Kiss the Boys Goodbye

Mary Martin has been trying to get a role in the theater for more than a year with no success. She's at a casting call for a new show when the star walks out, and the call is cut short; the director, Don Ameche, producer, Jerome Cowan, and backer, Raymond Walburn wants a southern girl. Miss Martin heads back home and has her uncle and aunt waylay Ameche and composer Oscar Levant, so she can offer a cornpone rendition. Ameche doesn't like it; he wants the show's original star, but Levant is all for her. So....

It's based on a play by Claire Booth inspired by the ballyhoo searching for Scarlett O'Hara, and it's full of great bits: Levant's mordant wit; Eddie Anderson's sand dance; Elizabeth Paterson going on about Yankees; even Ameche gets a rare chance to sing in the movies. the songs were composed by director Victor Schertzinger, with Frank Loesser's lyrics. However, in the effort to add more value, more bits, more gags, it runs a bit long. Still, it's a pleasure seeing Miss Martin sing and clown, even if the songs are not top-drawer.

Mary Martin, like her contemporary Ethel Merman, was one of the great enduring stars of the Broadway musical theater. Both women made their share of movies early in their careers but neither achieved the same success in film that they had on stage, particularly strange in the case of Martin who seemed to have everything it took for stardom--not only could she act and sing but she photographed beautifully. The 1941 film based on a Broadway play by Clare Booth Luce features a number of songs by the director Victor Schertzinger with lyrics only by Frank Loesser before his Guys and Dolls success, including one of Mary's great hits, the title song. Oscar Levant does his usual acerbic role as Oscar Levant, always sounding as if he is ad libbing his best lines, perhaps he did. He even gets to play some harpsichord. Connie Boswell and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson do speciality numbers, and there are some funny moments. Watch for Elizabeth Patterson down south as Aunt Lily Lou and her shotgun.

I disliked "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" for one reason...the over-the-top and anything but subtle performance of Mary Martin. I cannot place all the blame on her...the director really should have told her to tone it down a bit as it had a huge impact on the overall production.

The story finds Lloyd (Don Ameche) and Oscar (Oscar Levant) working on their next Broadway show. However, they are having a hard time finding the right Southern girl for the lead. On a trip to the South, they are delayed and taken to the home of Cindy Lou Bethany (Martin) and it's all a ruse to get the director and his composer friend to see and hear her perform. At their plantation, you get to hear Cindy Lou sing along with a large contingent of happy black sharecroppers...something which today might make a few folks take notice! And, to impress Lloyd that she is VERY much from the south, she way, way, way overdoes her accent...to the point of it being a parody of itself. Her routine is frankly annoying, boorish and stupid....and why Lloyd and Oscar didn't slap her silly is tough to imagine...let alone having her star in the show!

I really felt sorry for Don Ameche. He was a fine actor and here just seemed overwhelmed and overshadowed by Martin's far from subtle routine. It's a shame, as he seemed to try his best. It's also a shame, as Oscar Levant could be a wonderful sidekick...but here, he, too, is overshadowed by Martin's blathering.

By the way, although I do NOT recommend the film, it's nice to see Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson doing a nice little softshoe routine.

Also by the way, originally they wanted Jean Arthur to play Martin's role. She very wisely chose to instead make "The Devil and Miss Jones"...a classic if there ever was one!

No really. I was expecting it to be watchable but tepid. In fact, it's funny and charming and surprising. The scene in which Cindy Lou 'performs' in front of the New York crowd for the first time could be said to have influenced the scene in Pal Joey where Kim Novak agrees to strip for Sinatra. It has a lot of jokes that have been stolen by later movies, and the whole cast is terrific.

The story is about the search for an unknown Scarlett O'Hara-ish authentic southern belle to replace a leading diva in a musical. Cindy Lou arranges for Lloyd Lloyd, the producer, to see her perform before he gets to the real auditions. Everyone else who works for the show loves her, but Lloyd Lloyd has promised the famous diva that the role will still be hers after the farce of the auditioning. She has to win him round too. I also screwed up my VCR timer and didn't get the last 2 minutes. I can hardly wait until it's on again.

I have to take your reviewer, who gave the credit for the "clever" lyrics of the songs in "Kiss The Boys Goodbye", to the great Johnny Mercer, to task. They were, in fact, written by the equally great Frank Loesser who would not long afterwards score a very big hit with both music and lyrics for his "Guys And Dolls".