G.I. Blues (1960) - Star of the month... Juliet Prowse

"Gi Blues" is a 1960 musical comedy directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley, Juliet Prowse and Robert Ivers with Letícia Román, James Douglas, Edson Stroll and Jeremy Slate.

Tulsa McLean (played by Elvis Presley) is an American singing G.I., based in Germany. Tulsa aspires to open his own nightclub in America, but to do this he must raise $600. In an attempt to raise the money, he makes a bet he can spend the night alone with local nightclub dancer Lily (played by Juliet Prowse), in her apartment. Lily has a reputation for playing hard to get, and is even referred to by one G.I. as a "steamboat on the outside, but an iceberg inside".

Musical program

The original soundtrack album for "G.I. Blues"

• "What's She Really Like" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "G.I. Blues" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Doin' the Best I Can" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Blue Suede Shoes" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Frankfort Special" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Shoppin' Around" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Tonight Is So Right For Love" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Wooden Heart" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Pocketful of Rainbows" - performed by Elvis Presley & Juliet Prowse (her singing is dubbed by an unknown vocalist)
• "Big Boots" - performed by Elvis Presley
• "Didja Ever" - performed by Elvis Presley

Blink and you'll miss...

• A young Britt Ekland in a very small cameo as the red-head Britta (approx. 10 mins into the film)
• While Tulsa is singing "Doin' the Best I Can", another solider puts a coin into a juke box and plays a song called "Blue Suede Shoes" recorded by a singer called Elvis Presley
• The G.I.s are all wearing underwear in the shower
• The number of the sky lift at Rüdesheim which Tulsa & Lili ride is 76

Did you know...

• This was Elvis' first film after servicing two years with the army - the film prior to this was "King Creole" (1958)
• Juliet Prowse's singing was dubbed by an unknown vocalist
• Elke Sommer, Ursula Andress and May Britt were all considered for the role of Lili
• Anna-Maria Alberghetti was considered to play the role of Tina
• Russ Tamblyn, Frank Gorshin, Carleton Carpenter & Johnny Carson were considered for the role of Cookie - Carpenter was eventually cast but later replaced by Robert Ivers
• The film was primarily shot at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, with some pre-prodution scenery shot on location in Germany (prior to Elvis' release from the army) - Elvis was not involved in any location filming, with all his filming completed in Hollywood
• Tulsa's regiment is the 32nd armored, which was also Elvis' real life regiment with he was in the army
• The army tanks and vehicles were supplied by the U.S. Army, who appointed public information officer John J. Mawn as technical advisor
• Although panned by critics, the film was the 14th biggest box office grossing film of the year, grossing $4.3million
• A riot following a screening of "G.I. Blues" in Mexico City, resulted in the Mexican government banning Elvis movies
• The original title for the film was "Cafe Europa" - which is what the film is still called in some European countries (i.e.: Italy, Germany, etc.)
• The boat in the film ("Bonn"), is now located in Karlshamn, Sweden, and is used as a disco
• Michael Curtiz was originally intended to direct this film - Curtiz had directed Elvis' previous film, "King Creole" (1958)
• While filming the sky lift scene at Rüdesheim, director of photography Loyal Griggs fell out of his cart, plunging 30 feet - fortunately he was not seriously injured

Award nominations...

• Grammy Award nomination for Best Soundtrack Album
• Grammy Award nomination for Best Vocal Performance Album, Male (Elvis Presley)
• Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Written American Musical
• Golden Laurel Award 2nd Place (runner up) for Top Musical of 1960
• Ranked at #2 on the Variety Weekly national box office chart in 1960

Closing remarks

Although "G.I. Blues" is yet another awful entry in Elvis' filmography, there is something very exciting about this particular film... the presence of Juliet Prowse.

Juliet Prowse was an extraordinary dancer and a wonderful talent, who is unfortunately often forgotten today. Although she didn't make many films, she is still one of my favourite dancing actresses along with Ann Miller, Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse and Leslie Caron.

As usual, we get the standard-stock shallow plot, which follows the basic formula for almost of all Elvis' films... Elvis meets girl; girl plays hard to get; Elvis eventually gets girl. Along the way, Elvis sings all the songs from his latest album. 

Speaking of which, despite the myriad of Elvis songs in this film, the musical highlight for me is Juliet Prowse's solo dance number. I really like the way the camera focuses solely on Prowse for the entire sequence, and treats us with the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy her dancing talent. We are fortunate to also experience something similar with another of Elvis' leading ladies, Ann-Margret in Elvis' later film "Viva Las Vegas" (1964). 

Overall a weak and rather slow film - it takes approx. 30 mins for the storyline to kick off. That said, this film is one of a handful of Elvis' films I would recommend watching, solely to see Juliet Prowse's most memorable screen appearance. 

Sinatra Singing at His Best (2004) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

'Sinatra Singing at His Best' is a 2004 DVD release featuring some of Sinatra's best performances with a linking narration by Henry Stephens providing some context to the songs.

The release features the following songs:

• "I've Got the World on a String"
• "Stardust"
• "I've Got my Love to Keep Me Warm"
• "Ol' Man River" (footage from the film 'Till the Clouds Roll By')
• "Fly Me to the Moon" (with Count Basie)
• "Last Night When We Were Young"
• "I'll Never Smile Again" (with The High-Lows)
• "When You're Smiling the Whole World Smiles With You"
• "My Romance" (with June Hutton)
• "Hello, Young Lovers"
• "Oh, Look at me Now" (with Eileen Barton)
• "That Old Black Magic"
• "Talk To Me" (with Mitzi Gaynor)
• "It Had to be You" (featuring montage footage of Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Shirley MacLaine, Gina Lollobrigida, Kim Novak, Eleanor Parker & other screen sirens)
• "Luck Be A Lady" (with Count Basie)
• "High Hopes" (begins with a brief clip from the film 'A Hole in the Head', followed by a performance with a children's choir)
• "Angel Eyes"
• A montage of images from his many films to close

Anything Goes (1954) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

'Anything Goes' is a 1954 episode of the Colgatte Comedy Hour, starring Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Bert Lahr and Sheree North with Arthur Gould-Porter. Produced by Jule Styne, the TV special is an abridged version of Cole Porter's classic musical comedy.

Reno Sweeney (played by Merman) is on her way from America to England to marry Sir. Evelyn Oakleigh (played by Gould-Porter). Reno's ex-boyfriend Harry Dane (played by Sinatra) follows her on the boat. Also on the boat is public enemy #1, Moonface Martin (played by Lahr) and his friend Bonnie LeTour (played by North).

Musical program

• "Anything Goes" - Ethel Merman
• "You Do Something To Me" - Frank Sinatra & Ethel Merman
• "Anything Goes (Reprise)" - Ethel Merman
• "I Get A Kick Out of You" - Ethel Merman
• "I Get A Kick Out of You (Reprise)" - Frank Sinatra
• "Just One of Those Things" - Frank Sinatra & Ethel Merman
• "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" - Ethel Merman
• "All Through the Night" - Frank Sinatra
• "Friendship" - Ethel Merman & Bert Lahr
• "I Get A Kick Out Of You (Reprise #2) - Ethel Merman & Frank Sinatra
• "Anything Goes (Reprise #2)" - Cast
• Encore: "Anything Goes" - Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra & Bert Lahr

Did you know...

• Ethel Merman originated the role of Reno Sweeney on Broadway more than 20 years earlier

Watch the full TV special:

Closing remarks

'Anything Goes' is a good TV special with memorable and well-known Cole Porter songs, designed to showcase the talents of Ethel Merman and Frank Sinatra. The plot is very thin, and a little different to the Broadway show. Some of the character names are different, and many of the songs are removed.

The musical 'Anything Goes' is very special to me, as I played Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in a production when I was in high school.

Not as enjoyable and showstopping as the Broadway show but still worth watching.

It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

"It doesn't have to be classical art as long as it comes from the heart" - Jimmy Durante (as Nick Lombardi in 'It Happened in Brooklyn')

'It Happened in Brooklyn' is a 1947 musical directed by Richard Whorf and starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, Jimmy Durante, Gloria Grahame & Marcy McGuire. The film contains 6 songs written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, as well as a few opera arias.

Watch the trailer:

Danny Webson Miller (played by Sinatra) has been in the army for four years, and returns to his one true love: the city of Brooklyn. Before his return he meets a shy young composer, Jamie Shellgrove (played by Lawford). Jamie's grandfather asks Danny to help make Jamie more social by introducing him to some girls in Brooklyn. After returning to Brooklyn Danny meets schoolteacher Anne Fielding (played by Grayson) and is reunited with an old friend, Nick Lombardi (played by Durante).

Musical program

• "Whose Baby Are You?" - Frank Sinatra
• "The Brooklyn Bridge" - Frank Sinatra
• "The Bell Song" - Kathryn Grayson
• "I Believe" - Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante & Bobby Long
• "The Song's Gotta Come From the Heart" - Frank Sinatra & Jimmy Durante
• "La Ci Darem La Mano" - Kathryn Grayson & Frank Sinatra
• "It's the Same Old Dream" - Frank Sinatra
• "It's the Same Old Dream (Reprise) - Students ensemble
• "Time After Time" - Frank Sinatra
• "Time After Time (Reprise)" - Kathryn Grayson
• "Whose Baby Are You? (Reprise)" - Peter Lawford

Song: "The Song's Gotta Come From the Heart" - Frank Siantra & Jimmy Durante

Song: "Time After Time (Reprise)" - Kathryn Grayson

Song: "La Ci Darem La Mano" - Kathryn Grayson & Frank Sinatra

Song: "I Believe" - Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante & Bobby Long

Did you know...

• This was Frank Sinatra's third MGM film, and the third time he & Kathryn Grayson appeared in the same film
• The piano music played in the film was played by an unseen 17 year old Andre Previn, who had just joined the MGM musical department

Closing remarks

One of the weaker MGM musicals with a moderately bad script and very little substance. The film was primarily designed to showcase the vocal talent of Frank Sinatra - which is what the majority of Elvis Presley's filmography would endeavour to do. I'm not a fan of the ending and the way in which the film just cuts off.

There are some good songs in the film, "Time After Time", "I Believe" & the Sinatra/Durante duet "The Songs Gotta Come From the Heart". 

I find Jimmy Durante carries the film pretty much on his own and at the same time shows us what vaudeville greatness is.

The House I Live In (1945) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

"Do you know what this wonderful country is made of? It's made up of a hundred different kinds of people, and a hundred different ways of taking, and a hundred different ways of going to church. But they're all American ways." - Frank Sinatra (as himself in 'The House I Live In')

'The House I Live In' is a 1945 short film starring Frank Sinatra, and produced by Frank Ross & Mervyn LeRoy.

Frank Sinatra (as himself) teaches a group of young boys about religious tolerance in America's diverse population. He uses the bombing of Pearl Harbor and how it is an example of Americans from different religions working together to achieve an outcome.

Musical program

• "If You Are But A Dream" - Frank Sinatra
• "The House I Live In" - Frank Sinatra
• "America the Beautiful" (Instrumental)

Watch the complete short film:

Sweeney Todd (1982) - Star of the month... Angela Lansbury

"Seems an awful waste, I mean with the price of meat, what it is when you get it, if you get it... Good, you got it!" - Angela Lansbury (as Mrs Lovett in 'Sweeney Todd')

'Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street' is a 1982 filmed recording of the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical thriller. Directed by Terry Hughes and starring Angela Lansbury, George Hearne, Cris Groenendaal, Sara Woods, Edmund Lyndeck, Calvin Remsberg, Betsy Joslyn, Sal Mistretta & Kenneth Jennings.

 this was filmed live in Los Angeles.

'Sweeney Todd' is the macabre story of barber, Sweeney Todd, who murders his clients and Nellie, Lovett, his accomplice who minces the victim's bodies and bakes them into pies. 

Here is a montage of memorable clips from the recording:

Musical highlights

• "The Worst Pies in London" - Angela Lansbury
• "My Friends" - George Hearne & Angela Lansbury
• "Green Finch & Linnet Bird" - Betsy Joslyn
• "Johanna" - Cris Groenendaal
• "Pretty Women" - George Hearne & Edmund Lyndeck
• "Epiphany" - Angela Lansbury & George Hearne
• "A Little Priest" - Angela Lansbury & George Hearne
• "Not While I'm Around" - Angela Lansbury & Kenneth Jennings

Song: "The Worst Pies in London" - Angela Lansbury

Song: "A Little Priest" - Angela Lansbury & George Hearne

Song: "Not While I'm Around" - Angela Lansbury & Kenneth Jennings

Closing remarks

'Sweeney Todd' is 1983 ultimate tale of revenge with a dark comedic twist with one of the most sinister looking characters you'll ever see on the stage or screen.

Angela Lansbury is brilliant in this! In my opinion this was the greatest role of her career. It really pleases me to hear Lansbury's singing voice in this recording, as she was always dubbed in her early MGM film roles as her voice was not considered good enough. In Sweeney Todd, Lansbury proves she can sing, and quite well at that.

This is a production with high quality performances all round, and one of my favourite live filmings of a stage musical.

Watching this film reminds me of why I don't eat meat pies. You really don't know what is put into them. ;)   For those of you who enjoy meat pies, I would not recommend watching this film.

Blue Hawaii (1961) - Star of the month... Angela Lansbury

"Tourists are not nice people. They're tourists" - Angela Lansbury (as Sarah Lee Gates in 'Blue Hawaii')

'Blue Hawaii' is a 1961 musical directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury. The film was produced by Hal B. Wallis and its screenplay was written by Hal Kanter.

Chadwick Gates (played by Presley) is an ex-GI who returns to the Hawaiian islands after two years service. His mother Sarah Lee Gates (played by Lansbury) wants Chad to work at the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company, but to spite her Chad takes a job at a travel agency with his girlfriend, Maile Duval (played by Blackman).

Musical program

The film features 14 new Elvis songs, including one of his biggest hits "Can't Help Falling in Love" and a cover of Bing Crosby's "Blue Hawaii"

• "Blue Hawaii" - Elvis Presley
• "Almost Always True" - Elvis Presley
• "Aloha Oe" - Elvis Presley
• "No More" - Elvis Presley
• "Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley
• "Rock-A-Hula Baby" - Elvis Presley
• "Moonlight Swim" - Elvis Presley
• "Ku-U-I-Po" - Elvis Presley
• "Ito Eats" - Elvis Presley
• "Slicing' Sand" - Elvis Presley
• "Hawaiian Sunset" - Elvis Presley
• "Beach Boy Blues" - Elvis Presley
• "Island of Love (Kauai)" - Elvis Presley
• "Hawaiian Wedding Song" - Elvis Presley

Song: "Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley

Song: "Almost Always True" - Elvis Presley

Song: "Rock-A-Hula Baby" - Elvis Presley

Song: "Slicin' Sand" - Elvis Presley

Did you know...

• Angela Lansbury at age 35 was only 9 years older than Elvis Presley, who played her son
• Angela Lansbury feels her appearance in 'Blue Hawaii' was one of the worst in her career 
• The film finished as the 10th top-grossing film of 1961, and 14th in 1962 on the 'Variety' national box office survey, earning $5million
• The film was shot on location in Hawaii at Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Mount Tantalus and Hanauma Bay
• The first of three Elvis films shot in Hawaii - this was followed by 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' (1962) and 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style' (1965)
• Juliet Prowse was considered for the role of Maile Duval, but was dropped after her demands were put forward
• The film was originally titled 'Hawaii Beach Boy'
• Elvis was apparently very pale prior to filming, so producer Hal B. Wallis recommended a tanning lamp to darken his skin
• The 'Blue Hawaii' soundtrack album spent 20 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Pop Album chart in the US - with sales of over 3 million in the US, it spent 79 weeks on the charts
• Pamela Austin's film debut
• Look closely and pop singer Patti Paige can be seen paddling a canoe approx. 7 mins before the end, as Maile kicks Chad out of her room
• Producer Hal B. Wallis can be seen as an extra walking down the street

Awards and nominations

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Award winner for Most Performed Feature Film Standard ("Can't Help Falling in Love")
• Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical (Hal Kanter)
• Laurel Award nomination for Top Musical of 1961 (awarded 4th place)
• Grammy Award nomination for Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Original Cast from a Motion Picture of Television

Closing remarks

'Blue Hawaii' is yet another typical badly made Elvis film with a thin plot, beautiful beaches, pretty girls and a lot of mediocre songs.

What makes 'Blue Hawaii' one the better entries in Elvis' repertoire of bad movies is both the spectacular location footage in Hawaii, as well as Angela Lansbury's amusing performance as Elvis' mother. Although Lansbury did not like her performance in his film, I feel she is being a little hard on herself.

The film is also notable for Elvis performing one of his biggest hits: "Can't Help Falling in Love With You".

The Harvey Girls (1946) - Star of the month... Angela Lansbury

'The Harvey Girls' is a 1946 MGM musical-western directed by George Sidney and starring Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Virginia O'Brien, Ray Bolger, Marjorie Main, Preston Foster, Chill Wills and Cyd Charisse.

Judy Garland, Virginia O'Brien and Cyd Charisse in 'The Harvey Girls'

Based on the 1942 novel 'The Harvey Girls' by Samuel Hopkins Adams, the film was produced by Arthur Freed.

The film tells the story of Fred Harvey's famous traveling waitresses, The Harvey Girls. A group of Harvey Girls are travelling to the western town of Sandrock on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway to open a new franchise of Harvey House restaurants.  On the train they met Susan Bradley (played by Garland), who is on her way to Sandrock to marry a blind date she has corresponded with via letters. Once the Harvey Girls arrive, they find themselves competing against the dance hall girls at the local saloon, led by Em (played by Lansbury). The rest of the film becomes a case of the saloon girls vs. the Harvey Girls, which eventually leads to an amusing and hilarious cat fight.


Watch the trailer:

Judy Garland & John Hodiak in "The Harvey Girls" (1946)

The Harvey House restaurant chain

The Harvey House restaurant chain was established by Fred Harvey in 1870 to provide good, inexpensive food and lodging in clean, elegant surroundings for travellers to the west. At one point there were 84 Harvey Houses throughout seven states in the US. The waitresses working at the restaurants were famously known as The Harvey Girls.

Musical program

Angela Lansbury showing some leg in "Oh, You Kid"

• "In the Valley (Where the Evening Sun Goes Down)" - Judy Garland
• "Wait and See" - Angela Lansbury (dubbed by Virginia Rees)
• "On the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe" - Ben Carter, Marjorie Main, Ray Bolger, Judy Garland, Virginia O'Brien, Cyd Charisse and Chorus
• "The Train Must be Fed" - Selena Royle & Marjorie Main
• "Oh, You Kid" - Angela Lansbury (dubbed by Virginia Rees)
• "It's a Great Big World" - Judy Garland, Virginia O'Brien and Cyd Charisse (dubbed by Marion Doenges)
• "The Wild, Wild West" - Virginia O'Brien
• "Swing Your Partner Round and Round" - Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Cyd Charisse (dubbed by Marion Doenges) and Chorus

The following songs were filmed but cut from the film - all 3 numbers are included as bonus features on the DVD:

• "The March of the Doagies" - Judy Garland
• "The March of the Doagies (Reprise)" - Judy Garland
• "My Intuition" - Judy Garland & John Hodiak

The following song was recorded but not filmed - an audio recording is included as a bonus feature on the DVD:

• "Hayride" - Judy Garland and Ray Bolger

Song: "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" - Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Marjorie Main, Virginia O'Brien, Cyd Charisse, Ben Carter & Chorus

Song: "It's a Great Big World" - Judy Garland, Virginia O'Brien and Cyd Charisse

Ray Bolger's dance solo

Song: "In the Valley (Where the Evening Sun Goes Down)"

Deleted song: "My Intuition" - Judy Garland & John Hodiak

Did you know...

• The fim was originally intended to be a dramatic film for Lana Turner and Clark Gable, but after seeing the musical 'Oklahoma', Roger Edens felt the film could work as a musical for Judy Garland
• Judy Garland was not interested in appearing in this film, as she wanted to appear in 'Yolanda and the Thief' (1945) with Fred Astaire, which was being directed by her husband Vincente Minnelli
• Judy Garland missed 11 days of filming, and arrived late on 40 days
• Gene Kelly was considered to play the role of Ned Trent
• Angela Lansbury's singing in this film was dubbed by Virginia Rees - although Lansbury could sing, her singing voice was considered unsuitable for her character
• Cyd Charisse's singing was dubbed by Marion Doenges
• Ann Sothern, Eve Arden and Lucille Ball were considered for role of Em
• Edward Arnold was originally considered to play Judge Pervis
• This film features Cyd Charisse's first speaking role
• As Virginia O'Brien was pregnant during filming, some of her scenes with Ray Bolger cut or not filmed, where it was difficult to hide her pregnancy - this is why both O'Brien and Bolger's character disappear towards the end of the film
• This was Virginia Davis' final film
• Ray Bolger was burned by steam from the train during the filming of the song "On the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe"
• After the film was released Angela Lansbury was hissed at in public, due to her character being Judy Garland's rival - Garland was loved by the public
• Byron Harvey Jr., (grandson of the Harvey Girls founder, Fred Harvey) has an uncredited appearance as a train conductor - Byron Harvey Jr. was also president of the Fred Harvey Company at the time the film was made
• Location filming took place at the Iverson Ranch in Victorville, at Chatsworth near Los Angeles and in Monument Valley - studio filming took place at MGM's Culver City studios

Awards and nominations

• Academy Award winner for Best Song ("On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" - written by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren)
• Academy Award nomination for Best Musical Score (Lennie Hayton)

Closing remarks

Angela Lansbury at her most glamourous in
'The Harvey Girls'

'The Harvey Girls' is an enjoyable MGM musical, although it does start off a little slow. That said, there are better and more entertaining western musicals, such as 'Calamity Jane' (1953) and 'Annie Get Your Gun' (1950). Judy Garland delivers her usual performance, but sadly Ray Bolger's great talent is wasted in a rather small role. Fortunately, we are treated with one of Ray Bolger 's greatest dance solos.

Highlight stars in this film are Angela Lansbury and Virginia O'Brien. This is by far Angela Lansbury's most glamourous role, we see her act sexy for the first and only times as dance hostess Em. Very sadly Lansbury's singing was dubbed as usual. What makes this even more unfortunate is Lansbury could sing quite well and did not deserve the dubbing treatment. As for Virginia O'Brien, she's fantastic as always as one of the lead Harvey Girls.

My 3 reasons to watch this film:

• Judy Garland singing "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" - not to be missed!!
• Angela Lansbury showing some leg and kicking up her heels 
• 2 underrated stars, Virginia O'Brien & Ray Bolger at their best

Remains to be Seen (1953) - Star of the month... Angela Lansbury

'Remains to be Seen' is a 1953 semi-musical comedy thriller murder mystery (or post-murder mystery) directed by Don Weis and starring June Allyson, Van Johnson, Louis Calhern, Angela Lansbury and Dorothy Dandridge. The film's screenplay by Sidney Sheldon was based on the play by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay.

Waldo Williams (played by Johnson) is the manager of an apartment building who finds one of the residents Travis Revercombe (played by Stuart Holmes) dead on his couch. The death is put to natural causes, however things are complicated after a carving knife is later put into the already dead corpse. Among the chaos Williams finds himself smitten with Revercombe's estranged niece Jody Revere (played by Allyson).

The film becomes a post-murder mystery of "who stabbed the dead body with a carving knife".

Musical program

The film's musical program includes:

• "Toot Toot Tootsie (Goo'Bye!)" - June Allyson
• "Too Marvellous for Words" - Van Johnson
• "Taking a Chance on Love" - Dorothy Dandridge
• "Too Marvellous for Words" - June Allyson

Sadly, I was unable to find any musical clips on YouTube to share :(

Did you know...

• This was the last of 5 movies June Allyson and Van Johnson made together (last of 6 movies if you include 'Till the Clouds Roll By' (1946), where both stars appeared but not together)

Closing remarks

A very funny black comedy, far exceeding the expectations I originally had. The genres of comedy and thriller does not always tend to work, but in this film it does. A memorable and amusing scene shows June Allyson, who making dinner plans with both Van Johnson and Louis Calhern at the same restaurant switches from table to table much to the waiter's confusion.

June Allyson and Van Johnson have amazing chemistry in this film. Dorothy Dandridge has a memorable Lena Horne-style cameo, where she walks on, sings a song and leaves.  As much as I love Angela Lansbury, I feel her (as an already established star) her talent is wasted in this film, as she has a rather small appearance with very minimal dialogue. On a positive note, there is lovely polynesian decor featured in the deceased's apartment as well as a rousing swing soundtrack that will keep your toes tapping for the duration of the film.

My 3 reasons to watch this film:

• a very unique murder mystery situation
• June Allyson and Van Johnson's chemistry
• Dorothy Dandridge singing "Taking a Chance on Love"

Let's Make Love (1960) - Star of the month... Gene Kelly

Let's Make Love is the 1960 romantic musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe with French actor Yves Montand and funny man Tony Randall. The supporting cast includes British singer Frankie Vaughan and Wilfred Hyde-White. The film was directed by the legendary George Cukor and features surprise guest cameos by three Hollywood greats appearing as themselves: Gene Kelly, Milton Berle and Bing Crosby.

Yves Montand stars as Jean-Marc Clement, a billionaire who is advised he is about to be parodied in an off-Broadway revue. Jean-Marc visits the theatre to find out more about it, but is mistaken as an actor auditioning for the role. He is offered the role due to his uncanny resemblance and real life performance. He is bewildered by the show's star Amanda Dell (played by Monroe), and decides to play along with the charade. Jean-Marc hires Milton Berle to teach him to tell jokes, Bing Crosby to teach him to sing, and Gene Kelly to teach him to dance. Despite this first rate tuition, Amanda teaches Jean-Marc money can't buy you love.

Upon release the film was not a critical or commercial success, and was one of Marilyn's only films to lose money.

Musical highlights

Let's Make Love features quite a few unmemorable and unexciting musical numbers. There are fortunately two stand out numbers: "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" and "Specialisation".

Song: "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" - Marilyn Monroe

Did you know...

• Marilyn was not satisfied with the script and had her then-husband Arthur Miller review and rewrite it.
• The following actors all turned down the role of Jean Clement: Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Rock Hudson
• Montand and Monroe reportedly had an off-screen affair during the filming of this film

Concluding remarks

Despite its unrealistic plot and very predictable ending, overall the film is amusing to watch with quite a few laughs. The highlight for me was Milton Berle, who gets more laughs in his 8 minutes cameo than any of the other lead actors. Worth watching if you're a fan of Marilyn or Milton Berle.