The Dolly Sisters (1945)
I do like Betty Grable, I do like June Haver. I find John Payne absolutely adorable! 'Cuddles' Sakall always brings a smile to my face. I also like director Irving Cummings, who directed several Shirley Temple movies, as well as Flesh and Blood (1922) and the Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939). But none of that seems to matter for The Dolly Sisters doesn't live up to it for me.
I guess I have been proven wrong; I do not absolutely love every classic movie. Two hours with The Dolly Sisters shows me that even with the flashiest costumes and beautiful actors, if the story is dull to me I won't stay interested. I love to see beautiful performers and costumes but I realize story matters too. I found the story lackluster, which is a shame since I had been waiting for some time to see and enjoy this movie.
The Dolly Sisters is a romanticised biopic of the headliner act from the Flo Zigfeld curcuit to their European tour in the early 1900s. One perspective you see is that we are watching the end of Vaudeville. Great acts would still be around, but the stage shows of combined acts with singing, dancing, and some circus acts mixed with the musical acts and the comedians was steadily being supplanted by --- motion pictures --- cheaper to arrange and still fills the seats. Looking at that period of theatrical history, Footlight Parade is a better movie presentation and it still has the benefit of the ridiculous lavish Busby Berkeley dance numbers!
The 20th Century Fox musicals I had seen previously I had liked a lot. Some are minor classic moments of film history, like Orchestra Wives or Sun Valley Serenade which featured the Glenn Miller Orchestra (playing under character name for these films) with their brilliant muscial numbers; they were successes with me. At 20th Century Fox there was also Springtime in the Rockies and Moon Over Miami.
The Dolly Sisters is showbiz nostalgia. They start in the small stages with their song and dance act, then move up the ladder of success. They get the big break of their careers in auditioning for Oscar Hammerstein and the Flo Zeigfeld shows. Just as their star is ascending, there is conflict between the sisters and it is introduced by Jenny (Betty Grable) falling in love with a struggling songwriter, Harry Fox (John Payne). It is the pull of love and domestic happiness with Harry against the thrill of performing for adoring audiences every night with her sister Rosie (June Haver). Betty couldn't convince me of her character Jenny's dilemma and yet, I can easily accept Betty's conflict with the dashing Forest Ranger in How to Marry a Millionaire.
There you go, I have suggested six other movies for comparison.
But to each his own. You may enjoy this movie more than I did. My opinion shouldn't take anything away form your enjoyment of The Dolly Sisters. The DVD is available and look for the one with a commentary track, it is very informative about the era of the movie. I did enjoy the commentary. And Stay Awake for the outrageous number,
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