LADY BE GOOD
US, 1941, 111 minutes, Black and white.
Eleanor Powell, Robert Young, Ann Sothern, Red Skelton, Dan Dailey, Virginia O'Brien, Reginald Owen, John Carroll, Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra.
Directed by Norman Z. Mc Leod.
Lady Be Good is a routine show business story built around a very successful Gershwin song. It receives quite the treatment in this movie. However, the film is about song composers, ambitions, incompatibility, divorces and remarriage. Robert Young is genial, as always, as the ambitious musician. Ann Sothern has a strong role as the waitress turned lyricist. She has a high point of her career, singing with great feeling in close-up, Jerome Kern's and Oscar Hammerstein's Oscar-winning song, `The Last Time I Saw Paris'. (This reflects the film's release in 1941 and the attitude of the US before it entered World War II.) The supporting cast includes Red Skelton in an early role, the poker-faced Virginia O'Brien, a glimpse of Dan Dailey. However, top billing is given to dancer Eleanor Powell. She has a role that seems written for Eve Arden - but does not dance until later in the film. This is disappointing - but her routines are very entertaining. The dance sequences - especially the finale - were directed by Busby Berkeley and bear his particular style.
1.Entertaining musical drama? In the '40s, in retrospect?
2.MGM production values, black and white photography, the cast, Busby Berkeley directing the dance sequences? Songs by the Gershwins, Kern and Hammerstein, Arthur Freed and Roger Edens? The classics? The choreography for `Lady Be Good' and for `Fascinatin' Rhythm'?
3.The songwriter's story and audience familiarity: Dixie, the waitress, her ability with words, offering Eddie the lyrics, clicking, the partnership? Their getting married? His ambition, her feeling out of it? Their not working well together? Her bringing up the question of the divorce? In the court, explaining things to the judge, support from Marilyn? The attorney and his speeches? The separation from Eddie, immediately concerned about his blue suit etc? On her own, the friendship with Buddy? Eddie's jealousy? His calling her over to help him organise his apartment? Her friendship with Marilyn? Their meeting one another, the composition of the song, `Lady Be Good' - the collage of their extraordinary success in the US, everybody singing it, world-wide? The speech by Max? The clash in the car? Marilyn trying to make Eddie jealous, Buddy's gift of the ring? The proposal again, remarriage? The clash in Connecticut, the separation, her reaction to Eddie composing the symphony, his wealthy lady friends? The second divorce, the judge forbidding it? The reunion with Eddie - and her not telling him that they had not been divorced? Ann Sothern's verve, comic style, singing - especially `The Last Time I Saw Paris'?
4.Eddie, Robert Young's style, the composer, Bill not able to provide lyrics, Dixie and her feeding him at the cafe, supplying the lyrics, clicking? His skills, falling in love, the wedding? His ambitions, the party, ignoring his friends, the ladies and the engagements, the invitations? The clash with Dixie at home? His demands, not wanting the man to be blamed? On his own, helpless, jealous of Buddy, in the club and hitting him? Calling Dixie over, `Lady Be Good'? Success, the clash in the car? His jealousy, Buddy and the ring, the attempt with the gun (and not able to find one)? The reconciliation, the remarriage, the fight, ambition to do the symphony, going off by himself to South America? Too late for the court? Thinking they were divorced - and telling the truth and being reconciled to Dixie?
5.Marilyn, friendship with Dixie, supporting her, talented dancer, the intrigues for getting Dixie and Eddie together, using Buddy? Her dance routines, with the dog, `Fascinatin' Rhythm'? The Eve Arden style best friend?
6.Buddy, the crooner, the ladies' man, the clashes with Eddie, friendship with Dixie, with Marilyn, entering into the plot with the ring?
7.Red, Red Skelton and his comic style, putting his foot in it, pratfalls? Friendship with Lull, her food, the comic mocking of the song?
8.The judge, Lionel Barrymore and his style, listening to Dixie, to the evidence, the worldly wisdom, reprimanding Dixie, reprimanding Eddie? The trial lawyer and his suave manner?
9.The range of musical numbers, the story of composers - and their seeming to compose without much effort (though interesting looking at the composition of `Lady Be Good')? The songs and their performance, singing, dancing, radio, nightclubs? A musical of its era?
