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Reviews
Annette (1958)
Deserves to be on DVD
This was a lovely series which I loved even if it was completely uninteresting for my brothers. It had a couple of lovely, simple songs-- "Lonely Guitar," "How Will I Know My Love?" and "Meetin' at the Malt Shop after School." And it's probably the best single program to show why girls loved Annette just as much as or even more than their brothers. Her character's simple sweetness and honesty was what we aspired to.
I never saw this since it was on the original Mickey Mouse Club in the 50s. But some scenes are still vivid in my memory--Annette walking into town with a pretty but old-fashioned be-ribboned hat and a pretty but too-fancy dress and carrying a suitcase and her guitar; Annette singing with Tim Considine (who I had a SERIOUS crush on!); the missing necklace turning up inside the piano. It was a simple, sweet soap opera-ish story in a world that never really existed, but it worked and I'd love to see the whole thing again.
Disney really should put this whole series out on DVD, in the same kind of set that they released the Hardy Boys and Spin and Marty series. The perfect release for Annette would happen just in time for Mother's Day.
It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
Coming out in DVD!
This movie will be released on DVD in April, 2006! According to Amazon, it's widescreen. But I couldn't figure out if there are extras--wouldn't it be splendid if they at least added the deleted dance sequences? As well as the amazing dancing-on-skates number, I remember the song using the melody of The Blue Danube Waltz, with the words "Could these be the guys I had thought I could never live without?" It's probably Gene Kelly's most bitter role in a musical. He had far greater depth as an actor than people perhaps could believe, because of that luscious sunny smile of his--some reviewers panned his part in Inherit the Wind because they just didn't want to see him playing that H.L. Mencken type--but in my opinion he was brilliant in that role and carries this one off beautifully--to say nothing of that amazing skate/dance!