One of the most obscure Broadway musicals of the 1940's, this is also an extremely rare movie and certainly a rare choice for a transition from stage to screen. It is also, according to the references I've checked out comparing the stage and screen versions, a fairly respectable adaption, with all of its songs (six in the film) actually transfered and nothing new written by different composers. As a film, it is a piece of fluff, albeit enjoyable fluff. The highlights of the film is the camaraderie between Donald O'Connor as the insurance agent who quits his job after an error makes him fear he's on the verge of being fired anyway, and Lew Parker ("That Girl's" daddy) as the carnival barker who befriends him when he really needs a friend.
There are some great production numbers, most notably "Down at Baba's Alley", sung and danced by the limber-footed O'Connor, and the fantasy finale, "I'm Looking for a Prince of a Fella", sung by Olga San Juan with more dancing by O'Connor. In terms of numbers of musical films, O'Connor sang and danced in more than the more legendary Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly although his were on a much smaller scale and budget. As a result, they are less known than Kelly and Astaire's, particularly since MGM was responsible for the most famous of their films and O'Connors were made at the less distinguished Universal and are rarely seen today.
There are some great production numbers, most notably "Down at Baba's Alley", sung and danced by the limber-footed O'Connor, and the fantasy finale, "I'm Looking for a Prince of a Fella", sung by Olga San Juan with more dancing by O'Connor. In terms of numbers of musical films, O'Connor sang and danced in more than the more legendary Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly although his were on a much smaller scale and budget. As a result, they are less known than Kelly and Astaire's, particularly since MGM was responsible for the most famous of their films and O'Connors were made at the less distinguished Universal and are rarely seen today.