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The Goldwyn Follies

The Goldwyn Follies

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Vera Zorina, Ritz Bros & Edgar Bergan in Top Form
Review: THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES(1938) is an excellent account of the madness of moviemaking. It`s all here; the hysteria, the intrigues, the fun, the egotism, the worries before an opening etc. VERA ZORINA(Eva Brigitta Hartwig), a Norwegian ballet dancer delivers in her filmdebut, a funny and campy incarnation of a r u s s i a n and TEMPERAMENTEL ballerina. The Ritz Brothers has a humour that is way passed the line - and it still works. The same goes for Edgar Bergen and the doll Charlie. Kenny Baker is DULLLLLLLL, and sings the same song thrice too many, as are Andrea Leeds. She`s too goody goody. Adolphe Menjou is a mogul par excellence and the production numbers are spectacular.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: How can it be this bad?
Review: There are some redeeming features to this film. Gershwin music. Talented performers. Adolph Menjou's wardrobe. Otherwise, it could be greatly improved if they had eliminated the plot, the so-called acting and lame jokes. I remember very well 1938 when this film was made, and it had to be just as bad then. I doesn't suffer from age, the viewers suffer from the trite plot and corny episodes. It would be less than 1 star without the Gershwin music and some of the musical interludes.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: How can it be this bad?
Review: There are some redeeming features to this film. Gershwin music. Talented performers. Adolph Menjou's wardrobe. Otherwise, it could be greatly improved if they had eliminated the plot, the so-called acting and lame jokes. I remember very well 1938 when this film was made, and it had to be just as bad then. I doesn't suffer from age, the viewers suffer from the trite plot and corny episodes. It would be less than 1 star without the Gershwin music and some of the musical interludes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: VERA ZORINA`S FIRST FILM
Review: When Ingrid Bergman published her memoirs in 1981, Vera Zorina found herself unfavourably mentioned... In 1942 she was up to do Maria in FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, but was replaced because of tip-toing through the mountains... In an un-authorised biography of Bergman, Paul Henreid quoted Bergman saying "Zorina can`t act... I hope they find out how terrible she is..."

However. Such greats such as Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein and Bob Hope have all praised her acting gifts. In THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES she stars as the love-sick temperamentel Olga Samara - and indeed - it is a a Russian Scarlett O`Hara we are given.
The film is a great comedy and satire of the Hollywood system and the music and performances are all great.
But it is Vera`s picture.
Look for her in ON YOUR TOES, I WAS AN ADVENTURESS and LOUISIANA PURCHASE also:)(:


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