Las Vegas Nights

Mostly a waste considering the musical talent involved. Wheeler was right-- the film is poorly done, with a lot of second-rate comedy acts, not the least of which is Wheeler himself. The opening scene presents a tracking-down-the-main-street shot of 1940's Las Vegas, so we do get a sketchy view of what glitter gulch was like in those early days. Also, the funky version of the three sisters' "Mary, Mary" is nicely staged and a pleasant surprise. But once Wheeler's unfunny shenanigans take over, the movie heads downhill. Of course, there's a look at the Dorsey band, but except for their "Song of India", the rest of the selections are pretty mediocre, not counting Sinatra's dreamy version of "I'll Never Smile Again". My favorite scene is where Regan and Moore stand before a cardboard backdrop and declare it a "beautiful view". I know, I'm being severe on a B-grade movie that was never intended to be much more than a showcase for the Dorsey band. But , in my view at least, it's a pretty poor showcase.