1h 22min | Animation, Comedy, Musical | 27 December 1940
Director: Mark Sandrich
Stars: Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Mary Martin, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson.
Merrill Abbott ... choreographer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032730/
Watched online, poor print, esp. audio.
Film premiere of Cole Porter's My Heart Belongs to Daddy, sung by MM. 3 other songs: Lyrics by Johnny Burke, Music by Jimmy Van Heusen.
The whole film is based on the Benny/Allen rivalry, and I don't find it cute or funny. Did people really like that on radio?
The best reason to watch this is for the musical numbers, and they are too few and too short. Rochester sings to his date at the New Years Eve (Harlem) ball. But he doesn't dance (as he did in the prior film.) MM sings Daddy. We get some rhythmic gymnastics in another show number, and chorus girls backing JB's lame leg movements. But these are just part of JB's stage show, nothing to do with the plot (Rochester's song DOES pertain to his dicey romance (pun intended: his gf takes him for some loot with her loaded dice).)
Part of the problem is the print, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
The best reason to watch this is for the musical numbers, and they are too few and too short. Rochester sings to his date at the New Years Eve (Harlem) ball. But he doesn't dance (as he did in the prior film.) MM sings Daddy. We get some rhythmic gymnastics in another show number, and chorus girls backing JB's lame leg movements. But these are just part of JB's stage show, nothing to do with the plot (Rochester's song DOES pertain to his dicey romance (pun intended: his gf takes him for some loot with her loaded dice).)
Part of the problem is the print, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
Paramount, dir, Sandrich; 6-
