Where Do We Go from Here?

This heavy-handed big-budget 1945 Fox Technicolor comedy-romance musical features a great deal of rarely heard mediocre music, most of it by two of the greatest songwriters in the history of musical theater: the German composer Kurt Weill [ThreePenny Opera) and the American lyricist Ira Gershwin, George's brother, (Porgy and Bess). The only number among many that somehow rises above the ordinary is a well-staged ten-minute operetta parody, The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, with clever W.S. Gilbert-type lyrics by Gershwin, well sung by Columbian tenor, Carlos Ramirez as the mutinous Benito, Fortunio Bonanova (the music teacher in Citizen Kane) as Columbus, and the ever reliable Fred MacMurray, as always doing his very best to bring some life to feeble songs, dialogue, and silly situations. Throughout the film, Fred sings, reasonably, and on one brief occasion even tries to dance, badly, as he pursues two beautiful young woman through time--the charming June Haver and the lovely Joan Leslie. Gregory Ratoff, who could do better and did sometimes, is credited as director, although George Seaton did a number of uncredited scenes. Otto Preminger, before he stopped acting to direct, can be seen briefly in one of his nasty German general roles, and Tony Quinn in one of his many Indian parts, this time played for comedy.