1h 40min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 9 April 1954 | Color, WS
Director: Jack Donohue
Stars: Doris Day, Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, Eddie Foy Jr., Nancy Walker, Martha Hyer, Bill Goodwin, Marcel Dalio.
LeRoy Prinz ... choreographer
Claude Archer ... assistant dance director (uncredited)
Jack Boyle ... dance assistant (uncredited)
Watched online, slightly blurry print.
4th of 7 film director credits for now-former choreographer JD (37 credits back to '34); he also has 37 TV director credits ('50-'80).
8 songs in the Soundtracks, 7 sung by DD (4 of them with others), 1 by RC (dubbed).
Traditional musical about aspiring performers and a composer who writes a show trying to get financial backing to mount his new work. And when DD mistakes him for a garage mechanic, he deliberately deceives her to cover his well-known name. This makes her (rightfully) angry when she learns the truth, and he tries to win her back, if only for his show, but preferably for his life.
The Superstition Song is staged on streets, with DD dodging bad luck every few feet while singing about it. Sort of reminiscent of Bobby Van hopping around town, with singing instead of hopping. However, I didn't analyze it for cuts to see if it was as tough as his stint for the extras to time their interaction with the traveling star.
I knew from the lack of a dance star (other than DD herself) that this was unlikely to satisfy my dance desires, and it doesn't. All the dancing is mild, and no large group ensembles. After all, the film never gets beyond the stage of seeking opportunities. The auditions for backing are not onstage, therefore the number of people who rehearse is restricted to our 4 aspiring principals (DD, PS, EF, NW) and/or the composer (RC) who doesn't dance at all. The only onstage performance is DD+PS, doing a live show vaudeville-style act between film screenings (in '54?).
DD is sunny as usual, but the film is just ok.
Warner, dir. Donohue; 6
