A couple of sisters in a grimy little town (Ida Lupino and Joan Leslie) see a chance at a way out in the form of a couple of travelling performers (Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson) who pass through. It's an interesting study in contrasts for both pairs, with Lupino being the ambitious older sister who will do most anything as an agent for her fresh-faced and innocent sister. Meanwhile, Morgan is a cynical philandering entertainer who sees right through Lupino's ambition, and Carson is his big-hearted partner who falls for Leslie.
This 'rise to fame' story is not all that original, and we go through what are some pretty predictable phases: being discovered in an ice cream shop, playing bit parts and small towns, getting a break but having to choose between 'going solo' and remaining part of an act, the inevitable strain on relationships, and living to excess once one has 'made it'. We see behind the scenes looks at rehearsals, back-biting, aging stars, and agents with casting couches.
Ida Lupino is excellent, and there is truth in the directness with which her character operates in an industry with so much falseness, but as she tramples over people in her quest to make her sister a star, we can't help but cringe a little. On the other hand, Lupino is wisely measured in her portrayal of manipulation, so that we have a degree of empathy for her, and realize she's just a business woman. In one scene, after exchanging glances with an agent who one woman warns is a "very fast man with his hands" she disappears into his office, and the next thing we know, her sister has the part. It's quietly very creepy, and perhaps more effective because nothing's actually shown. Lupino knows what's expected in the industry, and does it without ever betraying any angst about it. On the other hand, she's pretty ruthless in trying to maintain her control over his sister.
Joan Leslie was just 18 when the film was released, and turns in a reasonably good performance as well, with youthful enthusiasm coming through. The song and dance numbers she performs are decent but not outstanding, but I think this adds to the realism of the film; we see just how difficult it is to stand out as a true talent. Her cartwheel sequence in a flowy dress is perhaps her best, but even this smacks of an amateur.
The film has a bit of a B-movie vibe, and I think this adds to the realism as well. It gets a tad melodramatic so I wouldn't call it a great film, but the performances are strong, including those of Carson and Morgan, and there are no lulls in the story-telling. I thought it was interesting that a film that shows some of the ugly side of the business stars an 18-year-old who would later be blacklisted by powerful studio executive Jack Warner just 3 or 4 years later, and after she had worked in films starring Bogart, Cooper, and Cagney as a teenager. It was also interesting to read that it was based on Ginger Rogers's relationships with her stage-mother, Lela E. Rogers, and first husband. Worth watching.
This 'rise to fame' story is not all that original, and we go through what are some pretty predictable phases: being discovered in an ice cream shop, playing bit parts and small towns, getting a break but having to choose between 'going solo' and remaining part of an act, the inevitable strain on relationships, and living to excess once one has 'made it'. We see behind the scenes looks at rehearsals, back-biting, aging stars, and agents with casting couches.
Ida Lupino is excellent, and there is truth in the directness with which her character operates in an industry with so much falseness, but as she tramples over people in her quest to make her sister a star, we can't help but cringe a little. On the other hand, Lupino is wisely measured in her portrayal of manipulation, so that we have a degree of empathy for her, and realize she's just a business woman. In one scene, after exchanging glances with an agent who one woman warns is a "very fast man with his hands" she disappears into his office, and the next thing we know, her sister has the part. It's quietly very creepy, and perhaps more effective because nothing's actually shown. Lupino knows what's expected in the industry, and does it without ever betraying any angst about it. On the other hand, she's pretty ruthless in trying to maintain her control over his sister.
Joan Leslie was just 18 when the film was released, and turns in a reasonably good performance as well, with youthful enthusiasm coming through. The song and dance numbers she performs are decent but not outstanding, but I think this adds to the realism of the film; we see just how difficult it is to stand out as a true talent. Her cartwheel sequence in a flowy dress is perhaps her best, but even this smacks of an amateur.
The film has a bit of a B-movie vibe, and I think this adds to the realism as well. It gets a tad melodramatic so I wouldn't call it a great film, but the performances are strong, including those of Carson and Morgan, and there are no lulls in the story-telling. I thought it was interesting that a film that shows some of the ugly side of the business stars an 18-year-old who would later be blacklisted by powerful studio executive Jack Warner just 3 or 4 years later, and after she had worked in films starring Bogart, Cooper, and Cagney as a teenager. It was also interesting to read that it was based on Ginger Rogers's relationships with her stage-mother, Lela E. Rogers, and first husband. Worth watching.