Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village of 1922. The living is easy and the speak-easies are in abundance.

A music instructor, Don Ameche, comes to town to get his concerto played and in the process meets up with Bill Bendix, Carmen Miranda and Vivian Blaine. Bendix is a small time hood with a funny heart who runs a joint. He likes Ameche's music and thinks that he can use it in a show that he is planning. Comically, Bendix thinks that he is in competition with Florenz Ziegfeld.

This movie makes for very light musical fanfare. The songs are great, especially Blaine belting out whispering and Bendix is a riot in a Roman toga dancing and singing around. Miranda, a musical dancing genius, is at the top of her game as well and Blaine sings Whispering with that soft voice.

The film is quite entertaining and a joy to watch.

If you are looking for some light entertainment with a few pleasant musical numbers, this is the film for you. The story is silly, but Don Ameche is good in his role as the would-be composer. Unfortunately, the ending is abrupt and unbelievable.

"Greenwich Village" is a musical from Twentieth Century Fox starring Don Ameche, Vivian Blaine, Carmen Miranda, and William Bendix.

The film seems a bit slapped together, especially in light of the fact that one of the numbers was actually footage from "Springtime in the Rockies" that was cut.

There's not much of a story - it concerns a young composer, Kenneth Harvey (Ameche) who meets Blaine and Bendix in a speakeasy. Bendix jazzes up Kenneth's concerto, intending to use it for a show, while Kenneth hopes to have it performed in a classical genre. Kenneth also falls in love with Blaine, whom Bendix considers his girl.

Miranda is a multipurpose performer at the Danny's Den, and has some cute numbers - "Give Me a Band and a Bandana," "I Like to be Loved By You," and "I'm Just Wild About Harry," all energetically performed in some wild costumes.

Vivian Blaine looks absolutely beautiful and sings well. Ameche gives a pleasant performance as someone experiencing New York and the Village for the first time.

A great deal is made here of Greenwich Village as a haven for artists, and the sets are very much like the neighborhood as it must have been in those days - crowded and brightly lit. The street that Danny's Den was on looks like West 8th Street, and it was fun to see.

"The Revuers" who included Judy Holliday, John Frank, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, alas, were cut from the film, and the best number was "It Goes to Your Toes" performed by "untitled black musicians" who were fantastic. They were possibly The Layson Brothers. The DeMarcos turned in some sprightly dancing.

This isn't one of Fox's blockbusters, but it has the tell-tale vibrant Fox colors, likable cast, and good musical numbers normally associated with musicals from that studio.

Let me add my voice to those who say we should not judge this piece of Zanuckfluff with the same standard we'd use for The Bard of Avon or even a Gene Kelly movie. Yes, the story is preposterous, pasted together with no other reason than to showcase the talents of some remarkably talented people, all having a great deal of fun, which I suspect anyone with the slightest nostalgia for the Technicolor movies of the war years will share. William Bendix, an actor vastly underrated, is both funny and touching, and Vivian Blaine and her one day to be fellow cast member from "Guys and Dolls," B.S. Pully, are wonderful. Felix Breshart, wearing the same scarf he wore in "To Be or Not to Be," is lovable as always as the musical con man. This is Greenwich Village as it never was and will never be. Sit back, suspend disbelief, and enjoy yourself. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and I for one regret it.

The film, not surprisingly, is set in Greenwich Village, New York (actually a sound stage at Twentieth Century-Fox) and begins with an eager young composer, Kenneth (Don Ameche), arriving in town--hoping to make it big. Soon, he meets up with Dan (William Bendix) and his friends at Danny's Den--the strangest speakeasy in Hollywood history. At this 'joint', Carmen Miranda and Vivian Blaine perform. After hearing some of Kenneth's music, Danny decides to put on a show to showcase his sweetie. The problem is that this sweetie (Blaine) might just be in love with Kenneth AND some sharpie (Felix Bressart) is interested in having the music performed instead by a big-name director instead of on some stage show in the Village. What's next? See the film....or not.

I am glad I watched this film when I did, as I had just finished watching a GREAT MGM musical, "Anchors Away". Although both films were in color, there weren't too many other similarities. "Anchors Away" had great music, singing, plot--everything. And, by comparison, "Greenwich Village" just looked tired and second-rate...which, is what it was. As for Carmen Miranda, she seemed unnecessary to the film and a bit lost. Additionally, fair tunes and the studio's lesser singers (Alice Faye was out on maternity leave), the film never really hit the mark and is a few steps below the average Fox musical of the period. And, when it was over, I couldn't remember much of anything about it. Adequate and no more.

By the way, I was VERY surprised to see Ernest 'Sunshine Sammy' Morrison in the film dancing and singing a musical number with a number of other black entertainers. While I was VERY familiar with him as a member of Our Gang (since its beginning) and the East Side Kids, I had no idea he was so talented in other ways.