The story isn't much here: boy meets girl, they fall in love etc. BUT what is terrific are the performances, singing, and acting by all of the main actors. Especially good is Jimmy Durante: he has some really funny lines (like, "Elephant? What elephant?") and more and he and Martha Raye are a great comic team. He also shows he can dance and sing (kind of, once you get used to the snozola's voice).
Doris Day is Doris Day; she's lovely here. Some people on these reviews think she was too old. Actually, she looks about right for S. Boyd, the heartthrob of the movie. She's divine in that pink outfit she wears when he sings, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." He by the way is very virile and sings fairly well (it does sound like HIS voice and not dubbing). Day was the biggest star of her time and she delivers in this movie. Especially touching is her rendition of "Little Girl Blue".
I've seen this movie at least 3 times on Turner Classic Movies and the color and sound are spectacular. I also think the story moves along fairly briskly and the music is well integrated into the action. What is remarkable about this movie is that it doesn't seem dated, or have lost its charm (in contrast, for instance, to many musicals like "Meet me in St. Louis). Because of the elemental themes involved: love/hate; struggles between father and son; struggles for a circus to make it economically etc. it's message is timeless. The ending, about a 7 minute collage of music, is also fantastic and centers around the song, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." I think this movie never made it, oddly enough because of its cumbersome name. "Billie Rose's Jumbo"? Billie Rose was involved in the play and stipulated that if this was ever made into a musical, his name had to appear in the titles. I think this hurt the movie. It's well worth watching and if you see it, you'll want to see it again and again.
Doris Day is Doris Day; she's lovely here. Some people on these reviews think she was too old. Actually, she looks about right for S. Boyd, the heartthrob of the movie. She's divine in that pink outfit she wears when he sings, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." He by the way is very virile and sings fairly well (it does sound like HIS voice and not dubbing). Day was the biggest star of her time and she delivers in this movie. Especially touching is her rendition of "Little Girl Blue".
I've seen this movie at least 3 times on Turner Classic Movies and the color and sound are spectacular. I also think the story moves along fairly briskly and the music is well integrated into the action. What is remarkable about this movie is that it doesn't seem dated, or have lost its charm (in contrast, for instance, to many musicals like "Meet me in St. Louis). Because of the elemental themes involved: love/hate; struggles between father and son; struggles for a circus to make it economically etc. it's message is timeless. The ending, about a 7 minute collage of music, is also fantastic and centers around the song, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." I think this movie never made it, oddly enough because of its cumbersome name. "Billie Rose's Jumbo"? Billie Rose was involved in the play and stipulated that if this was ever made into a musical, his name had to appear in the titles. I think this hurt the movie. It's well worth watching and if you see it, you'll want to see it again and again.