Some hokum about a Caribbean pirate's nest. Gene Kelly pretends to be Judy Garland's dream man, the notorious pirate Macoco. He rescues her from a planned marriage to the walrus-like Walter Slezak, she discovers that Kelly isn't a pirate at all but the dancer in a troupe of traveling players. It all ends happily.
This kind of musical is kinetic and over the top, as suits a story about egotistic, hammy actors. The dialog can be pretty funny too. Garland has just been shrieking at some visitors to leave. They don't listen. Kelly, holding a whip, saunters up to them and quietly mutters, "Get out," and they leave at once. "You should try underplaying sometime," he tells her.
It's not one of Cole Porter's most inspired scores, despite the blare and thunder given it by the music department. One song, "Niña," searches desperately for lyrics that rhyme. "Love of My Life" is pleasant enough, sung by Judy Garland, but the only memorable tune is "Make 'Em Laugh" -- I mean "Be a Clown." It's hyperkinetic vaudeville and exhilarating.
As I say, it's all overacted, but that's in keeping with the story. Kelly has never been more acrobatic, swinging from ropes, dancing with a cutlass, turning calisthenics into a ballet for the common man. Even when he's not dancing, Kelly's postures, knees bent, fingers fluttering, suggested a coiled spring about to be released.
The screenplay is a little weak and, alas, much of the success of a musical depends on the libretto. Everybody seems to have had a hand in bringing S. N. Behrman's play to the screen except Comden and Green. Betty Comden and Adolf Green were experts at putting together the story behind the songs in films like "On The Town" and "Singin' In The Rain." But penetrating and occasionally challenging wit is replaced here by mixed identities and pratfalls.
Kelly's acting is surprisingly good -- in a properly theatrical way -- and Judy Garland brings some life to otherwise clunkish scenes.
This kind of musical is kinetic and over the top, as suits a story about egotistic, hammy actors. The dialog can be pretty funny too. Garland has just been shrieking at some visitors to leave. They don't listen. Kelly, holding a whip, saunters up to them and quietly mutters, "Get out," and they leave at once. "You should try underplaying sometime," he tells her.
It's not one of Cole Porter's most inspired scores, despite the blare and thunder given it by the music department. One song, "Niña," searches desperately for lyrics that rhyme. "Love of My Life" is pleasant enough, sung by Judy Garland, but the only memorable tune is "Make 'Em Laugh" -- I mean "Be a Clown." It's hyperkinetic vaudeville and exhilarating.
As I say, it's all overacted, but that's in keeping with the story. Kelly has never been more acrobatic, swinging from ropes, dancing with a cutlass, turning calisthenics into a ballet for the common man. Even when he's not dancing, Kelly's postures, knees bent, fingers fluttering, suggested a coiled spring about to be released.
The screenplay is a little weak and, alas, much of the success of a musical depends on the libretto. Everybody seems to have had a hand in bringing S. N. Behrman's play to the screen except Comden and Green. Betty Comden and Adolf Green were experts at putting together the story behind the songs in films like "On The Town" and "Singin' In The Rain." But penetrating and occasionally challenging wit is replaced here by mixed identities and pratfalls.
Kelly's acting is surprisingly good -- in a properly theatrical way -- and Judy Garland brings some life to otherwise clunkish scenes.