I don't mind HELLO, DOLLY as a film. Yes, it's like a big overblown wedding cake of a film dripping with buttercream curlicues, and Streisand is too young and Mae Wests all over the place. In retrospect, the supporting cast is very humdrum (so as not to compete with Barbra?) And Fox' cheesy Deluxe color isn't as stable or luscious as real Technicolor. But it's still very entertaining and and seems like a relic from the 1940s, and I mean that in a good way.
There are lots of underrated musical fims I can think of, but three that first come two mine are two 'little' films from MGM, both from 1953: I LOVE MELVIN with Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor (both fresh from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN), GIVE A GIRL A BREAK (with Reynolds, Bob Fosse AND Gower Champion) and Warner Bros. BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941) with Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan (one of the more underrated actors of the 1940s), Priscilla Lane and Betty Field (with a killer Alen-Mercer score including the title song and 'This Time The Dreams' On Me'). To my annoyance, TCM has not scheduled ANY of them in is 'Mad about Musicals' month.
As TCM also owns the RKO library, I'm sorry they haven't shown some rarities like SHOW BUSINESS (1947) with Eddie Cantor, Joan Davis & Jack Haley, GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS of 1945 (1945) wiith Davis , Haley, Gene Krupa and Ethel Smith and SING YOUR WORRIES AWAY (1941) with Bert Lahr, Patsy Kelly, Buddy Ebsen, Sam Levene, Margaret Dumont. I've never seen any of these.
The rare musical I am most curious about is a little 1947 film from Republic called THAT'S MY GAL, the plot of which revolves around two con-men producers who convince a bunch of investors to back a no-chance burleque show then plan to abscond with the money after the show bombs. Naturally the show is a surprise hit.
"Christ, Bette Davis?!?!"
Updated On: 10/7/04 at 10:59 AM