The rising medium of TV took audiences to Broadway without leaving their own living room in the mid 1950's, and that year, they paid great tribute to Cole Porter. Bert Lahr and Ethel Merman joined forces with Sinatra for a rousing "Anything Goes", Merman rode high as "Panama Hattie", an all star cast provided the great Porter American songbook in a revue dedicated to him, and Lahr went down Milton Berle territory by dressing in comical ugly drag in this, one of Porter's big hits that is now forgotten. Lahr is joined by "Guys and Dolls" star Vivian Blaine and rising movie dancer Gene Nelson, on the verge of co-starring in the film version of "Oklahoma!"
The plot is as convoluted and silly as many 1930's and 1940's musicals and is scarcely worth trying to describe. It deals with three soldiers hiding out from their suspicious wives, and their attempts to find them to make them jealous. Nelson and Blaine are utilized as "chaperones", with Lahr playing a double role. Some Porter standards are thrown in to the deletion of much of the original score, showing the insecurity of early TV producers, directors and writers. With professionals like the three leads performing and clowning along with James Gleason, Betty Furness and Virginia Gibson) it is still a very entertaining hour, showing that simplicity and old fashioned sentiment often works over flash and pizazz.
The plot is as convoluted and silly as many 1930's and 1940's musicals and is scarcely worth trying to describe. It deals with three soldiers hiding out from their suspicious wives, and their attempts to find them to make them jealous. Nelson and Blaine are utilized as "chaperones", with Lahr playing a double role. Some Porter standards are thrown in to the deletion of much of the original score, showing the insecurity of early TV producers, directors and writers. With professionals like the three leads performing and clowning along with James Gleason, Betty Furness and Virginia Gibson) it is still a very entertaining hour, showing that simplicity and old fashioned sentiment often works over flash and pizazz.