Copyright 11 December 1944 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 25 December 1944. U.S. release: 29 December 1944. U.K. release: 2 April 1945. Australian release: 12 April 1945. 9 reels. 8,155 feet. 90 minutes.
NOTES: Number 3 at Australian ticket windows for 1945. Although the movie certainly took good money, this level of success was not duplicated elsewhere in the world. Kern and Salter were nominated for a prestigious Hollywood award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, losing to Anchors Aweigh. "More and More" was nominated for Best Song, losing to "It Might As Well Be Spring" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair.
COMMENT: One can't help liking Deanna's first in color. Admittedly, as was the fashion at the time, she is overly made up with far too accentuated lips, but with the added attraction of period costumes, she still looks fresh, pretty and vibrant nonetheless. She's in fine voice too, getting her light soprano pleasingly around three attractive Kern-Harburg melodies.
The surrounding story not only offers the opportunity for pretty dresses and comedy, but some mighty fetching outdoor scenery as well. Director Frank Ryan admirably demonstrates that although he co-wrote the script, he is no stickler for the dialogue-is-god school of film-making, but has handled the camera with panache and style.
Stunning Technicolor photography and an abundant budget helps too. Supporting players include many of our favorites such as Ray Collins at his wheedling and dyspeptic best, Olin Howland as a wagon-master yet, Andrew Tombes as a confidence shark, Akim Tamiroff as a phoney highness, and Leonid Kinskey in one of the biggest roles of his career as the latter's Laurel-like accomplice. Despite her prominence in the credits, June Vincent has a miniscule part - two brief shots, no more than forty or fifty seconds in total!
OTHER VIEWS: Very bland if very prettily photographed Technicolor musical. Ray Collins manages to put his scenes and his comedy across with both expertise and charm - qualities which are somewhat lacking in other members of the cast, most notably hero Robert Paige, but also to a lesser extent (because their roles are smaller), Thomas Gomez and David Bruce. Even Akim Tamiroff and Leonid Kinskey often seem labored and strained, though they do contrive at least two fairly amusing moments, when they try to break open Deanna's trunk in front of Marshal George Cleveland, and when they attempt to flee from the Indians, only to have the natives overtake them and leave them behind! A pity the wearisome storyline and the equally tedious Mr Paige take up so much time. After all, a crowd-pleaser of a musical like this deserves a really simple plot that serves only as an excuse for gorgeous studio and location photography, plus the all-important presentation of attractive song interludes. Here we have a score by Kern and Harburg no less. True, both are slightly below form. The most catchy number, fortunately, is the title tune. The others all seem somewhat derivative, though leading to an agreeable reprise at the fade-out. Miss Durbin who not unexpectedly handles the prima-donna's share of the score, sings as prettily as she is photographed and as charmingly as she's dressed (in attractive period costumes loaded with lace), hair styled and made up. Frank Ryan's direction often rates as most stylish. -- JHR writing as George Addison.
NOTES: Number 3 at Australian ticket windows for 1945. Although the movie certainly took good money, this level of success was not duplicated elsewhere in the world. Kern and Salter were nominated for a prestigious Hollywood award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, losing to Anchors Aweigh. "More and More" was nominated for Best Song, losing to "It Might As Well Be Spring" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair.
COMMENT: One can't help liking Deanna's first in color. Admittedly, as was the fashion at the time, she is overly made up with far too accentuated lips, but with the added attraction of period costumes, she still looks fresh, pretty and vibrant nonetheless. She's in fine voice too, getting her light soprano pleasingly around three attractive Kern-Harburg melodies.
The surrounding story not only offers the opportunity for pretty dresses and comedy, but some mighty fetching outdoor scenery as well. Director Frank Ryan admirably demonstrates that although he co-wrote the script, he is no stickler for the dialogue-is-god school of film-making, but has handled the camera with panache and style.
Stunning Technicolor photography and an abundant budget helps too. Supporting players include many of our favorites such as Ray Collins at his wheedling and dyspeptic best, Olin Howland as a wagon-master yet, Andrew Tombes as a confidence shark, Akim Tamiroff as a phoney highness, and Leonid Kinskey in one of the biggest roles of his career as the latter's Laurel-like accomplice. Despite her prominence in the credits, June Vincent has a miniscule part - two brief shots, no more than forty or fifty seconds in total!
OTHER VIEWS: Very bland if very prettily photographed Technicolor musical. Ray Collins manages to put his scenes and his comedy across with both expertise and charm - qualities which are somewhat lacking in other members of the cast, most notably hero Robert Paige, but also to a lesser extent (because their roles are smaller), Thomas Gomez and David Bruce. Even Akim Tamiroff and Leonid Kinskey often seem labored and strained, though they do contrive at least two fairly amusing moments, when they try to break open Deanna's trunk in front of Marshal George Cleveland, and when they attempt to flee from the Indians, only to have the natives overtake them and leave them behind! A pity the wearisome storyline and the equally tedious Mr Paige take up so much time. After all, a crowd-pleaser of a musical like this deserves a really simple plot that serves only as an excuse for gorgeous studio and location photography, plus the all-important presentation of attractive song interludes. Here we have a score by Kern and Harburg no less. True, both are slightly below form. The most catchy number, fortunately, is the title tune. The others all seem somewhat derivative, though leading to an agreeable reprise at the fade-out. Miss Durbin who not unexpectedly handles the prima-donna's share of the score, sings as prettily as she is photographed and as charmingly as she's dressed (in attractive period costumes loaded with lace), hair styled and made up. Frank Ryan's direction often rates as most stylish. -- JHR writing as George Addison.