1h 58min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | January 1942 (premiere 31 Dec '41)
Director: Busby Berkeley
Stars: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Fay Bainter, James Gleason.
Vincente Minnelli ... director: solo sequences (uncredited)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034485/
This disk is bad too. That makes 3 of 4 in the set, with the 4th yet to be viewed. Fortunately, I bought a duplicate set to replace the first bad one. I'm sure it was the cheapest way, not cynicism that they'd all be bad.
In the Tap! Appendix for Judy Garland, Ray McDonald, Richard Quine, Mickey Rooney. The Hoe Down number shows BB's traveling camera at its best: low-angle, high-angle, always intending to keep the solo dancer (Ray McDonald) in top-to-toe frame. The ensemble is very impressive too, if only for the sheer quantity of dancers.
The Vincente Minnelli credit probably means the daydream/recreations of past acts in the old theatre. (JG & VM don't marry until '45.)
This is the home of MR's horrid imitation of Carmen Miranda. (The imitation is good, but MR looks hideous, and therefore this haunts when I watch the real CM.)
AND we get a huge minstrel number in blackface. In the first portion, JG is in the same makeup/costume as MR, playing a boy. McDonald does some more tapping, also in exaggerated blackface, but formal wear. Later, JG is a girl, now in "tropical makeup" with the other girls (no white lips). Quine gets to be the MC, apparently white.
Fay Bainter is a big plus. Gleason just stays hysterical while onscreen.
I see no reason to change my prior rating.
MGM, dir. Berkeley; 6
