Something to Shout About

As other commentators have noted, this is not a prime not-to-miss musical. Don Ameche and Jack Oakie make the best of trite material, but I think the real star of the show is Janet Blair. Just skip the first 50 minutes of the movie to get to the musical numbers. There is a weird Asian number where the chorus girls wear head coverings that look like Chinese coolie hats. Then Janet Blair comes on to shimmy and shake with serpentine dexterity. Later on in the movie, she sings Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" with Ameche joining in. It's not a big production number, just tossing off and downplaying one of Porter's better songs. As a matter of taste, the production numbers are small scale, compared to the lavish dances in the early Astaire/Rogers films of the 30's. Did I count only 20 or so chorus members? The camera begins by taking a long view of the stage, and it tightens up to focus on mid-level action with few if any close ups. No Busby Berkeley shots. Nonetheless, Blair is charming, fetching, and very attractive. She went on to a middling career on TV in the 50's/60's, but she never became a big star like some ladies who worked for MGM. Too bad since she was a good performer who deserved more recognition.