Everybody Does It

Was there ever an opera star as beautiful as the flawless Linda Darnell? Maybe Anna Moffo and Anna Netrebko come close, but it was something to hear a gorgeous voice (Helen Spann's) coming out of Darnell.

Anyway, Darnell stars with Paul Douglas and Celeste Holm in "Everybody Does It," a very funny 1949 comedy that is a delight for opera lovers and non-opera lovers alike.

Douglas and Holm play Leonard and Doris Borland - she's from money, he's a demolition man - and she once aspired to a career as a concert soprano. He thought she had given up her dream until he comes home and sees her taking a voice lesson.

She's determined to do a concert, so she rents Town Hall and Leonard and his partner bribe and threaten everyone they know to show up.

In the audience is a famous soprano, Cecil Carver, who met Leonard earlier and has taken an interest in him. She invites him to her apartment and tells him that his wife has a nice voice, but she'll never amount to anything.

While he's there, she gets a phone call asking her to sing a particular song for charity. She can't remember all the lyrics, so she asks Leonard if he knows it. Leonard does, and turns out to have a magnificent high baritone voice (Steve Kamalyan did the singing, and I suspect he could easily have become a tenor like many high baritones). His business failing, Leonard goes on Cecil's concert tour and sings under another name.

A ridiculous plot, some beautiful singing, and fine performances are the highlights of this film, the best part of which is Leonard's opera debut. It's almost right up there with "A Night at the Opera" - hilarious.

An underrated comedy - don't miss it.

OK, I'm a great Paul Douglas fan so consider me prejudiced, but this is just a plain terrific film. I understand from a video dealer that some legal problems has its rights tied up so if you get a chance to it, by all means do so. Perhaps some day it will be shown again on TV or maybe even a DVD will be for sale.

The short plot is silly beyond belief. Douglas is again a rough character thrown in among society types - this time with an opera background. Through an unlikely talent, this time he gets to be a performer, but as you will guess, things don't go as planned. If you don't laugh out loud at this film, you are dead and should consult with a mortician for immediate burial. Too bad this one is one of the lost ones. Maybe someday....we'll again hear why the monkeys have no tails

This is one of the best post war comedies. The performance of Paul Douglas is perfect against Linda Darnell. It has been said that Celeste Holm had to learn how not to sing, in order that she carry out this role.

Paul Douglas is magnificent communicating his frustrations trying to placate his headstrong and self-deluded wife -- portrayed marvelously by Celeste Holm -- who persists in pursuing singing endeavors despite everybody's best efforts to let her know that she just doesn't quite have the talent. Enter sumptuous diva Linda Darnell with designs on ruggedly handsome (!?!) Douglas -- especially when she learns, to everyone's surprise, that he has a powerful voice. Charles Coburn and Lucile Watson lead an immensely talented supporting cast. The script delivers sophisticated yet rapid-fire wit while the direction conveys all the nuances perfectly, but still manages to deliver a couple of belly-laughs. I highly recommend watching Everybody Does It.

Although I am a fan of movies from the 1940's and 1950's I somehow had never seen this film before. This is one of those delightful comedy sleepers like "Champagne for Caesar". I happened to see it listed on the DIRECTV TCM channel view-on-demand list and downloaded it to my DVR via the internet for viewing.

The cast performance is excellent from the major players down to the minor characters.

My favorite scene is when Mrs. Blair titters and flits about as she informs the party guests that her son-in-law is going to give a singing performance.