While not a huge fan of old-time musicals, I have sure come to appreciate the classics, including many from Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and of course Fred Astaire. "Top Hat," "On The Town," "Anchors Aweigh" and "Singin' In The Rain" are some of my favorites. I watched this on TCM because it featured the great Ann Miller and Debbie Reynolds, and I had never seen Jane Powell before. These three fine ladies' talents were wasted on a film with very weak writing and pedestrian direction. Vic Damone's acting was terrible, and Russ Tamblyn was going through an awkward stage, but did provide some fine acrobatic dancing. But Tony Martin, who I'd never seen before, was unbelievably, embarrassingly bad in every possible way. Who remembers this guy today? His singing was melodramatically pseudo-operatic, he wasn't good-looking, and appears to have had no acting talent whatsoever. What was he doing in front of a movie camera? I honestly believe it's possible that Martin, in this film, KILLED the MGM movie musical. I probably shouldn't say this is the worst musical ever made---didn't Monogram pictures make one once? Or maybe Edward D. Wood Jr. directed one?
Review of Hit the Deck
