1h 52min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 24 February 1955 | Color, WS
Director: Roy Rowland
Stars: Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Vic Damone, Gene Raymond, Ann Miller, Russ Tamblyn.
Hermes Pan ... stager: musical numbers
Angela Blue ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
In the Tap! Appendix for Ann Miller.
More Than You Know is one of my favorite songs; I'm surprised to find it dates back to '29.
Songs performed (27 chapters with menu), most are from late 20's:
- ch1. Join the Navy, Played during the opening credits and sung by an unidentified chorus
- ch2. Hallelujah, Sung by Tony Martin, Russ Tamblyn, Vic Damone and The Jubalaires
- ch3. Happy Birthday, Performed by Tony Martin, Russ Tamblyn, Vic Damone and Chorus
- ch4. Keepin' Myself for You, Performed by Ann Miller, Tony Martin and showgirls
- ch6. Lucky Bird, Performed by Jane Powell
- ch7. A Kiss or Two, Performed by Debbie Reynolds, Russ Tamblyn and Chorus
- ch9. Why, Oh Why?, Performed by Tony Martin, Russ Tamblyn and Vic Damone
- ch10. Sometimes I'm Happy, Performed by Jane Powell with Gene Raymond
- ch12. I Know That You Know, Performed by Vic Damone and Jane Powell
- ch14. The Lady from the Bayou, Performed by Ann Miller and chorus, barefoot
- ch15. Ciribiribin, Performed by Kay Armen, Accompanied by Tony Martin, Russ Tamblyn, Vic Damone, Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell and Ann Miller.
- ch17. Why, Oh Why?, Performed by Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell and Ann Miller
- ch20. More Than You Know, Performed by Tony Martin and Ann Miller
- ch21. Devil's Funhouse Dance, Performed by DR & RT with ensemble
- ch23. Join the Navy, Performed by Debbie Reynolds and Sailors in a show
- ch23. Loo-Loo, Performed by Debbie Reynolds and Sailors in a show
- ch26. Hallelujah, Sung by Kay Armen, Debbie Reynolds, Ann Miller, Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Russ Tamblyn, Vic Damone and Chorus, danced by AM and sailor chorus
15 songs, and VD gets NO solo? The closest is VD with JP in ch12, which is a full duet, and doesn't show off his voice at all. Of course, the same can be said about TM, but he was so prominent when he sang, that it felt like anyone else was just singing support, not on equal footing.
On the Town ('49) is shorter by 21 min, has the same number of performers (3 sailors, 3 girls, plus 1), and delivers a good story with great numbers (13 total). Of course, we had more dancers there, which is my preference. Here, none of the men are dancers; RT comes close and passes for a dancer, but that puts him at the F.Sinatra level, and G.Kelly and J.Munshin were both pros. Among the women, JP & DR are good dancers, but don't do anything exciting here. DR has a couple of numbers in the show she's doing, but they're just cutsey, not great.
The funhouse number was brief, and felt completely derivative of F.Astaire with Burns&Allen in A Damsel in Distress ('37). Guess which was better.
Somehow having the majority of dances be actual showbiz numbers makes them far less interesting than civilians bursting into dance in OtT. And the quality of the dancing and choreography can't compare to G.Kelly and V.Ellen.
AM's tapping in the finale is delightful, even just to listen to, but again it's brief.
MGM, dir. Rowland; 6
