2h 10min | Comedy, Drama,
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Stars: Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson, Edward Arnold.
Charles Walters ... dance director
Reworking of Grand Hotel ('32).
Soundtracks only lists 2 performances, both by Cugat & Orch, one with Lina Romay, the other with Bob Graham singing. But there is also a dance routine while VJ is ordering dinner at the Starlight Room (88 min), which we only see glimpses of. The 2 Cugat numbers follow the dance number. I wouldn't have the gall to label this a musical, I won't fight it, but I'm going to call this a non-musical for my records.
I don't remember the stories of Grand Hotel well enough to know how close this is. I remember Joan Crawford as the hotel stenographer, and Garbo wanting to be alone.
I'm surprised that LT (the hotel stenographer) doesn't get in deeper than she can handle when she begins to be the "private secretary" to EA, expected to "entertain" his business associates. VJ tries to warn her that's not something she'll like, but she wants to climb out of her 10th Ave. upbringing. The most that she says after that first evening is that she danced a lot, and she was right back to 10th Ave at evening's end. Censorship was strong back then.
The whole thing is rather dull, which is predictable given my opinions of the cast. GR doesn't dance, and her romantic interest is WP, who doesn't rise above Dull to me here. Only EA has any edge to him, but without a hero to engage him, it doesn't go anywhere. So neither has a worthy partner/enemy to spar with. Maybe I should add a minus to my prior rating. <shrug>
MGM, dir. Leonard; 6
