Tres jovencitas vestidas de azul

20th Century Fox turned out plenty of musicals in the '30s and '40s, generally boasting the likes of Betty Grable, Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, John Payne, and Sonja Henie. A rich roster of talent, but most of these were hampered by weak screenplays and weaker scores, often consisting mostly of old standards that were either public domain or at least cheap. The directors were studio hacks, and this one's no exception, it's helmed by the peerlessly dull Bruce Humberstone. But it's a rare 20th attempt at a real integrated Broadway-style musical, with a Josef Myrow-Mack Gordon score that evolves naturally from the action, even with some rhyming dialogue. And the screenplay, a sort-of remake of the 1938 "Three Blind Mice," at least has a little verve. Farm girls June Haver (proficient as always, and never any more than that), Vivian Blaine (hired by Fox to replace Faye, and she didn't last long, but she did have a lovely voice), and Vera-Ellen (dubbed, and dancing up a storm in a protracted "You Make Me Feel So Young" dream ballet), alight to a fetching studio-bound Atlantic City to find rich husbands, and the best they can do are the dullish George Montgomery, Frank Lattimore, and Charles Price. But it's very colorful and tuneful, and Celeste Holm, brought in two-thirds of the way through for some plot complications and a good specialty number, walks off with the rest of the movie. There's also a nicely shot fox hunt. Not much will surprise you, but the numbers are fun, the three little girls are appealing, and it isn't overlong.

One of the most delightful musicals of the 1940s, THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE has fallen into undeserved obscurity. Its 'problem' (such as it is) is that it's an ensemble film that does not feature stars that have huge a huge fan base like Judy Garland, Betty Grable, Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, and that it was made by 20th Century-Fox, a studio whose musicals are often unfairly dismissed (let's face it - any studio that ISN'T the great MGM tends to gets its musicals dismissed). But from start to finish, it's irresistible, blessed by attractive performers who each get a chance to shine, Fox's lush Technicolor, a snappy script and overall good-natured cheer that never gets cloying or soggy. The plot (three sisters who fall into a small inheritance set out to trap wealthy husbands) was so popular that it was remade with slight variations over the decades, from THE GREEKS HAD A WORD FOR THEM (1932), THREE BLIND MICE (1938), MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), the film under discussion, and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953). Made just five years after MOON OVER MIAMI (Set in swank Art Deco Miami with Betty Grable, Carole Landis, Charlotte Greenwood, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings and Jack Haley), THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE re-set the action in Atlantic City and Maryland in 1902. Musicals set in the 'Belle-Epoque' period were very popular in the 1940s, though the majority of them seem rather leaden today - THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE is a refreshing, brisk exception. Its stars were June Haver, fresh from a hit with THE DOLLY SISTERS the previous year, Vivian Blaine (her last film at Fox) and the delightful dancer Vera-Ellen (On loan to Fox from Sam Goldwyn). For the male stars, originally Victor Mature and Caesar Romero were signed, but after several weeks of shooting under director John Braham, they were replaced by George Montgomery and Frank Latimore (While Braham was replaced by H. Bruce Humberstone). Other members of the cast were Charles Smith (inexplicably uncredited!) and in her first film, Celeste Holm, who although she only makes her first appearance late in the proceedings, nearly tucks the film under her shapely arms and runs off with it as the saucy, man-hungry Cousin Miriam. The score by Mack Gordon and Joseph Myrow is bright and tuneful (unusually for a Fox musical, they mostly advance the story and are not presented 'on stage') with "You Make Me Feel So Young" (sung and danced by Vera-Ellen & Charles Smith) "On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City" "A Farmers Life is a Very Merry Life", "Always a Lady" (written for Holm in the manner of her OKLAHOMA! hit, "I Caint Say No") and "Somewhere in the Night", a dreamy ballad for Vivian Blaine being the highlights. Producer Mack Gordon borrowed his former Fox colleage Harry Warren from MGM to contribute "This Is Always" (for Haver and Montgomery), and while unusually, Warren and the song are mentioned on both the film's opening credits and the posters, the song itself was cut from the film. Thankfully, the soundtrack exists, and hopefully the picture does too. Hopefully Fox will eventually restore the film with the number put back in!

Three sisters from a farm head off to a big city to find themselves a millionaire each. They naturally find 3 suitors, but there is a bit of a muddle over who Pam (June Havers) will choose. Will it be Van Damm (George Montgomery) or Steve (Frank Latimore)? Things work out for everybody in the end.

This is a musical that goes on for just a little too long. It's entertaining and has amusing moments, eg, Van Damm's lack of concern with Steve almost drowning, but the musical numbers are just not quite memorable enough. The songs are good and the dancing is watchable but there is nothing to wow the viewer. Vera-Ellen as Myra has a dream sequence dance to perform which is more like a nightmare. It's way too long and dull until the very end where she gets tossed around by some male dancers. As for the story, we can work out what is going to happen but it just takes a little long to get there. Celeste Holm as Miriam wins the acting honours - shame they gave her a pointless song to sing - and it's interesting to see Vera-Ellen with a bit of meat on her. I also found that June Havers and Vivian Blane, who plays Liz, were a little too similar in looks. It confused me a couple of times but then I cracked it coz Havers looks like Judy Garland for much of the film. I'm keeping onto the film to watch again because it's not bad.

Three Little Girls in Blue is a smooth and simple, musical fairy tale showcasing some clever and intricate lyrics by Mack Gordon to Joseph Myrow's music which enchant the viewer right at the opening on a New Jersey chicken farm ("A Farmer's Life Is a Very Merry Life") and recur at just the appropriate junctures thereafter and include the enduring favorite "You Make Me Feel So Young." Other plusses include an intelligently lighthearted script by a large team of writers, gorgeous color photography, artful lighting effects, witty directorial touches and the three beautifully costumed and coiffed leading ladies. The male leads are less impressive, though Charles Smith as an eccentric valet who falls for Vera-Ellen is the most surprising and delightful. V-E herself as one of the titular girls is given ample opportunity to show off her balletic and acrobatic dancing skills in lively but overly busy choreography. Celeste Holm appears late in the story as an acerbically articulate, wacky but goodhearted Southern belle who helps tie up the plot in good old-fashioned musical comedy style.

Films like "Three Little Girls in Blue" are a hard-sell for me. While I like some musicals, the style of musical that this film is would be among my least favorite films of the day. The songs are not naturally integrated into the film (like they generally were in Astaire-Rogers musicals) but were insanely big and ridiculous production numbers. So, while some of the songs were really nice (such as "You Make Me Feel So Young"), to me they were ruined with all the gloss and because they were so stilted and overdone. I am sure other old film buffs wouldn't agree with me. I am just saying this so you'll be able to put my review into context.

As for the film, it's very, very similar to the later film "How To Marry a Millionaire" but instead of three gold digger friends going to the big city to marry a mega-rich man, this involves three sisters doing the same thing (Vivian Blaine, June Haver and Vera- Ellen). But instead of the three separately looking for a guy, they pick one of them to pose as a rich woman and the other two to pose as a maid as well as a secretary. While some mind find this cute, I also have a bias and felt this wasn't exactly romance!

The overall production is extremely glossy--with the full Twentieth Century-Fox treatment--vivid Technicolor, lovely music and nice sets. The film DOES look very nice but otherwise it left me a bit flat. Watchable but nothing special.