Since the dancing king would spend the 1950's opposite younger women, Astaire would have made an interesting choice in playing Clive Brook's role, going from dramatic actor to musical comedy star, since the lighthearted plot of this amiable comedy is similar to "Daddy Long Legs", "The Belle of New York" and "Funny Face". Obviously Anna Lee's younger character is similar to those played by Leslie Caron, Vera-Ellen and Audrey Hepburn, but it's clear that her small town actress is merely infatuated with Brook, denying that she really loves David Tree. What young girl in a small sea side town with its own small theater would not want to get aquainted with a movie star, even as unlikely as one as Brook?
The future Lila Quartermaine of "General Hospital" is a sweet but frequently feisty delight, not a great beauty, but certainly beautiful and the girl next door. Brook is more lively here than he was in Hollywood films a decade before, but he's still far too long in the tooth for this kind of tole. As the sweet matron of the theater community. Dame May Whitty is a huggable delight. I also liked the art direction, perfect for resembling a seaside town. Good scenes at the beginning show Brook being bothered by fans of all ages and pushy stage mothers, one of them having a bratty child that reminded me of the pre-teen Baby Jane Hudson. Funny and light, and definitely worth catching.
The future Lila Quartermaine of "General Hospital" is a sweet but frequently feisty delight, not a great beauty, but certainly beautiful and the girl next door. Brook is more lively here than he was in Hollywood films a decade before, but he's still far too long in the tooth for this kind of tole. As the sweet matron of the theater community. Dame May Whitty is a huggable delight. I also liked the art direction, perfect for resembling a seaside town. Good scenes at the beginning show Brook being bothered by fans of all ages and pushy stage mothers, one of them having a bratty child that reminded me of the pre-teen Baby Jane Hudson. Funny and light, and definitely worth catching.