"My Sister Eileen" was a play, (taken from some short stories), and then a film with Rosalind Russell that became the Broadway musical "Wonderful Town" with a score by Leonard Bernstein together with Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which also starred Russell. The musical film of "My Sister Eileen", however, is not a screen version of "Wonderful Town" but an original screen musical with an entirely new score by Jule Styne and Leo Robin. Personally I could never see what was wrong with "Wonderful Town" and no film directed by Richard Quine had me rushing off to see it which may be another reason this film has passed me by until now. Surprisingly, it's really rather pleasant. The stars are Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, Jack Lemmon and Bob Fosse. Garrett was, of course, a welcome addition to any musical while both Leigh and Lemmon were always welcome additions to any film. As for Fosse, it's great to see him in a proper role and in front of the camera for a change while his choreography is, as ever, a treat, (watching him dance is one of the pleasures of musical cinema particularly when his partner is the wonderful Tommy Rall). The script was co-written by Quine and Blake Edwards and it's good enough to make you wish that maybe Edwards should have directed, too. It's certainly not the greatest musical to have come out of the fifties, (or anywhere close), but it's entertaining in its own innocuous way.
Review of My Sister Eileen
