Callaway Went Thataway

Has anyone else noticed Howard Keel is good in every movie he's ever appeared in? He makes every musical watchable, of course. That voice. But he could charm the paint off a piano and he was also a fine comedic actor.

Here he gets to play a dual role, the old Western film star and his doppleganger in the TV era. He nails both roles. Flawlessly.

Pair him up with total comedy pro Fred MacMurray. The beautiful Dorothy McGuire. Hand the trio a quick-witted script and you have - at least for the first half - a very funny movie. Dare I saw a screwball comedy that's actually funny (a rare thing, I submit).

Alas, Hollywood studio execs never met a good thing they couldn't spoil with their meddling. So of course there has to be a love angle. And some mush about kids. I could see exactly where the movie pivots to the ditch. When Keel's Stretch character is making moon faces at McGuire on the train during the montage across America. By the time they pair gets accosted by the prune-face and her entourage of orphans, the movie is already on limp mode. The hotel punch-up is gratuitous and dull.

If they'd had the courage of their convictions, the studio could have had a mildly cynical but very funny movie on their hands. As released, it's about half that.

Still worth it to be reminded what a massive talent Keel was. And how funny MacMurray was.