Two scenes surprise, both with Marilyn Monroe: her singing of the "After You Get What You Want..." number in a ultra-tight, combination flesh-colored/white gown. It's obvious that the image portrayed is that she could be nude, with the frilly white covering her talents. The second is the famous "Heat Wave" number, in a skimpy outfit, with her navel appropriately covered, yet below is a flesh-colored "window" for more erotic symbolism. In 1954 nudity could NOT be shown, but those scenes probably BARELY squeaked by the censors. The film depicts the traveling, singing/dancing Donahue Family, headed by brassy Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey, with sons Donald O'Connor, Johnnie Ray (who wants to be a priest), and daughter Mitzi Gaynor. It's obvious the Monroe character was an afterthought to boost the film's success; the actress really didn't want to do the part, the studio allegedly counteracted by upping her salary and promising her the lead in "The Seven Year Itch" (1955). Nevertheless, Monroe looks great and is unforgettable, comedically, dramatically and musically. O'Connor is great fun and Gaynor is a knockout dancer. Between some slow stages, musical numbers are expertly staged, with magnificent sets and superb color schemes all throughout. The finale is surprisingly touching with a rousing title tune reprise by all; only way to watch this is on the pristine-restored widescreem (2:55 to 1) DVD.
78 Reviews
Good, Could've Been Great
kensmark1 April 2002
Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think of this film, my biggest complaint with it is Marilyn Monroe. The studio shoehorned her into this film in their attempt to make the biggest musical extravaganza ever, and she just doesn't fit. She's so out of sync with the other characters that she might as well be from a different planet.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a huge Marilyn fan, but she was good (and well-cast) in "Some Like It Hot". She's just all wrong for "No Business Like Show Business", and she looks and sounds ridiculous.
To be fair, Johnnie Ray often doesn't hold up well before modern audiences, either, when he sings. It's not that he's bad; it's that his style has come and gone and hardly been seen since. Everything in this movie tends to be at least a little overdone, and asking Johnnie Ray to exaggerate his singing does not produce flattering results.
Still, Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor are as brilliant and exuberant as you could hope. Ethel Merman is, well, Ethel Merman, and exactly right for her part. Dan Dailey is like a reliable locomotive that never disappoints.
The story is a bit plodding at times, but it only exists to set up one gala musical number after another. It only really bogs down when it gets caught up with Marilyn's character. If the studio had just left Marilyn out of it, perhaps giving Mitzi Gaynor the love interest role, and toned down the general effort level just a hair, this would've been one of the all-time greats.
It's still absolutely worth seeing -- in widescreen format, if you possibly can.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a huge Marilyn fan, but she was good (and well-cast) in "Some Like It Hot". She's just all wrong for "No Business Like Show Business", and she looks and sounds ridiculous.
To be fair, Johnnie Ray often doesn't hold up well before modern audiences, either, when he sings. It's not that he's bad; it's that his style has come and gone and hardly been seen since. Everything in this movie tends to be at least a little overdone, and asking Johnnie Ray to exaggerate his singing does not produce flattering results.
Still, Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor are as brilliant and exuberant as you could hope. Ethel Merman is, well, Ethel Merman, and exactly right for her part. Dan Dailey is like a reliable locomotive that never disappoints.
The story is a bit plodding at times, but it only exists to set up one gala musical number after another. It only really bogs down when it gets caught up with Marilyn's character. If the studio had just left Marilyn out of it, perhaps giving Mitzi Gaynor the love interest role, and toned down the general effort level just a hair, this would've been one of the all-time greats.
It's still absolutely worth seeing -- in widescreen format, if you possibly can.
That extra bow!
jotix1002 June 2006
20th Century Fox was no match for MGM when it came to musicals. Daryl F. Zanuk decided to gamble with this film where the talents of a Broadway star, Ethel Merman, would be showcased. Ms. Merman in spite of being the toast of Broadway, never made it big in Hollywood. After all, she was not a radiant beauty, but oh, could she belt a song that could be heard at the top of the balcony! Phoebe and Henry Ephron were brought on board to write the screen treatment and Walter Lang directed.
The musical was also blessed in that Irving Berlin's music is heard throughout in all its glory. Ms. Merman was the perfect actress to interpret the songs written by Mr. Berlin. They made a perfect duo, even though, for some viewers not used to Ethel Merman's singing style, it might prove an uneasy combination.
The story is simple enough. It follows the Donahues from the early days of vaudeville through some glittering years after. Molly and Terence Donahue had two sons, Tim and Steve, and a daughter, Katy. As the children grow up, the parents' popularity began to recede. The film deals with Tim, as a young man, as he falls for Vicky Parker, a beautiful singer who makes it big on her own. Vickie, who is more interested in her own career neglects Tim. As a result, Tim goes on his own to find himself, away from his family and Vickie.
The best thing in the film is Ethel Merman. She was a legendary figure and as Molly Donahue, she is at her best. Dan Dailey was the perfect partner for Ms. Merman. Donald O'Connor is also seen doing some fine dancing. Marilyn Monroe was a lovely woman to look at. As a singer, she had a small voice, but she used it well making the songs her own. Mitzi Gaynor plays Katy. Johnnie Ray, a popular singer of that period is terribly miscast. His Steve is the worst thing in the movie.
Although predictable, this film has some great things going for it. Some of the musical numbers are well staged and will not disappoint. On the whole as the camaraderie expressed by the title of the film is evident in the musical.
The musical was also blessed in that Irving Berlin's music is heard throughout in all its glory. Ms. Merman was the perfect actress to interpret the songs written by Mr. Berlin. They made a perfect duo, even though, for some viewers not used to Ethel Merman's singing style, it might prove an uneasy combination.
The story is simple enough. It follows the Donahues from the early days of vaudeville through some glittering years after. Molly and Terence Donahue had two sons, Tim and Steve, and a daughter, Katy. As the children grow up, the parents' popularity began to recede. The film deals with Tim, as a young man, as he falls for Vicky Parker, a beautiful singer who makes it big on her own. Vickie, who is more interested in her own career neglects Tim. As a result, Tim goes on his own to find himself, away from his family and Vickie.
The best thing in the film is Ethel Merman. She was a legendary figure and as Molly Donahue, she is at her best. Dan Dailey was the perfect partner for Ms. Merman. Donald O'Connor is also seen doing some fine dancing. Marilyn Monroe was a lovely woman to look at. As a singer, she had a small voice, but she used it well making the songs her own. Mitzi Gaynor plays Katy. Johnnie Ray, a popular singer of that period is terribly miscast. His Steve is the worst thing in the movie.
Although predictable, this film has some great things going for it. Some of the musical numbers are well staged and will not disappoint. On the whole as the camaraderie expressed by the title of the film is evident in the musical.
Another Irving Berlin Songbook
bkoganbing21 January 2006
There's No Business Like Show Business has the distinction of being the last of the Irving Berlin songbook musicals filmed. It came out the same year as White Christmas, also of the same genre.
Take a listen to the background music of films like Holiday Inn, Blue Skies, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and this one. I defy you to find one non-Berlin note in the film and that's no accident. The more songs of Irving Berlin used, the more money he made. He was one shrewd businessman Irving, most of the time.
The title song is identified with Ethel Merman and it was introduced in Annie Get Your Gun. Merman like Mary Martin had a conspicuous lack of success in Hollywood as much as she was an icon on Broadway. She only did the screen version of two of her Broadway hits, Anything Goes and Call Me Madam. That's two more than Mary Martin did.
Anyway, I think the genesis of There's No Business Like Show Business probably came about when Call Me Madam became such a hit and the movie money people saw how the chemistry was between her and Donald O'Connor. So O'Connor was signed to play one of her three children. The other two children were Johnnie Ray and Mitzi Gaynor.
The plot such as it is, is the story of the Donahue family between both World Wars. The father of the aforementioned children is Dan Dailey and he and Merman do some good Irving Berlin numbers together. I've always marvelled at how graceful Dan Dailey moved on the screen in his musical films. He was not a creative sort in the same way Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly were. Probably if he had been, his reputation would be higher today. But he was a pleasing entertainer every time you saw him.
By all accounts it wasn't a happy film for Ethel. Marilyn Monroe is in the film and Ethel was jealous of her. Not that Monroe wasn't her usual difficult self. Probably that helped the plot because it does call for the two to be at odds. Merman believes that Monroe has led Donald O'Connor astray.
Mitzi Gaynor was a wonderful talent as well. Too bad she wasn't born twenty years earlier, what a big star she would have been in the thirties and forties in Hollywood musicals then. Good singer and one fabulous dancer.
The plot does get kind of sticky in spots and Johnnie Ray didn't set the screen on fire when he wasn't singing. No accident he didn't become a film star.
Still for those of us who bless the day Irving Berlin put down his first notes of an original song, it's worth watching.
Take a listen to the background music of films like Holiday Inn, Blue Skies, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and this one. I defy you to find one non-Berlin note in the film and that's no accident. The more songs of Irving Berlin used, the more money he made. He was one shrewd businessman Irving, most of the time.
The title song is identified with Ethel Merman and it was introduced in Annie Get Your Gun. Merman like Mary Martin had a conspicuous lack of success in Hollywood as much as she was an icon on Broadway. She only did the screen version of two of her Broadway hits, Anything Goes and Call Me Madam. That's two more than Mary Martin did.
Anyway, I think the genesis of There's No Business Like Show Business probably came about when Call Me Madam became such a hit and the movie money people saw how the chemistry was between her and Donald O'Connor. So O'Connor was signed to play one of her three children. The other two children were Johnnie Ray and Mitzi Gaynor.
The plot such as it is, is the story of the Donahue family between both World Wars. The father of the aforementioned children is Dan Dailey and he and Merman do some good Irving Berlin numbers together. I've always marvelled at how graceful Dan Dailey moved on the screen in his musical films. He was not a creative sort in the same way Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly were. Probably if he had been, his reputation would be higher today. But he was a pleasing entertainer every time you saw him.
By all accounts it wasn't a happy film for Ethel. Marilyn Monroe is in the film and Ethel was jealous of her. Not that Monroe wasn't her usual difficult self. Probably that helped the plot because it does call for the two to be at odds. Merman believes that Monroe has led Donald O'Connor astray.
Mitzi Gaynor was a wonderful talent as well. Too bad she wasn't born twenty years earlier, what a big star she would have been in the thirties and forties in Hollywood musicals then. Good singer and one fabulous dancer.
The plot does get kind of sticky in spots and Johnnie Ray didn't set the screen on fire when he wasn't singing. No accident he didn't become a film star.
Still for those of us who bless the day Irving Berlin put down his first notes of an original song, it's worth watching.
Marilyn was deliciously charming, seducing and very appealing
Nazi_Fighter_David30 June 2007
The film was, perhaps, the splashiest of the year's musicals
It dealt with the joys, loves and heartaches experienced by a vaudeville family called the Donahues (spending their lives singing and dancing and touring) with Merman and Dailey as mother and father, and Ray, Gaynor and O'Connor as their talented offspring
All of them get to perform a large catalog of new and old songs by Irving Berlin in sumptuous arrangements, beautiful settings and on a big Hippodrome extravaganza
Daily and Merman hit the top; O'Connorwho had liked to build a barbed-wire fence around Marilyndid it Scottish and came with some fine dances; Gaynor's love was dancing and she was really cute; and while Ray got some thinking to do, he sells a very beautiful song ("If You Believe").
Marilyn (appearing after 29 minutes screening) was deliciously charming, seducing and very appealing She sang "After You Get What You Want" and "Lazy," and did that tropical version of 'Heat Wave.'
All of them get to perform a large catalog of new and old songs by Irving Berlin in sumptuous arrangements, beautiful settings and on a big Hippodrome extravaganza
Daily and Merman hit the top; O'Connorwho had liked to build a barbed-wire fence around Marilyndid it Scottish and came with some fine dances; Gaynor's love was dancing and she was really cute; and while Ray got some thinking to do, he sells a very beautiful song ("If You Believe").
Marilyn (appearing after 29 minutes screening) was deliciously charming, seducing and very appealing She sang "After You Get What You Want" and "Lazy," and did that tropical version of 'Heat Wave.'
Inexplicably entertaining
tippusmaximus2 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When I began watching "There's No Business..." I had fairly low expectations. To be honest, I was watching it because of Donald O'Connor and Ethel Merman (her acting, not her singing, although I don't mind that too much) and I figured that it would be mediocre at best. However, by the end of the movie, I was just very very... happy. There's really no other word for it. The majority of the reviews for this film cite its thin plot and melodrama as a negative, but I think that's just because most musicals have a more contrived and contained plot. "TNBLSB" has a more general story (which I won't recap) that, in my opinion, gives it more of an emotional impact by the end. All ends well, of course, but because of the nature of the problem (a lost child versus the typical "lost love"), the final resolution is more satisfying. Acting-wise, Johnny Ray isn't so bad that he ruins any scenes and I've always liked Ethel Merman's kind of maternal smart-aleckiness. Personally, I didn't think the musical numbers were anything spectacular, but that greatly depends on the taste of the viewer. Anyway, despite all the bad reviews of this film, I definitely think it's one to check out if you're a fan of any of the actors or of the musical genre.
Donald O'Connor's favorite among his own films
AlsExGal22 December 2022
This CinemaScope musical follows the lives and loves of the Donahues, a family of vaudeville performers: father Terrance (Dan Dailey), mother Molly (Ethel Merman), elder son Tim (Donald O'Connor), daughter Katy (Mitzi Gaynor), and younger son Steve (Johnnie Ray). They persevere through changing tastes, the stock market crash, and the start of WW2. Tim falls for co-star Vicky (Marilyn Monroe), while Katy finds romance with writer Charles (Hugh O'Brian), and Steve pursues a different calling.
The threadbare story merely serves to connect a series of elaborate musical numbers designed to make the best of the new widescreen CinemaScope format. Director Lang and choreographer Robert Alton turn in some excellent work, and Donald O'Connor reportedly called this his favorite of his films (over Singin' in the Rain?!?). I watched this for Monroe, who doesn't impress much here. She supposedly didn't want to appear in this, but did so in order to win the lead in The Seven Year Itch. This was one of Fox's most expensive productions to date, and despite selling a lot of tickets, it ended up being a money-loser. It earned Oscar nominations for (inexplicably) Best Story (Lamar Trotti), Best Score (Alfred & Lionel Newman), and Best Color Costumes (Charles Le Maire, Miles White, Travilla).
The threadbare story merely serves to connect a series of elaborate musical numbers designed to make the best of the new widescreen CinemaScope format. Director Lang and choreographer Robert Alton turn in some excellent work, and Donald O'Connor reportedly called this his favorite of his films (over Singin' in the Rain?!?). I watched this for Monroe, who doesn't impress much here. She supposedly didn't want to appear in this, but did so in order to win the lead in The Seven Year Itch. This was one of Fox's most expensive productions to date, and despite selling a lot of tickets, it ended up being a money-loser. It earned Oscar nominations for (inexplicably) Best Story (Lamar Trotti), Best Score (Alfred & Lionel Newman), and Best Color Costumes (Charles Le Maire, Miles White, Travilla).
There really IS no business like show business!
dodgerdiva15 August 2005
"There's No Business Like Show Business" was never intended to be great film-making or storytelling, so please do not watch it with those things in mind.
Sure, it was over-staged, over-produced, in some cases over-acted and any other "overs" you can think of, but it's just fun to relax and watch and listen to. I've seen the film maybe dozens of times (I own the DVD) and it's obvious to me that despite a few on screen gaffes and off-screen problems for at least a couple of the actors, Hollywood had a whale of a good time making it. Some of the characters are unrealistic and I'm sure if you could ask the actors, all would say it was by far not their best work.
Furthermore, if we didn't know it before, "Show Business" proved that Johnnie Ray, the part crooner, part rock belter of the era, couldn't act his way into or out of a paper bag. But so what?? This ain't Hamlet. Ray was cast to do here what he did best: sing the heck out of a couple of songs that were arranged precisely to suit his performing style. And he also just managed to pull off an unusual plot twist that I'm sure audiences of the era did not expect.
We're all asked to suspend temporarily all logic and reason when we turn on our TVs or go to the movies. Why stop with "There's No Business Like Show Business"? So grab the munchies, sit back and let Ethel Merman and Gang entertain you for a couple of harmless, gaudy hours.
Sure, it was over-staged, over-produced, in some cases over-acted and any other "overs" you can think of, but it's just fun to relax and watch and listen to. I've seen the film maybe dozens of times (I own the DVD) and it's obvious to me that despite a few on screen gaffes and off-screen problems for at least a couple of the actors, Hollywood had a whale of a good time making it. Some of the characters are unrealistic and I'm sure if you could ask the actors, all would say it was by far not their best work.
Furthermore, if we didn't know it before, "Show Business" proved that Johnnie Ray, the part crooner, part rock belter of the era, couldn't act his way into or out of a paper bag. But so what?? This ain't Hamlet. Ray was cast to do here what he did best: sing the heck out of a couple of songs that were arranged precisely to suit his performing style. And he also just managed to pull off an unusual plot twist that I'm sure audiences of the era did not expect.
We're all asked to suspend temporarily all logic and reason when we turn on our TVs or go to the movies. Why stop with "There's No Business Like Show Business"? So grab the munchies, sit back and let Ethel Merman and Gang entertain you for a couple of harmless, gaudy hours.
Classic musical drama!
propchick8 October 2002
The first time you watch this movie, you'll think it's long, boring, and stupid. The second time you watch this movie, you'll love it. I can't begin to tell you why, but it's the truth. (I had the chance to show this film to an audience during a Donald O'Connor film festival. People came up to me weeks later to say that they had caught it again on cable, and loved it the second time through.)
Marilyn is definately "ehh". This movie was filmed during her worst years of personal abuses, and it shows all over her face and her work, lending a shadowy sadness to her character for modern audiences. Donald O'Connor's character also takes on a new depth for modern viewers familiar with his own life's history, oftentimes with a sharp poignance that helps him grab control of so many scenes, and turn his character's story into the strongest sub-plot of the film.
Merman is BRILLIANT as the real head of this family, giving us a wonderfully unique character. Her role as the strong, smart, powerful, and loving mother is truly a standout for the 50's in general, and musicals in particular.
Marilyn is definately "ehh". This movie was filmed during her worst years of personal abuses, and it shows all over her face and her work, lending a shadowy sadness to her character for modern audiences. Donald O'Connor's character also takes on a new depth for modern viewers familiar with his own life's history, oftentimes with a sharp poignance that helps him grab control of so many scenes, and turn his character's story into the strongest sub-plot of the film.
Merman is BRILLIANT as the real head of this family, giving us a wonderfully unique character. Her role as the strong, smart, powerful, and loving mother is truly a standout for the 50's in general, and musicals in particular.
Not well written, but a must-see MM movie anyway!
JohnHowardReid23 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Producer: Solomon C. Siegel. Executive producer: Darryl F. Zanuck. "Heat Wave" staged and choreographed by Jack Cole. All other dances and musical numbers choreographed and staged by Robert Alton. Vocal supervision: Ken Darby.
Copyright 1954 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 16 December 1954. U.S. release: December 1954. U.K. release: 21 March 1955. Australian release: 24 March 1955. Sydney opening at the Regent. 10,535 feet. 117 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Molly and Terry Donahue (Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey) bring up their three children in show business, the family forming an act billed as The Five Donahues. The three young Donahues are Tim (Donald O'Connor), Katy (Mitzi Gaynor) and Steve (Johnnie Ray). Steve quits the act to study for the priesthood. Tim meets Vicky (Marilyn Monroe) at a night club where she is a hat-check girl and sees her do a song when her agent brings a producer to meet her. The Four Donahues get a booking in a Florida hotel, where Tim discovers that Vicky is also on the bill. He talks his family into doing something else so that Vicky can do their "Heat Wave" number, which sets Molly against Vicky.
NOTES: Nominated for awards for Best Motion Picture Story (would you believe?), Lamar Trotti, won by Philip Yordan for "Broken Lance"; Scoring of a Musical Picture, the Newman Brothers, won by Deutsch and Chaplin for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"; Color Costume Design, LeMaire, Travilla, White, won by Sanzo Wada for "Gate of Hell".
Domestic rentals gross was probably not much less than $4 million — the movie didn't achieve this sort of standing in other markets. First of only two movie appearances of Johnnie Ray, an exceptionally popular "crying" crooner at the time.
COMMENT: The rationale behind "There's No Business Like Show Business" was the same M-G-M used for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". Fill the CinemaScope screen with people! So not two or three Donahues, but five Donahues plus Marilyn Monroe.
Unfortunately, the script which ties the many Berlin tunes together is no world-beater. True, it starts with plenty of zest, but soon drowns its gaudy spirits in an impossibly maudlin story by Lamar Trotti, of all people. (Trotti was actually writing the screenplay from his story outline when he suffered a fatal heart attack). My advice is just forget all about the dopey, ridiculous plot that pairs MM with Donald O'Connor yet, and requires her to deliver some really absurd lines about how much she loves the little bean-brain. Instead concentrate on MM and all the Berlin songs. Although making a late entrance, MM is certainly the best thing about the movie, easily upstaging the rest of the cast with her flamboyant costumes and breathless delivery. Her "Lazy" and "Heat Wave" numbers are highlights. (At the time of the film's release, Johnnie Ray in his first and only appearance in a big-budget feature film, garnered a fair share of publicity; but he's certainly no actor. His odd mannerisms and smirking delivery cheapen what was already a cheap part).
As for the songs themselves, what an Irving Berlin feast! And how brilliantly handled, sung, danced and staged they are, and all treated with such justice by all the boys behind that full 20th Century-Fox sound recording!
Lang has directed in his usual mousy style, allowing bumptious players like O'Connor, Merman and Dailey to hijack the movie on too many occasions. Photography suffers from the typical early CinemaScope fault of over-graininess.
I am afraid I do not share some of my colleagues' enthusiasm for Lamar Trotti — as a writer that is. Trotti was a wonderful man. He was shy and extremely sensitive and had a great affection for people. Perhaps this very sympathy was his undoing (it killed him in the end of course, but I am speaking now of his work as a writer). With the possible exception of "The Ox-Bow Incident", all Trotti's writings (and when I say writings I mean screenplays, because Trotti never wrote anything else) lack any sense of urgency or topicality. They could not be described as crisp or incisive. They are not models of economy. Instead, they are long, leisurely-paced, full of inconsequential chit-chat. I have always maintained that there is no place on the screen, just as there is no place on the stage, for dialogue that does not fulfill at least three of the following functions: advancing the plot, giving the audience explanatory information, revealing the character of the speaker, being witty, and setting the mood of the scene. Trotti's dialogue rarely did justice to one of these functions, and frequently none.
"There's No Business Like Show Business" is a typical Lang-Trotti effort, just as were their previous collaborations: Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937), Mother Wore Tights (1947), When My Baby Smiles At Me (1948), You're My Everything (1949), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), With a Song in My Heart (1952). Trotti was working on "There's No Business Like Show Business" when he died of a heart attack in August 1952.
Copyright 1954 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 16 December 1954. U.S. release: December 1954. U.K. release: 21 March 1955. Australian release: 24 March 1955. Sydney opening at the Regent. 10,535 feet. 117 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Molly and Terry Donahue (Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey) bring up their three children in show business, the family forming an act billed as The Five Donahues. The three young Donahues are Tim (Donald O'Connor), Katy (Mitzi Gaynor) and Steve (Johnnie Ray). Steve quits the act to study for the priesthood. Tim meets Vicky (Marilyn Monroe) at a night club where she is a hat-check girl and sees her do a song when her agent brings a producer to meet her. The Four Donahues get a booking in a Florida hotel, where Tim discovers that Vicky is also on the bill. He talks his family into doing something else so that Vicky can do their "Heat Wave" number, which sets Molly against Vicky.
NOTES: Nominated for awards for Best Motion Picture Story (would you believe?), Lamar Trotti, won by Philip Yordan for "Broken Lance"; Scoring of a Musical Picture, the Newman Brothers, won by Deutsch and Chaplin for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"; Color Costume Design, LeMaire, Travilla, White, won by Sanzo Wada for "Gate of Hell".
Domestic rentals gross was probably not much less than $4 million — the movie didn't achieve this sort of standing in other markets. First of only two movie appearances of Johnnie Ray, an exceptionally popular "crying" crooner at the time.
COMMENT: The rationale behind "There's No Business Like Show Business" was the same M-G-M used for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". Fill the CinemaScope screen with people! So not two or three Donahues, but five Donahues plus Marilyn Monroe.
Unfortunately, the script which ties the many Berlin tunes together is no world-beater. True, it starts with plenty of zest, but soon drowns its gaudy spirits in an impossibly maudlin story by Lamar Trotti, of all people. (Trotti was actually writing the screenplay from his story outline when he suffered a fatal heart attack). My advice is just forget all about the dopey, ridiculous plot that pairs MM with Donald O'Connor yet, and requires her to deliver some really absurd lines about how much she loves the little bean-brain. Instead concentrate on MM and all the Berlin songs. Although making a late entrance, MM is certainly the best thing about the movie, easily upstaging the rest of the cast with her flamboyant costumes and breathless delivery. Her "Lazy" and "Heat Wave" numbers are highlights. (At the time of the film's release, Johnnie Ray in his first and only appearance in a big-budget feature film, garnered a fair share of publicity; but he's certainly no actor. His odd mannerisms and smirking delivery cheapen what was already a cheap part).
As for the songs themselves, what an Irving Berlin feast! And how brilliantly handled, sung, danced and staged they are, and all treated with such justice by all the boys behind that full 20th Century-Fox sound recording!
Lang has directed in his usual mousy style, allowing bumptious players like O'Connor, Merman and Dailey to hijack the movie on too many occasions. Photography suffers from the typical early CinemaScope fault of over-graininess.
I am afraid I do not share some of my colleagues' enthusiasm for Lamar Trotti — as a writer that is. Trotti was a wonderful man. He was shy and extremely sensitive and had a great affection for people. Perhaps this very sympathy was his undoing (it killed him in the end of course, but I am speaking now of his work as a writer). With the possible exception of "The Ox-Bow Incident", all Trotti's writings (and when I say writings I mean screenplays, because Trotti never wrote anything else) lack any sense of urgency or topicality. They could not be described as crisp or incisive. They are not models of economy. Instead, they are long, leisurely-paced, full of inconsequential chit-chat. I have always maintained that there is no place on the screen, just as there is no place on the stage, for dialogue that does not fulfill at least three of the following functions: advancing the plot, giving the audience explanatory information, revealing the character of the speaker, being witty, and setting the mood of the scene. Trotti's dialogue rarely did justice to one of these functions, and frequently none.
"There's No Business Like Show Business" is a typical Lang-Trotti effort, just as were their previous collaborations: Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937), Mother Wore Tights (1947), When My Baby Smiles At Me (1948), You're My Everything (1949), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), With a Song in My Heart (1952). Trotti was working on "There's No Business Like Show Business" when he died of a heart attack in August 1952.
Oodles of Show Tunes
iquine11 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
(Flash Review)
The story follows the Donahue family from the husband and wife song and dance act through to when they have three kids all part of the act. Some kids decide to leave as they want their own career and then Marilyn enters the act creating light strife. Anyway, as usual Marilyn commands ever scene she is in and even though Merman and the male lead sing more, and do a great job, tend to play second fiddle. The story is OK but there are so many songs that it feels choppy and many of the songs don't' advance the main story. I watched it because of the famous song (movie title) but overall the film is for those who like song and dance and lavish costumes (not me) and/or Marilyn.
The story follows the Donahue family from the husband and wife song and dance act through to when they have three kids all part of the act. Some kids decide to leave as they want their own career and then Marilyn enters the act creating light strife. Anyway, as usual Marilyn commands ever scene she is in and even though Merman and the male lead sing more, and do a great job, tend to play second fiddle. The story is OK but there are so many songs that it feels choppy and many of the songs don't' advance the main story. I watched it because of the famous song (movie title) but overall the film is for those who like song and dance and lavish costumes (not me) and/or Marilyn.
The BEST show-biz movie EVER!
jkko24 February 2001
Yeah, yeah. It's hokey, it's sentimental, it's gaudy and it's loud. It's also the most entertaining, involving and unpretentious movie about Show Business ever filmed. The cast is perfect, particularly Merman, Daily and O'Connor. (Ethel Merman and Dan Daily as Donald O'Connor's Mom and Dad? Well, maybe it shouldn't have worked, but it does.) Marilyn is not at her best in the "dramatic" scenes, but all 3 of her big numbers are memorable. Johnnie Ray plays a priest(!) Well, at least he could sing. And Mitzi Gaynor hardly sings at all (thankfully), but is given the opportunity to dance quite often (thankfully). It's big, it's garish and it wear its great big heart on its sleeve. A movie to love and watch over and over.
NOTE: For all TNBLSB buffs, one of the numbers that was deleted from the release print for time, has recently been unearthed. It is included in an American Movie Classics' special documentary, entitled "Hidden Hollywood". It includes many musical numbers that were edited out of 20th Century-Fox musicals of the 30's, 40's and 50's. This one is "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better", and is the ONLY number to feature the FOUR Donahues: Ethel, Dan, Mitzi and Donald. It's great. (I don't think anybody would mind sitting through an extra 5 minutes of running time to catch this delightful musical moment.)
NOTE: For all TNBLSB buffs, one of the numbers that was deleted from the release print for time, has recently been unearthed. It is included in an American Movie Classics' special documentary, entitled "Hidden Hollywood". It includes many musical numbers that were edited out of 20th Century-Fox musicals of the 30's, 40's and 50's. This one is "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better", and is the ONLY number to feature the FOUR Donahues: Ethel, Dan, Mitzi and Donald. It's great. (I don't think anybody would mind sitting through an extra 5 minutes of running time to catch this delightful musical moment.)
The Show Must Go On and On and On
wes-connors8 August 2012
Married vaudeville duo Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey (as Molly and Terry Donahue) continue their success over three decades when children Johnnie Ray (as Steve), Mitzi Gaynor (as Katy) and Donald O'Connor (as Tim) re-join the act as adults. But "The Five Donahues" are rocked by Mr. Ray's desire to become a priest and Mr. O'Connor's involvement with bawdy stage rival Marilyn Monroe (as Victoria "Vicky Parker" Hoffman). Seeing these six people perform a string of Irving Berlin songs live on stage would be an unimaginable treat, but they are rendered gross in 20th Century Fox' weakly plotted CinemaScope extravaganza...
O'Connor and Ray are the most mismatched. The former, playing the youngest kid, has no romantic "chemistry" with Ms. Monroe. Ray is too vague in in the "reverential" role, with both his wailing ballad and sexualized jazz sounds underused. Monroe's sex appeal is thankfully on display, with her "Heat Wave" being a highlight, but she arrives on screen after you're first yawn. Nobody thought about letting Monroe and Ray cut loose in a duet. The show does go on, however, with Ms. Merman belting them out and never letting go. Mr. Dailey and Ms. Gaynor are overshadowed, but all remain game, "Even with a turkey that you know will fold..."
****** There's No Business Like Show Business (12/16/54) Walter Lang ~ Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor, Johnnie Ray
O'Connor and Ray are the most mismatched. The former, playing the youngest kid, has no romantic "chemistry" with Ms. Monroe. Ray is too vague in in the "reverential" role, with both his wailing ballad and sexualized jazz sounds underused. Monroe's sex appeal is thankfully on display, with her "Heat Wave" being a highlight, but she arrives on screen after you're first yawn. Nobody thought about letting Monroe and Ray cut loose in a duet. The show does go on, however, with Ms. Merman belting them out and never letting go. Mr. Dailey and Ms. Gaynor are overshadowed, but all remain game, "Even with a turkey that you know will fold..."
****** There's No Business Like Show Business (12/16/54) Walter Lang ~ Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor, Johnnie Ray
Terrible, but watchable when Marilyn is on screen
zetes29 June 2014
A pretty weak, overlong musical chronicling the Five Donovans, a family vaudeville act who make an uneasy transition to Broadway after vaudeville collapses (as far as I can tell, this is not a biopic, but fiction). Dan Dailey and Ethel Merman are the parents. As adults, the three kids are played by Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor and Johnnie Ray. Marilyn Monroe joins them, much to Merman's consternation, as O'Connor's love interest, later in the picture. The songs are by Irving Berlin, but the arrangements are awful. Ethel Merman's shrill renditions of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" have been haunting me since I saw this picture. I never want to hear that song again. The film only really comes to life when Monroe is center stage. The costumes and production design are pretty good. Unbelievably, of the three Oscar nominations this received, one was for its screenplay!
Mr. Berlin, Madame Merman and Miss Monroe in unequal measure!
gregcouture3 June 2003
When Darryl F. Zanuck virtually forced exhibitors and most of his fellow studio mogul rivals to adopt CinemaScope as a panacea for TV's devastation of Hollywood's weekly box office bonanza, he dictated that virtually all of Twentieth's output was to be filmed in that eye-stretching process. "There's No Business Like Show Business," directed by that old pro, Walter Lang, seems to be the prime example of Darryl's minions saying to their boss: "You want wide? We'll give you W-I-D-E!!"
Everything about it was designed and lensed to emphasize the original ratio of the CinemaScope process and viewing it on a video that isn't letterboxed must look like what a one-eyed person must experience in everyday life. I never did see it in a theater but I have seen it on a TV broadcast which more-or-less recreated its widescreen ratio. It's a glorious mish-mash. Every Berlin tune that could be stuffed into it is given at least one run-through; John de Cuir's production design must have occupied every inch of several of Twentieth's West Los Angeles soundstages; Ethel Merman, after her terrific movie repeat of her Broadway success in "Call Me Madam" for Fox (and now, as of 2005, available on video), trumpets away in number after number (Must have been an ear-rending experience over those original four-track stereophonic sound systems.); Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor give it their energetic best; and then there's Marilyn. What can we say, with all that so sadly, in her personal life, came after she reluctantly fulfilled her contractual obligation in this one? She dazzles in, let's face it, a rather vulgar way, and seems shoehorned in to boost the potential box office. And they even added Johnnie Ray, a huge jukebox success at the time (and, due to his hearing deficiency, performing his songs at an even greater volume than La Merman.)
All in all this one shouldn't be missed if you want to view an example of Hollywood at its brassiest, in a production fairly bulging with elements that may not coalesce very harmoniously but which was, no doubt, worth the price of admission to those movie palaces before they were carved up to become the precursors of today's sterile multiplexes.
Everything about it was designed and lensed to emphasize the original ratio of the CinemaScope process and viewing it on a video that isn't letterboxed must look like what a one-eyed person must experience in everyday life. I never did see it in a theater but I have seen it on a TV broadcast which more-or-less recreated its widescreen ratio. It's a glorious mish-mash. Every Berlin tune that could be stuffed into it is given at least one run-through; John de Cuir's production design must have occupied every inch of several of Twentieth's West Los Angeles soundstages; Ethel Merman, after her terrific movie repeat of her Broadway success in "Call Me Madam" for Fox (and now, as of 2005, available on video), trumpets away in number after number (Must have been an ear-rending experience over those original four-track stereophonic sound systems.); Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor give it their energetic best; and then there's Marilyn. What can we say, with all that so sadly, in her personal life, came after she reluctantly fulfilled her contractual obligation in this one? She dazzles in, let's face it, a rather vulgar way, and seems shoehorned in to boost the potential box office. And they even added Johnnie Ray, a huge jukebox success at the time (and, due to his hearing deficiency, performing his songs at an even greater volume than La Merman.)
All in all this one shouldn't be missed if you want to view an example of Hollywood at its brassiest, in a production fairly bulging with elements that may not coalesce very harmoniously but which was, no doubt, worth the price of admission to those movie palaces before they were carved up to become the precursors of today's sterile multiplexes.
Lots of singing and dancing...LOTS!
planktonrules5 February 2012
There are two main types of musicals--those where the emphasis is clearly on the music and others where the music is incidental to the story. While which style you like is up to you, for me, I much prefer those with less music--where the story is predominant. So, because of my personal preference, movies like "There's No Business Like Show Business" are NOT exactly my cup of tea, so to speak.
The film is about a fictional show business family, the Donohues. When the film begins, the three children are young. But then through the miracle of movie magic, soon about 15-20 years pass--and the children are now grown (and include Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor). Oddly, the parents, Dan Dailey and Ethel Merman, didn't seem to age a day. Even more noticeable is Marilyn Monroe--you see her early in the film and after all those years she looks as if she hasn't aged a day. Even if it was only 10 years--still, she looked EXACTLY the same! While the film follows the family with their ups and downs (and the third child when he decides to become a priest), all of it seems to be there just to provide a chance to sing and dance...a lot. Many of the songs are very familiar. Overall, very glossy and enjoyable if all you want is lots of singing and dancing...which I didn't. Watchable for a guy like me, but only just, as the story didn't seem strong enough to handle all the songs.
The film is about a fictional show business family, the Donohues. When the film begins, the three children are young. But then through the miracle of movie magic, soon about 15-20 years pass--and the children are now grown (and include Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor). Oddly, the parents, Dan Dailey and Ethel Merman, didn't seem to age a day. Even more noticeable is Marilyn Monroe--you see her early in the film and after all those years she looks as if she hasn't aged a day. Even if it was only 10 years--still, she looked EXACTLY the same! While the film follows the family with their ups and downs (and the third child when he decides to become a priest), all of it seems to be there just to provide a chance to sing and dance...a lot. Many of the songs are very familiar. Overall, very glossy and enjoyable if all you want is lots of singing and dancing...which I didn't. Watchable for a guy like me, but only just, as the story didn't seem strong enough to handle all the songs.
BIG musical with a highly contrived plot
III_Max_III19 June 2006
this is a film for people who love big song and dance numbers (as well as Marilyn Monroe and Mitzi Gaynor fans). it almost is 'pre- reminiscent' of Bollywood in how it moves from one song to the next, with only the most meager connections between song and storyline. the storyline itself is thin enough, that in slow moments i was struck by how contrived the plot was. the purpose of this movie seemed to be to have several Irving Berlin songs choreographed into vaudeville-like song and dance numbers. what better way to do this than by following the lives of a couple of old vaudeville stars who met, married, had babies, and stayed on the road all the while. it all leads to the climactic scene (here's the spoiler, if this film can be said to have one) of ethel merman paying homage to herself and her role as Annie Oakley by singing 'there's no business like show business'. pay attention to how they managed to jigger the storyline such that ethel got her solo for that number (remembering that the family had five members plus a confounding love interest at that point, and the script writers had to somehow get all of them but ethel off the stage). another number, where johnny ray sings a gospel tune, has 'vehicle' written all over it. and as mentioned by the reviewer above, Marilyn Monroe was hot enough property that she was given two 'vehicle' numbers--although her character does not appear to have been penciled into an otherwise completed script, as suggested above. Marilyn's character is critical to the unfolding of the plot, such as it is. notice also how the script writers cleverly played upon Marilyn's reputation for a breathy, contrived diction.
so if you like BIG musicals with huge song and dance production numbers and little plot, this is for you (9 or 10 stars). if you do not, skip this one (1 or 2 stars, this is a bomb). averaged out to about a 6, but really more likely a 'love it' or 'hate it' movie. but then again . . .
there was something in the 'exposed ducts' construction that made me curious enough about how and why it was made the way it was, that i looked up the answers to many of my questions. were the songs composed specifically for this, or a jumble of odds and ends? (the latter). why was ethel merman given the climatic solo? (as mentioned, she was reprising a big number from her signature role as Annie Oakley in 'Annie Get Your Gun', which was one of the most successful Broadway shows ever at the time). who was that guy who played Steve Donahue, and please explain the strange juxtaposition of his commanding stage presence when singing, and that effete concealment of androgyny when not--as well as the 'cast-to-type' plot twist that sends him into the clergy . . . ? (look up a biography of johnny ray). so, if you want a peek into the movie-making process at the tail end of the studio-system era, this movie has a barely concealed super-structure that reveals how a hoped-for 'blockbuster' was constructed in those days.
so if you like BIG musicals with huge song and dance production numbers and little plot, this is for you (9 or 10 stars). if you do not, skip this one (1 or 2 stars, this is a bomb). averaged out to about a 6, but really more likely a 'love it' or 'hate it' movie. but then again . . .
there was something in the 'exposed ducts' construction that made me curious enough about how and why it was made the way it was, that i looked up the answers to many of my questions. were the songs composed specifically for this, or a jumble of odds and ends? (the latter). why was ethel merman given the climatic solo? (as mentioned, she was reprising a big number from her signature role as Annie Oakley in 'Annie Get Your Gun', which was one of the most successful Broadway shows ever at the time). who was that guy who played Steve Donahue, and please explain the strange juxtaposition of his commanding stage presence when singing, and that effete concealment of androgyny when not--as well as the 'cast-to-type' plot twist that sends him into the clergy . . . ? (look up a biography of johnny ray). so, if you want a peek into the movie-making process at the tail end of the studio-system era, this movie has a barely concealed super-structure that reveals how a hoped-for 'blockbuster' was constructed in those days.
Few Highlights in Overlong Musical
dglink2 September 2011
Memo to Twentieth Century Fox: Leave the musicals to MGM. On paper, this big-budget musical extravaganza filmed in CinemaScope must have looked like a sure-fire winner. Unfortunately, if not for the presence of a delicious young Marilyn Monroe in a small but showy role, "There's No Business Like Show Business" would have been relegated to the forgotten-films bin. Overlong at 117 minutes, the corny story of a vaudeville family is regularly interrupted by musical numbers that lumber on interminably. Even standards like "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and the title tune are botched.
Besides Monroe, Donald O'Connor survives the film; however, his perky performance and effortless hoofing call for a partner like Gene Kelly. Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor also do well, but Ethel Merman has always been too much for the big screen; a stage icon, she plays to the rear seats in the fourth balcony. Which brings us to Johnnie Ray. The man may have an important place in music history, but definitely not in movie history. To be fair, the subplot about the eldest son becoming a priest is cloying and unconvincing to begin with; James Dean would have gagged on the lines. But Ray's voice and demeanor are just grating. When asked why he never made another film, Ray replied that he had never been asked. A viewing of "There's No Business Like Show Business" makes it perfectly clear why he was never asked.
Devotees of Marilyn Monroe want to see her every performance, and she is charismatic eye-candy here. Although her sexy "Heatwave" number is already famous, she acquits herself well even in a silly routine with O'Connor and Gaynor. Beyond Monroe and O'Connor, however, little stands out. The storyline is too thin to bear scrutiny, the characters are superficial, and the direction by Walter Lang perfunctory. The best scenes have already been included in Monroe compilations; the rest can be relegated to the bin.
Besides Monroe, Donald O'Connor survives the film; however, his perky performance and effortless hoofing call for a partner like Gene Kelly. Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor also do well, but Ethel Merman has always been too much for the big screen; a stage icon, she plays to the rear seats in the fourth balcony. Which brings us to Johnnie Ray. The man may have an important place in music history, but definitely not in movie history. To be fair, the subplot about the eldest son becoming a priest is cloying and unconvincing to begin with; James Dean would have gagged on the lines. But Ray's voice and demeanor are just grating. When asked why he never made another film, Ray replied that he had never been asked. A viewing of "There's No Business Like Show Business" makes it perfectly clear why he was never asked.
Devotees of Marilyn Monroe want to see her every performance, and she is charismatic eye-candy here. Although her sexy "Heatwave" number is already famous, she acquits herself well even in a silly routine with O'Connor and Gaynor. Beyond Monroe and O'Connor, however, little stands out. The storyline is too thin to bear scrutiny, the characters are superficial, and the direction by Walter Lang perfunctory. The best scenes have already been included in Monroe compilations; the rest can be relegated to the bin.
The Case of the Dueling Vicki's
tadpole-596-9182564 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Perhaps it was not even noticed 60 years ago, when the trees blocked the view of the forest, but Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe BOTH played singing "Vicki's" in 1954 movies (via A STAR IS BORN and THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, respectively). Stranger yet, both of these "Vicki's" screen partners wreck cars in drunk driving accidents toward the end of these flicks. Strangest of all, both films close with their "Vicki's" singing at "benefit" shows for aged actors. Unfortunately, while STAR is a great classic, BUSINESS is just so-so entertainment, despite its montage of numbers from that prolific Tunesmith, Irving Berlin. Some of these ditties suck big time, particularly inept debuting actor Johnny Ray's solos. On the other hand, Monroe provides the main highlights, especially with her first solo, "After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It" (which perfectly sums up the feelings toward her of Marilyn's real life husband around this time, "Yankee Clipper" Joe Dimaggio). Hollywood chewed up and spit out Frances Ethel Gumm and Norma Jean Baker, leaving Garland and Monroe to shine on forever as American icons whose personal truths were washed away in seas of private tears. But, as they say, THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS!
One of my favorites
flowergirlz_us9 October 2005
This is one of my favorite movies. It's a nice portrait of a show business family. It's a little on the corny side, but that's what's great about it. This is a great look at a family that began in Vaudeville, and worked their way up to headliners in their own act. The Film does a good job portraying the families closeness, and while it's a little hard to swallow a good looking actor like Dan Daily with someone like Ethel Merman for a wife, the two share a definite chemistry and a lot of humor.
This is probably the best that Ethel Merman ever looked and she is fantastic as the family matriarch and her comic talents work great with her hard-to-handle brood.
Although her part is pretty much left to singing and dancing, Mitzi Gaynor gives a spirited performance that we later see her give in the hit movie "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush.
Donald O'Connor takes a more dramatic turn as the troubled son Tim. I have to admit, while some of his attempts to act like a drunk are a little hard to believe, his performance is one of his best, and his dancing in the film is almost as good as it was in "Singing In The Rain".
The odd duck out is the eldest brother Johnny Ray, who could certainly belt out a song with all the flamboyance and gusto that made him a star in the fifties. However, his acting skills left a lot to be desired. Still, his bad acting works for the character who was struggling to find his own identity when he decides becomes a priest. Perhaps Johnnie projected his own struggles with his bisexuality to guide him.
The most memorable aspect of this movie is Marilyn Monroe, who star was at it's zenith when this movie was being made. In a smart move, Monroe agreed to star in the film if the studio allowed her to also star in "The Seven Year Itch", but in a lot of ways, I feel this is one of her best movies.
First of all, she was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the cast in terms of molten sexuality.
An example is in the number "Heatwave", which was initially intended for Mitzi Gaynor. The studio made a wise decision handing it over to Monroe who performed the number with so much heat that it's hard to envision the sweet Gaynor conveying that kind of performance.
The number "After you get what you want you don't want it" was also a standout and Marylin's costume was amazing and a precursor to the outfit Britney Spears would later make famous.
Marilyn also brings her tremendous vulnerability that no other comic actress could convey with believability, Marilyn could play wounded characters, perhaps because she was so wounded herself.
Watching her character suffer over her love for Tim and her desire for a career is very believable.
For me, the most amazing part of this movie are the gorgeous costumes. This movie, surprisingly has fantastic costumes made by the famous Travilla, who had already worked with Marilyn in almost all of her films including "River Of No Return", "Monkey Business" as well as "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and "The Seven Year Itch".
Every costume seemed tailor made for every character.
This is a treat of a movie, with great music, great dancing, wonderful costumes and mostly Marilyn, who proves she could make anything work. It ranks right up there with some of her greatest work.
This is probably the best that Ethel Merman ever looked and she is fantastic as the family matriarch and her comic talents work great with her hard-to-handle brood.
Although her part is pretty much left to singing and dancing, Mitzi Gaynor gives a spirited performance that we later see her give in the hit movie "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush.
Donald O'Connor takes a more dramatic turn as the troubled son Tim. I have to admit, while some of his attempts to act like a drunk are a little hard to believe, his performance is one of his best, and his dancing in the film is almost as good as it was in "Singing In The Rain".
The odd duck out is the eldest brother Johnny Ray, who could certainly belt out a song with all the flamboyance and gusto that made him a star in the fifties. However, his acting skills left a lot to be desired. Still, his bad acting works for the character who was struggling to find his own identity when he decides becomes a priest. Perhaps Johnnie projected his own struggles with his bisexuality to guide him.
The most memorable aspect of this movie is Marilyn Monroe, who star was at it's zenith when this movie was being made. In a smart move, Monroe agreed to star in the film if the studio allowed her to also star in "The Seven Year Itch", but in a lot of ways, I feel this is one of her best movies.
First of all, she was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the cast in terms of molten sexuality.
An example is in the number "Heatwave", which was initially intended for Mitzi Gaynor. The studio made a wise decision handing it over to Monroe who performed the number with so much heat that it's hard to envision the sweet Gaynor conveying that kind of performance.
The number "After you get what you want you don't want it" was also a standout and Marylin's costume was amazing and a precursor to the outfit Britney Spears would later make famous.
Marilyn also brings her tremendous vulnerability that no other comic actress could convey with believability, Marilyn could play wounded characters, perhaps because she was so wounded herself.
Watching her character suffer over her love for Tim and her desire for a career is very believable.
For me, the most amazing part of this movie are the gorgeous costumes. This movie, surprisingly has fantastic costumes made by the famous Travilla, who had already worked with Marilyn in almost all of her films including "River Of No Return", "Monkey Business" as well as "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and "The Seven Year Itch".
Every costume seemed tailor made for every character.
This is a treat of a movie, with great music, great dancing, wonderful costumes and mostly Marilyn, who proves she could make anything work. It ranks right up there with some of her greatest work.
I forgot how much I love Irving Berlin! Charmed, I'm sure.
cgvsluis14 June 2022
This is a colorful musical to a wonderful Irving Berlin score about the vaudevillian Donahue Family. Released the same year as another Irving Berlin classic, White Christmas, Mom and Pop Donahue are played by Ethel Merman and Dan Daily...and their three kids are played by Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor and Johnnie Ray.
"It's just that, oh! We love you so much that we intend to make a man out of you, even if we have to murder you first."- Mrs. Donahue
There are some fun musical numbers including a great vaudeville one involving an engine and a caboose, but what really made this film for me besides the music (Heatwave) was the gorgeous costumes! I do not know who the costumers were but my hat is off to the seamstresses who made this film so visually stunning. Besides the vivid colors the style, shape and fit of the clothing not only flattered...but really showed off the star's assets, which is important when one of them is the stunning Marilyn Monroe.
It's rumored Marilyn didn't want to do this musical and did it primarily so she could be the star of The Seven Year Itch, but whatever the reason she was perfect in the role of Vicky Parker, the performer who broke up the family act.
You just don't hear lyricist use words like "supine" anymore! Check out the song "Lazy".
Come for the big names, stay for the music and costumes...this is a family drama that spans the time between the two great wars in show business.
"This show is my big chance. It's make or break."-Vicky Parker.
"It's just that, oh! We love you so much that we intend to make a man out of you, even if we have to murder you first."- Mrs. Donahue
There are some fun musical numbers including a great vaudeville one involving an engine and a caboose, but what really made this film for me besides the music (Heatwave) was the gorgeous costumes! I do not know who the costumers were but my hat is off to the seamstresses who made this film so visually stunning. Besides the vivid colors the style, shape and fit of the clothing not only flattered...but really showed off the star's assets, which is important when one of them is the stunning Marilyn Monroe.
It's rumored Marilyn didn't want to do this musical and did it primarily so she could be the star of The Seven Year Itch, but whatever the reason she was perfect in the role of Vicky Parker, the performer who broke up the family act.
You just don't hear lyricist use words like "supine" anymore! Check out the song "Lazy".
Come for the big names, stay for the music and costumes...this is a family drama that spans the time between the two great wars in show business.
"This show is my big chance. It's make or break."-Vicky Parker.
a lot of talent sadly gone to waste
Chris_Docker17 December 2017
What should have been a great movie fell short even in the hands of the great Walter Lang. Instead of sparkling with many great song-and-dance routines it tends to slump, overloaded with far too many numbers at the expense of plot. The wonderful Donald O'Connor performs some of his comedic routines: but he worked best as a second lead, not the lead in a film. Monroe is clearly the star, but it is as if she has been reluctantly shoe-horned in instead of building the film around her. Much of the acting and script is pedestrian, and Ethel Merman's singing is bearable until we are treated to too many rather average songs and reprises. Monroe's appearances, for all the constant razzamatazz, are easily the most memorable, and possibly not so much because of outstanding on her part but as a welcome breath of fresh air amid the rather lacklustre cacophony.
The part that stuck out for me is....
cmdahoust8 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
At the end of the movie when Ethel Merman is singing the number and her son (Donald O'Connor) who has been missing for a year shows up. Her family is on the side of the stage trying to get her attention that he is there. She looks over and sees him, and stops for a spilt second. Then she finishes the song without missing a beat. She then rushes off stage to hug him. That one scene is a microcosm of the life in show business. She kept her composure and finished the song under the most difficult of circumstances. Merman's character exemplifies what being in the industry meant to people. Thus the title of the movie.
Left me wanting more......
szekeong12328 July 2006
Stage legend Ethel Merman is one of those acclaimed stage actors that never made it big in Hollywood. In fact, most of her successful Broadway roles were given to other actresses for the film adaptation. Fortunately, "Call Me Madam", her film comeback after 15 years of absence from screen, and one of her 2 Broadway roles she reprises(the other being "Anything Goes"), gives audiences the best idea of how she would look like on stage.
After the successful "Call Me Madam", this film was suppose to recreate the magic by re-teaming Ethel Merman, Irvin Berlin, Walter Lang, Donald O'Connor, and choreographer Robert Alton, among others. However, this film feels half-beat off, perhaps due to the intrusion of Marilyn Monroe(she was hired just to boast its box office potential).
The altered storyline manage to come off well, but it sometimes felt like she was a miscast, since she could not pull off a musical number like the way Ethel Merman does("Heat wave" was meant for Merman), and she makes an ironic love interest of Donald O'Connor. In contrast, the pairing of Donald O'Connor and Vera-Ellen in "Call Me Madam" was one of the key things that people praised about the film. Also, anyone familiar with Johnnie Ray, in his only notable film appearance, may find him playing a priest weird. Dan Dailey and Donald O'Connor are very likable in their respective roles.
Still, the film is worth watching for the fine Irvin Berlin's songs(I would love to cut out "Tattoo" though), great choreography, and the talented cast(despite of my casting issues). It is shot in widescreen format and is very well transferred to DVD. Proceed with caution, though, as it is rather corny.
After the successful "Call Me Madam", this film was suppose to recreate the magic by re-teaming Ethel Merman, Irvin Berlin, Walter Lang, Donald O'Connor, and choreographer Robert Alton, among others. However, this film feels half-beat off, perhaps due to the intrusion of Marilyn Monroe(she was hired just to boast its box office potential).
The altered storyline manage to come off well, but it sometimes felt like she was a miscast, since she could not pull off a musical number like the way Ethel Merman does("Heat wave" was meant for Merman), and she makes an ironic love interest of Donald O'Connor. In contrast, the pairing of Donald O'Connor and Vera-Ellen in "Call Me Madam" was one of the key things that people praised about the film. Also, anyone familiar with Johnnie Ray, in his only notable film appearance, may find him playing a priest weird. Dan Dailey and Donald O'Connor are very likable in their respective roles.
Still, the film is worth watching for the fine Irvin Berlin's songs(I would love to cut out "Tattoo" though), great choreography, and the talented cast(despite of my casting issues). It is shot in widescreen format and is very well transferred to DVD. Proceed with caution, though, as it is rather corny.
Hard to watch
marsh87627 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I love Irving Berlin and in fact, all of the stars in the movie. But I find it hard to watch. Despite the spectacular song and dance numbers, the movie is a bore-fest. It would have been better to limit the dialog and scenes in between the musical numbers to a minimum, like they do in a Broadway play. Instead, we are treated to a scene of Merman dunking O'Connor's head in a sink. Or pseudo-drama when a son says he wants to become a priest. So the father was an idiot. Who cares? The first number was Berlin's "Alexander's Rag Time Band". They sang it over and over with different nationalities in different sets. Yes, this was Berlin's first big hit, but it's not that good that we want to hear it played over and over and over again. Even Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" would get old after about the 5th consecutive replaying.
The only reason to watch this movie, as others have pointed out, is to see Marilyn Monroe. Is there any scene in any movie where she is not wonderful? Obviously, my view is slanted towards her. Her voice is so rich, her singing, dancing and movements so sensual, anytime she's on the screen is magic. After her fabulous "Heat Wave" number, all Merman can do is run it down. As in the cheesiest of scripts, the characters remain fixed in their bold, brassy, rah-rah something characters.
The only reason to watch this movie, as others have pointed out, is to see Marilyn Monroe. Is there any scene in any movie where she is not wonderful? Obviously, my view is slanted towards her. Her voice is so rich, her singing, dancing and movements so sensual, anytime she's on the screen is magic. After her fabulous "Heat Wave" number, all Merman can do is run it down. As in the cheesiest of scripts, the characters remain fixed in their bold, brassy, rah-rah something characters.
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