There's No Business Like Show Business

Rating:
Summary: Johnnie Ray Shines
Review: Of course this is a typical musical of it's time. It sometimes seemed as if there was a new one being produced every week during the 1950's. This film stands out for me only because Johnnie Ray was in it. He added the touch that makes me watch my copy again and again. Yes, it was a little far-fetched to have him play a priest, but to see him perform his music and see his considerable presence as an actor is well worth it. Although he did other roles on stage, this, I believe was his only film role, but, what magic. Don't miss this film now that it is available.

Rating:
Summary: OYVEY THIS FILM IS HoKEY AND FUNNY
Review: OK a little history about this film. Marilyn Monroe had to make this film in order to go and then do The Seven Year Itch. Her costars Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey and evn Mitzy Gaynor report her being colod and aloof on the set. Marilyn was caught in an ubhaapy mariiage to Joe Dimaggio. She had not made a film in almost a year and on top of that she was playing yet again the gold digging blonde, and she was not a naturally born singer and dancer. However I think that she comes off the best in this film because of her absolute love affair iwh the camera. Hands down After y6ou get what you want You don't want it is a great number. AsIs Lazy with Mitzi Gaynor and Doold O' conner. Her acting is wooden, but so is eveyone else's in this film. Johnny Ray as priest!!! Yet, I have to say entertaining and fun to watch

Rating:
Summary: It's the Five Donahues..............
Review: Ok Ok. I have been a lifelong Marilyn Monroe fan since childhood, I love her. But when you are a Marilyn fan you have to put up with hit and miss movies. No Business is one of them. When Marilyn is on the screen singing and dancing, the movie is all hers. Who doesn't love the Heat Wave number? The rest of the movie is a drag and unless you are a huge Ethyl Merman fan (?) this film doesn't have much to offer.

This is a musical with a very light plot; the story of the Donahue Family in show business. The two sons grow up to be a couple of dorks. The one who wants to be a priest is just scary. He acts like a Peter O'Tool derelict with a murderous smile. The other one is driven over the edge by Marilyn's lack of interest and joins the Navy.

Like I said, if you are a Marilyn fan, there are scenes in this film that you must have. If youare not a Marilyn fan, well you got Ethyl and Berlin music.

Rating:
Summary: THE GREAT ETHEL
Review: One of the great musicals of the 50`s. All star cast and great numbers. Ethel Merman at her finest singing the title song. Worth buying the DVD just for that. Marilyns Heatwave number makes the mercury jump to 93. Dan Dailey always one of my favorites overshadowed by Astaire and Kelly. Donald O Connors finest hour was of course Make Em Laugh from Singing In The Rain but this is close second.The lovely Mitzi Gaynor and of course a man sadly forgotten by some nowadays. The Prince of Wails himself. Johnny Ray proving that he was better that most pop singers who turn to acting.I remember seeing this at a young age in our local theatre and thinking it was great all these years later i still feel the same...The question now is when will Call Me Madam appear on DVD also starring Ethel and Donald. A treat indeed for anyone who enjoy`s a good musical.

Rating:
Summary: We're having a heat wave....
Review: Opening text: "Back in 1919, Vaudeville was a very big part of Show Business. Our story is about the Donahues, a very little part of Vaudeville."

Yes, the trials and triumphs of the Donahues are examined from 1919 to World War II. They go from being the Two Donahues to The Five Donahues, with variances inbetween. There are the parents, Molly and Terrance, and their three offspring, Steven, Katy, and Tim, whose adult careers are also covered.

However, the real drama involves the two sons. Steven decides to become a priest, which upsets the father. However, his mother and Katy are supportive. It's all a matter of perspective. For Steve, it's a change in venue, only the church has had a pretty long run. Tim becomes romantically involved with aspiring blonde singer Vicky Parker, played by (guess who?) and runs into all sorts of ups and downs. However, he gets jealous when he suspects he's having an affair with the producer, Lew Harris.

The musical numbers vary from extravagant and splashy to simplistic, and it's the latter that play better, such as the "Lazy" number featuring Monroe, Gaynor, and O'Connor. However, the "Heat Wave" number, with Latin rhythms fused with the usual big band stuff and MM's hot costume, is a highlight. And the lengthy "Alexander's Ragtime Band" may offend those of German, French, and Scottish ancestry who don't like this glossy cariacaturing of their ethnicity, i.e. costumes and bogus accents. Still, the bright colours are praiseworthy.

The interractions between Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey work the best, as the parents who want the best for their children and struggle. At one point, they buy a house in Jersey, but what a time for a mortgage, especially during the Depression. Most people gave up the theatre, with the theatres in turn giving up the Donahues.

As for MM, she sings three solo numbers, "After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It", the languid "Lazy", and the scorching "Heat Wave", which has her in a suggestive costume, black and white on the outside, red on the inside, with a full open skirt revealing her underthings. She felt denigrated by the number, upset, saying, "I did what they said and all it got me was a lot of abuse...Big breasts, big a--, big deal. Can't I be anything else? The dance people kept making me flash the skirt wide open and jump around like I had a fever...it was ridiculous."

This would be the last time MM would play a supporting role in a picture. The reason was 20th Century Fox, which agreed to give her the starring role in The Seven Year Itch if she did this movie. For this reason, the natural stars of the show are Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor, two years after he made it big in Singin' In The Rain. Merman plays her usual brassy self--after all, as Dan Dailey tells her, she isn't exactly Whispering Jack Smith.

However, Mitzi Gaynor (Katy) is the real one to watch. Four years away from her biggest hit, South Pacific, she's more congenial and lovable than Monroe in this picture, and her graceful and slender figure is an asset. Her bright face is very expressive in the "A Sailor Isn't A Sailor Until He Gets A Tattoo" number. Johnnie Ray (Steven), who had a hit with "Cry" three years earlier, has a good personality in this film, but his voice does not compare with the others.

All splash and no substance is kind of accurate in depicting this film, although there are a few saving graces. Come on, Irving Berlin deserved a better tribute than this, surely.

Rating:
Summary: We're having a heat wave....
Review: Opening text: "Back in 1919, Vaudeville was a very big part of Show Business. Our story is about the Donahues, a very little part of Vaudeville."

Yes, the trials and triumphs of the Donahues are examined from 1919 to World War II. They go from being the Two Donahues to The Five Donahues, with variances inbetween. There are the parents, Molly and Terrance, and their three offspring, Steven, Katy, and Tim, whose adult careers are also covered.

However, the real drama involves the two sons. Steven decides to become a priest, which upsets the father. However, his mother and Katy are supportive. It's all a matter of perspective. For Steve, it's a change in venue, only the church has had a pretty long run. Tim becomes romantically involved with aspiring blonde singer Vicky Parker, played by (guess who?) and runs into all sorts of ups and downs. However, he gets jealous when he suspects he's having an affair with the producer, Lew Harris.

The musical numbers vary from extravagant and splashy to simplistic, and it's the latter that play better, such as the "Lazy" number featuring Monroe, Gaynor, and O'Connor. However, the "Heat Wave" number, with Latin rhythms fused with the usual big band stuff and MM's hot costume, is a highlight. And the lengthy "Alexander's Ragtime Band" may offend those of German, French, and Scottish ancestry who don't like this glossy cariacaturing of their ethnicity, i.e. costumes and bogus accents. Still, the bright colours are praiseworthy.

The interractions between Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey work the best, as the parents who want the best for their children and struggle. At one point, they buy a house in Jersey, but what a time for a mortgage, especially during the Depression. Most people gave up the theatre, with the theatres in turn giving up the Donahues.

As for MM, she sings three solo numbers, "After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It", the languid "Lazy", and the scorching "Heat Wave", which has her in a suggestive costume, black and white on the outside, red on the inside, with a full open skirt revealing her underthings. She felt denigrated by the number, upset, saying, "I did what they said and all it got me was a lot of abuse...Big breasts, big a--, big deal. Can't I be anything else? The dance people kept making me flash the skirt wide open and jump around like I had a fever...it was ridiculous."

This would be the last time MM would play a supporting role in a picture. The reason was 20th Century Fox, which agreed to give her the starring role in The Seven Year Itch if she did this movie. For this reason, the natural stars of the show are Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor, two years after he made it big in Singin' In The Rain. Merman plays her usual brassy self--after all, as Dan Dailey tells her, she isn't exactly Whispering Jack Smith.

However, Mitzi Gaynor (Katy) is the real one to watch. Four years away from her biggest hit, South Pacific, she's more congenial and lovable than Monroe in this picture, and her graceful and slender figure is an asset. Her bright face is very expressive in the "A Sailor Isn't A Sailor Until He Gets A Tattoo" number. Johnnie Ray (Steven), who had a hit with "Cry" three years earlier, has a good personality in this film, but his voice does not compare with the others.

All splash and no substance is kind of accurate in depicting this film, although there are a few saving graces. Come on, Irving Berlin deserved a better tribute than this, surely.

Rating:
Summary: Monroe's Best Vocal in Stereo
Review: The highlight of this CD is Monroe singing "After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It" in full, rich stereo. It is the best of all her vocalizations. On the original Decca soundtrack release, Monroe's tracks were replaced by versions performed by Delores Gray due to the fact that Monroe was under contract to RCA and could not record for another label. The duet of "Play a Simple Melody" with Merman and Dailey is heard in numerous versions. The stereo tracks of the duet had suffered from irreperable deterioration, so Merman is not heard at the end of the stereo version. Another version with a vocal double performing Dailey's part is also included, along with the monaural version of Merman and Dailey in it's complete form. There is also a "hidden" track of Merman singing the title track without orchestral accompaniment. Film buffs may know that a version of "Anything You Can Do" (from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN) was recorded and filmed by Merman, Dailey, Gaynor, and O'Connor as a big song and dance number, however it was cut from the film. Too bad the track wasn't included here.

Rating:
Summary: annoying "hidden track" concept
Review: The music is enjoyable; however, at the end of the last track is two minutes of silence, followed by another song. For people with multi-disc players, like me, silence is expected only after all disks have played. One minute of unexpected silence is even too long, much less two minutes. Such "cute" attempts at a hidden track should be discouraged. The additional song should have had its own track, or at least followed the previous song by, say, 10 seconds or less.

Rating:
Summary: Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe shine
Review: The original trailer shouts, "Follow the lives of the folks behind the footlights ... their lives! Their loves! Their sorrows!" You won't be disappointed. This musical takes you through the ups and bumps of a show business family (the Donahues). From the challenges of mixing Vaudeville with child- raising to the complexities of rocky shoals adolescence common to every family, you'll be glad to share the Donahues' story. There's plenty of joy and outstanding hold-your-breath musical numbers, too (with music by Irving Berlin). Plus, it's a rare treat to see American cinematic treasures Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe share the screen. Although the first half of the movie is a little slow, the second half more than makes up for it. The original trailer is the best extra feature of the DVD. Otherwise, the video is just as good.

Rating:
Summary: Now We Know What Really Happened To Vaudeville
Review: The problem with trying to describe this movie is coming up with the right adjectives. Words like flashy, colorful, gaudy and flat keep coming to mind; but the essential fault with "There's No Business Like Show Business," directed by Walter Lang, can best be summed up by borrowing a line or two from Ernest L. Thayer's immortal poem, "Casey At the Bat," which ends with the lines, "But there is no joy in Mudville, Mighty Casey has struck out." Because, what this movie lacks-- and it's hard to fathom why-- is joy. Like Casey, it strikes out, big time. And it's a shame. It's like having all of the resources to construct the most magnificent building the world has ever seen, including the greatest architects available, and the contractor ends up with a hut a child could've made out of tinker toys. There's a story here, of course, but it's obvious that the main intention of the project was to showcase the talents of the stars and some very mediocre songs by Irving Berlin, and to dazzle the audience by filling the wide screen with brilliant, colorful images (CinemaScope was the latest, greatest rage at the time, and the studios wanted to make the most of this revolutionary technological advancement). Someone should have reminded the filmmakers that what they were filling that screen with counted, as well.

The story begins in 1919, whereupon we are introduced to the Vaudeville team of Molly and Terence Donahue (Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey). The next few years are touched upon briefly as Molly and Terry add three children to their family, as well as their act; the toddlers hit the stage with mom and dad almost as soon as they make their entrance into the world. The story begins in earnest when the youngest Donahues hit legal age, or there abouts. "The Five Donahues" include eldest son, Steve (Johnnie Ray), daughter Katy (Mitzi Gaynor) and the youngest, Tim (Donald O'Connor). They get bookings and do shows, and eventually cross paths with a wanna-be performer, hat check girl Vicky (Marilyn Monroe) who, after Tim falls hard for her, gets her big break and begins her rise to fame. The road for all concerned is not smooth, of course, but not to worry-- there's plenty of singing and dancing to go around, and meanwhile Steve surprises everyone with a personal life choice, Tim falls into a jealous funk and Katy meets the handsome Charles Biggs (Hugh O'Brian). And along the way, Molly and Terry find out what parents have known since the beginning of time: Raising kids is no picnic. But at least they have singing and dancing and singing and...

For the first fifteen minutes or so of the film-- or maybe longer; it seems MUCH longer-- we are "treated" to Molly and Terry's Vaudeville act. And about five minutes of Merman's singing should be enough for anyone; her voice fairly grates on the senses. After this extended opening the film moves along, but seems flat and stays that way until Monroe makes her entrance. Once she's on, the screen belongs to her; but it's still not enough to save the day. She does, however, contribute the single memorable number to the show, "We're Havin' A Heat Wave." But her "Lazy" number is just that, and not even the contributions of O'Connor and Gaynor can help it.

The production numbers suffer from poor staging, uninspired choreography and some of the worst costumes you're likely to ever find in a movie. Even the best song the film has to offer, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," (done terrifically by Alice Faye in the movie of that title) is terribly abused here, presented in a lengthy and contrived manner that is beyond repair. Even "Heat Wave" was saved only because of Monroe, whose sensuous delivery outweighs the actual blandness of the number. And the costumes for the grand finale, especially, are embarrassingly ridiculous (and quickly take the "grand" out of it)-- particularly the white dress Merman wears while delivering the title song; a creation so horrendous it defies description. Overall, it's a sad commentary on the lack of originality and quality of the film when the likes of Monroe, Gaynor and especially O'Connor can't even save it, even though individually and collectively they do have their moments; the problem is those moments are just too few and far between.

The one believable aspect of the film is the casting of Merman as a Vaudeville star; and after seeing her "act," there is no longer any mystery as to what killed Vaudeville. If this is a sample of the real thing, talking pictures had nothing to do with it's demise. It simply inevitably imploded. The burning question that remains is, how in the world did Ethel Merman ever become a star? And what about Johnnie Ray? A relatively successful recording artist with a unique style, he was nevertheless dreadfully miscast in this film. Frequently asked why he made only this one movie, he would reply, "Because I was never asked to do another one." Which is quite understandable; he could sing, but he simply could not act. And it's hard to discern whether it was just the part or his acting that made his character seem so ludicrous.

The supporting cast includes Richard Eastham (Harris), Frank McHugh (Eddie), Rhys Williams (Father Dineen) and Lee Patrick (Marge). With a cast including the likes of O'Connor, Monroe and Gaynor, and with songs by Berlin, "There's No Business Like Show Business" inherently promises great things, but fails to deliver. There's no getting around the fact that in the end it's a lackluster, forgettable contribution to a genre known for liveliness and joy. Not the least bit satisfying, it is perhaps the biggest misfire in the history of movie musicals. And it leaves you with a single, burning question that demands to be asked: Where's Gene Kelly when you need him?