December 1, 1956
Fox
Comedy, Musical
DVD
B-
Based on Garson Kanin's novel Do Re Mi, this is both a star-maker for Jayne Mansfield and a time capsule of early rock & roll-- including Little Richard, Fats Domino, the Platters, and Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps. (My favorite song is probably the very silly "Cinnamon Sinner" by the Three Chuckles.) In the opening sequence, Tom Ewell changes the screen to Cinemascope in "gorgeous lifelike color," so there's a lot of eye candy, including some suggestive sight gags when Jayne struts down the street. Unfortunately, the movie is never quite as much fun as it could be. The gangster plot gets too much attention, although I like "Rock Around the Rock Pile" (which predates "Jailhouse Rock"). The energy feels off, especially in the second half. I definitely recommend watching the movie, but please don't expect something amazing. It's certainly a better Fox musical than There's No Business Like Show Business, but it's nowhere near the magic of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, partly because most of the songs seem to have little to do with the story, and partly because the main characters are less appealing.
George Givot was in The Road to Morocco. Henry Jones ("Mousie") and Fred Catania would be in Tashlin's Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? with Mansfield. Billy Wayne would be in Some Like It Hot. Herb Vigran was one of the men Fred Astaire eavesdrops on in The Band Wagon, and would do Lurvy's voice in Charlotte's Web, as well as a lot of TV. Child star Barry Gordon still does a lot of TV but I doubt I have any of his other movies.
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