Do Bing Crosby's mellow voice and Carole Lombard's terrific looks add up to a movie? Even a short one? Throw in the popular comedy team of Burns and Allen, plus Leon Errol and Ethel Merman for extra laughs, not to mention a very young Ray Milland, badly miscast as a snooty prince. And, oh yes, don't forget the pet bear. Are we there for an hour and seventeen minute movie? Sounds like the type of picture, I would enjoy, but in fact I liked the "The End" sign about as well as any scene in We're Not Dressing.
Bing croons about as well as ever, and Carole looks as good in her languid way as ever. George Burns and Gracie Allen, unfortunately, were just not as funny as I remembered them from their long-running (1950-58) TV show, which I used to think was hilarious when I watched it as a kid. I probably caught their popular Radio show as a small child in the 1940's, but I don't really remember it. Well this 1934 minor musical comedy, was long before their TV days, and no doubt their act was not developed along the same lines yet. Besides, radio and TV acts have very seldom translated with much success to the movie screen (Bob Hope's being a major exception).
The script, loosely based (and uncredited) on James M. Barrie's much-filmed play "The Admirable Chrichton" is flat as a pancake, Norman Taurog's direction is flaccid, and the romance between Crosby and Lombard doesn't generate a spark. We don't expect much of a story in a musical, as long as the numbers are good, but this one was just plain draggy. The only thing that could have saved it would have been bringing in Bob Hope as Bing's rival for the affections of the beautiful Ms. Lombard -- but then that partnership was way down the Road (pun intended).
The genuinely funny banter between Leon Errol and Ethel Merman almost saves the picture. The high point of the show comes early in their wacky, butt-bumping, slapstick dance while singing the goofy song "It's Just A New Spanish Custom". It's a downhill slide from here.
Oh, yes, the pet bear, Droopy. While most people will find his antics amusing, I'll admit to being an old grouch who absolutely hates and despises animal movies. I was hoping against hope, that when the main characters got shipwrecked on what seemed an uninhabited island, they would barbecue that irritating bear! No such luck. Nor did anything else so satisfying happen in this trifle of a movie.
Fast-forward the DVD between the musical numbers, and you may get an entertaining twenty minutes out of We're Not Dressing.
Bing croons about as well as ever, and Carole looks as good in her languid way as ever. George Burns and Gracie Allen, unfortunately, were just not as funny as I remembered them from their long-running (1950-58) TV show, which I used to think was hilarious when I watched it as a kid. I probably caught their popular Radio show as a small child in the 1940's, but I don't really remember it. Well this 1934 minor musical comedy, was long before their TV days, and no doubt their act was not developed along the same lines yet. Besides, radio and TV acts have very seldom translated with much success to the movie screen (Bob Hope's being a major exception).
The script, loosely based (and uncredited) on James M. Barrie's much-filmed play "The Admirable Chrichton" is flat as a pancake, Norman Taurog's direction is flaccid, and the romance between Crosby and Lombard doesn't generate a spark. We don't expect much of a story in a musical, as long as the numbers are good, but this one was just plain draggy. The only thing that could have saved it would have been bringing in Bob Hope as Bing's rival for the affections of the beautiful Ms. Lombard -- but then that partnership was way down the Road (pun intended).
The genuinely funny banter between Leon Errol and Ethel Merman almost saves the picture. The high point of the show comes early in their wacky, butt-bumping, slapstick dance while singing the goofy song "It's Just A New Spanish Custom". It's a downhill slide from here.
Oh, yes, the pet bear, Droopy. While most people will find his antics amusing, I'll admit to being an old grouch who absolutely hates and despises animal movies. I was hoping against hope, that when the main characters got shipwrecked on what seemed an uninhabited island, they would barbecue that irritating bear! No such luck. Nor did anything else so satisfying happen in this trifle of a movie.
Fast-forward the DVD between the musical numbers, and you may get an entertaining twenty minutes out of We're Not Dressing.