Step Lively
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Movie Reviews of Step Lively
Movie Review: Frantic and funny madcap comedy...
Summary: 4 Stars
Step Lively is Sinatra's fourth film and the first where he received top billing. The material is stronger than most early Sinatra pictures - the dialogue is snappy and the action is non-stop - it's a great example of the "madcap" comedy. The movie's pace is mind-bogglingly frantic, led by the great George Murphy as a struggling, fast-talking producer determined to put his show on at any cost. Step Lively is a nice variation of the "put on a show" musical - only this time struggling actors take over a hotel instead of the usual barn. I love a good backstage musical like Kiss Me Kate or Summer Stock - Step Lively probably falls somewhere between those two (Kate is a hard one to beat!). Sinatra gets to wrap his voice around some lovely Cahn/Styne tunes, including "Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are," "As Long As There's Music," "Some Other Time," and "Where Does Love Begin," the latter being my favorite. All are great examples of Sinatra's lush, romantic style that marked the early years of his career. These songs haven't proven to be classics in the sense that they haven't been revived by the current crop of standards vocalists (like Michael Buble, etc.), but they should appeal to fans of music from the period anyway (and really, it's hard to resist Sinatra's earnest, sincere delivery). I love how the film gives a nod to Sinatra's famous mass appeal to women in the forties - when he sings his first number he captivates every woman in the room (as one of the characters says, if Sinatra was the Pied Piper, all of the women would follow him anywhere!). The DVD is "no-frills" but the picture is crisp and clear and the movie sounds great.Movie Review: REMAKES CAN BE QUITE GOOD
Summary: 4 Stars
(I apologize to Amazon.com and my fellow litterature and cinema buffs. I wrote in my DOUBLE DYNAMITE review that ROBERT BENCHLEY was uncredited.
Great writers never die but actors do and Benchley was dead in 1948. Howard Freeman who played the bank owner was taller and heavier than Benchley. I tripped over my internet tongue in a big way.)
STEP LIVELY is well known as a remake of the MARX BROTHERS' ROOM SERVICE.
The play, by GEORGE ABBOTT had been a smash it (500 performances in its 1937 Broadway run. RKO had paid the huge sum of 255000 dollars for the film rights and the film lost money. I don't know what were the terms for a remake. Anyway, STEP LIVELY is quite funny, and good too.
The author, played by Sinatra, was played by Frank Albertson in 1938 and created on the stage by the great EDDIE ALBERT. It was the first part, in 1953, played by JACK LEMMON. All that makes us wish for a time machine.
The Cahn-Styne songs are successful and Sinatra in good form. The choreography, by Ernst Matray is imaginative. The cinematography by Robert De Grasse is first rate. ADOLPH MENJOU, as the Hotel supervising director, is outstanding, as always. WALTER SLEZAK, as the hotel manager, surpasses himself (the part was played on Broadway by DONALD MAC BRIDE).
EUGENE PALLETTE is an instant nostalgia agent. ANNE JEFFREYS and GLORIA DE HAVEN are beautiful. Who can ask for anything more?
Movie Review: madcap musical comedy delight
Summary: 4 Stars
Another fun backstage musical from Frank Sinatra's days at RKO. STEP LIVELY (1944) is further enlivened--no pun intended--by lovely blonde songbird Gloria DeHaven, and a script based on the classic Marx Brothers farce "Room Service".
Cash-strapped theatrical producer Gordon Miller (George Murphy) couldn't be happier when he discovers that his meek writer Glenn Russell (Frank Sinatra) hides a lustrous singing voice. He signs Glenn on as the new leading man; now all he needs is to stage the show before the check written by would-be backer Jenkins (Eugene Pallette) bounces! Fun performances all-round, including Adolphe Menjou and Walter Slezak as the hotel managers.
One of Sinatra's early hits as part of his contract with RKO, STEP LIVELY is a fast-moving backstage comedy which makes good use of the snappy "Room Service" story premise. Gloria DeHaven shares a wonderful chemistry with Sinatra; and also pairs well with George Murphy in a really fun musical number, "Ask the Madame". The other Jule Styne/Sammy Cahn songs include "Where Does Love Begin?", "As Long As There's Music", and "Some Other Time".
Recommended.