This is one of the most bizarre things you will encounter among the films that don't intend to be strange.
You probably will never see it, so let me describe it. It starts with a shot of the US capitol and switches to a group of men that are some mix of senators and G-men. They are upset that there is nothing on the radio but swing. A national disaster is declared.
The men decide that rather than capture all the offenders, they need to get the top guy. So everyone is sent out to catch "public jitterbug number 1." The scene shifts. Somehow they have decided that a certain club is the location of interest. Our G-men are now disguised as a country-western band! All except one who poses as a tap dancer.
What follows are three episodes. The first is our tapdancer, Hal Le Roy, who really does a phenomenal dance. Very good, with what must be silk pants ruffling. Then there's an episode that has nothing at all to do with the already incredible story: a guest Chaz Chase eats everything. And I mean everything: a cigarette lit on both ends, a dozen lit matches, flowers, all the food on the table, his own shirt, a harmonica and a police badge. When the badge comes back up, the G-men are revealed.
The third and last scene is Betty Hutton who admits to being public jitterbug number one. She sings, well enough. And she dances after a fashion. But she is wearing a full, floorlength dress (a sort of folk German affair) so if she is doing something special under there, you can't see it.
Finally, the tap dancer (who has fallen in love with Betty) turns against the group and runs away with her, bullets flying.
Its not enjoyable on its face. The print I saw was very bad. Betty has no charm at all. But it is one of the most mind bending story ideas I have even encountered. "Phantom Empire" from a few years earlier is another. I think there must have been drugs involved.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
You probably will never see it, so let me describe it. It starts with a shot of the US capitol and switches to a group of men that are some mix of senators and G-men. They are upset that there is nothing on the radio but swing. A national disaster is declared.
The men decide that rather than capture all the offenders, they need to get the top guy. So everyone is sent out to catch "public jitterbug number 1." The scene shifts. Somehow they have decided that a certain club is the location of interest. Our G-men are now disguised as a country-western band! All except one who poses as a tap dancer.
What follows are three episodes. The first is our tapdancer, Hal Le Roy, who really does a phenomenal dance. Very good, with what must be silk pants ruffling. Then there's an episode that has nothing at all to do with the already incredible story: a guest Chaz Chase eats everything. And I mean everything: a cigarette lit on both ends, a dozen lit matches, flowers, all the food on the table, his own shirt, a harmonica and a police badge. When the badge comes back up, the G-men are revealed.
The third and last scene is Betty Hutton who admits to being public jitterbug number one. She sings, well enough. And she dances after a fashion. But she is wearing a full, floorlength dress (a sort of folk German affair) so if she is doing something special under there, you can't see it.
Finally, the tap dancer (who has fallen in love with Betty) turns against the group and runs away with her, bullets flying.
Its not enjoyable on its face. The print I saw was very bad. Betty has no charm at all. But it is one of the most mind bending story ideas I have even encountered. "Phantom Empire" from a few years earlier is another. I think there must have been drugs involved.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.