After a bit of a slow start, The Merry Monahans really picks up with the entrance of Peggy Ryan and Donald O'Connor. Having already made several films together, it is obvious that these two enjoyed working together and playing off each other's comedic timing. They have many hilarious moments which are made even better by their freshness. There's a nice sort of improvisational feeling to the movie that we don't really get to see in modern films. Although she's playing a pretty straight character, Ann Blyth even gets a few laughs, and Jack Oakie's just very likable. The plot (surprisingly) doesn't get stale, probably since there's only half an hour of plot development. It really is a sweet, good-humoured little film that any fan of movies would enjoy viewing.
7 Reviews
Very Nice!!!
mggbikeluvr13 April 2011
I have seen four Donald and Peggy movies. This one isn't my favorite of them all. It's still very good, though. Donald and Peggy work great together, no matter what the movie. Ann Blyth, who had been in "Chip Off the Old Block" with them previously, shone in this one. She is a very pretty girl, and boy, does she have a voice! This was one of the few higher budgeted Universal musicals. It shows in costumes and sets, certainly. The Manhattan Follies number has a huge stage with many dancers in elegant costumes. My favorite costumes are at the end. Peggy's dress is gorgeous. Then again, I think Peggy is gorgeous. Call me crazy! Jack Oakie is enjoyable all around, and it's almost impossible to not like him. Though Isabel Jewel was only in a very small amount of it, it was exciting to see "the white-trashed Emmie Slattery" in something else other then "Gone with The Wind". Rosemary DeCamp was great. But the show is stolen by, as usual, the amazing Donald O'Connor. He and Peggy's "I Hate to Lose You" was a show stopper and is one of the only clips of the film available on Youtube. That song is enough of a reason to get the movie.
I gave this an 8 out of 10 because, though the costumes and the performances were indescribable, the plot is a bit clichéd here and there. Only a few times, though. It's a very good movie and I recommend it to anyone.
I gave this an 8 out of 10 because, though the costumes and the performances were indescribable, the plot is a bit clichéd here and there. Only a few times, though. It's a very good movie and I recommend it to anyone.
Vaudeville family story, with lots of songs and dances
weezeralfalfa25 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
My, the popular baby-faced character actor Jack Oakie had put on some serious weight since costarring in "Call of the Wild", a decade earlier. He once had the ambition to partner with a thin vaudeville friend to make another Laurel and Hardy-like comedy team. At this time, he could have easily made a credible stand in for Oliver Hardy.Both used a rather similar double take as a standard part of their screen personas. Jack moved around from one studio to another. In the early '40s, he contributed to a number of of Fox musicals starring Betty Grable or Alice Faye, most recently the popular "Hello, Frisco, Hello". His stay at Universal would be rather brief, but he would costar in several films, including this one.
In this B&W film, we have 3 great vaudeville-trained costars in Jack, Don O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, who could do it all, although Don had the best balance of great singing, dancing and comedic talent, so why he 's first billed at the still tender age of 18. Jack was 20 years older than this young set, thus he plays their father Pete Monahan. Rosemary DeCamp, who usually played a wholesome mother, aunt or friend of a lead,is the stage partner (Lillian) that Jack wanted to marry. But , he was railroaded into marrying another showgirl named Rose(Isabel Jewell), who bore Don(Jimmy)and Peggy(Patsy), but after some years left her vaudevillian family. True to type cast, Isabel usually played 'bad' or loser women with limited screen time. She disappears early in this film.
The last of the main characters is Ann Blyth, all of 16 years old, still her first year in films.She plays Don's love interest(Shella), serendipitously being the daughter of Lillian, whose husband apparently has vanished. This sets up the possibility of a double wedding between Don's and Ann's characters, and Jack's and Rosemary's characters. But first we have to resolve the problem of Arnold Pembroke, a fading matinée idol who has a hold over Ann's stage career, has forbidden Ann to see Don anymore, and has asked Rosemary to marry him. Reluctantly, Rosemary agrees and Jack goes on a drunk binge as a result. Pembroke was played by typecast oily aristocratic villain John Mijan. Ironically, in the silent era, he was a matinée idol, who was redefined as villains when talkies arrived. Of course, the Pembroke problem is eventually resolved and the finale stage show suggests that the 'right' people ended up together.
In this film, Don appears in service uniform in the last portion, as he has been drafted to fight in WWI. In actuality, he would soon be drafted to serve in WWII. Thus, Universal had him working overtime, starring in several films at once before being drafted. I noticed that his character's name is Jimmy in "This is the Life", as well as this film, probably to reduce confusion, as these may have been made simultaneously.
Between bits of romantic melodrama, there is a seemingly endless number of stage shows and numbers, supposedly performed in various cities around the US. Many of the individual numbers are quite brief. The ones near the end, supposedly performed in Manhattan, tend to have the most elaborate dance troupe accompaniment. Most of the songs are not new; however, a number of them were composed by Irving Bibo and Don George. This includes the theme song "Lovely" which was sung and danced to in the beginning by Jack and Rosemary.It's again featured in the emotional finale, beginning as a song and dance by a female troupe, led by Ann Blyth, with all the other main characters eventually showing up to say farewell to the film audience.
Ann basically replaced young songstress Gloria Jean, who had served as the third wheel in a number of Don + Peggy films in '42 and '43. Although Peggy usually sang some in these films, this was her least vaudevillian talent, having a rather squeaky voice. Thus, usually a female singing specialist was included to complement Don's excellent singing voice. Besides the finale, Ann was featured singing "Isle D'Amour". Ann was replaced by notable songstress Suzanne Foster in "This is the Life", another Don-Peggy musical released in '44. After Don entered the service later in '44, Peggy was cast in a number of films, but retired from films for a while in '45, before Don rejoined Universal. Thus, they would never again collaborate.Don's film career didn't really get back on track until '48, when Universal once again began starring him in a series of B&W or Technicolor musical comedies, usually including one or more notable costars, which would eventually lead to his most remembered role, as costar with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in MGM's "Singing in the Rain". If you like Don's film persona, checkout some of these films, most of which are currently available on You Tube.
Peggy Ryan is unduly forgotten today. Her screen persona in these films with Don was usually that of a brash boy-crazy teen, and she really complemented Don very well as a teen. If you are familiar with her film contemporaries: Betty Hutton, Nancy Walker or Martha Raye, you get a rough idea of her typical screen persona.
This film is a pleasant musical romp, with just enough interspersed melodrama so that this doesn't become tedious nor too diversionary. However,it doesn't really allow Don to much expand his dancing and comedic talents, as did some of his Universal films in '48-'50
In this B&W film, we have 3 great vaudeville-trained costars in Jack, Don O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, who could do it all, although Don had the best balance of great singing, dancing and comedic talent, so why he 's first billed at the still tender age of 18. Jack was 20 years older than this young set, thus he plays their father Pete Monahan. Rosemary DeCamp, who usually played a wholesome mother, aunt or friend of a lead,is the stage partner (Lillian) that Jack wanted to marry. But , he was railroaded into marrying another showgirl named Rose(Isabel Jewell), who bore Don(Jimmy)and Peggy(Patsy), but after some years left her vaudevillian family. True to type cast, Isabel usually played 'bad' or loser women with limited screen time. She disappears early in this film.
The last of the main characters is Ann Blyth, all of 16 years old, still her first year in films.She plays Don's love interest(Shella), serendipitously being the daughter of Lillian, whose husband apparently has vanished. This sets up the possibility of a double wedding between Don's and Ann's characters, and Jack's and Rosemary's characters. But first we have to resolve the problem of Arnold Pembroke, a fading matinée idol who has a hold over Ann's stage career, has forbidden Ann to see Don anymore, and has asked Rosemary to marry him. Reluctantly, Rosemary agrees and Jack goes on a drunk binge as a result. Pembroke was played by typecast oily aristocratic villain John Mijan. Ironically, in the silent era, he was a matinée idol, who was redefined as villains when talkies arrived. Of course, the Pembroke problem is eventually resolved and the finale stage show suggests that the 'right' people ended up together.
In this film, Don appears in service uniform in the last portion, as he has been drafted to fight in WWI. In actuality, he would soon be drafted to serve in WWII. Thus, Universal had him working overtime, starring in several films at once before being drafted. I noticed that his character's name is Jimmy in "This is the Life", as well as this film, probably to reduce confusion, as these may have been made simultaneously.
Between bits of romantic melodrama, there is a seemingly endless number of stage shows and numbers, supposedly performed in various cities around the US. Many of the individual numbers are quite brief. The ones near the end, supposedly performed in Manhattan, tend to have the most elaborate dance troupe accompaniment. Most of the songs are not new; however, a number of them were composed by Irving Bibo and Don George. This includes the theme song "Lovely" which was sung and danced to in the beginning by Jack and Rosemary.It's again featured in the emotional finale, beginning as a song and dance by a female troupe, led by Ann Blyth, with all the other main characters eventually showing up to say farewell to the film audience.
Ann basically replaced young songstress Gloria Jean, who had served as the third wheel in a number of Don + Peggy films in '42 and '43. Although Peggy usually sang some in these films, this was her least vaudevillian talent, having a rather squeaky voice. Thus, usually a female singing specialist was included to complement Don's excellent singing voice. Besides the finale, Ann was featured singing "Isle D'Amour". Ann was replaced by notable songstress Suzanne Foster in "This is the Life", another Don-Peggy musical released in '44. After Don entered the service later in '44, Peggy was cast in a number of films, but retired from films for a while in '45, before Don rejoined Universal. Thus, they would never again collaborate.Don's film career didn't really get back on track until '48, when Universal once again began starring him in a series of B&W or Technicolor musical comedies, usually including one or more notable costars, which would eventually lead to his most remembered role, as costar with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in MGM's "Singing in the Rain". If you like Don's film persona, checkout some of these films, most of which are currently available on You Tube.
Peggy Ryan is unduly forgotten today. Her screen persona in these films with Don was usually that of a brash boy-crazy teen, and she really complemented Don very well as a teen. If you are familiar with her film contemporaries: Betty Hutton, Nancy Walker or Martha Raye, you get a rough idea of her typical screen persona.
This film is a pleasant musical romp, with just enough interspersed melodrama so that this doesn't become tedious nor too diversionary. However,it doesn't really allow Don to much expand his dancing and comedic talents, as did some of his Universal films in '48-'50
a lost treasure
rjs4816 February 2002
Oh, how I wish this film were on video or dvd! I saw it countless times on late night TV when I was growing up in the late 50s and early 60s. Now it seems to have vanished. What a shame! The Merry Monahans is a feel good movie. My heart always leapt at the ending. The cast is magnificent, the music infectious, the whole thing a delight!
There's no business like show business!
mark.waltz23 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Basically, that's what this is, a lower budget version of the huge Technicolor 1954 elephantine sized musical extravaganza. It focuses on one vaudeville family, widowed father Jack Oakie (who drinks a bit too much) and children Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan. Oakie is in love with the pretty singer Rosemary DeCamp who, fearing life as the wife of an alcoholic, runs out on him. years later, O'Connor happens to meet the pretty Ann Blyth who turns out to be DeCamp's daughter, giving way to a reunions between Oakie and DeCamp. But Oakie, who has seemed to stay off the wagon, falls off when she announces she is marrying another man, even as O'Connor and Blyth begin to become seriously involved.
Unlike the Irving Berlin song book of the later "There's No Business Like Show Business", this features standards of the period by various composers, some better performed than the others. This isn't a typical Universal B Musical, made on a higher budget but looking rather old-fashioned and dull in spots where is a black and white photography cries for color. The production numbers are extremely lavish and feature many chorus girls with well-staged choreography. It lacks in humor, and only really comes to life when the band strikes up one of those classic old songs. The finale is set up just as the big conclusion of "There's No Business Like Show Business" was, but by 1954, most people had forgotten about "The Merry Monahans" past the late show, and it's obvious that Universal could have cared less.
Unlike the Irving Berlin song book of the later "There's No Business Like Show Business", this features standards of the period by various composers, some better performed than the others. This isn't a typical Universal B Musical, made on a higher budget but looking rather old-fashioned and dull in spots where is a black and white photography cries for color. The production numbers are extremely lavish and feature many chorus girls with well-staged choreography. It lacks in humor, and only really comes to life when the band strikes up one of those classic old songs. The finale is set up just as the big conclusion of "There's No Business Like Show Business" was, but by 1954, most people had forgotten about "The Merry Monahans" past the late show, and it's obvious that Universal could have cared less.
Very Entertaining 'B' Musical.
GManfred7 September 2010
A black-and-white musical from Universal does not sound promising. It sounds bland, uneventful and tuneless. Boy, will you be surprised. I think the first surprise will be that you can't find this picture available in any format, so you'll have to get lucky and wait until some station runs it or buy a copy from a DVD pirate.
But the big surprise is what a good movie it is, how quickly it moves and how effervescent the performers are. The story has been done many times before but it really works here. And the musical numbers are not new songs but they are exhilarating and full of energy, led by old pro Jack Oakie, and Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, two very young pros.
This picture is solid in all respects, and, except for the lack of color, could stand next to many MGM or Fox musicals.
But the big surprise is what a good movie it is, how quickly it moves and how effervescent the performers are. The story has been done many times before but it really works here. And the musical numbers are not new songs but they are exhilarating and full of energy, led by old pro Jack Oakie, and Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, two very young pros.
This picture is solid in all respects, and, except for the lack of color, could stand next to many MGM or Fox musicals.
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