I had high hopes for this when I saw it on TV, a Comden/Green musical directed by Minnelli and staring Judy Holliday, but I found this disappointing. It begins great, and can be very funny, but even by the standards of 50s musicals the story is too contrived, and the thing with the detectives is just so utterly dumb (it would not have been that difficult to come up with something a bit more convincing). The songs are generally mediocre, although it does have The Party's Over (unfortunately, Judy is great for comic songs but fails to really bring home this serious one). There are some really good moments throughout, and Judy gives a terrific performance, but overall I found this dumb and a little dull.
Review of Bells Are Ringing
