Moviecut—Call Me Mister

source: Call Me Mister

Call Me Mister

True to form 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the Revue written by Harold Rome, brought in three other songwriting teams and ditched half of Rome's score including the one number - South America, Take It Away - that had made a noise largely via a record by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. What remains is a somewhat predictable plot that fits where it touches and involves Dan Dailey trying to win back estranged wife Betty Grable in the immediate post-war climate. Grable is touring a show pitched at GIs awaiting transport home and Dailey, her ex-partner, wangles a co-starring part despite being AWOL. Dale Robertson provides conflict in the love-interest department and pfc Danny Thomas keeps angling for a break. It's something you see once and forget as you leave the movie theatre.

Typical song and dance routine with an estranged Dan Dailey and Bette Grable in post-World War 11 occupied Japan. When he finds her there, he jumps his going home ship and pursues her to Osaka, where she is putting on a musical revue. The singing and dancing are great. The tunes Love is Back in Business, Going Home and Japanese Women Love Men too much are marvelously staged. Along the way, Dailey gets competition for Grable from PFC Danny Thomas, with those bulging eyes and great routine timing, and Dale Robertson,a Commanding Officer who basically has little to do. The film is basically very short on plot but long on dancing, singing and just enjoying yourself.

This was just about the last of the "putting on a show" musicals and even in 1951 it probably had rather an old fashioned look about it. It's nothing special, the music and sets are rather uninspired and the humor is dated but Betty Grable and Dan Dailey make a pleasant couple. Apparently they liked working together and it comes across in their dance numbers. Highlights are Grable and Dailey's love duet and Bobby Short in the "Going Home Train" number. Nice, nostalgic way to spend 90 minutes and the Grable legs have lost none of their lustre.