Wednesday, June 20, 2018

There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), 7+ Color, WS

Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart.
1h 57min | Comedy, Drama, Musical | 16 December 1954 | Color, WS
Director: Walter Lang
Stars: Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Marilyn Monroe, Dan Dailey, Johnnie Ray, Mitzi Gaynor, Hugh O'Brian.
Robert Alton ... dances and musical numbers staged by
Robert Alton ... choreographer
Hal Bell ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Jack Cole ... choreographer (uncredited)


In the Tap! Appendix for Fox/ Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor.

Songs performed, all by Irving Berlin (28 chapters with menu useless for finding most songs):

  • ch2. When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam', Performed by Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey 
  • ch2. Play a Simple Melody, Performed by Ethel Merman 
  • ch4. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody, Performed by Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey, Danced by Dan Dailey 
  • ch6. You'd Be Surprised, Performed by Dan Dailey 
  • ch6. Let's Have Another Cup o' Coffee, Performed by Ethel Merman 
  • ch7. Alexander's Ragtime Band, Performed by Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor, Johnnie Ray, and chorus 
  • ch7. Puttin' on the Ritz, Instrumental performed by the nightclub orchestra prior to Vicky's audition 
  • ch9. After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It, Performed by Marilyn Monroe 
  • ch12. Remember, Performed by the cast 
  • ch12. When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam', Later performed by Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O'Connor, imitating parent's old act at a party
  • ch13. If You Believe, Performed by Johnnie Ray 
  • ch15. Heat Wave, Performed by Marilyn Monroe 
  • ch17. A Man Chases a Girl (Until She Catches Him), Performed by Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe, Danced by Donald O'Connor 
  • ch19. Lazy, Performed by Marilyn Monroe, Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O'Connor 
  • ch21. A Sailor's Not a Sailor ('Til a Sailor's Been Tattooed), Performed by Ethel Merman and Mitzi Gaynor 
  • ch24. Marie, Performed by an uncredited male trio at a nightclub when the family is searching for Tim 
  • ch26. Cheek to Cheek, Performed off screen by theatre orchestra at the Hippodrome closing performance while Molly Donahue is in the dressing room 
  • ch27. There's No Business Like Show Business, Performed by Ethel Merman 
  • ch28. Alexander's Ragtime Band, Performed by Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor and Johnnie Ray 
  • ch27. There's No Business Like Show Business, Performed by the cast 
Great to have the Merm performing IB tunes, and DD dances nicely, but in small segments. DO has a good solo in ch17, and MM has a good production number in ch15. MG gets to imitate EM in ch12.

I don't care for JR's voice or vocal stylings; I can feel R&R coming in the orchestrations.

The plot is slightly more interesting that the usual backstager, with DO's ego/drinking problems, but we don't have to suffer through a lot of bouts, because he leaves the screen, causing the conflict to rest in the family's lap with worry about his unknown status.

Fox, dir. Lang; 7+
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