La fille et le garçon

A boilerplate Warners mid-'40s musical, but a triumph for the Great American Songbook, this backstager has some gorgeous Arthur Schwartz melodies married to Leo Robin lyrics wittier than anything in the script. The Oscar-nominated "Oh, But I Do" is one of Schwartz' loveliest melodies ever, and the little-known "A Thousand Dreams" isn't far behind. There's "A Gal in Calico," which once it gets in your head simply won't leave (it's been in mine for days) and "A Rainy Night in Rio," part of the South American craze then hitting the Hit Parade. There's "A Solid Citizen of the Solid South," done in grimace-inspiring blackface, but actually a pretty good number if you can get past that. All are "diegetic" numbers, meaning they're part of the stage entertainment in the film rather than related to plot or character, and they're backed by luscious Warners orchestrations, which were brassier and jazzier than what the arrangers turned out at Paramount or 20th or MGM. To get to these goodies you have to sit through a lot of inconsequential backstage plot, not to mention the tiresome jowl-shaking of S.Z. Sakall and the badly dated comedy of Jack Carson. But there's Martha Vickers, pretty and appealing, and Janis Paige, always reliable for sex appeal and a tart way with a good line. And Dennis Morgan, a Warners staple in the '40s, who had more presence and testosterone than most of the singing-capon tenors movie musicals of the day typically turned out. Carson and Morgan were sort of Warners' Hope and Crosby and were teamed many times. This is one of their more tolerable efforts, thanks almost exclusively to the efforts of Messrs. Schwartz and Robin.

This movie is excellent.The cast was wonderful..Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson,Janis Paige,Martha Vickers,S.Z. Sakall and more... WOW!!I especially noticed that Dennis Morgan looked very relaxed in this film.It seemed like he was having lots of fun!He always is excellent in movies with Jack Carson.They performed easily with each other because they were such good friends.It shows!! Janis Paige and Martha Vickers are very lovely and great actresses.My favorite parts in this film are the romantic scenes with Dennis and Martha and when Janis accidentally sprays Jack in the face with a bottle of seltzer.Dennis couldn't help but giggle in that scene!This movie is full of songs and very highly enjoyable!

Warner Brothers did for Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson something that Paramount until the Road To Bali never did for Bing and Bob. The Time, The Place And The Girl was done in some really nice technicolor and they gave the musical numbers by Arthur Schwartz and Leo Robin full production numbers. They could do this because a great deal of the film has a nightclub setting.

A nightclub setting that Morgan and Carson own and are trying to open. But they are next door to S.Z. Sakall and Florence Bates and their townhouse. Sakall is a symphony conductor and their granddaughter Martha Vickers is studying grand opera. Funny we hear no operatic notes from her.

What to do but send the old lady killer Morgan into action. But he really falls for Vickers. I think you can figure the rest out.

The musical numbers are not as elaborate as Busby Berkeley stuff in the Thirties, but are more elaborate than Road films numbers which only had the Crosby/Hope personalities to put them across and they certainly didn't do a bad job.

One interesting bit of casting is that of Donald Woods as Sakall's business manager who plays it like Edward Everett Horton and threatens to close the whole club down and ruin Morgan and Carson. A change of pace for Woods who was never quite a leading man, but was a chameleon like actor who fit into many characters without a bit of personality usually. Here he borrows Horton's.

Dennis's light tenor and Carson's antics are always entertaining.

What can be said about this WB boxoffice hit of 1946? The word inconsequential comes to mind. The formula for the WB musical is in full effect here, slight, fluffy story, plain and unsubtle vaudeville pastiche and affable leading men with slightly jarring crooning voices, a couple of hit songs by the top writers of the day and the best of them in the WB movies, impressively photographed, lit and well executed musical numbers to match the songs. If this is your cup of tea, so be it. Carson and Morgan do have a Crosby/hope chemistry and were supposed to be WB answer to the Road movies. They made a couple more but the success waned creating the end of the team.

For what it is, and it is simply a well crafted ball of fluff, THE TIME,THE PLACE and the GIRL is a delight. From Dennis Morgan crooning to Jack Carson clowning there are worse ways to spend a few hours. Best though is the Arthur Schwartz score with RAINY NIGHT IN RIO and A GAL IN CALICO rolling around in your brain days after the film is over. Check your brain at the door and sit back and relax. THE TIME THE PLACE AND THE GIRL is a real old fashioned charmer!!!!!!!!!!