Although I've never worshiped at the Judy Garland throne, I've always thought she was quite good. But, excepting "The Wizard Of Oz", I've never seen her be quite as good as she was here. Good...hell, great! And all the more interesting since this was her first "adult" role. Her performance here of "After You've Gone" is just fantastic.
But, while I give Garland full credit for her wonderful performance here, I do have some criticisms of the film. The chief being the same criticism that preview audiences originally had -- that Gene Kelly's character here was not redeemable, and that Garland's character should have married the more trustworthy character played by George Raft. The patriotic frenzy through which Kelly's character supposedly redeems himself seemed corny, in a movie about vaudeville which was not corny.
I'm not saying that Gene Kelly didn't perform well here. He did. It was his role that was problematic. Although, as good as Kelly was, here he proves once again that he was not Fred Astaire.
From what I read, George Murphy's role was watered down due to audience criticisms of Kelly winning Garland at the end of the film. Murphy was a very sympathetic character here, and it is clear why the audience preferred his character over Kelly's.
Ben Blue was genuinely disappointing here. Was he really this lousy, or was he playing a character who was a third banana? I'm not sure, but I was not impressed.
Interesting to see Keenan Wynn here in an uncredited role as a theatrical agent.
While the film is, in my view, flawed, do watch it to revel in Judy Garland's performance.
But, while I give Garland full credit for her wonderful performance here, I do have some criticisms of the film. The chief being the same criticism that preview audiences originally had -- that Gene Kelly's character here was not redeemable, and that Garland's character should have married the more trustworthy character played by George Raft. The patriotic frenzy through which Kelly's character supposedly redeems himself seemed corny, in a movie about vaudeville which was not corny.
I'm not saying that Gene Kelly didn't perform well here. He did. It was his role that was problematic. Although, as good as Kelly was, here he proves once again that he was not Fred Astaire.
From what I read, George Murphy's role was watered down due to audience criticisms of Kelly winning Garland at the end of the film. Murphy was a very sympathetic character here, and it is clear why the audience preferred his character over Kelly's.
Ben Blue was genuinely disappointing here. Was he really this lousy, or was he playing a character who was a third banana? I'm not sure, but I was not impressed.
Interesting to see Keenan Wynn here in an uncredited role as a theatrical agent.
While the film is, in my view, flawed, do watch it to revel in Judy Garland's performance.