Reviews
The Opposite Sex (1956)
What a waste of talent! Shame on MGM
June Allyson's last MGM musical had to go back to a 40's film she starred in for its best number, though they sure tried hard to make a hit out of "Now, Baby, Now" - except Allyson isn't the sexy dancer the song called for. And Ann Miller never gets to sing or dance a step. Dolores Gray, used well in "It's Always Fair Weather" and "Kismet" (She single-handedly saves that one), gets to sing the title song over the credits, and nothing else. The useless male guest stars get half the songs and butcher them. The original script had it right - keep the guys off screen. Where was the creative talent that could have pulled the plug on this one or whipped it up into a reasonable shape?
My Sister Eileen (1955)
One of the best undiscovered gems
The first time Fosse was given the job of choreography for an entire movie, he came up with "The Competition Dance", a terrific number for himself and Tommy Rall. But the movie should have made a star out of Betty Garrett. Who knows, if MGM had made the film it probably would have. The score, by the way, is far better than that of "Wonderful Town", the stage version that Columbia wanted to film until the producers asked too much for it. Rent it, buy it, enjoy it. By the way, there is a soundtrack recording, but you'll have to spend weeks tracking it down. It may be worth it just to hear Jack Lemmon's take on "It's Bigger Than Both of Us".
Deep in My Heart (1954)
The Lion's Roar Fades
The large guest star pool of the past simply wasn't available anymore. But Powell, Damone, Miller, and Charisse - oh, those legs - make this one well worth watching.