Radio City Revels

"Radio City Revels" is a comedy musical that is best for its music and dancing. The plot is silly and centers around a washed up songwriter, Jack Oakie, who discovers a correspondence student of his who composes songs in his sleep. He and his sidekick, a young Milton Berle tap Bob Burns for a number of hit songs. A young couple meet, Burns falls for Ann Miller, who falls for Kenny Baker (and him for her), while Helen Broderick latches onto Burns. Victor Moore is a radio show producer they all play up to.

Well, all the attempts at comedy (they are just that, at best) and romance pale, and just serve to tie together some very talented folks who sing and dance. It's an old-fashioned revue type of musical. Some of the leads of the cast weren't in many films. Ann Miller's tap dancing is a delight to watch, and some choreographed dance numbers are very good. This is just one of two feature films in which Jane Froman appears and sings. She had a great voice, and it's too bad she wasn't in more films. Her story was the subject of a very good 1952 musical biopic, "With a Song in My Heart," in which Susan Hayward played Froman. But one gets to hear that tremendous voice because she sang all the songs for the film that Hayward lip-synched.

I couldn't tell who a woman dancer is in this film, who seems to be triple-jointed. She does a number that includes super high kicks that seem to be perpendicular above her head. The only entertainer I know of who could do that was Charlotte Greenwood, but it doesn't appear to be her and she's not listed in the credits. Some other entertainers give good dance and movement routines that seem to have gone out with vaudeville. But they're very entertaining and interesting to watch.

Nobody except for me and one of my friend's have seen this movie. But it's great! It's got lot's of humor and lot's of great song's in it! And it's really interesting to watch. And, all in all, it's just a very fun movie. Pure Escapism! That's All! I really loved the scene where there trying to get Lester to sleep. There is absolutly no intelligence in this movie! But it's great to watch! It's got great and funny and unique charecter's in it! If you ever have a chance to see this movie, see it! of better yet: tape it! I saw it on Turner Classic Movie's and taped it!

A late night fixture in Australia, this delicious B grade RKO musical using recycled Astaire Rogers sets is a very funny musical. The idea could easily be remade into a modern Broadway stage musical like THE PRODUCERS as it centres around a songwriting duo who cheat using a bumpkin music student who creates swing tunes while he is asleep. the couple of dance numbers are very good and 18 year old Ann Miller had a dazzler in the first few minutes. The hayseed number about 20 minutes in also features leggy antics that will draw gasps from viewers 1938-2008. I find it hard to believe it cost $810,000 as more expensive films like "Roberta" and other Astaire Rogers films cost the same amount. This one uses recycled sets and does not lose any points for that at all. It is de-licious and de-lovely even if Cole didn't write the songs. The swing tunes are great.Genuinely. A lot of deco swing fun for 90 mins.

Very silly but very entertaining movie. Great cast. And the dancing...one number, I think, compares very favorably with the big dance number in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The individual dancers are superb. One female dancer (I don't think it was Ann Miller) does steps I've never seen before and should attract the admiration of skilled orthopedists. Milton Berle and Jack Okie make an interesting pair of con men, and if you remember Uncle Miltie from his television days, you'll see that he was practicing his "schtick" long before TV. It's also interesting to see Jane Froman--beautiful face and beautiful voice--before the accident that crippled her (and led to "With a Song In My Heart" with Susan Hayward.)

A wonderfully camp and extraordinary musical offering! The story - if you can call it that - is about a simple-minded farmboy who writes songs in his sleep. Ann Miller dances well. Recommended to lovers of the genre - but Astaire and Rogers it ain't.