Review of Has Anybody Seen My Gal

The title of the film is an iconic song from the 1920's when popular music sounded so fresh and new, and the Charleston was like fresh paint on an old building, which of course was the two decades in history preceding it. I like a lot of Douglas Sirk's uninhibited ' weepies ' and ' All That Heaven Allows ' is in my opinion a masterpiece. I had never seen this film so I gave it a chance, knowing that it was in a minor league to his so-called major films. After all ' Take Me To Town ' with Ann Sheridan at her best is considered minor and I can watch it over and over again. So then why did ' Has Anybody Seen My Gal ' leave me bored and cold ? The signature Autumn leaves were there and Sirk's great compositions of scenes were there, and it all looked good and yet I found it a failure. This is only my point of view but I did not think that Charles Coburn as a rich and possibly dying old man giving his wealth away worked for me. Coburn is great to see in smaller roles, but I do not think he could carry a whole one on his ever grumbling back. He also could not dance the Charleston, and the musical scenes were underpowered and clumsy. Rock Hudson faded into the background and so did the usually incredibly good Piper Laurie. James Dean gets a few seconds and I was cross he wasn't given Hudson's role. A few seconds of clearly first class talent from Dean should have immediately alerted Sirk that here was a great actor and a much better one than Hudson. So for me the centre of good casting was gone, and the cast of characters all looked and behaved in a one-dimensional way. Lynn Bari also failed to spark, but then did she ever shine ? She reeked of a cross between Rosalind Russell and Claudette Colbert, and fell flat on her face as an actor during the whole of her Mother playing role. I could not believe for a moment she was supposed to be Piper Laurie's mother, and I wonder if Laurie did ? For those who love this film I have great admiration, but it is again in my opinion one of Sirk's most boring films. Despite his genius he did make a few and finally all I can say is I could well be wrong and let every viewer choose for themselves. A reluctant 4 for Piper Laurie and a brief glimpse of James Dean panting at the leash to take over.