Originally intended to reassemble the 3 leads from Fox's musical drama hit "That Night in Rio". However, Alice Faye was disqualified as too obviously pregnant. Thus, like Betty Grable before her, Vivian Blaine got her first chance to play the female lead in a Fox musical intended for Alice Faye. She would follow with 3 more, all including superstar Carmen Miranda. Veteran leading man and singer Don Ameche, serves as the leading man. Each of the following films in this series would have a different leading man, none remotely as charmingly charismatic as Ameche. Unlike most of his musicals, he doesn't sing a solo, playing a song writer, mostly of classical music. Vivian looks and sings probably the best in this series of 4 films. She looks great in Fox's superior Technicolor, with her auburn hair, not so great as a blond in the two B&W films in this series. She was best suited to play classy musical entertainers, such as in this film, rather than low class or sexy performers, as in "Doll Face". Still, she lacked something in her stage personality that Betty Grable and Alice Faye had that made them so likable.
Although Carmen was first billed, she doesn't play a major role in the screenplay, primarily making some money as a 4th rate fortune teller, and fraternizing with the speakeasy customers. She does engineer one important incident in the screenplay, when she gives Ameche's character several bottles of moonshine to take on his trip home to Kansas, then tells a street cop he is carrying such, putting him in jail, to prevent his leaving NYC. She gets 3 production numbers, the first two lacking accompanying dancers, appropriate for Danny's speakeasy. The last one , as part of Danny's first theater production, to "Give Me a Band and Bandana", eventually includes a colorful dance team. In the first one, she dons a pink and white stripped dress, with a bevy of candy canes on her head, in recognition of one line in the traditional "I'm Just wild About Harry". In her subsequent last 3 Fox films, she would get only 2, 1 and 1, respectively, special productions,
Who plays the key character of Danny O'Mara?: comedic heavy William Bendix: perfect as the ambitious owner of a low class Manhattan speakeasy in the early '20s, with aspirations to become a producer of high class theatrical productions. Mostly playing sinister or lovable heavies(along with Babe Ruth), in his Hollywood career, he would become a household name with his radio and TV series "The Life of Riley", where his comedic talent dominated. We get to see some of that potential in this film.
Ameche and Vivian are also perfectly cast a young middle class musicians(Ken Harvey and Bonnie Watson, respectively), who happen to land in Danny's Den trying to get started in a musical career. Along with Carmen, they are now key components of Danny's plans a for a career as a theatrical producer, in addition to his speakeasy. But he has apparent competition for Ken's potential hit "Whispering" in the form of renown musician Kavosky, whom Ken originally came to NYC from Kansas to see. Ken is also competition for Danny's romantic aspirations with Bonnie, as Ken and Bonnie hit it off immediately when they met. In the end, Danny graciously backs off, when he realizes the depth of Bonnie's feelings for Ken.
Hofer: a rather mysterious character somehow associated with Kavosky, apparently an over-the-hill musician, creates havoc in telling Ken that Kavosky wants to play his song at Carnegie Hall, and inducing Ken to write a big check in connection with this prospect. Hofer turns out to be a con man, in part, and Ken thinks the others are also involved. In the end, the conflict between Danny and Kavosky over Ken's talents is nicely resolved when Kavosky's orchestra becomes part of Danny's theatrical production.
In addition to Carmen, Danny has several other musical specialty acts. Tony and Sally De Marco are back from several dance numbers in "The Gang's all Here" of the previous year, for 2 dance segments. Also, the all African American 'Four Step Brothers' put on an entertaining gymnastic dance show. This group originated back in the '20s, thus are especially appropriate for a screenplay sited in the '20s. Their gymnastic dancing is even more impressive in Universal's prior "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"(see on You Tube).
This film didn't do well at the box office. Bendix and Carmen had to pretty much carry the show. Ameche's and Vivian's characters were basically too bland to hold much interest. Tons of previously composed, as well as new songs by Brown and Robin, are featured, either by the singers/dancers or as background music. The genuine '20s hit "Whispering" is overly featured, as the de facto theme song. This would be Ameche's last Fox musical. The next in the Carmen + Vivian series of musicals: "Something for the Boys", which included the versatile Phil Silvers and crooner Perry Como, would much more emphasize zany comedy, especially by Silvers and Carmen, which should have, but did not, establish Carmen as a premier Fox comedienne for years to come.
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