Sinfonie in Swing

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.

"Do You Love Me?" is a 1946 musical from Fox and has the trademark vivid colors they used particularly in musicals - there was never a chance of mistaking them for MGM films.

Maureen O'Hara, whom we just lost this year, plays Katharine Hilliard, the dean of a music school, and a woman from a long line of classical musicians. She goes to New York by train for a business meeting.

There's no room to sit on the train, so a bandleader, Barry Clayton (Harry James) offers her a seat in his car. First she has to sit there and listen to their swing music, and when asked, she admits she doesn't like it. Apparently Clayton had a bet with someone that he could win any woman over with that particular song, and it's evident he lost.

Clayton snorts and says, none too kindly, that the specimen in front of him could hardly be called a woman. If a mosquito bit her, it would get pneumonia. When asked if men ever whistled at her, Katharine has to admit that they didn't.

Good and depressed, she arrives in New York and asks a friend, Herbert (Reginald Gardner) what's wrong with her. Given that it's Maureen O'Hara with glasses, her hair in a bun, and in a suit, we know what's about to happen.

Taking his advice, she has a complete makeover and that night, goes to where the band is playing, the El Sudan. When the cab driver tells her she can't get in without an escort, she approaches a man (Dick Haymes) staring longingly into a restaurant. He agrees to accompany her. When they arrive, she finds out that he is a singer and a friend of Clayton's.

Soon both men are in love with her, and she has a fiancé back home.

Lots and lots of music, serving as a showcase for Dick Haymes, who succeeded Frank Sinatra as Tommy Dorsey's singer. Haymes had a smooth, rich voice, and though attractive, his six marriages, financial problems, and alcoholism pretty much finished him off.

He sings beautifully here: the title song, "I Didn't Believe A Word I Said," "Moonlight Propaganda," "As if I Didn't Have Enough On My Mind," and "The More I See You."

Maureen O'Hara was made for color; she's beautiful, with the right combination of seriousness and lightness.

This is a good musical, with a fun jitterbug-type dance number toward the end. It's mostly music, and the music is good, with a wonderful number that goes from classical to swing at the end. You can't go wrong.

Watch for Mrs. James (Betty Grable) calling out to "Harry" at the end.

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.

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.