickly into something quite different as the Goldwyn Girls trade pastel bridesmaids dresses for slinky black gowns as they recline against spindly trees and Shore comes out scatting in a tight black gown. 

Trivia: Goldwyn originally planned to have the Disney short "The Gremlins" as the fantasy sequence, but the spot and short were eventually scrapped.

Dowling's film debut. Virginia Mayo can be spotted in the chorus. 

What I Don't Like: This hasn't dated any better than Whoopee! In fact, despite having a different story, it shares the same problems - namely, stereotyped minority characters and an extremely stiff second couple. Andrews, charismatic as he is, was never really comfortable in musicals. Dowling is so dull, you can't really understand what either man sees in her. The last 20 minutes, with Danny leading a troop of Japanese soldiers around while dressed as a stereotypical Japanese officer, will be more than a little uncomfortable for many viewers today. Not to mention, the sudden switch to action comedy doesn't really work well with the slapstick farce that came before it. There's also the abrupt ending, with one last doctor gag from Danny before a sudden, nonsensical reprise of his fantasy/Hell number with Shore and the Goldwyn Girls.

The Big Finale: This is only for major fans of Shore, Andrews, and Kaye or wartime musicals. Everyone else is advised to check out Kaye's better vehicles like The Court Jester or White Christmas before coming anywhere near here. 

Home Media: Available on streaming and on DVD as part of the Warner Archives set Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years. 

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Happy Mother's Day! - My Blue Heaven (1950)

20th Century Fox, 1950

Starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, David Wayne, and Jane Wyatt

Directed by Henry Koster

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Ralph Blane

Mother Wore Tights wasn't the last time Betty Grable and Dan Dailey played singing and dancing parents. This modern story of a dancing team who want to adopt a baby was Grable and Dailey's third of four films together. In addition to being a rare musical family drama, it's also one of the earliest film musicals to be set around television. TV was already starting to make headway as the latest up-and-coming medium, and far bigger threat to movies' pop culture dominance than radio. How does one couple handle all these changes? Let's start as radio star Kitty Moran (Grable) learns she's going to have a baby and find out...

The Story: Kitty and her partner and husband Jack (Dailey) are thrilled, and so are all of their friends. Sadly, their dreams of parenthood are shattered when Jack gets drunk at the baby shower and his wife is hurt in a car accident and miscarries. They try to adopt a child on the suggestion of their producer and sponsor Walter Pringle (Wayne) and his wife Janet (Wyatt), but can't due to their status as performers. 

Even as their show moves to television, things seem to be turning around, and they find an orphanage willing to let them adopt a boy...until the priggish head of the home Mrs. Bates (Minerva Urecal) sees their friends having a wild party at their apartment to welcome the baby and decides they aren't fit parents after all. Kitty's devastated, until Walter finds a woman who wants to give away her child. Kitty insists on taking care of the baby herself...but first she has to fend off her understudy Gloria (Mitzi Gaynor) when she takes her place on the show, then the child's father turns up and wants it back...

The Song and Dance: I give this one credit for originality. Musicals don't often go into domestic drama, and there's even fewer that involve adoption and how difficult the process is. There's also its discussion of early live television. Movies were mostly trying to ignore this upstart rival at this point; this may have been one of the first film musicals to use it as part of the plot. Daily and Grable make just as believable a couple in modern dress as they did in the early 20th century, and Wayne and Wyatt more than match them as the goofier couple who already have six kids, three adopted. 

Favorite Number: We begin with Grable and Dailey clowning on their radio show, singing about tax season and how "It's Deductible," even every member of the family. Wayne and all the men from the show joke about "What a Man!" Dailey is for conceiving a child, as they all get drunk and raucous at the baby shower. They sing about "Halloween" dressed as scarecrows for the Pringle kids after losing the baby. Grable and Dailey are servants dreaming of a night on the town in their masters' clothes and how "I Love a New Yorker" during their TV show. 

"Live Hard, Work Hard, Play Hard" starts off with Dailey as a gambler singing about his personal motto and Gaynor as the moll who wants him to pay more attention to her...until we cut to Grable's apartment and see her watching the show. The number finishes with her as she dances her part, claiming she could do better than Gloria ever did. "The Friendly Islands" is an obvious spoof of then then-major Broadway hit "South Pacific," with Dailey attempting to sing bass like Enzio Pinza, Grable in bad dark makeup as the native girl he falls for, and "islanders" and sailors swaying all around them. 

Trivia: Film debut of Mitzi Gaynor.

What I Don't Like: I appreciate them tackling difficult subjects like adultery and adoption in a movie musical....but I wish they'd actually figured out if they wanted to be a domestic drama or a slightly dark comedy. There's enough mood whiplash in this film to give you neck cramps. It goes right from the car crash - which we don't see much of - and her recovery into the "Halloween" sequence. Jack looks like he's dallying with Gloria...and then Kitty shows up quickly to lay down the law. On one hand, I am glad they didn't linger over a messy subplot...but it also makes me wish the film hadn't passed over this so quickly. The ending is fairly abrupt and a bit too obvious and happy-ending for the somewhat darker story before it.

Frankly, none of the musical numbers are all that memorable, either. The music is dull, and other than the novel integration of "Live Hard, Work Hard, Play Hard" as Grable wishes she was one performing, mostly don't have anything to do with the film and slow it down. 

The Big Picture: While I give 20th Century Fox credit for trying something different with Grable's vehicles, it's still best for fans of her, Dailey, or the big musicals of the 1950's. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

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Happy Memorial Day! - The Sky's the Limit

RKO, 1943

Starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert Benchley, and Reginald Fenton

Directed by Edward H. Griffith

Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

We honor the troops this Memorial Day Weekend with a very different wartime musical. As I've mentioned many times, the musicals of the World War II years were largely intended to be the ultimate in escapist fare, often set in faraway places or times. Sky's the Limit takes a different road, with it's slightly darker depiction of a war hero who pretends to be an ordinary guy to woo an ambitious photographer. How does this small-scale romance look today? Let's begin as three heroic ace Flying Tigers return to the US for a ticker-tape parade in New York and a whirlwind publicity tour and find out...

The Story: Triple ace Lieutenant Fred Atwill (Astaire) is on leave and just wants to have some fun and meet a few pretty girls. Sneaking off the train, he heads to New York City, where he meets photographer Joan Manion (Leslie). Joan's tired of taking pictures of celebrities. She's dying to head overseas and photograph a war zone, but her boss Phil Harriman (Benchley) would rather keep her near him, so he can try to convince her to marry him. 

Fred falls head over heels in love with Joan and does everything he can to woo her, even moving in next to her. She wishes he'd get a real job, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in working. He tries setting up Phil with her...but it ends up working in his favor anyway. His buddies, however, have found him out...and then tell him that his leave's been cut short, and he only has two days left to show Joan how much he really cares about her.

The Song and Dance: Astaire usually doesn't work in uniform, but he's a tad bit more realistic as an independent-minded flyer who has a hard time taking orders than he is a sailor or army officer. Leslie simply glows as the strong-willed and intelligent young woman who is enchanting enough for two older men to adore her. You'd never believe she turned 18 during filming; she seems far more mature. Benchley's also on more accustomed territory here as the caustic newspaperman who wants to keep his crush out of harm's way. The wartime setting and small cast gives the story a feel of intimacy and sophistication. 

Favorite Number: The Oscar-nominated ballad of longing "My Shining Hour" turns up twice, as Leslie's solo with a neon-framed orchestra early in the film, and later as an instrumental backdrop for Leslie and Astaire's romantic ballroom duet. They have a great time with the comic "A Lot In Common With You" as they jokingly sing about the same things they do (and don't) like, leading into a very funny dance routine. 

The big one here is the standard "One for My Baby." Astaire performs this at the bar after he criticizes an airplane manufacturer's planes and Joan walks out on him. After he drunkenly asks for more, he taps furiously across the bar, eventually ending with him breaking all the glassware on the bar and throwing a stool into the mirror in the back. What's even more impressive is that Astaire did all the choreography in this one himself, without the help of his usual partners. 

What I Don't Like: This isn't for those looking for a bigger, bolder, more epic plot, or a more typical romantic comedy. It's funny, but it's a small story that's mostly about a man trying to be ordinary for a lady who wants to be something special. No huge chorus numbers, no goofy side characters besides Benchley and Astaire's buddies. Speaking of his buddies, their nasty behavior when they find out what Fred's up to may rub some people the wrong way, especially when they force him to do a snake dance that's as awkward as it is silly.

The Big Finale: Underrated and charming, this low-key wartime romance is highly recommended for fans of Astaire or those who prefer their musicals on a smaller scale. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD from the Warner Archive and on streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - Gay Purr-ee

Warner Bros/UPA, 1962

Voices of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and Paul Frees

Directed by Abe Levitow

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg

United Productions of America (UPA) began to make industrial and training films during World War II. They eventually became the in-house studio for Columbia Studios, winning awards for their unique use of limited animation and their two major characters, Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing Boing. This was their second and last attempt at a feature length film, and their only one not to feature Magoo. Chuck Jones of Looney Tunes fame also had a hand in it...and it got him fired from Warners when they realized he was working for another studio. Was all the fuss worth it? Let's head to a farm in 1895 Provence in the south of France and find out...

The Story: Mewsette the Angora cat (Garland) is tired of quiet rural life and her handsome but loutish suitor Jaune Tom (Goulet), an orange tom cat. Tom's kitten friend Robspierre (Buttons) wishes he'd forget Mewsette and stick to chasing mice. Mewsette finally takes the train to Paris, with Tom and Robspierre following on the tracks.

On the train, Mewsette encounters Meowice (Frees), a slick con-man tuxedo cat who claims he'll take her to Madame Rubens-Chatte (Hermoine Gingold) and have her made over into a society beauty. What he really wants to do is sell her to a rich American cat. He gets Tom and Robspierre drunk and sends them on a boat to Alaska. Mewsette flees when she figures out Meowrice's true intentions, but now she's alone and on her own. Tom, however, has had more luck in the Alaska than anyone could have guessed, and now he and Robspierre are on their way back to Paris to rescue poor Mewsette from ending up on a slow boat to Pittsburgh.

The Animation: Gorgeous...to a point. The backgrounds, with their glowing rainbow colors and sketchy style, look very much like the artwork Mewsette appears in at one point. Trouble is, the backgrounds remain stationary the entire time. They don't move or flow, and the characters don't always move the best, either. Chuck Jones' hand can be seen in the cats' expressive faces and wide eyes and mobile eyebrows that convey more than words ever could.

The Song and Dance: Charming enough to make me wish Garland did more animated films. She and Frees play very well off each other as the sweet farm cat looking for excitement in the big, glamorous city and the evil kitty who cares about nothing but money. Arlen and Harburg wrote a lovely score, too, with Garland calling "Little Drops of Rain" one of her favorite songs from her movies along with "Over the Rainbow." Buttons and Goulet also have a few cute moments as the country ginger cat determined to find his sweetheart and the pugnacious kitten who wishes he'd forget love and settle into chasing mice. 

Favorite Number: Goulet gives us a good start on the farm as he croons the praises of his beautiful "Mewsette." Mewsette dreams of glamor and elegance in the big city in "Paris, Take My Hand." Meowice takes Mewsette on a ride in a buggy through Paris, claiming "The Horses Won't Talk." "Little Drops of Rain" is Jeune Tom's fantasy on the boat to Alaska, as he hears Mewsette encouraging him to return to her over a gorgeous montage of water scenes; Goulet gets a lovely reprise on the ship's mast. Towards the end of the film, Mewsette laments that "Paris Is a Lonely Town" when she's lost and homeless in a gray wintry City of Lights.

Trivia: Robert Goulet's first movie. 

What I Don't Like: The cliche story is likely intended to poke fun at old-time melodramas from the late 19th century, but it just seems ridiculous nowadays. Even then, audiences didn't know what to make of it - the movie was a major flop in 1962. No wonder Mewsette complains about Tom. Other than his extraordinary mouse-catching ability, he's not exactly long on personality. Robspierre can be more than a little annoying, too. There's also the animation, which is lovely but still limited. Those artistic backgrounds remain just that, backgrounds. You never really believe the characters inhabit them. 

The Big Finale: For adults who love the cast and younger kids who'll enjoy the cats' antics and be able to overlook the occasionally dark and cliched plot and the colorful but limited animation and enjoy the excellent music and performances. 

Home Media: Easy to find on streaming and on disc, the latter currently from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Summer Stock

MGM, 1950
Starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, and Gloria DeHaven
Directed by Charles Walters
Music by various

In the late 30's and early 40's, Judy Garland made four movies with her friend Mickey Rooney that had them as teenagers putting on shows in their backyards, barns, or old local theater. Hoping to recreate some of that magic, MGM wanted to put Judy and Mickey back together in a film that had them as a farmer who has to deal with a director who wants his theater troupe to perform in her barn. By 1950, Rooney was no longer a major star, and he was replaced with the far more popular Kelly. How do they work in their last film together? Let's head to Farraday Farm, as proprietor Jane Farraday (Garland) starts her work day, and find out...

The Story: Jane is in dire straits. The farm hasn't produced a good crop in three years, and it's facing foreclosure. She implores banker Jasper Wingnail (Ray Collins) and his son Orville (Bracken) to give her a tractor so she can get her work done faster. Even as she brings it home, she finds that her flighty sister Abigail (DeHaven) has returned with her acting troupe and their musical. In exchange for letting them use the barn to put on their show, Jane has them do chores around the farm. They aren't very good, and everyone in the community, including the Wingnails, is leery of them.

Jane, however, eventually realizes she enjoys singing and dancing and is fascinated by watching them work. Joe not only falls for her, but he's tired of spoiled Abigail who insists on prima donna treatment. Jane's tired of put-upon Orville, but marrying him may be the only way she can save her farm...

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had getting it together, they came up with a charming tale that has some terrific numbers. Kelly and Garland show all the off-the-charts chemistry that made For Me and My Gal and The Pirate so special. Bracken also has a few good gags as Jane's meek suitor who is totally dominated by his blustery father, as does Marjorie Main as Garland's devoted housekeeper. I like that the farm setting is fairly novel as well. Most of those "barnyard" musicals weren't set on actual farms.

 Favorite Number: Garland opens the film by showing us her daily morning routine, from showering to putting on her shoes (and shows Jane's independent nature), in "If You Feel Like Singing, Sing." She greets passer-by with the first version of "Howdy Neighbor" as she drives along in that coveted tractor. Kelly and Phil Silvers as the second-in-command of the troupe convince the actors to "Dig Dig Dig for Your Dinner" in the kitchen and help Jane out. "Portland Fancy" is the real New England folk dance performed by the locals at a town dance; Kelly, Garland, and the performing troupe barge in to jazz up the proceedings. Kelly gets a classic solo dancing on a squeaky floor and part of an old newspaper that really shows off his amazing dexterity.

By far the most famous number from this one is "Get Happy." Garland performs it in the top half of a tuxedo, with the male chorus in tuxes and a pale pink sunset backdrop. It's pretty obvious this one was filmed long after shooting ended. She's not only noticeably thinner than in the rest of the film, but has three times more vitality and energy, too.

Trivia: This would be Garland's last movie with Kelly and for MGM. She and MGM parted by mutual consent after she was fired from Royal Wedding.

What I Don't Like: For all her chemistry with Kelly, Garland is obviously tired elsewhere, especially the non-musical scenes. DeHaven is a bit bland as the sister who supposedly has enough ambition and spunk to run off and join a theatrical troupe. And yeah, the story is pretty cliche when you get past the unusual farm setting, and not always kind to country residents.

The Big Finale: A lovely end to Garland and Kelly's partnership. If you're a fan of them or the big Technicolor MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, you'll really enjoy this one.

Home Media: Easy to find in all formats. The DVD and Blu-Ray were released by the Warner Archives.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Star Spangled Rhythm

Paramount, 1942
Starring Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Victor Moore, and Walter Abel
Directed by George Marshall and others
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

During World War II, almost every studio in Hollywood filmed at least one all-star semi-revue as morale boosters for the troops. This one was Paramount's contribution, a nutty confection showcasing not only the studio's top performers, but it's two of its most popular directors...and the studio itself. How does all that flag-waving look now? Let's head to the entrance to Paramount, as a group of sailors prepare to spend a memorable day on shore, and find out...

The Story: William "Pop" Webster (Moore) was once a major western star during the silent era, but is now a guard at the main gate of Paramount. He's told his sailor son Johnny (Bracken) that he's an Executive Vice President In Charge of Production. Johnny brags about it to all of his buddies when they turn up on shore leave, demanding a tour. Studio switchboard operator Polly Judson (Hutton) thinks he's cute and manages to set up Pop in place of the real producer B.G DeSoto (Abel). Not only is DeSoto convinced that studio spies are trying to keep him out, but Pop goes ahead and claims that he can put on a big show for the Navy. Now Polly has to round up all the stars on the lot and get them into one big show, so she can get married to her gob and Pop can keep up the illusion.

The Song and Dance: If you love the movies and stars of the 40's, have I got a treat for you. Paramount stuffed almost everyone on the lot into this film, even people like Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, and Susan Hayward who usually specialized in non-musical drama. Its also an invaluable glimpse at real-life directors Preston Sturges (whose career as a comedy king peaked in the early-mid 40's) and Cecil B. Demille (whose big hit Reap the Wild Wind is mentioned several times) and the Paramount lot in 1942.

Favorite Number: Two numbers here were among the biggest hit songs of the war years. Mary Martin, Dick Powell, and a quartet of singing dining car waiters sing "Hit the Road to Dreamland" in a sequence supposedly filmed for a movie in production. Johnny Johnston sings "That Old Black Magic" in the background as ballerina Vera Zorina dances in a romantic snow-covered landscape, only to appear briefly at the barracks in the end as part of his dream.

Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, and Veronica Lake spoof their images in "A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peekaboo Bang"...and then Arthur Treacher, Sterling Holloway, and Walter Catlett come on in drag to maximize the laughs. Marjorie Reynolds of Holiday Inn joins Betty Jane Rhodes and Dona Drake to salute what happens "On the Swing Shift." Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and ballet troupe owner Katherine Dunham show why he's "Sharp as a Tack" in a nice dance routine. Bing Crosby, Paramount's top star at the time, finishes off with the ultra-patriotic salute to the flag, "Old Glory."

Trivia: This was the first film appearance of Bing Crosby's son Gary Crosby.

What I Don't Like: The thin story is just a lame excuse to throw everyone at the studio together for skits and songs. While most of the numbers still go over pretty well, the skits are dated and annoying, especially the one about how (men think) women play cards. This is also a movie of its time. There's tons of references to other Paramount movies and stars of the early 40's. If you don't know anything about the war years, you may be more lost than amused.

The Big Finale: Worth seeing for the numbers alone if you love 40's musicals or the stars or films of the war years.

Home Media: Easily found as part of the made-to-order Universal Vault series and on two Bob Hope DVD collections.

DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - My Favorite Blonde/Star Spangled Rhythm
DVD - Bob Hope: The Ultimate Movie Collection

Happy Memorial Day! - Here Comes the Waves

Paramount, 1944
Starring Betty Hutton, Bing Crosby, Sonny Tufts, and Ann Doran
Directed by Mark Sandrich
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

During World War II, for the first time, the Armed Services recruited women as well as men. Women took the places of men on the homefront, teaching them to fly, doing office work, engineering parachutes, and driving delivery vehicles. The WAVES were a real group, the United States Naval Reserve, and many women did leave their jobs and homes to volunteer. What happens to a pair of twins who decide to join those ranks in order to meet a handsome singer who is determined to follow his father's footsteps? Let's head to Los Angeles, where the WAVES are signing people up, to find out...

The Story: Rosemary Allison (Hutton) enlists her and twin sister Susie (Hutton) into the WAVES, despite them being very different. Rosemary is a smart and serious brunette; Susie is a noisy, scatterbrained blonde. Susie is obsessed with singer Johnny Cabot (Crosby), to the point where she brings her collection of his records with her to the barracks and listen to them while she bathes. She's beyond thrilled when she and her sister meet her idol at a club while on leave. Johnny, however, is far more interested in Rosemary than her sister.

He's trying to get his friend Windy (Tufts) to get him into the Navy, so he can serve on the same boat as his father. Susie's horrified at the idea of him getting killed and sends in a suggestion that he star in and direct a show to aid WAVES recruitment. Johnny thinks it was Windy's idea, and Rosemary thinks it was Johnny's and that he's more interested in himself than the show. Windy finds out it was Susie's idea, and first tries to get Johnny to think Rosemary's not into him, then have to figure out how to keep him with the show when he's determined to be on that ship.

The Song and Dance: The fun thing about this one is how it acknowledges and plays with Bing's fame in the 30's and early 40's. Most people think of girls drooling over recording stars as being a relatively recent thing, but as this movie points out, it's been around for decades. Yes, Bing was a teen idol, and yes, he was so popular that women would faint dead away if they spoke to him. Susie's not the only one obsessed with him, either. We see women collapse just from him singing "That Old Black Magic" at a concert, and his popularity with the ladies is also used as a plot point when Susie calls out to the ladies on the street to mob him and keep him from fleeing the show.

Favorite Number: "The Navy Song" in the opening serves to introduce the viewer to the WAVES program as we see women recruiting for the group, and then to the Allisons and their very different personalities when they pick up the song for their nightclub act. Bing gets two decent ballads, "Let's Take the Long Way Home" as he accompanies Rosemary back to the barracks, and the romantic idol "I Promise You" in the show, this time with Rosemary in a white dress and flower in her hair as they swear to always be faithful. Hutton and the WAVES chorus spoofs female and male sailor stereotypes as she claims "There's a Fellow Waiting in Poughkeepsie"...and in every port around the world and Johnny and Windy prepare for their dates.

What I Don't Like: The film itself is pretty much one long recruitment advertisement for the WAVES. Hutton's role isn't well-written - Susie comes off as annoying and clingy, Rosemary as frigid and obnoxious when she refuses to listen to Johnny's honest explanation about the letter. The movie's best-known (and Oscar-nominated) song, "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive," is unfortunately introduced in a clumsy blackface number featuring Bing and Tufts as a pair of lazy black stereotypes. The movie's big finale, it's title number, is also strangely dull, with the women just marching onstage in time to the music. They could have least have done some more effects or marched into the audience or something.

The Big Finale: Necessary only for major fans of Crosby, Hutton, or 40's musicals. Everyone else would probably be better-off looking for Crosby's commercial recording of "Acc-en-tu-ate the Positive."

Home Media: Currently available as part of the made-to-order Universal Vault collection or on several Bing Crosby DVD sets.

DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection
DVD - Bing Crosby: The Silver Screen Collection

Stormy Weather

20th Century Fox, 1943
Starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Dooley Wilson, and Fats Waller
Directed by Andrew Stone
Music and Lyrics by various

By the early 40's, Horne had become a bona-fide star at MGM and on records and tours...but only through quick musical numbers that could be easily snipped out of a movie in deference to southern audiences. This and Cabin In the Sky at MGM would be Horne's only leads in films during the 40's and 50's. It's also one of the rare times popular dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson got a lead role. The movie is supposedly a fictionalized version of his life, but it really plays more like a revue showcasing many of the black stars in Hollywood at that point. Let's start at Bill's "home" in Hollywood with his nieces and nephews and to learn how he supposedly got his start...

The Story: Bill relates his life story to his nieces and nephews after a magazine arrives in the mail with an article praising his contribution to black entertainment. He started after World War I at a nightclub with his enterprising, if constantly broke, best friend Gabe Tucker (Wilson) where he got to first show off his dancing feet. It's also where he first met Selina (Horne), a beautiful singing star with popular performer Chick Bailey (Emmett "Babe" Wallace). Bill and Gabe head down to Memphis to find work, but Bill ends up as a waiter in a small club featuring Fats Waller (himself) and his band. Bailey and Selina come in to see the talent for a show he's putting on. Selina convinces him to take Bill, but he still won't let him dance. Bill takes over his big number, impressing Selina and the audience but not Chick.

Bill wants to do his own show a bit later, but has no money. Even after Gabe claims to be rich enough to back his show, Selina's not sure she wants to give up her career for him. It takes a show for the troops to bring everyone, including Selina, back together.

The Song and Dance: As with Cabin In the Sky, there are some performances here you just won't see anywhere else. Fats Waller steals the movie despite his short screen time with his hilarious, eye-rolling, eyebrow-waggling performances of his own "Ain't Misbehavin'" and his exchanges with Ada Brown. Horne's silky style is full-on here, and she gets a rare chance at drama. Wallace has a gorgeous tenor in his "African Dance" number with Robinson, and is easy on the eyes to boot. Calloway is a hoot when he turns up during the end.

Favorite Number: Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" at the club is a major highlight, as are Calloway's two big numbers, the instrumental "Rhythm Cocktail" and his "Geechy Joe" in the huge baggy white suit as part of the finale. Robinson and Horne radiate elegance in the spangles-and-romance chorus routine "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Robinson gets to show off his stuff in "Linda Brown" with a minstrel group on the riverboat to Memphis and during another big finale routine to "My, My, Ain't That Somethin'." Horne sings a gorgeous version of the title song, which is then danced in a stunning abstract routine by Katherine Dunham and her dance troupe.

Two tap dance routines here have rarely been equaled. A young man tears up the floor to the tune of the instrumental "Nobody's Sweetheart" directly after Mae E. Johnson sings "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City," and he's a sight to behold. The one for the books is the Nicholas Brothers bringing down the house to Cab Calloway's "Jumpin' Jive" in the finale. Their grace, dexterity, and amazing splits are downright incredible - Fred Astaire called it the "greatest movie musical number he'd ever seen."

What I Don't Like: This is a rare time I wish there'd been more to the movie. It only runs a little over an hour. With all the great numbers, I'd love it if there were even more. Not to mention, the film has the same trouble with a cliched and fairly dull story as The Duke Is Tops. Horne has no chemistry with Robinson - supposedly, they didn't get along - making their romance unbelievable and a tad melodramatic. It also has absolutely nothing to do with either Robinson's life or actual history. Like most musicals from this era, other than some of the men's clothes early-on, neither the costumes nor the make-up even attempts to recreate the 1920's and 30's.

The Big Finale: Worth catching for some incredible numbers and as a showcase for black talent you won't see anywhere else.

Home Media: Streaming is your best option - the DVD is out of print and the limited-edition Blu-Ray is expensive.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

MGM, 1946
Starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Fannie Brice, and Red Skelton, among others
Directed by Charles Walters, Vincent Minnelli, Roy Del Ruth, and George Sidney, among others
Music and Lyrics by various

After revues fell out of favor in 1930, no studio would attempt a musical film without a narrative - even the thinnest excuse for one. At least, not until the mid-40's. Producer Arthur Freed wanted to return to the days of the ongoing Ziegfeld Follies revues and create his own, with prime MGM talent. How well did he pull it off? Let's head up above with the now late impresario Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell) himself as he recalls his beloved shows and find out...

The Story: This is a revue, so there really isn't one. Ziegfeld, looking down from the heavens, remembers his beloved Broadway shows of the early 20th century and wonders what they would loo like in the (then) present, with a galaxy of MGM stars.

The Song and Dance: And while song and dance are the operative words here, some of the comedy routines aren't bad, either. The solo skits come off best, with Keenan Wynn doing exasperated wonderfully well dealing with obtuse operators in "Number Please" and Red Skelton hilarious as the TV pitchman getting increasingly drunk on his own product in "When Television Comes." Fannie Brice, the only actor who actually appeared in the original Ziegfeld Follies, romps through "A Sweepstakes Ticket" with nervous Hume Cronyn and a suspicious William Frawley.

Favorite Number: Things kick off in lavish style with "Here's to the Beautiful Girls," as Fred Astaire salutes Lucile Ball and other lovelies in pink feathers and cat suits...which Virginia O'Brian immediately spoofs, claiming she wants to "Bring On the Wonderful Men." Judy Garland spoofs drama divas of the time like MGM actress Greer Garson in the very funny "The Great Lady Gives an Interview," as she twitters around adoring newspaper reporters. Lena Horne may have protested the dark tropical nightclub setting of "Love," but her burning hot performance still comes across as the sexiest moment in the film.

The movie may be best-known for three major dance numbers, all featuring Fred Astaire. "This Heart of Mine" is the glamorous mini-tale of a thief who falls for a heiress (Lucille Bremer) at a ball. The color is exquisite, the costumes are gorgeous, and the song (which became a standard) is the best in the film. "Limehouse Blues" is another Vincent Minnelli-directed segment. The more tragic tale of a Chinese man who loves a prostitute in London's Chinatown turns into a colorful abstract Asian fantasy ballet.

For my money, the number for the records is "The Babbitt and the Bromide," a Gershwin song originally from the Broadway show Funny Face. The only time good friends Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together during their heyday is a charming competition as two men trade small talk while showing off their very different dancing styles.

Trivia: The movie began filming in 1944 and ran into problems galore. The original cut was almost three hours! Many, many numbers were dropped, some of which still exist as audio cuts. When the roadshow engagements in 1945 didn't work out, numbers were dropped and rearranged, forcing its wide release to 1946.

The big "There's Beauty Everywhere" finale was originally supposed to feature tenor James Melton singing the song, with Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire dancing in a "bubble ballet." The bubble machine went haywire and broke down. The gas was so bad, it made at least one cameraman faint, and the bubbles got so bad, the fire brigade had to be called in to switch the machine off. Melton was eventually replaced by Kathryn Grayson, and the ballet segment was cut down to a few glimpses of Cyd Charisse and the chorus flitting around in the bubbles.

The only other time Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together was in the documentary That's Entertainment II in 1976.

The movie cost so much with all the retakes and lavish sets and costumes, it did well in '46 and still just barely made back its money.

What I Don't Like: This is a mixed bag, especially in the comedy skits. Victor Moore and Edward Arnold's "Pay the Two Dollars" is more annoying than funny, with Moore's constant whining. "Beauty Everywhere," for all the trouble they had filming it, is a little too overdone for a simple and romantic song, and probably not the best note to end on. The comedy skits are also pretty simple, more like filmed mini-plays and come off as a bit static. The white people playing Asians in "Limehouse Blues" and a few stereotypes can take many folks out of the intended dramatic atmosphere.

And obviously, if you're actually expecting a story along with your musical numbers, this isn't the place for you. It's far better than most of the ricky-ticky early talkie revues, but it's still a revue.

The Big Finale: If you're a huge fan of the MGM musicals of the 1940's and 50's, this is worth seeing for the cast and dance numbers alone.

Home Media: The DVD was just re-released on the Warner Archives last year, and it's available on several streaming companies.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Cabin In the Sky

MGM, 1943
Starring Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne, and Rex Ingram
Directed by Vincent Minnelli
Music by Vernon Duke and Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg and others

MGM transferred this hit 1940 Broadway musical to the big screen as the first major directorial assignment for Vincent Minnelli and a showcase for many black performers of the time. It also wound up being Lena Horne's only leading role at MGM; Waters and Ingram reprise their roles from the stage version. Does this tale of heaven and hell warring for the soul of a shifty gambler and his kindly wife deserve the pearly gates today, or should it thrown into that whirlwind at the end? Let's head to a small all-African American town in the south to find out...

The Story: Little Joe Jackson (Anderson) is a gambler and a con-man who truly loves his faithful and very religious wife Petunia (Waters). He's shot dead by fellow gambler Domino Johnson (John W. "Bubbles" Sublett) when he's unable to pay his debts. Petunia's fervent prayers are heard by the angel "The General" (Kenneth Spencer) and Lucifer's son Junior (Ingram). The General will restore Joe to his wife, but only if he becomes a good, hardworking husband for six months. He and Lucifer will act as his consciences and guide his actions, but he has to decide how to act on it.

Little Joe does behave for a while, including remembering his wife's birthday. Not one to take losing sitting down, Lucifer brings the gold-digger Georgia Brown (Horne) around to meet him and lets him win the lottery. Petunia hears Joe talking to Georgia about the money and comes to the wrong conclusion. They run off and start a fancy nightclub that attracts some of the biggest names in jazz, including Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (themselves). Petunia's not done with her husband, though...and neither is Domino. It'll take divine intervention to finally show Joe which woman he truly loves.

The Song and Dance: There's some fine performances here you're just not going to see anywhere else. Waters really owns the two major hits from this score, "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" (which was written for the movie), and my personal favorite, "Taking a Chance On Love." Horne's sexy Georgia Brown makes you realize how badly MGM wasted her talents elsewhere, and Ingram and Spencer were hilarious as the deities warring over Joe's soul.

Minnelli does well with his first assignment at MGM, especially with the Wizard of Oz-like tornado in the finale. He builds the suspense quite well, with Horne running out into the wind screaming and the men's fight continuing even as the tornado tears their world to ribbons.

Favorite Number: "Chance" is probably the best-known standard from this show, and it gets a pretty good number, too. It kind of comes out of the blue, but is made up for with some incredible tap dancing by Bill Bailey and Waters' vocal dexterity. Horne scores with her version of the silky "Honey In the Honeycomb" and the winking "Ain't It the Truth." Some of the jitterbugging in the Joe Henry's Paradise nightclub is downright incredible. (Really wish they'd kept Horne's reprise of "Ain't It the Truth" in the bubble bath - it's really fun. Apparently, censors at the time had a fit over a black woman being seen in a bubble bath.)

What I Don't Like: Anderson may have been a popular comedian at the time in The Jack Benny Radio Show, but he's out of place here among the dignified Ingram and Spencer and dynamic Horne and Waters. He gets a nifty dance routine in "Taking a Chance," but he can't sing worth a darn. He's so goofy and shiftless, you wonder what either woman sees in him.

Though Minnelli and producer Arthur Freed took pains to talk to black groups and make this as respectful of African-Americans as possible at the time, some aspects of this movie still come off as a little dated nowadays. Joe and some of his buddies can seem like lazy stereotypes to many audiences, and the religious aspect is a bit awkward.

Wish they'd done more with Louis Armstrong (the Trumpeter) and Ellington. Armstrong's only solo was cut, and Ellington has one number at the nightclub and is barely seen. I also kind of wish they'd ended with Petunia and Joe going to the pearly gates; darker, yes, but more in line with the rest of the story. The happy ending seems like a bit of a cop-out.

The Big Finale: This isn't the easiest movie to discuss nowadays, but it is a powerful and relatively positive portrait of African-Americans during World War II. If you love the cast or the music or Minnelli and can handle the stereotypes, this is a really interesting movie that's definitely worth a look.

Home Media: Not the easiest movie to find; the DVD is currently available through the Warner Archives, and it's on several streaming platforms.

DVD
Google Play

The Wizard of Oz

MGM, 1939
Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Margaret Hamilton
Directed by Victor Fleming and others
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg

And now, we travel over the rainbow to take on one of the most famous films - in any genre - of all time. While not a huge hit when it first came out, it's become a classic in re-releases and on TV. The tale of Dorothy and her companions and their journey to the Emerald City has become a touchstone to families and children of all ages. Let's head to Kansas to see if the movie is truly worthy of that legacy...

The Story: Dorothy Gale (Garland) is not having an easy time in dull Sepia-toned Kansas. Her aunt, uncle, and their farm hands don't listen to her when she tries to explain that the local grouchy old lady Mrs. Gulch (Hamilton) has threatened to take her beloved dog Toto away. To Dorothy's horror, they don't have a choice about letting him go when Gulch shows up with court orders. Toto escapes, and Dorothy runs away to save him. She's found by a traveling fortune teller (Frank Morgan) who encourages her to go home. She gets back just in time to run inside just as the farmhouse is hit by a tornado.

The twister lands her and Toto in the Technicolor land of Oz, where she's greeted by tiny little people called Munchkins. They're celebrating because her house landed on the Witch of the East, who had been persecuting them. Glinda, the pretty Witch of the North (Billie Burke), sends Dorothy along the Yellow Brick Road to ask the Wizard who rules Oz to help her find her way home. Along the way, she meets three familiar friends who join her on her journey, a goofy cowardly lion (Lahr) who wants courage, a wobbly scarecrow who wants brains (Bolger), and a very sentimental tin woodsman (Jack Haley) who wants a heart. They're dogged every step of the way by the nasty Witch of the West (Hamilton again).

The witch captures Dorothy when the Wizard sends them to her domain to get her broomstick. Dorothy doesn't really want to kill anyone, but she doesn't have a choice. She's not happy with what the Wizard turns out to be, either. He does offer her a ride home, but Dorothy misses the trip. It's Glinda who helps her see that she had the way home all along...and that no matter how far over the rainbow we go, home is never far from our hearts.

The Song and Dance: Making this movie was a long and arduous process, but it was absolutely worth it. The Sepia and Technicolor cinematography both glow with an incandescence that makes that rainbow pale. Everyone puts in fine performances; Garland won a special award for best child performer at the Oscars. Hamilton's green-faced witch has frightened generations of children with her fireballs and cackling voice. Bolger, Haley, and especially Lahr are delightful as Dorothy's beloved companions. The movie has one of the most famous scripts in film history, and probably some of the most quoted lines. ("People come and go so quickly here!" "There's no place like home!")

Favorite Number: Thank goodness Harburg insisted they keep "Over the Rainbow!" The executives thought it was too slow, but it really defines the whole movie, well before Dorothy hits Oz. Garland sang it frequently throughout her career, and it's still associated with her to this day. I've always enjoyed the three versions of "If I Only Had...," sung by each of Dorothy's friends when she meets them.

Trivia: There was originally supposed to be another number, "The Jitterbug," which had Dorothy and her friends being attacked by a bug sent by the Witch on the Yellow Brick Road. It was deemed extraneous and was deleted, along with reprises of "Over the Rainbow" and "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead." The footage for all three numbers is now lost, but the audio recordings survive and are frequently included as extras on DVDs and CD soundtracks.

What I Don't Like: Unfortunately, deleting the "Ding Dong" and "Rainbow" reprises does mean that there's no musical numbers in the last third of the film. The two songs might have added a little more meat to the second half. Some people today consider the basic message of never leaving home to be a bit on the dated side. And yeah, there are times, especially with the moving trees and the obvious painted backgrounds, where the older effects are pretty obvious.

The Big Finale: Not my all-time favorite musical, but I like it enough to understand why it's so beloved. I probably don't need to recommend this one to anybody. If you haven't seen it yet, do so, especially if you have young children.

Home Media:  Goes without saying that this one is pretty easy to find. While it's no longer an annual TV event, it turns up fairly frequently on Turner Classic Movies, and it's available on most formats.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime