Reviews

This TV series lasted only half a season, despite having many things going for it-the cast including Harry Guardino and Gary Merril and shooting on location in New York City like another series of the same era-Naked City. The scripts were uneven, but the show was likeable. One of the most memorable elements was the closing titles showing dissolving multiple exposures of New York skyscrapers accompanied by the lush and beautiful theme written by Kenyon Hopkins. It was one of the most beautiful love letters to New York ever done.

In the mid-1960's, there were several television series set and shot on location in New York City including-Naked City, East Side/West Side, The Reporter, Trials Of O'Brian, and this one. Only Naked City lasted very long. Mr. Broadway looked like a can't-miss with the original idea, a series about the theater and show business, developed by Garson Kanin, produced by David Susskind, Craig Stevens, fairly fresh from his success in Peter Gunn in the title role, music by Dave Brubeck, and often the use of big name guest stars like Lauren Bacall. But miss it did, lasting only a season, as I recall. Too bad, as this was a well made, intelligently written series.

Follow The Boys was one of several "entertaining the troops" films made during World War II. The plots often revolved around personal conflict for the characters that is war related. The films usually pat show business on the back for what it's doing for the troops. Finally, there are lots of speciality numbers by popular performers of the day. Follow The Boys stays true to the formula, but with some interesting touches. First, it provides some background on the organization necessary to put entertainment units together. Second, some footage was shot at actual performances before audiences of service men and women.

George Raft plays the main character, a dancer turned show organizaer. His dancing makes us realize he is better at organizing shows. As is often the case in these films, the high spots are the speciality numbers, particularly Loius Jordan, Dinah Shore, and amazingly enough, Arthur Rubenstein here. Orson Welles does a fascinating magic act. Jeanette McDonald does a number in a hospital ward singing to injured soldiers. It's contrived, yet moving. Follow The Boys is an interesting, if uneven, WWII artifact.

Four Jills In A Jeep in based loosely on the true story of a USO unit which went overseas. Headed by Kay Francis, it also included Martha Raye, Carole Landis, and Mitzi Mayfair. In the movie version, there are romances which didn't really take place, plus all-too-frequent appearances by Phil Silvers as an Army sargeant who is their escort. This film also marked the first "official" appearance of Dick Haymes in a movie, although he actually appeared in a film earlier. As with USO type musicals of this period, there are specialty numbers by guest stars including Jimmy Dorsey and his band (in top form here), Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, and Alice Faye, in one of her last films. She sings a heart rending version of "You'll Never Know" which make one realize what a beautiful song this really is, how much it meant to service men and women far from home, and what a jerk Englebert Humperdinck is for the way he sings it. The movie was also the last high water mark for the four leading actresses. Mitzi Mayfair never made another movie. Kay Francis made only two or three more before retiring. Carole Landis would suffer personal problems and die a few years later. Martha Raye moved on to a successful career in 1950's television, and twenty years later would entertain troops in Viet Nam in much the same way as she does here.

Pleasant is a good word for this film. While not one of the top-five musicals, it is well made and enjoyable. Ann Sothern and Jane Powell play mother and daughter who fall for the same man while in South America (No location shoots here. The furthest south anybody working on this movie traveled was probably Long Beach). There are some interesting numbers here, in great part because some of the songs and styles included were rare by the time this movie was made. "Shine On Harvest Moon," an old song, is sung and danced by Sothern, Powell, and amazingly enough, Louis Calhern. "Time and Time Again" is a Nelson Eddy-Jeanette McDonald type number which features Sothern and is probably one of the last of that style to be filmed. The bulk of the musical numbers feature Jane Powell who sings well, as always. Yet, for me, the high point of the film is the number featuring Carmen Miranda. I think it's one of her best. This was Carmen Miranda's next-to-last film and also the last musical for Ann Sothern.

An unusual premise, even for musicals. The mix of numbers ranges from brilliant to bad to unusual (there's that word again). The bad is Fanny Brice (I'm still trying to figure out why this woman was popular) and the "Pay the Two Dollars" sketch. The unusual: "Here's to the Ladies," the accompanying Lucille Ball "lion taming" sequence and the surreal "Beauty." The high point for me is "This Heart of Mine" with Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer, a truly beautiful number, with the unusual (again) touch of using conveyer belts in the sequence (something Astaire would also use later in Royal Wedding). The other Astaire-Bremer pairing, "Limehouse Blues" is also gorgeous and often overlooked. Bremer's work here is first rate and demonstrates she deserved the star treatment MGM never really gave her. Watching this film is also a reminder that musical numbers on this scale will probably never be filmed again.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald and "The Last of the Belles'" was a large budget and highly publicized made for television movie apparently designed to capitalize on interest in Fitzgerald because of the then current release of the theatrical movie "The Great Gatsby" starring Robert Redford. "Belles" is a story within a story. Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, have returned form Europe. Through high living, he is deeply in debt, while his wife Zelda has distanced herself becoming obsessed with being a ballerina, even though she is 30 years old and never had a dance lesson, which indeed was true of the real Zelda. Fitzgerald is out of ideas for new stories and spends the empty hours carousing. Finally, the seed of an idea for a story begins to emerge. The film then alternates between Fitzgerald's life and his story of young soldiers from the north at a training camp in the south during World War I and the southern belles they court. Richard Chamberlain is Fitzgerald and Blythe Danner is Zelda, while David Huffman and Susan Sarandon are the couple in the story. A big flaw is Chamberlain's wooden performance. Sarandon is affected but intriguing, while Huffman and particularly Danner give commendable performances. While Sarandon's character becomes involved with so many men, it becomes difficult to follow, nevertheless there is a plaintive quality to both stories. It is that quality which remains once the film is over and makes this worth seeing.

Jack Haley, Jr. was a driving force behind this film and That's Entertainment, which was released a decade earlier. As the title states, That's Dancing focuses on just that. Compared to That's Entertainment, it takes itself a bit more seriously as a documentary but is highly entertaining. It explores the early history of dance on film including brief footage of Isadora Duncan, and, like TE, showcases great numbers from the 1930's-50's with performances by Fred Astaire, Elanor Powell, Bill "Bojangles' Robinson, Gene Kelly, and the great Nicholas Brothers. TD also devotes a segment to Busby Burkley's signature work of the 1930's and a section on ballet in the movies. None of the footage overlaps with TE which make this a nice companion piece. TD takes things a step further with dance sequences from the 60-80's, including break dancing. The newer eras show dancing that is grittier, earthier, and in some cases, uglier. In a sense, the attempt to be more contemporary makes That's Dancing less likeable than That's Entertainment. However, it's not the movie's fault that newer dances are uglier; it's the civilization's.

This is a charming musical! It's a remake of a movie of the same name that was based on a stage play from the 1920's (whew!). With the exception of Mel Torme', who's in a supporting role here, there are no vocal powerhouses, but June Allyson and Joan McCracken put their songs over very well. The big dance numbers, particularly the finale, are terrific. Apparently, this is Joan McCracken's only major musical; she should have done more. Good News is a wonderful feel-good movie that can be enjoyed again and again.