1h 38min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 14 July 1950 | Color
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Stars: Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund, Paula Raymond, Clinton Sundberg.
Jack Donohue ... choreographer
bootleg copy, ok print.
In the Tap! Appendix for Eleanor Powell. She does a specialty which is only interesting for how it begins: she's spotted at a nightclub, they ask her to dance, she protests; when she starts, she just does some elegant turns, then VJ (bandleader) nips at her heels, and she removes her skirt to reveal spangled underwear that looked like a unitard (so convenient for that long evening out). The tapping she did was ok, but dull for her.
Only 4 songs in the Soundtracks, but that doesn't seem to include EP's number, or the 2 to which EW swam. She plays a performer in a live swim show, but for most of the film is on leave to interfere in her roommate/friend's life. The second number was more elaborate, but strange: a lot of the moves were men pulling her around in the water. I continue to rate Bathing Beauty ('44) as the best choreography, colors and set of her swim routines so far.
This is the sort of plot to make the "conniving female" a thing. And the men fall for/put up with this nonsense. Really, this is who you want to marry, someone who plotted to get you? Does your ego really need that kind of "validation"? Then maybe you deserve each other.
Far more interesting to me are the black entertainers here. Lena Horne has a specialty (in a drab shirty looking gown, with hair to match), completely excisable. The Jubilaires at least get to be onscreen with the stars, and since they play train porters, perhaps they're allowed to stay? I would bet that the first of the 4 to appear is a former member of The Golden Gate Quartette (from Star Spangled Rhythm ('42) and others; last credit in '48). His voice is quite distinctive.
So this flunks the feminist test: although EW was not shy/retiring (although her roommate/friend WAS), but deceptive cancels that out. And it's musically dull: no Cugat or Miranda, no opera or classical. Just mediocre not-so-big band. And the song about choo, choo, choo'ing to Idaho was brazenly ripping off Chattanooga Choo-Choo in Sun Valley Serenade ('41, Fox) without any of the qualities that made the song and it's presentation great.
So this is a big shrug from me.
Far more interesting to me are the black entertainers here. Lena Horne has a specialty (in a drab shirty looking gown, with hair to match), completely excisable. The Jubilaires at least get to be onscreen with the stars, and since they play train porters, perhaps they're allowed to stay? I would bet that the first of the 4 to appear is a former member of The Golden Gate Quartette (from Star Spangled Rhythm ('42) and others; last credit in '48). His voice is quite distinctive.
So this flunks the feminist test: although EW was not shy/retiring (although her roommate/friend WAS), but deceptive cancels that out. And it's musically dull: no Cugat or Miranda, no opera or classical. Just mediocre not-so-big band. And the song about choo, choo, choo'ing to Idaho was brazenly ripping off Chattanooga Choo-Choo in Sun Valley Serenade ('41, Fox) without any of the qualities that made the song and it's presentation great.
So this is a big shrug from me.
MGM, dir. Leonard; 6
