Film music (1951)

LIGHTER FILMS: Musicals of several sorts, all Technicolored, lavishly cast and mounted, have been appearing in quantity for escapist-minded audiences. THRSK LITTLE WORDS .. Metro. Fred Astaire, Red Skelton. Directed by Richard Thorpe, iiusical direction, Andre Previn. Based on the song-writ- ing careers of. Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, the film has the convenient form of musical biography with which to display its tunes, dances and shows. Bert's weakness for magic, Harry's for baseball and pretty girls, the squab- bling that attends their composing sessions, keep up a running sideline of comedy. Vera-KHen is Fred Astaire 's best partner in some time, and Red Skelton makes the most of a chance to do something more than clown. A long list of familiar Kalmar-Ruby numbers Is put over in proper musical comedy style. TEA FOR TWO., Warner Brothers. Doris Day, Gordon MacRae. Directed by David Butler". Musical Direction, Ray Heindorf. Warner B ro thers have applied their particular musical comedy treatment to "NO, NO, NANETTE". The plot, set in the days of the stock market crash, is not distractingly hard to follow, and allows concentration on the numerous production numbers and the pleasant vocalizing of the stars. There is a steady flow of the period's still popular sones - favorites by Harry Warren, Vincent Youmans and George Gershwin. But the film's biggest moments come the Appearances of Gene Nelson, a sensational young dancer. MY BLUK HEAVRN.. 20th Century Fox. Betty Grable,Dan Dailey. D irected by Henry Koster. Songs by Harold Arlen and Ralph Blane. I.*usioal direction, Alfred Newman. The sure-fire Grable-Dailey combination gets into action on a story about a young couple, national favorites as entertainers, who went to adopt a baby. The hardships of the project are fitted in smoothly between eight elaborately staged song and dance numbers. Two of them and several of the lines are a bit broad. In a high powered cast, newcomer Mitzi Gaynor holds her own. THE TOAST OF NKW ORLEANS.. Metro. Kathryn Grays on, Mario Lanza. Directed by Norman Taurog. Songs by Nicholas Brodeaky and Sammy Cahn. Musical Dir- ection, Georgie Stoll. The discovery of an impressive tenor in a Louisiana fishing village and the ensuing training necessary to fit him for the French Opera House in New Orleans is the story of this handsome production. Music fills the air most of the time - popular songs as well as the many operatic numbers that show the voices of Kathryn Grays on and Kario Lanza to excellent advantage. L'iss Grayson's solos include "Je suis Titania"(Mignon). "0 LUCE di Quest Anima", cut versions of "Ln Ci Darem La Mano"(Don Giovanni)" Shadow Song"(Dinorah) and "Regnava" (Lucia). Mr. Lanza sings "Flower Song"? Carmen) and short versions of "0 Paradiso"(L'Africana) and" M'Apt>ari"( Martha). Their operatic duets are "Brindisi tl (Traviata) and two numbers from the end of the first act of Madame Butterfly,- Six Rrodsky-Cahn songs are also part of the programs "Be Mt Love", "Tinn Lina", "Boom Biddy Boom Boom" , "Bayou Lullaby" and the title song. M— G-M and RCA Victor are releasing records of both the popular and operatic numbers . SUMMEB STOCK .. J!etro 0 J udy Garland, w ene Kelly. D irected by Charles ./alters. oongs by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon. Jfasical direction by Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin. SUVMER STOC? is a nice easy musical, well suited to the talents of the stars. Judy lets a company of actors stage a show in her barn in ex- change for their work on her farm. Things happen before opening night, of course : quarrels, romance, farmwork and rehearsals. There isn't a bit of doubt as to whether Sddie Bracken - who knows about fertilizer and tractors - or Gene Kelly- who understands show business and girls -will win Judy, and the rest of the plot is as easy to fuess. The comedy is varied and lively. 19