UP IN CENTRAL PARK

US, 1948, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Deanna Durbin, Vincent Price, Dick Haymes, Albert Sharpe, Tom Powers.
Directed by William A. Seiter.

Up In Central Park is a Deanna Durbin musical, one of her last. It teams her with popular crooner Dick Haymes and with Vincent Price, already suavely menacing as Boss Tweed of New York. (A more detailed look at his New York is found in Scorsese's Gangs of New York with Jim Broadbent as Tweed). Irish actor Albert Sharpe gives a delightful performance as Deanna's father (ten years later he was to be Darby O'Gill in Darby O'Gill and the Little People).

The film portrays corruption in the city of New York, Irish immigrants and rigged voting, newspapers and exposes. The music is by Sigmund Romberg - though not particularly memorable. Another entertaining Deanna Durbin musical.

1. The popularity of Deanna Durbin, Universal Studios production values, Sigmund Romberg's music?

2. Black and white photography, period settings and decor, costumes? New York?

3. The musical score, Sigmund Romberg, lyrics?

4. The world of the migrants, the Irish, the dreams for America, their being used, given jobs, trusting the American bosses, learning, the Constitution, disillusionment?

5. Mr Moore and Albert Sharpe's style? His background, the canny Irishmen, his dreams, the number of votes, the care of the animals, the encounter with John Matthews and his tough stance, love for Rose, the interview and the loss of his job, the dinner with Tweed, the reading lessons, the discussion with the Constitution and her comments on Tweed, reading the Constitution, arguing with Rose, teaming up with Matthews, the confrontation with the mayor and getting his documents?

6. Rose and her hopes, the encounter with John, the charm of Tweed, the attraction, not believing John, slapping him with the paper, taken in by Tweed, the set-up, dinner with John, her singing, the opera audition, her relationship with Tweed,
angry with her father, her hearing the truth, disillusionment, happy ending?

7. Vincent Price as Tweed: New York boss, supremacist attitudes, suave and smiling, his hold over the mayor, not letting him speak, his range of cronies, offering jobs, the poultry from the zoo, the confrontations with Matthews, with Moore and giving him the job, taking the job away, the irony of the dinner with Rose and her father, his seductive manner with Rose, the audition, his being exposed, taking it with dignity?

8. John and his earnestness, the paper, reprimanding Moore for feeding the animals, the slap, in love with Rose, clashes with Tweed, the dinner, the mayor and the expose?

9. The mayor as puppet, giving everything away, keeping the documents?

10. Tweed's cronies, their support, the opera audition, the voting, leaving him at the dinner?

11. The teacher and her comments on corruption, on America?

12. Entertaining musical, picture of American society, American dreams?