WALTER LANG
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.5. USA, 1954. Twentieth Century Fox. Story by Lamar Trotti, Screenplay by Phoebe Ephron, Henry Ephron. Cinematography by Leon Shamroy. Produced by Sol C. Siegel. Music by Earle Hagen, Bernard Mayers, Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman, Hal Schaefer, Herbert W. Spencer. Production Design by John DeCuir, Lyle R. Wheeler. Costume Design by Travilla, Miles White. Film Editing by Robert L. Simpson. Academy Awards 1954.
The life of a show business family is the subject of this shallow musical. Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey are the parents, while Donald O’Connor and Mitzi Gaynor are the kids, both of whom engage in romantic affairs between splashy numbers. Marilyn Monroe appears as one of O’Connor’s distractions, and sings the film’s best songs, including ‘You’d Be Surprised’ and ‘Heat Wave’. There are funny situations and great, colourful costumes, but the whole thing is very episodic and not overly impressive.
