There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Fabulous

In this production, it is a feast to watch and listen! Music is playing and people are dancing from the very beginning and it does not stop until the movie does. The actors are phenominal, including the comical Donald O Connor, the robust Ethel Merman, and the seductive Marilyn Monroe, as charming as ever. If you enjoy musicals, this is a must. There is all different types of music, and an array of performers. Marilyn portrays her role fantastically and she offers a few chuckles, too. She sings some great songs, one of my favorite being "Heat Wave", and there's plenty of dancing in there too. Bright, colorful, and fun, this is a movie for everyone. August 1, 2008

Last Great Old Time Musical

Before 1955, what more did you need in a musical? A flimsy storyline...some great star power...and a ton of great tin pan alley songs were all you needed in the recipe for a great musical. THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS had it all. Leading the cast and the loudness was Ethel Merman. She was never a great movie star, but what a powerhouse. A hundred chorus singers could be singing around here and all you would hear is Merman. Also in the cast was Dan Dailey as Merman's husband. Sadly, I think he was severly underused in the movie. Their children were played by Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor, and the horrible Johnnie Ray. Basically the story revolved around this vaudville family, but that is not important.

What is important is the movie featured over two dozen great Irving Berlin songs like: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, You'd Be Surprised, Heat Wave, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and Ethel Merman's theme song There's No Business Like Show Business among others.

The lowpoint in the movie is the dreadful performance of Johnnie Ray. I never thought of him much as a singer, and he is worse as an actor. His feminine voice had to be written into the movie that he was becoming a priest, because there was no way he could even pretend to be Rock Hudson or any sort of a romantic star. Another low point is Marilyn Monroe. She was added to the movie for more star power, and she did not add much to the film. If you are watching this movie for another Citizen Kane or even West Side Story, you would be disappointed. However, if you just want to be entertained by a good old time musicial that isn't made anymore these days, then THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS is your film! June 16, 2008

Pass on this one

Where do I begin? First of all the story line was weak. The movie seemed to drag on forever. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when it was finally over. Seriously, how many different versions of Alexander's Ragtime Band can a person listen to in a single movie and not go insane?

Now for the good parts. The costumes were gorgeous. The dancers were very talented. They made complicated steps appear effortless.

Overall, the movie was over the top during the musical numbers and weak during the non musical scenes. The contrast was almost too much to bear. There are many other musicals that balance the two, but not this one. April 29, 2008

Must Be Seen To Be Believed

This is a mind-boggling "theater" movie, a sort of "Ozzie and Harriet" on steroids. The movie dives right into the life and times of "the Donahues" -- the show biz family to end all show biz families. It's unintentionally hysterical, shocking, wild, big, bizarre... for me it really ran straight down the list of adjectives from Capital "A!" to triple ZZZ! Everything big, bright, fizzy, funny, fine!

First: I never really appreciated Marilyn Monroe till I saw her in this movie. She was (perhaps is) the hottest woman on earth! In her "Heat Wave" song she suddenly kisses one of the dancers. It didn't seem choreographed. It was incredibly hot. The woman was all curves, an endless flowing river of sensuality. Sorry, Madonna, you are a pale, poor imitation. Marilyn had the goods: the looks, the voice, the sex appeal. She is so much fun just to watch. "Heat Wave" must have been conceived after someone ingested heavy drugs and washed them down with Jamaican rum.

Ethel Merman was the original Bette Midler. Big, brassy, ballsy. Every song has to be big, giant, pounding, loud! She's just so much fun to watch. Some of her costumes are eyeball shattering. The night of Marilyn's big Broadway show, she's dressed in this raging pink rose valentine coral shimmering chiffon nightmare. Girl, who dressed you! What a statement! What a concept!

Donald O'Connor was such a fabu dancer -- they do this whole "fountain" number, obviously in an attempt to recreate "Singin' in the Rain" -- Don was such a pleasure to watch and he and Marilyn have one sizzling kiss. Wow, how did he keep it in his pants!

Mitzi... the woman just lit up the screen. Big, better, best! Tapping, twirling, high kix --the girl had it all.

And Dan Dailey... Mr. Vaudeville. The man had to do it all -- Mr. Show Biz Dad! He taps, he sings, he acts, he cries. Wow!

His best moment is when he "returns" from looking for Don (after a year)... wearin' the same ol' hat, coat and tie that he left home in!

And then... the final number! How much bigger could they make it! If they could have only shot it like they shoot music videos today, it would have been a defining moment in musical movies.

Three things to note that I found bizarre: Marilyn sings "Lazy" -- a pointless waste of time song that did not benefit her, Donald or Mitzi. When she sang it, she kept pronouncing the "zee" as "gi" as in "Gigi." Why? Who the hell knows.

Then, Johnnie Ray, who only seemed to come alive when he sang: His song "I Believe" was questionable at best, and his performance is from some other solar system. He does not look like he is a member of the human race. He is alternately fascinating, bizarre, riveting and disturbing.

And... why did they have to make Johnnie decide to be a priest? It was clear to ME why he decided to do it, but what was the point for the film?

Anyway, it's all a big barrel of everything that could be stuffed into it, but finally, just to see Ethel sing "There's No Business..." is somethin' to behold.

Altogether, a wild, wild insane ride. Gotta see it at least once! April 1, 2008

Showbusiness Review

Great show. It was just as good now as it was the first time I saw it. February 17, 2008

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