During World War II, the big Hollywood studios made pictures that featured their non-musical stars doing song and dance numbers. They weren't great movies, but they were usually well done, and it was fun to see that at least some of the "dramatic actors" could actually do a decent job with a song or a dance number. Warner Brothers' entry into that group was called *Thank Your Lucky Stars*. In it Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Olivia de Havilland, and others showed that they could actually do a good job with a song and/or a dance number. No one really embarrassed themselves.
That's not true here.
With the exception of some of the big dance numbers, it looks as if a lot of these routines were filmed without a single rehearsal. Often, they feature performers who had no musical or dance talent whatsoever. It's as if Jack Warner had invited all his players over to his house for a big party, and then, after everyone had had a few drinks, told them they all had to perform something. Even the big dance routines don't look as if they had more than one or two rehearsals.
One of the strangest things about this often aggravating movie is the "Master of Ceremonies," Frank Fay. He was evidently a big hit in vaudeville, though that's hard to believe, because he is downright terrible here. He has no stage presence whatsoever, and seems to be adlibbing, but very nervously. He is also, sometimes, very fay, and I wonder why. (He was married four times, including to Barbara Stanwyck, but that doesn't tell us anything.) In general, he's an annoyance whenever he's on. Why did Warner think that would appeal to movie goers outside New York?
It is interesting to see John Barrymore play a scene from Shakespeare. It was a role he had played in the theater, so the scene comes off as professional and rehearsed. Even then, however, it was not well filmed. The lighting is bad, so it doesn't make a great effect.
Other than that, however, most of this movie is just embarrassing. Vaudeville, at least first-rate vaudeville, was not like this.
That's not true here.
With the exception of some of the big dance numbers, it looks as if a lot of these routines were filmed without a single rehearsal. Often, they feature performers who had no musical or dance talent whatsoever. It's as if Jack Warner had invited all his players over to his house for a big party, and then, after everyone had had a few drinks, told them they all had to perform something. Even the big dance routines don't look as if they had more than one or two rehearsals.
One of the strangest things about this often aggravating movie is the "Master of Ceremonies," Frank Fay. He was evidently a big hit in vaudeville, though that's hard to believe, because he is downright terrible here. He has no stage presence whatsoever, and seems to be adlibbing, but very nervously. He is also, sometimes, very fay, and I wonder why. (He was married four times, including to Barbara Stanwyck, but that doesn't tell us anything.) In general, he's an annoyance whenever he's on. Why did Warner think that would appeal to movie goers outside New York?
It is interesting to see John Barrymore play a scene from Shakespeare. It was a role he had played in the theater, so the scene comes off as professional and rehearsed. Even then, however, it was not well filmed. The lighting is bad, so it doesn't make a great effect.
Other than that, however, most of this movie is just embarrassing. Vaudeville, at least first-rate vaudeville, was not like this.