1h 46min | Musical, Romance | 20 November 1951
Director: James V. Kern
Stars: Tony Martin, Janet Leigh, Gloria DeHaven, Eddie Bracken, Ann Miller, Barbara Lawrence, Bob Crosby.
Busby Berkeley ... musical numbers created and directed by
Busby Berkeley ... choreographer (uncredited)
Larry Ceballos ... dance director (uncredited)
In the Tap! Appendix for Janet Leigh, Tony Martin (Bobby Scheerer was Tony's dance-in), Ann Miller. That was the most dancing I've seen TM do, and if that was a double, I'm amazed at the resemblance. (Just watched his dancing again; hard to believe that's a double, and the dancing is not fancy, and definitely not tap).
Songs performed (32 chapters, no menu):
I loved some of the dresses with the skirt lining matching the blouse or some color in the print, nice and wide, and they twirled well as though the hem were weighted slightly.
Songs performed (32 chapters, no menu):
- ch3. Pelican Falls, sung by JL with large ensemble
- ch5. There's No Tomorrow, sung by TM
- ch10. Manhattan, sung by TM, JL, with variety acts by housemates (including Joan Shawlee, but don't blink)
- ch13. Baby, You'll Never Be Sorry, Sung by Eddie Bracken and Gloria DeHaven
- ch15. It Began in Yucatan, danced by AM with other 3 as chorus; very brief rehearsal
- ch16. The Closer You Are, Sung by Tony Martin (rehearsal)
- ch17. The Worry Bird, Performed by Janet Leigh, Ann Miller (big tap number), Barbara Lawrence and Gloria DeHaven (primary singer)
- ch20. The Closer You Are, Sung again by Tony Martin (rehearsal again)
- ch24. aerial/acrobat act The Charlivels to music, some in slo-mo; one of the acrobats looks like TM.
- ch27. Let's Make Comparisons, sung by BC at a dummy of Bing; tacky
- ch28. The Prologue from Pagliacci, sung by TM with original & English lyrics
- ch30. Big Chief Hole-in-the-Ground, Performed by Janet Leigh, Ann Miller, Tony Martin, Barbara Lawrence and Gloria DeHaven
- ch31. Are You a Beautiful Dream? sung by TM, danced by JL
- ch32. Pelican Falls, reprised by large ensemble
- ch32. The Closer You Are, reprised by large ensemble, TM, JL
I loved some of the dresses with the skirt lining matching the blouse or some color in the print, nice and wide, and they twirled well as though the hem were weighted slightly.
IMDb lists Eve Arden (b. 1908) as a showgirl; that is highly unlikely, not just because of her age, but her standing in the industry is too high. I certainly didn't spot her.
TM is 5'11", and JL looks almost as tall but is 5'5.5", BL is 5'8", AM 5'7", GD 5'1"; GD really stands out as short when lined up with the other 3. JL had gorgeous hair then.
In one scene, the girls are in a gym with exercise equipment (auto-bucking horse, auto-bike, hip-shaker, rowing machine). GD is smoking while on the rowing machine.
This should have been titled Two Tickets to TV, because the immediate target is Bob Crosby's TV show, not a B'way show. And why 2 tickets, when 5 leads are involved (although BL has little to do but be onscreen after the opening bus ride; she does do mild dancing.)
This has a good pace, a sunny outlook, enough tension with the manager (EB) lying and cheating his way to getting them a break (but it's not his tactics that actually get them that break), and enough music to satisfy me. The dancing is good, but not terrific (except AM in ch17, of course).
RKO, dir. Kern; 6+
