Sinfonie in Swing

When we first encounter Professor Katherine Hilliard, she is conducting her college's orchestra with great gusto. Ms. Hilliard is totally dedicated to her music, as well as committed to teaching it. When she decides to see her friend, the New York Symphony's conductor, Herbert Benham, she decides to expand her horizons with the well regarded maestro.

Little prepares our Ms. Hilliard for the train ride she takes. She meets handsome Barry Clayton, who is traveling north with his band. When he plays a popular number for her, she flees horrified. Academic life didn't prepare to hear this junk!

This is basically the premise of "Do You Love Me", directed by Gregory Ratoff. The film capitalizes on two of the big idols of the era: Harry James and Dick Haymes. The film is greatly helped by the ravishingly beautiful Maureen O'Hara who is the object of love of the two well known popular personalities.

We watch as Professor Hilliard is transformed from a dowdy frump into a glamorous woman with a great wardrobe. Ms. O'Hara, with her charming personality, wins our hearts as well as her suitors. Let's not forget she left behind an intellectual boyfriend at the college, Ralph Wainwright, who is ready to marry her. Reginald Gardiner is immensely enjoyable as Herbert Benham, the kind conductor who tells Katherine to pay attention at her wardrobe. Richard Gaines plays Ralph, the man left behind.

The music, both classical and popular, is fine. As interpreted by the incomparable Dick Haymes, some of these songs heard are wonderful. Harry James even plays at the end with the classic orchestra and integrates some of his arrangements. The combination is surprising.

This is a fun movie to watch thanks to all the principals and Mr. Ratoff's direction.

And Haymes can't get much lower. With it's funny moments but the draw for me is always Maureen :) 1946 and Miracle on 34th st was in b/w the next year. Well I rather like the movie in b/w but her red hair ........ Still a nice funny end. Wonder who didn't get punched :)

I watched this on Classic Reel and enjoyed the musical numbers and Maureen's fabulous hair & physique.

Like most musicals, the plot is inane and implausible. But seeing and hearing Harry James perform anytime, anywhere makes it worthwhile. The man never played a bad note. His romancing of any beautiful woman is true to his character. And the surprise at the end of the movie is a reminder that for all his talent, his libido was totally out of control. Betty Grable was not only the 20th Century Fox studios top attraction for 10 years, but one of the most gorgeous and talented women of the 1940s, How Garry could constantly cheat in her is beyond belief.

Regardless - a fun film.

Plot-- A very plain faculty woman gets a glamor makeover, thrusting her suddenly onto the pop music scene and a bunch of new suitors.

I had to chuckle at the passing remark where Jimmy (Haymes) says he's dieting so he can get skinny—an obvious reference to Sinatra, then the big bobby-sox idol. The film's a Haymes showcase. He gets to croon a number of tunes in a highly pleasing manner. As an actor, he's a boyish figure, likable but without much charisma. Too bad his career ended after getting mixed up with draft-dodging issues. The movie's pleasant enough without being anything special. James gets to do more acting than conducting; plus the band selections are mediocre, at best. O'Hara certainly looks the part of a Cinderella after the glamor make-over, and even gets to shake a leg along with the acrobatic dancers. Still, her specialty was drama, causing me to wonder where TCF's many music queens like Grable were, besides sitting in the back of a taxi. All in all, it's a decent little 40's musical in vivid candy-box colors. But I can't help thinking the movie could have used more bounce and less talky plot.

The plot to "Do You Love Me" is awfully ridiculous. When the story begins, you learn that Katharine Hilliard (Maureen O'Hara) is a band leader and teacher at a stuffy music school. As for Hilliard, she's supposed to be unattractive and one day, after being insulted on a train, she decides to take off her glasses and let down her hair and suddenly everyone notices she's beautiful! How ridiculous. The bulk of the film consists of Hilliard going out into the real world and discovering love....and very soon you realize it's with talented Jimmy Hale (Dick Haymes), a band leader of a swing band as well as a crooner. What's next as Hilliard and two other men discover her obvious sex appeal.

Maureen O'Hara playing a plain woman and instantly transforming into a beauty is much like Clark Kent taking off his glasses and suddenly everyone recognizes he's Superman! It's a silly cliche, that's for sure. But I also know that back in the day, this was one of many cliches and the audiences generally forgot about it and just went with them...which is what I recommend you do.

Overall, despite a silly plot, the film is modestly entertaining. Not at all a must-see but enjoyable.