This rarely seen British musical stars the now almost forgotten Queen of the British movie musical, Jessie Matthews. During the 1930's, Matthews was seen in about a dozen Busby Berkley like British musicals which are rarely seen in the U. S. today. "Evergreen" is probably the best known of these as it was released on video in the U. S. about 10 years ago and was the most critically acclaimed of her films at the time of its original release.
"First a Girl" is a remake of a German film called "Victor und Victoria", and was later remade as the Julie Andrews screen and stage success. Matthews is totally charming as the young girl who is desperate to make it in show business, and finds success when she poses as a man posing as a woman in order to make it in show business. Matthew's real-life husband Sonnie Hale portrays the role later made famous in the movie by Robert Preston.
Anna Lee ("General Hospital's" kind-hearted Lila Quartermain) plays a snobby British socialite whose fiancee (Griffin Jones) finds himself attracted to Victor/Victoria in spite of her supposed "male gender". There are a series of campy over-the-top musical numbers later spoofed by Blake Edwards in his smash hit remake. And of course at the end we see Hale taking over for Matthews in a production number like Preston's reprise of "The Shady Dame From Seville" in which everything goes hysterically wrong.
There are enough differences between this and the Julie Andrews version to make them both unique. It is a shame Matthews is almost forgotten as she has a bright personality which makes her most likable and is a talented singer and dancer. There are also some risque moments which probably would not have made it past the American censors of 1936 when it was released in the U. S.
"First a Girl" is a remake of a German film called "Victor und Victoria", and was later remade as the Julie Andrews screen and stage success. Matthews is totally charming as the young girl who is desperate to make it in show business, and finds success when she poses as a man posing as a woman in order to make it in show business. Matthew's real-life husband Sonnie Hale portrays the role later made famous in the movie by Robert Preston.
Anna Lee ("General Hospital's" kind-hearted Lila Quartermain) plays a snobby British socialite whose fiancee (Griffin Jones) finds himself attracted to Victor/Victoria in spite of her supposed "male gender". There are a series of campy over-the-top musical numbers later spoofed by Blake Edwards in his smash hit remake. And of course at the end we see Hale taking over for Matthews in a production number like Preston's reprise of "The Shady Dame From Seville" in which everything goes hysterically wrong.
There are enough differences between this and the Julie Andrews version to make them both unique. It is a shame Matthews is almost forgotten as she has a bright personality which makes her most likable and is a talented singer and dancer. There are also some risque moments which probably would not have made it past the American censors of 1936 when it was released in the U. S.