source: There's No Business Like Show Business

Trailer—There's No Business Like Show Business

There's No Business Like Show Business

A harmless enough movie, but at the same time without much to recommend it. "There's No Business Like Show Business" provides one of those backstage musical frameworks on which to hang countless flashy production numbers. The stars (Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O'Connor) take back seat to the CinemaScope and Technicolor -- this was one of those films that Hollywood dutifully dragged out to convince everyone that movies were still better than that pesky competitor, television. Too bad that "Show Business" came out at a time when musicals based on Broadway shows -- which integrated plot and music in sophisticated ways -- were coming into vogue and making quaint little musicals like this seem antiquated. I'm not recommending it exactly, but you could do worse on a rainy day. Grade: C+

Marilyn Monroe is the standout in this gaudy, brassy Fox musical about vaudeville family going from playing dives to headlining at the Hippodrome (!). What? They didn't take on Hollywood, too? Ethel Merman is the unlovable head of the household, and she's so tight with the apron strings that it's amazing anyone else can breathe. Donald O'Connor has a big dance routine with female statues who come to life, and Monroe sings "Lazy" while crawling up and down a red divan (there's a small audience gathered to watch, but we never see their expressions--just the backs of their heads). This is the kind of old-fashioned, shoot-the-star-and-move-on style of film-making which was out of date by 1950--four years prior. It was Ethel Merman's last movie musical; she or her managers must have realized it was time to move on. Too bad 20th Century-Fox didn't get the same message. ** from ****

(Flash Review) The story follows the Donahue family from the husband and wife song and dance act through to when they have three kids all part of the act. Some kids decide to leave as they want their own career and then Marilyn enters the act creating light strife. Anyway, as usual Marilyn commands ever scene she is in and even though Merman and the male lead sing more, and do a great job, tend to play second fiddle. The story is OK but there are so many songs that it feels choppy and many of the songs don't' advance the main story. I watched it because of the famous song (movie title) but overall the film is for those who like song and dance and lavish costumes (not me) and/or Marilyn.

The film was, perhaps, the splashiest of the year's musicals… It dealt with the joys, loves and heartaches experienced by a vaudeville family called the Donahues (spending their lives singing and dancing and touring) with Merman and Dailey as mother and father, and Ray, Gaynor and O'Connor as their talented offspring All of them get to perform a large catalog of new and old songs by Irving Berlin in sumptuous arrangements, beautiful settings and on a big Hippodrome extravaganza Daily and Merman hit the top; O'Connor—who had liked to build a barbed-wire fence around Marilyn—did it Scottish and came with some fine dances; Gaynor's love was dancing… and she was really cute; and while Ray got some thinking to do, he sells a very beautiful song ("If You Believe"). Marilyn (appearing after 29 minutes screening) was deliciously charming, seducing and very appealing… She sang "After You Get What You Want" and "Lazy," and did that tropical version of 'Heat Wave.'