Harry Palmer is incredibly ambitious, and will do whatever it takes to get to the top of the vaudeville stage. Upon meeting the talented Jo Hayden, he succeeds in getting her to form a double act, but as Jo starts to get attached to Harry, he shows just how much he wants to get to the top, regardless of anyone else's feelings.
Tidy and delightful enough tale harking to the pre-WWI days of vaudevillian splendour. Starring Gene Kelly {Harry} in his first motion picture and Judy Garland {Jo} on effervescent form, it's a shame that this Busby Berkeley directed piece isn't the classic that it's stars and production numbers warrants. For Me And My Gal looks and feels like an excuse for MGM to show off, and as great as it is to see Garland and Kelly together {and it's rather joyous actually}, some numbers, particularly Garland's solo's fall a little flat. Yes the title number and the likes of Ballin The Jack are first rate efforts {Bobby Connolly dance directing and not Berkeley}, but counter that with the listless Till we Meet Again and it becomes an up and down picture relying on safe standards material to win us over.
The support cast are also straight out of averageville. It was no surprise to me to find out that Garland had George Murphy demoted to the support role of Jimmy Metcalf, thus giving his intended role as Harry to the ebullient Kelly. Because Murphy and Marta Eggerth {Eve Minard} are poor and frankly lack enthusiasm, something that may be applicable to the director also? However the film is saved by it's warmth {the ending is sure to soften the hardest of viewers} and the turn from Kelly. Oozing star quality and hinting at the ego that would drive his career on, Kelly lifts the film out of the threatening passivity. Nice solo on Tramp Dance and a fine duet with Ben Blue {Sid Simms} for Frenchie Frenchie {Oh Frenchy}, Kelly however does still have much to thank Garland for on their shared numbers. They have great chemistry, and as it turns out in the end, Garland was right to insist that Kelly be bumped up to lead man status. Mixed but certainly no time waster, hell the two leads alone demand a venture into it. 6.5/10
Tidy and delightful enough tale harking to the pre-WWI days of vaudevillian splendour. Starring Gene Kelly {Harry} in his first motion picture and Judy Garland {Jo} on effervescent form, it's a shame that this Busby Berkeley directed piece isn't the classic that it's stars and production numbers warrants. For Me And My Gal looks and feels like an excuse for MGM to show off, and as great as it is to see Garland and Kelly together {and it's rather joyous actually}, some numbers, particularly Garland's solo's fall a little flat. Yes the title number and the likes of Ballin The Jack are first rate efforts {Bobby Connolly dance directing and not Berkeley}, but counter that with the listless Till we Meet Again and it becomes an up and down picture relying on safe standards material to win us over.
The support cast are also straight out of averageville. It was no surprise to me to find out that Garland had George Murphy demoted to the support role of Jimmy Metcalf, thus giving his intended role as Harry to the ebullient Kelly. Because Murphy and Marta Eggerth {Eve Minard} are poor and frankly lack enthusiasm, something that may be applicable to the director also? However the film is saved by it's warmth {the ending is sure to soften the hardest of viewers} and the turn from Kelly. Oozing star quality and hinting at the ego that would drive his career on, Kelly lifts the film out of the threatening passivity. Nice solo on Tramp Dance and a fine duet with Ben Blue {Sid Simms} for Frenchie Frenchie {Oh Frenchy}, Kelly however does still have much to thank Garland for on their shared numbers. They have great chemistry, and as it turns out in the end, Garland was right to insist that Kelly be bumped up to lead man status. Mixed but certainly no time waster, hell the two leads alone demand a venture into it. 6.5/10