MissMellieY Reviews

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1983 TV Special)

Excellent

[10/10 · 23 December 2006]

I vividly remember watching this edition of the Kennedy Center Honors because James Stewart was honored. I can remember the Air Force Cadet choir singing Auld Lang Syne and Carol Burnett trying to sing but not being able to because she was so choked up. I was so proud of him and for him. I remember that the applause for him was longer than for anyone else honored that evening, including Frank Sinatra. I can't believe the Kennedy Center has not made these available on tape or DVD yet. There are many years' versions I would LOVE to buy. I have tried to find a way to contact them about this but their website is far from user friendly. I am looking forward to this year's edition but there will never be another year quite like the 1983 year for me. The closest was the year Sean Connery was honored.

Ever Since Eve (1937)

It really wasn't very good

[5/10 · 31 January 2006]

I give it a 5 because I liked Marion Davies but on the whole, this really was not a very good movie. For me, Patsy Kelly and Allen Jenkins were horribly annoying. I don't say that often about Patsy as I am a fan but this particular movie was not her best. I admit, though, that she was only annoying when she had to share the screen with Allen Jenkins. HE was the annoying one.

I realize that I am filtering everything through modern sensibilities because it is impossible not to to a degree, but I could not see what she (Marion's character) fell in love with. Robert Montgomery's character was bland at best. The lead romantic characters didn't spend any time together...at least not enough to build a movie romance on. Love at first sight (so to speak)was not particularly well played out. Also, I think the premise could have been much more effectively played out. A pair of glasses and a wig does not render someone unrecognizable.

Marion deserved so much better than this. Now, this is not the worst film I have ever seen but it is by far not a very good effort. It tried for screwball but didn't quite make it there. See it though, if only to be able to see Marion's last screen performance. She was highly underrated. Don't use this as an example of her best work.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999 Video)

Excellent

[10/10 · 23 January 2006]

It astounds me every time I read "when I heard Donny Osmond was playing Joseph I was surprised and shocked because he did a great job." The man has a very powerful singing voice and he did a great job in the role. Of all the men who have played Joseph on stage, Donny comes the closest to actually identifying with the role. Not only for the reasons of religion but because of his place in the scheme of his family's celebrity. He was the one singled out and it must have been hard on the rest of the brothers who had a lot of talent as well. I have to wonder if he wasn't well acquainted with dealing with underlying jealousy. The rest of the cast was great, with the exception of Joan Collins. I realize that she was there to be a seductress but she really didn't do that well and seemed extremely out of place.

I really enjoyed the production on the whole and even Joan didn't ruin it. Donny has aged VERY well...and even more important, so has his voice.

Up in Arms (1944)

Not Danny's Best

[6/10 · 16 December 2005]

This is not Danny Kaye's best effort. That would be The Court Jester, as far as I am concerned. This movie was badly written. It wasn't horribly acted but the actors weren't given anything much to work with. Danny deserved better and so did Dinah Shore. She should have been a much bigger movie star than she was. She was very talented and had excellent screen presence. Too bad this movie is one of her few movies.

At the end of the day, don't waste your time. If you want to see GOOD Danny Kaye movies, find The Court Jester, The Inspector General, White Christmas...or his dramas The Five Pennies or Skokie. He was a brilliant comedian AND dramatic actor. Don't use this movie as an example of his best work.

My Bill (1938)

Sappy but sweet

[8/10 · 12 September 2005]

The very best thing about this movie was Dickie Moore. He was a little tour de force. He was one of those child actors who could not only act but was a commanding presence on screen. The writing was hideous and the acting of the other three children were bland at best, but it was REALLY nice when Aunt Caroline really "got her's." I personally loved the banker. I thought he was sweet but had a kick to him when he finally decided enough was enough.

I enjoyed Kay Francis and thought she did a good job with a really badly written character. If you watch this film, watch it for Dickie Moore. He is one of the very best child actors of all time.

Babes on Broadway (1941)

Remember the TIME FRAME

[7/10 · 6 August 2005]

This movie CANNOT be reviewed in terms of current times. It is ridiculous to even think it can. Of course NOW to see a black face routine would be totally unacceptable (and that is as it should be) but you have to remember WHEN this movie was made and base reviews on that. The musical routines for the most part are excellent. Mickey DOES overact horribly but you can't really blame all that on him. Busby Berkley was the director and he should have toned it down. It is obvious that one young person who said that Mickey should never have had a career has obviously never seen the TV movie BILL. With good direction, Mickey is a fabulous actor. Judy shines in anything and everything she ever did, even when it was hokey (and this movie definitely had some bad jokes). I am just sorry that Virginia Weidler did not have a longer career and that she died so young. If you want to see her in something brilliant, watch THE PHILADELPHIA STORY where she plays Katharine Hepburn's younger sister.

This movie is a product of its times. But these times aren't much better. Which is worse, black face routines or movies with gratuitous sex and blatant violence, blood, and guts? Racism is a horrible thing but it goes on in movies even today (in films made by Caucasian and African-Americans). What makes the black face routine even worse is that it was totally unnecessary to the plot and they could have done something better.

Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)

Love this Film

[10/10 · 28 March 2005]

I really enjoy seeing this film...every time. You can't compare it to the subsequent Tammy films because this is so much better. Even though Tammy still comes across as a major league hick, Debbie Reynolds imbues her with such character that she seems to be a real person. No offense to Sandra Dee (and MUCH offense to Debbie Watson who was just plain HORRIBLE as Tammy), but they don't even come close to the original. I love hearing Debbie sing TAMMY'S IN LOVE...makes the young girl in me sigh! I also enjoy seeing Leslie Nielsen in a dramatic role (well, as dramatic as you can get in this type of a movie). He was quite the handsome man (not that he isn't now...but when I see him now I think of Frank Drebbin!) This is exactly what it purports to be...a sweet film.

However, in comment to another's review, Tammy didn't meet her bachelor hitchhiking, did she? I thought she and her grandfather found him floating in the water after his plane crashed. **I just received the DVD of TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR and I was right. She and her grandfather did find him floating on a log after his plane crashed. She ended up at his house after her grandfather is taken to jail for making corn liquor.