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This is a dramatization of the birth of Hollywood. It follows the efforts of a handful of immigrants who had the vision and resolve to invent the American film industry and establish the major studios in the early years of the twentieth century. I think this would be of interest to anyone who enjoys American film history.

While this series does mention some specific films, it focuses more on the machinations that went on behind the scenes, the deals that were made, the big decisions that created the industry out of nothing. All of the familiar names are there, like Mayer, Fox, and Warner. It's a fascinating tale that lays the framework for any cinephile's knowledge of early film history. It ends after the advent of sound, but before the introduction of color film.

The one drawback is that some actors do not really look like or act like the known personages they represent. Douglas Fairbanks, for example. But that is a minor distraction in a riveting narrative.

This unusual comedy is definitely anchored in the fifties. As a result, some present-day viewers may have difficulty relating to the customs and values of the time. For example, pregnant women smoked, though there was an undercurrent of belief that it might be harmful.

The story is about a couple who struggles financially on the earnings of the husband, Joe (Van Johnson), who is a teacher. The wife, Connie (Janet Leigh), wishes she could serve beef for dinner-in part, because it would be healthier for her pregnancy-but she must constantly serve fish, which is less expensive. When Joe's father drops in for a visit from his Texas beef ranch, to convince his son to return to the ranch, he meddles. And the price of beef becomes a major plot point.

Despite the fact that the story feels like a collaboration between the teachers' union and the American beef industry, this is a well-written film with good production values and good acting. And it is entertaining.

Why the title? I have no idea.

Jack Webb directs, Jack Webb stars. And the result might have been solid if the story was about a no-nonsense cop. But Webb plays a bandleader who is the object of Janet Leigh's romantic intentions, despite the fact that he continually rebuffs her. There is some incongruity there.

First of all, Webb's voice is not suited for displays of emotion. And the dialogue sounds like noir, but the film is not shot in black and white-it's full color CinemaScope. Dialogue more like "The Sting" would have been a better fit.

Another incongruity is that Andy Devine plays a heavy.

The best part of the film is the singing of Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. That is reason enough to view the film.

In the final analysis, there are plenty of stories about a bad guy pushing his girlfriend's singing career and this is not one of the better ones.