ZorbaLives

A typical 1940's musical with the greatest talents of that time - Garland, Rooney, Allyson, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the songs of the Gerschwin Brothers - and all were great! The story was trivial but not insipid. Spoiled boy Rooney gets sent to a western U.S. boys college and falls in love with the only girl on campus - Garland. The college falls on hard times but Rooney and Garland save the day. No surprises here. The story held your interest until the next number was performed. Garland was definitely at the top of her craft. Rooney filled the whole screen. The co-stars also held their own, but I was there for the Dorsey Orchestra which featured what appeared to be a 20 piece orchestra complete with string section. Let's not forget the dance numbers complete with 100 beautiful women, cowboys with guns, a cannon, a marching Dorsey band, everything but the kitchen sink! The audience who attended this showing all applauded at the end of each number. Many were humming or softly singing a tune from the movie. Take some time out to enjoy a fun flick.

I just saw this movie at the LaSalle Bank Cinema, a theater in Chicago where, each Saturday, a film noir movie is shown. This week's movie was Murder, He Said starring Fred Mac Murray. The audience (over 300 people) laughed out loud and were accompanied by a lady (near the front of the theater) who would react with a scream or a warning to Mac Murray whenever trouble would arrive. To say that a film over 60 years old would receive such reactions from a contemporary crowd would testify to the holding power and entertaining qualities of these old films. Mac Murray's comedic timing for the pratfall, wise crack and sarcasm was impeccable. I understand that this movie may have been intended as a vehicle for Bob Hope but Mac Murray did well. Marjorie Main with her whip, Peter Whitney as "the twins", and the beautiful Helen Walker as the heroine/love interest, were superb. Yes, I would recommend seeing this film but, as with many films, its best seen with a crowd with whom you can share in their reactions.

I've just finished watching the film at the weekly LaSalle Bank Cinema. Each week the cinema shows films from days gone by. All the movies we've seen have been highly rated by IMDb. This film was no exception and is one of my favorites. The acting (by today's standards)was considered a bit over the top what with the stereotypical goose-stepping, Seig Heil Nazi sailors and the Canadian characters prepared speeches on Democracy and freedom but I have to admit that the movie was action packed, well acted and tense. The cinematography was superb. Even in black and white Canada's wilderness looked beautiful. Sir Lawrence Olivier was both comical and serious as the French Candian trapper. Leslie Howard also had a good role as an author who had a nonchalant attitude about the war but did his duty when the time arose to do so. The message of this movie was to get the US into the war.