Red, Hot and Blue (1949)

An aspiring actress finds herself in a jam when a gangster, who is backing the show she is in, is found dead in her apartment.

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Hagar Wilde (screenplay), John Farrow (screenplay),

Stars:

Betty Hutton, Victor Mature, William Demarest

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Betty Hutton	...	Eleanor Collier aka Yum-Yum
Victor Mature	...	Danny James
William Demarest	...	Charlie Baxter, Press Agent
June Havoc	...	Sandra
Jane Nigh	...	Angelica Roseanne aka No-No
Frank Loesser	...	Hair-do Lempke
William Talman	...	Bunny Harris
Art Smith	...	Laddie Corwin
Raymond Walburn	...	Alex Ryan Creek
Onslow Stevens	...	Capt. Allen
Barry Kelley	...	Lt. Gorman
Jack Kruschen	...	Steve
Joseph Vitale	...	Carr
Percy Helton	...	Mr. Perkins, Stage manager
Ernö Verebes	...	Waiter

Storyline

Eleanor Collier wants to become a successful actress and agrees to a series of publicity stunts thought up by her press agent, Charley Baxter. The result is trouble and a bad impression. Eleanor quarrels with her boyfriend when he blames her publicity mania for getting her involved in an underworld killing. A gangster kidnaps her for being, unwittingly, the finger woman in the killing, but a Boradway columnist comes to her rescue.

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Plot Keywords:

publicity | gangster | killing | actress | underworld | 

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Taglines:

We've widened the aisles so you can roll in 'em ... at the Years's LAFFIEST, DAFFIEST FUN-SHOW!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Restless Angel

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 6, 1950 with Betty Hutton reprising her film role.

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Goofs

Although the movie was filmed and released in 1949, its copyright date reads MCMXLIV - which is 1944. (MCMXLIX is 1949.)

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Soundtracks

"NOW THAT I NEED YOU"
(uncredited)
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Betty Hutton

User Reviews

For Betty Hutton fans mainly/only

There's not much to this film other than star Betty Hutton herself. The production values are minimal, the storyline (about a small theatre company trying to hit the big time) is simultaneously convoluted and unengaging. And your guess is as good as mine as to what the title has to do with anything (taken from a relatively successful Cole Porter stage production, there is *nothing* here by Cole Porter).

But, if you like Betty Hutton, you'll probably enjoy the film. It isn't as key a film in her career as "Annie Get Your Gun," "The Perils of Pauline," or "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," but it certainly gives her plenty of room to showcase her manic comic ability and her own (shall we say) unique way of putting over a number. You just haven't experienced Betty Hutton until you've seen her perform a four-minute musical encapsulation of "Hamlet." Fasten your seat belts and hold onto the arm rests, because she is dialed up to eleven throughout the piece. Everytime you think she can't get anymore over the top, she manages to push even farther! This number alone makes the entire film worthy of some interest.