Doll Face

I started to read a fellow critique of this and stopped, but I too am writing this to let you Miranda fans that this isn't the movie for you, if you want Carmen, Carmen, and more Carmen! She sings one song I think in this movie based on a book written by Louise Hovick AKA Gypsy Rose Lee. You see, there's this stripper, played by Vivian Blaine, who can't get a job out of the business to go legitimate, because, in auditions when they find out who she is, they don't want an ex-stripper in their stage play/musical. So, she and her boyfriend/manager Dennis O'Keefe decide she needs to write a book to get respect and hire a ghost writer to help her.

Perry Como is on hand with his smooth voice, but while the movie has its moments, there aren't enough good songs or Miranda to get really excited about or to really recommend it.

To call "Doll Face" dated would be an understatement. First of all, it deals with burlesque. Secondly, Dennis O'Keefe recommends hitting women to keep them in line. And third, and most egregious, lyrics of one song celebrate the bombing the Japanese.

Vivian Blaine, called Doll Face, real name Mary Elizabeth, plays a queen of burlesque who auditions for a Broadway musical, only to be recognized by one of her patrons.

Though she's a lovely singer, she's rejected for the show because the producers don't feel she has enough class for their production. Nowadays they would put a chimpanzee in a Broadway musical if they thought he could make money, so there's another indication that this is an old movie.

Her boyfriend (O'Keefe) decides she should ghost-write her autobiography and, after using a lot of high-faluting language, she'll be classy enough for Broadway. The man he hires, however (Michael Dunne), becomes interested in Doll Face, and not just as a client. Problems ensue.

For me, this film was interesting because of the presence of a very young, extremely adorable Perry Como. I grew up with him, every Saturday night, and it was a delight to see him and hear him sing. He had a beautiful voice, singing "Red, Hot, and Beautiful," "Here Comes Heaven Again," and "Dig You Later."

Martha Stewart, a vivacious performer, did an energetic job as someone wanting to take Doll Face's place. And Carmen Miranda was...Carmen Miranda, singing "Chico Chico."

There were lots of numbers in this film and not much story. The music was by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson and was pleasant.

It was just hard to get past extolling domestic abuse and bombing innocent people. Don't get me wrong. The Japanese government was very aggressive against the U. S., and what they did in China was atrocious.

However, that was their government, and not its citizens, who were told Japan was winning. The bombing remains controversial. And it doesn't belong in a song.

A wartime soufflé from a play by Gypsy Rose Lee (as Louise Hovick), DOLL FACE features a lightweight plot with some snappy dialogue and delivery among the clichés, while director Lewis Seiler's vision is properly focused upon contemporary swing music, highlighting the vocal skill of Vivian Blaine, Perry Como, Carmen Miranda and Martha Stewart (no, not that one). The scenario has as its primary business a rocky romance between Doll Face Carroll (Blaine), a burlesque queen, and her manager, Mike Hannegan (the stalwart Dennis O'Keefe), along with the latter's efforts to boost his proletarian protégé into the realm of operetta. Seiler manages to remain faithful to the story line while seamlessly blending in the many musical numbers which, interestingly enough, prove more of a showcase for the perky Stewart and smooth Como than for the top-billed and certainly very pleasant Blaine; the production number for Miranda is a wild one, indeed.

If I remembered the quotes exactly, I'd add them to the quotes section... the Gayety owner advices one of his male friends who is having trouble with his girlfriend, that women, like carpets, need to be beaten regularly! The man later says to his girlfriend, "yeah, I'll give you your rights, and a couple lefts too!" Predictably, she loves this and he is grateful for the advice he was given. Yikes!

But anyway, it was an OK movie overall. A "burley-Q" performer tries getting a straight job with the support of her manager/boyfriend, but she's not "cultured" enough. After getting a free book with his purchase of chocolates, he hits on the idea of hiring a ghostwriter to do her "autobiography," which will make her seem cultured. He then hits on the idea of using the pre-publicity to stage his own musical starring her at his own theater, rather than give the pleasure to the man that rejected her. The ghostwriter grows sweet on her, and there's a bit of an idiot plot involving a misunderstanding when they get stranded in a boat en route to the publisher.

Carmen Miranda is underutilized, apparently she had a number cut. Hopefully it can be restored someday.

An unusual cast perks up this '40s Fox musical, replete with the cliches of its period but providing quite pleasant old-fashioned entertainment, with Dennis O'Keefe's patented brash and domineering star turn (forgive the script's overt sexism). I especially enjoyed seeing the young Perry Como singing and romancing Martha Stewart (no, not that Martha Stewart), having watched his tv series for so many years in my youth.

The cleansed version of burley-que portrayed is quaint and actually not so far removed from the softcore peep show loops and burlesque movies shown as so-called Adult entertainment in the '50s -it was fun to watch. And especially to see how times have changed now that this is shown On Demand for free courtesy of the new owners of the Fox library -Disney!