While MGM is remembered as the `studio for musicals,' it should be remembered that most MGM musicals prior to `The Wizard of OZ' were pretty horrible. Even after `OZ' (a flop in its first release), MGM cranked out its musicals on the cheap, usually in Black and White, until about 1944, when upstart Samuel Goldwyn studios started cranking out the Technicolor Danny Kaye's that MGM relented and began producing good, sometimes great color musicals. While Columbia, Paramount, Warner Bros and (especially) RKO regularly made wonderful musicals, until 1944, only 20th Century-Fox almost always made them in Technicolor. `Moon Over Miami' is one of these, and its pluses and minuses pretty much parallel those of the other Fox musicals.
Let's start with the minuses, since there are far more of them. The plot, even for a musical, is pretty shopworn and threadbare (of course, this didn't stop Fox from using it again several times). Two sisters (Betty Grable, Carole Landis) and their aunt (Charlotte Greenwood) head to Miami with the goal of using their small inheritance to trap a millionaire husband for Grable. Landis poses as Grable's secretary and Greenwood as Grable's maid. Once settled into luxury resort, Grable maneuvers herself into courtships with not one, but two, millionaires (Robert Cummings and Don Ameche). Cummings is silly, as usual; Ameche struggles the best he can with a unbelievable role. For example, upon first meeting Grable, Ameche (apparently suffering from a hangover and lack of sleep), shows no interest in Grable, and is surly and insulting to boot. A nanosecond later, Ameche, wide awake and clear head, is dancing with Grable, singing a laughingly terrible love song. In fact, all the songs in `Moon Over Miami' are terrible. That this film is over 60 years old is no excuse. Even some musicals with no good songs at least had good dancing. The dancing on display in `Moon Over Miami' is stagey. While beautiful, Landis lacks the charm and animation to carry her pivotal role as Grable's sister.
Now the pluses. Even playing her stock character, Charlotte Greenwood is always fun. As a dancer, she had one trick: kicking her legs nearly to her shoulder, SIDEWAYS. That never ceases to amaze me. The costumes and location scenery are gorgeous as is the Technicolor. Nevertheless, the best thing about a Betty Grable musical has ALWAYS been Betty Grable. Grable was for the `big' boys what Shirley Temple was for the `little boys'. More than any other actress of her generation, Grable could be pretty, spunky, charming, sensuous, wholesome, sexy AND accessible (i.e., the `girl next door'). While lacking the singing or dancing talents of Betty Hutton, Judy Garland or Ginger Rogers, Grable also lacked Hutton's bombast, Garland's neurosis and Rogers' cynicism. I endured this movie, successfully fighting every urge to `fast forward' just to watch Betty Grable.
I recommend this movie to the following types of people, only:
o Older couples who stubbornly believe `They don't make em like THAT anymore.' o Younger people who've never seen Technicolor except in "The Wizard of OZ." o Present or potential fans of Betty Grable; I hope there will be a growing number of the latter.
Let's start with the minuses, since there are far more of them. The plot, even for a musical, is pretty shopworn and threadbare (of course, this didn't stop Fox from using it again several times). Two sisters (Betty Grable, Carole Landis) and their aunt (Charlotte Greenwood) head to Miami with the goal of using their small inheritance to trap a millionaire husband for Grable. Landis poses as Grable's secretary and Greenwood as Grable's maid. Once settled into luxury resort, Grable maneuvers herself into courtships with not one, but two, millionaires (Robert Cummings and Don Ameche). Cummings is silly, as usual; Ameche struggles the best he can with a unbelievable role. For example, upon first meeting Grable, Ameche (apparently suffering from a hangover and lack of sleep), shows no interest in Grable, and is surly and insulting to boot. A nanosecond later, Ameche, wide awake and clear head, is dancing with Grable, singing a laughingly terrible love song. In fact, all the songs in `Moon Over Miami' are terrible. That this film is over 60 years old is no excuse. Even some musicals with no good songs at least had good dancing. The dancing on display in `Moon Over Miami' is stagey. While beautiful, Landis lacks the charm and animation to carry her pivotal role as Grable's sister.
Now the pluses. Even playing her stock character, Charlotte Greenwood is always fun. As a dancer, she had one trick: kicking her legs nearly to her shoulder, SIDEWAYS. That never ceases to amaze me. The costumes and location scenery are gorgeous as is the Technicolor. Nevertheless, the best thing about a Betty Grable musical has ALWAYS been Betty Grable. Grable was for the `big' boys what Shirley Temple was for the `little boys'. More than any other actress of her generation, Grable could be pretty, spunky, charming, sensuous, wholesome, sexy AND accessible (i.e., the `girl next door'). While lacking the singing or dancing talents of Betty Hutton, Judy Garland or Ginger Rogers, Grable also lacked Hutton's bombast, Garland's neurosis and Rogers' cynicism. I endured this movie, successfully fighting every urge to `fast forward' just to watch Betty Grable.
I recommend this movie to the following types of people, only:
o Older couples who stubbornly believe `They don't make em like THAT anymore.' o Younger people who've never seen Technicolor except in "The Wizard of OZ." o Present or potential fans of Betty Grable; I hope there will be a growing number of the latter.