(114 min) Released 1938-12-22
Directors: W.S. Van Dyke (as W.S. Van Dyke II), Robert Z. Leonard (uncredited)
Stars: Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan.
Albertina Rasch ... dances and ensembles
Genres: Musical
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030817/
I only like this pair when they are heroic. Here they're Broadway stars, rather shallow, happily married at the onset, tired of their 6-year run in the same play with lots of extra time obligations promised by their assistant, friends, et al. JM is manipulated into thinking NE is cheating on her. They separate, and eventually come back together. I don't remember why they reunite.
The music is mostly Victor Herbert, and I don't care for it. Especially difficult: the title of the movie is the title (and endlessly repeated lyric) of a prior hit for them. So every time they sing this same word in the titular song, my brain rejects the tune.
The choreography is primarily masses of showgirls and boys moving about onstage, not really dancing.
The first J&M film in color; doesn't look great. I'm tempted to watch Robin Hood ('38, Warner), because I remember that as being spot on for color. (I did play RH for a while; it is as well-hued as I remember, although the faces are a bit too pink.) Of course, we don't know how close this print comes to the original showings. Or it may be as simple as they didn't use any red objects so JM's red hair would stand out, and I miss basic red. (I complained about the lack of red in the '81 version of Porgy and Bess. RH has plenty of red.) We get a fashion show were JM tries on a lot of clothing (one enormous gown is orange), and I don't like most of them; her show gowns are much prettier. The time spent on this seemed incredibly gratuitous, likely included due to the Technicolor investment.
I'd better stop now, before I talk myself into a 5.
MGM, dir. Van Dyke & Leonard; 6-
