THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
US, 1956, 104 minutes, Colour.
Gordon Mac Rae, Dan Dailey, Ernest Borgnine, Sheree North, Tommy Noonan.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
The Best Things in Life are Free is a loose biography of the song writing team of Buddy De Sylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. They were very successful during the 1920s. Their songs may have lost their popularity in subsequent decades, but they were a force on Broadway, in the records of the 20s and then in films.
Gordon MacRae? portrays Buddy De Sylva, the most ambitious of the group, the musical score writer. Ernest Borgnine, surprisingly, does a very good turn as a song-and-dance man. He is Lew Brown, has a background growing up with toughs in New York, is also able to throw a mean punch. Dan Dailey, always reliable in many musicals with Betty Grable, is the family man, Ray Henderson, the arranger of the songs. Sheree North, who had made Living it Up with Martin and Lewis and How To Be Very, Very Popular with Betty Grable, is a striking presence, especially in her dances. Ernest Borgnine was to have the longest career of the group, especially after winning the Oscar for Best Actor as Marty in 1955.
Gordon MacRae? was in many musicals, especially with Doris Day and with Shirley Jones in Oklahoma and Carousel. Sheree North came at the end of the popularity of Hollywood musicals and appeared in many television films. She portrayed strong characters in many of the crime films of the 70s. Direction is by Michael Curtiz who won the Oscar for Casablanca in 1943, director of many gangster dramas, adventure dramas at Warner Bros, and then moved to more personal dramas with such films as Mildred Pierce, then musicals with Doris Day in the early 50s.
The film has a great deal of verve, the cast playing well together, especially from the pre-credits sequence with their singing the title song. While it may be a sanitised version of the relationships, there are enough indications of the emotional and professional troubles. There are stagings of many of the songs - but especially the staged version of "Black Bottom" and "The Birth of the Blues" stand out.
1. An entertaining 1950s musical? Biography from thirty years earlier? Characters, musical styles, theatre, screen?
2. The re-creation of the 1920s, New York City, Atlantic City, the cities, the theatres, apartments? Authentic atmosphere - with gloss?
3. The title, the group singing it at the opening credits giving a mood of collaboration between them? The songs by the trio? The composing, the music, tempo, arrangements, lyrics? The staging of the songs in rehearsal? "Black Bottom", "The Birth of the Blues" on stage?
4. How realistic an interpretation of the lives and careers of the composers? 50s style, the problems, glossing over them, a sense of realism?
5. The opening, De Sylva and his ability to write melodies, Brown and the lyrics? Ray's arrival, coming to see Kitty, the rehearsals, their misinterpreting his presence? His playing the piano, the arrangements, their accepting him? The consequent work together, collaboration, difficulties?
6. The personalities of each: Buddy De Sylva, creative, would-be producer, charming with the girls, interested in his career, ambitious? His work, the collaboration? His making decisions without consulting them, especially about going to Hollywood, further contracts? His falling out with the group, his inability to commit himself to Kitty despite her love for him? The phone calls, his loneliness in Hollywood, coming to New York when there were problems, helping out? Lew Brown and his tough background, the Mafia-type connections, card-playing, packing a punch? Yet a jovial song-and-dance man? Automatically suspicious, the clashes with De Sylva about the combinations for the songs? Wary of Ray, accepting him? His being edgy, reacting against not being consulted, the Mafia presence and his making a strong stand. The protection coming to the theatre? The news of the death of the man threatening them? Ray Henderson as the family man, love for his wife, children, domestic scenes, children's parties? His supportive wife? Giving up his teaching jobs, piano-playing? His own songs, rhythms, a collaborator? His enjoyment of production and show business? Initial nervousness, fainting? Working with Lew, suspicions about Hollywood, about Buddy's taking over? His easy acceptance of Buddy at the end?
7. Kitty, dancer, love for her sister, friendship with Ray? The rehearsals, in love with Buddy, watching him with the other girls? Her ability with singing and dancing? Asking for the big part, the possibility of her playing the role with "The Birth of the Blues" - and its being staged on screen? Her records and success? Reconciliation with Buddy? Her strong-mindedness in knowing that the relationship had to be broken off?
8. The people on stage, the chorus, camaraderie? The exasperated director? The producers? The contrast with the Hollywood studios, the hype, the parties, the gossip journalists and their wanting a scoop? The contrast between stage and screen in the 30s? The joke about Al Jolson and writing Sonny Boy and its great success?
9. An enjoyable film, its vitality, its reminding audiences of the power of the songs from the 20s?
