after a miserable day at work I watched this 1945 film and my mood immediately lifted. How can you go wrong with Arthur Lake (during his period of playing Dagwood in the Blondie series)and Dale Evans (sans her hubby Roy Rogers)making a delightful duo. He's a shy pianist at the club where he teams with Dale, a singer. He can't get the girl and is the butt of jokes from George Meeker (as sleazy MC). But his boss Lionel Stander likes him (Max from Hart to Hart)and helps him in his plan to pretend that he is really the manly masked wrestler!!! that Dale admires so that she will fall for him. Lots of fun and mistaken identities abound. Especially liked two of the song numbers- Dale singing Hoops My Dear to a background of chorus girls with hoola hoops (got to be a first!!)at the nightclub and Dale singing (her own composition)at the music school where the musicians all wander in from their various rooms to join in. Also liked the cartoon drawings over the credits they got Lionel Stander's crumpled features to a T. Don't think to hard about this one just enjoy it, I certainly did.
Review of The Big Show-Off
