Stodgy bio-pic of a forgotten - but notable - British post war theatrical talent
Julie Andrews is perhaps the biggest puzzle in Hollywood history: A star whose faults and virtues are so equal that they cancel each other out. Nice singing voice (without a great deal of range, it must be said) and perfect in the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, but otherwise hard to cast. A lady that would have been better living in the past. At the risk of getting personal she has an air of straight-laced prudery that her acting just can't shake off.
(Not even with a topless scene in SOB!)
Most people in showbiz barely know who Gertrude Lawrence was, so pity the poor general public who said a giant "who?" on release. And left the cinema saying "this is so dated and old hat." Not that "old hat" stopped Sound of Music from striking gold.
Feminist brownie points for a lady that led her own life, spoke her own mind and wasn't dominated by men (although idiotic with money), but I hated the cod newsreel approach. A cheap and obvious device that shouts "second rate story telling" and worse fails to match newsreel material with cod newsreel material without being obvious.
Linguistically Andrews performance is all over the place from crass pseudo Cockney to cut glass - in one scene she uses both! Hard to knock a piece for ambition and vigour, but it doesn't pull it off as steady entertainment and it doesn't pull it off as insight. I also have to knock off another whole point for spending too long with the vapid, backslapping, theatrical types who are just wallpaper.
The best parts are the singing and musical numbers - which are varied and quite inventive - going from musical hall to classic ballads. Shame Noel Coward (the ever present best friend) wasn't as good a piano player in real life!
This has to be filed under "not all that great", but I guess it is better to watch this than The Sound of Music for the twentieth time!
Julie Andrews is perhaps the biggest puzzle in Hollywood history: A star whose faults and virtues are so equal that they cancel each other out. Nice singing voice (without a great deal of range, it must be said) and perfect in the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, but otherwise hard to cast. A lady that would have been better living in the past. At the risk of getting personal she has an air of straight-laced prudery that her acting just can't shake off.
(Not even with a topless scene in SOB!)
Most people in showbiz barely know who Gertrude Lawrence was, so pity the poor general public who said a giant "who?" on release. And left the cinema saying "this is so dated and old hat." Not that "old hat" stopped Sound of Music from striking gold.
Feminist brownie points for a lady that led her own life, spoke her own mind and wasn't dominated by men (although idiotic with money), but I hated the cod newsreel approach. A cheap and obvious device that shouts "second rate story telling" and worse fails to match newsreel material with cod newsreel material without being obvious.
Linguistically Andrews performance is all over the place from crass pseudo Cockney to cut glass - in one scene she uses both! Hard to knock a piece for ambition and vigour, but it doesn't pull it off as steady entertainment and it doesn't pull it off as insight. I also have to knock off another whole point for spending too long with the vapid, backslapping, theatrical types who are just wallpaper.
The best parts are the singing and musical numbers - which are varied and quite inventive - going from musical hall to classic ballads. Shame Noel Coward (the ever present best friend) wasn't as good a piano player in real life!
This has to be filed under "not all that great", but I guess it is better to watch this than The Sound of Music for the twentieth time!