Rating: - Where was Mae Busch?
Read that the "ever popular" Mae Busch was in the cast, so I bought the DVD hoping to see Oliver Hardy's film wife in a later effort.
It took some research but I learned that she had a tiny, uncredited role in this opus made in the year before she passed away.
While I looked for "Mrs. Hardy", I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this very well crafted musical with a star I knew very little about - I can understand why Betty Hutton had such a long and successful movie career - bundle of energy and talent. Could get sentimental and bring the viewer to tears, within seconds of delivering an uptempo swing number.
I can see a strong (presumptive) role model for Lucille Ball. Mayhe not as "funny* as Lucy, but obviously a greater singer and dancer.
Movie could be described as a B+ feature; terrific songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Livingston and Evans, etc. Excellent performance by Barry Fitzgerald as the wealthy benefactor who "repays" Hutton for saving his life in the opening scene, at a dock where BF falls into the lake. Hutton, in bathing suit attire, gets to display her worldfamous gamz. (Yeah, I know it was really Betty Grable...but Hutton's got it together, as well).
Picture runs about ten minutes too long, and the crazy, easy going plot suddenly gets a just a little cumbersome, as Don Defoe, the War hero now home with a dream of getting a band off the ground, reaches the breaking point as he tries to sort out Betty's good-hearted but complicated machinations. By that time we're getting a little exhausted.
Can't identify Fitzgeralds' Financial Advisor in this film, but his performance is outstanding. He's told to never reveal Fitzgerald's identity and he's totally committed to his role, despite Fitzgerald's ultimate concession that he must do so, before the whole things gets too out of hand.
There's a beautifully shot scene, where Betty can't take it anymore - her wealth has helped only DeFoes' *band* and noone else, and she attacks her wardrobe closet, so as to toss away the fabulous threads and return them; but not so assertively when the mink she bought with her new bloated bankroll, stares her in the face. (Mae Bush was the Sales Lady. She has about three lines and the only chance to see her face is to look carefully for her reflection in the mirror in the Shop. I paused the action and could see her reverse-image. Although with apparent gray hair she looks the same as on the "old days"; her distinctive voice comes through).
Mae might have made a terrific estranged wife for Barry, but the part went to an actress I'm not familiar with, who does an excellent job.
Black and white DVD quality a bit cloudy, sound passable.

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