This is one of the weakest musicals in the golden age of films. The script is absolutely leaden. The music is very mediocre. The dancing (Michael Kidd was apparently still learning his craft)is only so-so. The comedy is practically non-existent. A scene in a small diner, featuring Billy Gilbert, Madeleine Carroll, and Dick Powell, is one of the most embarrassing comedy bits of the era. Cora Witherspoon, playing the Charlotte Greenwood stereotype, adds not a single laugh to this labored musical. Dick Powell does his best, but the plot keeps him from doing anything more than he did in Dames and the other Warner Brothers musicals of the time. Alice Faye isn't given much to do but pout and sing some forgettable songs. The Ritz Brothers are simply pathetic. Yes, they can dance a bit, but they fail, as ever, to be even remotely comical. All in all, this film does not contribute to Zanuck's reputation. The DVD version, by the way, is fine. Now if only the movie was enjoyable.
Review of On the Avenue
