Parts of this movie are terrific, and I'll mention them first. Despite some comments grousing that Judy looks frumpy or that her hair is weird, I thought she looked great -- on the plump side, but healthy looking and wholesome. She looked like a farmer, which is what her character is. And Gene Kelly is, in my view, at his best here. I like Kelly, but sometimes find him to be a bit smirky or hammy, and in this movie, he is more vulnerable and sympathetic --- less of the usual bravado. Judy's opening numbers on the farm were very appealing, both her "shower" number and her joyful song on the new tractor. And Kelly is at his best in the barn number, "improvising" with bits of newspaper and a squeaky floor board. Top rate performances from both of the stars.
Now for the negatives: The minor characters' parts are a bit bland and/or unappealing: GloriaDeHaven plays a selfish brat, Carleton Carpenter barely registers despite his talents, Hans Conreid was creepy as the star of the show within the show, and Eddie Bracken and Ray Collins as Judy's wimpy fiancé and his overbearing dad are more annoying than funny. It's the writing more than the actors that's the problem, except for the biggest problem: I found Phil Silvers unwatchable. He starts off with an egregiously, jaw-droppingly offensive "Negro" accent on the "Dig Dig Dig" gospel type number, and then to make up for it, he does a white-trash hillbilly number with Kelly that would be too cheesy for Hee-Haw. Throughout the movie, he was grating without having the redeeming qualities of being funny.
The end of the movie was a bit of a let-down for me and it took a while for me to figure out why, but I think I have it: The best parts of the film for me were the farm scenes. Judy was fresh and vibrant, and the farm life was portrayed as extremely appealing --- like Dorothy Gale grown up, having realized that there is indeed no place like home. Then, by the end of the movie, Judy falls in love with Kelly and stars in his show, which is destined to be a hit. (If anyone thinks this is a spoiler, he needs to see more movie musicals.) And this is a bit sad for me, because the show biz types in the movie seemed either bland or selfish; when they registered at all, they were being recklessly destructive on the farm, or condescending toward the farmers. And the "show" itself, doesn't seem all that wonderful. More like a vaudeville montage. So while we are supposed to cheer that Judy is likely to leave the farm for show biz and run off with Kelly, I thought, "Well this is a damn shame!"
One final comment: this is the movie with Judy's "Get Happy" number in her fedora, tux jacket, black stockings and heels. And she looks 20 pounds skinnier and 20 years older in that number compared to the rest of the movie. It is vintage Judy and she does a great job --- but it doesn't seem like it fits the movie or her character. (Even the chorus boys in the number were not in the rest of the show.) I understand that the number was plopped in after the rest of the filming, to add some dazzle to the ending, and while it is dazzling, it didn't much help the cohesiveness of the movie and we do not believe for a second that Judy's farm spinster is the character suddenly creating this sophisticated persona.
So, while I liked the movie, a few parts of this film fell flat for me. But if you like Judy and Gene, then it is well worth seeing for that reason alone --- because they each do some of their best work, and are at their most appealing and attractive.
Now for the negatives: The minor characters' parts are a bit bland and/or unappealing: GloriaDeHaven plays a selfish brat, Carleton Carpenter barely registers despite his talents, Hans Conreid was creepy as the star of the show within the show, and Eddie Bracken and Ray Collins as Judy's wimpy fiancé and his overbearing dad are more annoying than funny. It's the writing more than the actors that's the problem, except for the biggest problem: I found Phil Silvers unwatchable. He starts off with an egregiously, jaw-droppingly offensive "Negro" accent on the "Dig Dig Dig" gospel type number, and then to make up for it, he does a white-trash hillbilly number with Kelly that would be too cheesy for Hee-Haw. Throughout the movie, he was grating without having the redeeming qualities of being funny.
The end of the movie was a bit of a let-down for me and it took a while for me to figure out why, but I think I have it: The best parts of the film for me were the farm scenes. Judy was fresh and vibrant, and the farm life was portrayed as extremely appealing --- like Dorothy Gale grown up, having realized that there is indeed no place like home. Then, by the end of the movie, Judy falls in love with Kelly and stars in his show, which is destined to be a hit. (If anyone thinks this is a spoiler, he needs to see more movie musicals.) And this is a bit sad for me, because the show biz types in the movie seemed either bland or selfish; when they registered at all, they were being recklessly destructive on the farm, or condescending toward the farmers. And the "show" itself, doesn't seem all that wonderful. More like a vaudeville montage. So while we are supposed to cheer that Judy is likely to leave the farm for show biz and run off with Kelly, I thought, "Well this is a damn shame!"
One final comment: this is the movie with Judy's "Get Happy" number in her fedora, tux jacket, black stockings and heels. And she looks 20 pounds skinnier and 20 years older in that number compared to the rest of the movie. It is vintage Judy and she does a great job --- but it doesn't seem like it fits the movie or her character. (Even the chorus boys in the number were not in the rest of the show.) I understand that the number was plopped in after the rest of the filming, to add some dazzle to the ending, and while it is dazzling, it didn't much help the cohesiveness of the movie and we do not believe for a second that Judy's farm spinster is the character suddenly creating this sophisticated persona.
So, while I liked the movie, a few parts of this film fell flat for me. But if you like Judy and Gene, then it is well worth seeing for that reason alone --- because they each do some of their best work, and are at their most appealing and attractive.