I'm a sucker for Tony Martin's singing, so I watched this. It stars Martin and some lovely stars: Ann Miller, Gloria DeHaven, Barbara Lawrence, and Janet Leigh. Leigh was the fresh-faced, pretty, vivacious discovery of Norma Shearer. She was a natural.
The film also features Eddie Bracken, Bob Crosby, plus Charles Dale and Joe Smith (in roles intended for Laurel and Hardy).
Despite this cast and some humorous and romantic moments, this isn't a great musical. The songs are very uninspired.
Tony Martin is described in this film as a baritone. You classify singers by sound and not range, and he sounds for all the world like a tenor to me.
In fact, the Prologue from Pagliacci, sung by Tonio, a baritone, was low for him, and demonstrates that the beauty of his voice was in the upper range. Compare his voice to Nelson Eddy's, a true baritone.
Leigh plays Nancy Peterson, the star of her home town who leaves to become a Broadway star. She meets three hungry, out of work showgirls: Hannah, Foxy, and Joyce (DeHaven, Lawrence, and Miller) whose show just closed and whose agent did not send them money to return to New York.
The agent is Lew (Bracken), who is as low level in the agency world as you can get. He lies like a rug and has been promising his great talent, Dan Carter (Martin) a big job. His last lie gets him into big trouble. He has a supposed rep from Crosby tell Dan that he needs to put together an act, and then Crosby will feature him on his television show.
Lew convinces the deli owners (Dale and Smith) to finance this big act. Of course rehearsals are interminable; Lew has no place to put it.
Everyone is good. Barbara Lawrence was a highly touted actress who never achieved stardom; she's mentioned throughout the film "The Star" but no matter what they put her in or how often they mentioned her, the public never was attached to her.
Miller, of course, was a tremendous tapper and featured in some great films. She almost seems to be slumming here.
DeHaven, who used to live where I'm from with her then-husband, car dealer Richard Fincher, (she married him twice), was beautiful and a good performer. She did everything - Broadway, theater, movies, TV, hosting, game shows. Today she is 90 and one of the last living actresses from the golden age. There must be something in the water here because the city's men attract film stars. Ingrid Bergman lived here also with her husband, Dr. Lindstrom.
Martin sang beautifully, as he always did, but I could have used better music.
Leigh was very vibrant, and if her dancing wasn't perfect, she was a delight and sang well. A perfect ingénue.
The color in this film is so garish it's not funny. Someone said Howard Hughes knew what he was doing - I frankly don't think he knew much about making movies. He knew a good-looking woman when he saw one, and he had knowledge of airplanes. Irving Thalberg he wasn't.
The film also features Eddie Bracken, Bob Crosby, plus Charles Dale and Joe Smith (in roles intended for Laurel and Hardy).
Despite this cast and some humorous and romantic moments, this isn't a great musical. The songs are very uninspired.
Tony Martin is described in this film as a baritone. You classify singers by sound and not range, and he sounds for all the world like a tenor to me.
In fact, the Prologue from Pagliacci, sung by Tonio, a baritone, was low for him, and demonstrates that the beauty of his voice was in the upper range. Compare his voice to Nelson Eddy's, a true baritone.
Leigh plays Nancy Peterson, the star of her home town who leaves to become a Broadway star. She meets three hungry, out of work showgirls: Hannah, Foxy, and Joyce (DeHaven, Lawrence, and Miller) whose show just closed and whose agent did not send them money to return to New York.
The agent is Lew (Bracken), who is as low level in the agency world as you can get. He lies like a rug and has been promising his great talent, Dan Carter (Martin) a big job. His last lie gets him into big trouble. He has a supposed rep from Crosby tell Dan that he needs to put together an act, and then Crosby will feature him on his television show.
Lew convinces the deli owners (Dale and Smith) to finance this big act. Of course rehearsals are interminable; Lew has no place to put it.
Everyone is good. Barbara Lawrence was a highly touted actress who never achieved stardom; she's mentioned throughout the film "The Star" but no matter what they put her in or how often they mentioned her, the public never was attached to her.
Miller, of course, was a tremendous tapper and featured in some great films. She almost seems to be slumming here.
DeHaven, who used to live where I'm from with her then-husband, car dealer Richard Fincher, (she married him twice), was beautiful and a good performer. She did everything - Broadway, theater, movies, TV, hosting, game shows. Today she is 90 and one of the last living actresses from the golden age. There must be something in the water here because the city's men attract film stars. Ingrid Bergman lived here also with her husband, Dr. Lindstrom.
Martin sang beautifully, as he always did, but I could have used better music.
Leigh was very vibrant, and if her dancing wasn't perfect, she was a delight and sang well. A perfect ingénue.
The color in this film is so garish it's not funny. Someone said Howard Hughes knew what he was doing - I frankly don't think he knew much about making movies. He knew a good-looking woman when he saw one, and he had knowledge of airplanes. Irving Thalberg he wasn't.