It's a cute film, and well worth seeing. Vera-Ellen plays the costar/fiancee of a nightclub performer (Danny Kaye). They have one number together ("Bali Boogie"), and she solos in "So In Love". Her singing may be dubbed but her dancing is spectacular. She'd worked with the choreographer, Robert Alton, on Broadway, and he obviously knew how to choreograph to her strengths. When people ask me to recommend Vera-Ellen movies, this one is on the list.
This time Vera-Ellen plays Danny Kaye's kid sister, who is a nightclub performer. She does well, and is featured nicely in two numbers. It's definitely worth seeing.
This is a movie that I want to like. It has appealing stars such as Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, and Mickey Rooney. It's the solemn, heavy-handed melodrama that brings this movie down.
What I love about this film is the "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" sequence, choreographed by Gene Kelly, and danced by Kelly and Vera-Ellen. It's terrific, high-energy, and quite innovative. It was also considered shocking for its time, with Vera lying on the bar and kicking her legs up in abandon.
Vera-Ellen appears after the "Slaughter" sequence briefly, as herself. Rent it to see Gene and Vera-Ellen at the top of their games, and fast-forward through any scene where Mickey Rooney is sad.
Time has mellowed my harsh opinion of this movie, but I think it still stinks. Vera-Ellen plays a dancer in a troupe, and Harpo has a crush on her. She's poorly lit in this film, making her look like a chipmunk. The dance sequences aren't much. Hopefully other Marx Brothers films are better.
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This is my all-time favourite musical. It's also the first movie in which I saw Gene Kelly or Vera-Ellen, and it turned me into a fan. I was flipping through the channels one Saturday afternoon, decided to watch it, and was riveted from the moment the sailors came dancing off the ship.
It is an excellent movie, not just because Vera-Ellen is given some of her finest moments ("The Miss Turnstiles Ballet", "A Day in New York"), but because it is hilarious, sweet, romantic, and most of all, 100% fun. I could rave about this movie for pages and pages, but to be succinct: see it!
Her first pairing with Fred Astaire. It took me a while to track down a copy of this film, and it was worth it! Vera-Ellen is a capable supporting actress, as well as a fantastic dancer. The story revolves around Fred Astaire and Red Skelton, as Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It's an entertaining movie, and worth seeing.
Before I saw it, I'd heard many mixed reviews. When I finally got myself a copy ... I was underwhelmed. I think Vera-Ellen did very well with what she was given, but the movie ain't no blockbuster musical. It's a standard comedy of mistaken identity.
This is a nice film - I think it lacks energy, but it does showcase the dancing talents of Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen nicely. I think with more sparkle and pizazz, this could have been a classic.
Finally available on DVD! And well-worth the wait. I was absolutely charmed by the movie. There's Vera, of course, and there's the always entertaining Donald O'Connor. And Ethel Merman is pretty good too. Some people on the Vera-Ellen list thought they used poor film copies to make the DVD, but I didn't notice anything with the colours or film quality. Of course, I wasn't even born when the movie was released!
This is a baseball film with Edward G. Robinson, and her only non-dancing/singing role. I was happily surprised to discover this is a pleasant little film about rookie players trying to get into pro baseball. Vera-Ellen plays the manager's niece, and has a little romance with Jeff Richards from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
The movie is a little uneven, but very enjoyable. Vera-Ellen was teamed with Danny Kaye (filling in for an injured Donald O'Connor) for the last time in this movie. They dance wonderfully in "The Best Things Happen While I'm Dancing", moving through different styles and tempos. Vera-Ellen also has other numbers, well-executed.
This is the one movie where I find Vera-Ellen's thinness distracting, especially when you look at her earliest movies, when she is apple-cheeked wholesome. But I always watch the movie about five times, every holiday season.
