Complete credited cast: | |||
Marge Champion | ... | Madelyn Corlane | |
Gower Champion | ... | Ted Sturgis | |
Debbie Reynolds | ... | Suzy Doolittle | |
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Helen Wood | ... | Mrs. Olga Bradshaw / Joanna Moss |
Bob Fosse | ... | Bob Dowdy | |
Kurt Kasznar | ... | Leo Belney | |
Richard Anderson | ... | Burton Bradshaw | |
William Ching | ... | Anson Prichett | |
Lurene Tuttle | ... | Mrs. Doolittle | |
Larry Keating | ... | Felix Jordan | |
Donna Martell | ... | Janet Hallson |
The star of an upcoming Broadway production, Janet Hallson, walks out during rehersals. The producers of the show, Ted Sturgis, Leo Belney and Bob Dowdy begin to search a replacement. After a quick audition, each favors someone else: Madelyn Corlane, Joanna Moss, Suzie Doolittle. The rest of the movie tells in a series of musical and dance scenes how they finally pick ... Written by Gerhard Gonter <g.gonter@ieee.org>
A good, not great, MGM musical, with the emphasis on dance. Story is: what happens when a star walks out on a Broadway show, and three girls compete for the part. The dances are so expert and entertaining, you may be able to forgive the drab quality of some of the rest of the film.
The Champions were not really movie stars, and neither was Bob Fosse. (Debbie Reynolds became a big one later, and you can see why.) Gower plays the director fairly well, but I kept picturing Gene Kelly. The part needs a more dynamic actor.
If you enjoy dancing, there's plenty of it, and it's excellent! Helen Wood is the third girl and while her acting is stiff, her dancing definitely isn't.
The score by Burton Lane and Ira Gershwin contains no hits, but I was charmed by the tune, "In Our United State," performed by Fosse and Reynolds.