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I came across this thrilling 1953 Fox musical last night by accident and I was immediately hooked. Actually, it became an instant favorite. "Call Me Madam" is loud, sumptuous, indescribably glorious screen version of Irving Berlin's stage musical, directed with luminous extravagance by Walter Lang. The Technicolor is breathtaking! Ethel Merman as the eccentric socialite turned US diplomat to Lichtenburg, is sometimes hard to take. Her romance with the heavily accented Foreign Minister named Cosmo, played by George Sanders, is slightly forced.

Still, the highlights are the captivating Berlin songs - "Hostess With The Mostes", "You're Just In Love", "Something to Dance About", "It's a Lovely Day Today" - not to mention the glorious dancing by the young couple in love, Donald O'Connor and Vera-Ellen. They were a joy to watch.

Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman - the three biggest stars of Broadway between 1940 and 1970, and none made as big an imprint in movies. This seems to be a running sore in cinematic history - so few stage stars were great film figures. Some, like George M. Cohan, did not like the restrictive effects of movie making, and made few stabs at film (though, fortunately, Cohan made THE PHANTOM PRESIDENT in 1932). Others just seemed to weak on film. The great Pauline Lord made one movie, the pathetic MISS WIGGS OF CABBAGE PATCH, which (if recalled at all) is remembered as a film "starring" (he was actually in a supporting role) W.C.Fields. Channing, star of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDS watched while that role went to Marilyn Monroe, and star of HELLO DOLLY watched as that role went to Barbara Streisand. Martin, star of SOUTH PACIFIC saw Mitzi Gaynor play Nellie Forbush, and star of THE SOUND OF MUSIC saw the role of Maria Von Trapp become identified with Julie Andrews. Merman with credits like ANYTHING GOES, PANAMA HATTIE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, and GYPSY, only was able to keep the role of Reno Sweeny in ANYTHING GOES, when it was first made into a film in the 1930s. She was fortunate to also have the role of Sally the ambassador in CALL ME MADAM on film. It was a rarity, because she knew the part and was able to shine in a film adaptation. It's success probably enabled her to get another lead in the musical THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. But the latter film, despite her good work in it (and Dan Dailey's, Mitzi Gaynor, and Donald O'Connor's)is recalled because Marilyn Monroe sang "We're Having a Heat Wave". Merman never led in another musical film again, and would be overlooked for GYPSY (when Rosalind Russell got the part).

At least here and in the first ANYTHING GOES we see how she handled stage roles in her career. Mary Martin was less successful, her film record of her stagecraft limited to the scene in the first Cole Porter biopic NIGHT AND DAY, when she sings the song MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY as she did on stage (unfortunately two of her chorus, Gene Kelly and Van Johnson, were not asked to repeat their chorus boy parts). There is the television version of PETER PAN, which is on video. It's fortunate that exists (there is also some songs from SOUTH PACIFIC that were sung with Ezio Pinza on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW). The rest is silence. As for Channing, the only time she appeared in a movie musical, it was as the wacky aunt of Mary Tyler Moore in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (a movie not based on any stage musical). Channing had little singing to do in it.

So Merman was able to do one great performance on film. CALL ME MADAM, a musical spoof on the career of political hostess Pearl Mesta, was a charming little musical (no ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, though). It's best musical moment is the duet with Donald O'Connor (I HEAR MUSIC BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE), and it is a romantic piece of fluff. Nice also to see George Sanders playing a decent chap for a change. But watching Merman at her best, makes one regret what was not captured on film of her other performances. Ironically, that great singing voice is best recalled as a "loud-mouth broad" voice from Merman's best remembered role: the obnoxious mother-in-law of Milton Berle in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD.

I remember seeing Call Me Madam as a teenager when it first came out as a movie in 1953. There was the great Ethel Merman on the screen. I had never heard of her before as to who she was, but I saw the movie so many times that it is still very vivid in my mind. Always yelling "Hello Harry" every time the phone rang, when Billy De Wolfe tried to tell her that one of his jobs was to tell her how to dress, and she looked at him in his outfit with striped pants and quipped, "You're going to tell me how to dress? Your coat and pants don't even match!" But, the surprise of the movie was George Sanders singing especially his song "Marrying for Love". Who would have known that he had such a rich baritone voice. This was probably Vera Ellen's best movie including "Three Little Words" with Fred Astaire. She and Donald O'Connor were perfect in their dance numbers together. Ethel Merman's rendition of "The International Rag" was brassy and sassy the way only Ethel Merman could deliver it with the end of the song singing, "Oh, oh! Wiggle your personality!" and someone in the audience said, "She sure can wiggle it; can't she?" It was if as soon as you sat down to watch this wonderful musical, it was time to leave the theater. I understand that the film is finally going to be released on Video. It's about time. I'll buy one copy to look at and another to keep just in case. Wonderful entertainment. One of the best!

There's been a long wait to revisit the delights of this brassy film recreation of a big Broadway hit, but now we can once again enjoy it, fairly bursting from the screen, with its several lively production numbers, John DeCuir's classy production design, Irene Sharaff's flattering costumes, plus Robert Alton's absolutely first-rate choreography. Check out Vera-Ellen and an ultra-well-rehearsed chorus of dancers in "The Orcarina" number, as well as her amazing dance duets with Donald O'Connor, who smoothly displays his exceptional terpsichorean ability, so well showcased two years earlier in MGM's "Singin' in the Rain." George Sanders's singing is a wonderful surprise, holding his own with leather-lunged Madame Merman, who had triumphed on Broadway with this votive offering to her stardom, so cleverly crafted by Irving Berlin. Alfred Newman's Oscar for his endlessly inventive musical direction was more than well-deserved. For anyone who thinks that M-G-M was the only studio to adequately mount a film musical, this one might convince fans of this genre otherwise. (The DVD, by the way, is a very nice transfer, and boasts a quite informative commentary by "Musical Film Scholar" Miles Kreuger.)

is an acquired taste. Apparently enough folks developed it enough to keep Ethel's shows running for a couple of decades.

One of the "Queens of Broadway" (with Mary Martin) Ethel Merman's brassy voice belted through many a record-breaking run, thrilling thousands.

What a rare treat to see her in a role she made her own! "Call Me Madam" is a dandy musical, rich with a great Irving Berlin score and lively performances.

Equally rare is the excellent singing performance of George Sanders. His beautiful baritone is heard in "It's an Old-fashioned Idea" and other lovely ballads. As he played Gen. Constantine, I couldn't help but wonder how his reported troubled private life might have gone had he done more light, musical fare.

Sanders' whole demeanor is different: he's warm, relaxed, sincere and fun-filled--what a departure from the cynical cads he was almost always engaged to portray! [N. B. History shows he was signed to star in a stage production of "South Pacific," and his recording of solo ballads, "The Sanders Touch: Songs to the Lovely Lady"--released five years after this film--has become one of the hottest collectors' items around.] All I can say is, his singing is gorgeous in "Call Me Madam."

If this Fox musical has the somewhat look and feel of an MGM production, there's Donald O'Conner and Vera-Ellen lending their aura from the latter studio. Director Walter Lang, an old-hand at Fox musicals and light comedies, keeps things on track, while Bob Alton's dances really hit-the-mark.

"Call Me Madam" is a most delightful diversion, and a lasting testament to the gifted Merman--the "hostest with the mostest."