Texas Carnival

Delightful romp that blends the stars together in highly entertaining fashion. Red gets to mug it up in typical Skelton fashion, while studly Keel smooths in his baritone, and Miller taps her way into our hearts. Even mermaid Williams manages to get her fins on as well as show some acting chops. In fact, the highpoint in my little book is her almost eerie swim through the air in a fancy hotel room. In a flowing white gown she's like a ghostly aquanaut thanks to trick photography. That scene is going to stay with me, strange as it is.

The plot, of course, is negligible--- carnival barker Red's mistaken for a Texas millionaire and has to act the part when he gets into trouble. I love it when Red and others talk about the great smell and feel of the Longhorn State while standing in front of a painted backdrop. In fact the production never leaves the San Fernando Valley, but who cares. Anyway, it's just the kind of material and headliners that big budget MGM knew how to package in great escapist fashion. And to think Maltin's Classic Movie Guide only gives it two stars out of four-was someone home asleep. Anyway, the Technicolor's lavish, the stars in top form, and the pacing doesn't dawdle. So catch up with it when you can, and remind Maltin to set his alarm.

The movie has several fun moments, some good songs and a couple of nice dances by Ann Miller. The problem is that it really doesn't work as an Esther Williams vehicle so it's best to approach it as a Red Skelton movie featuring Esther Williams. With a slightly different perspective this can be an enjoyable experience.

Debbie Telford (Esther Williams) is the dunk tank girl with partner Cornie Quinell (Red Skelton). Cornie is too honest and helps out wealthy rancher Dan Sabinas with the carnies. Dan takes the taxi while Cornie returns his car to his hotel. Cornie and Debbie are mistaken for Dan and his sister Marilla.

The start is a little funny. I would have liked more carnival. I like Debbie being pursued by Slim Shelby. Then the movie stalls a bit. It was fast becoming a failure before the wagon race. The wagons allow Red Skelton to do some physical comedy and the stunt people to do some good work. It basically woke me up.

If you want to see a direct descendant of the Buster Keaton line of comedy, this is surely the movie. Skelton's funny physical antics while trying to retrieve a dollar from the floor or getting drunk with Keenan Wynne are topped by a chuckwagon race finale that deftly combines comedy and dangerous stunts.

In the supporting cast you've got Ann Miller's legs. I esp enjoyed seeing her tap her dancers' bongos. Ahem.

Esther Williams and Howard Keel are also in this movie, I assume, because Hollywood producers needed their names on the marquee to sell tickets. Fair enough. But they're mostly wasted. That ''underwater dream sequence" is goofy. And their romance is perfunctory.

A reference to a wrecked car (with no preceding scene with Skelton presumably wrecking the car, probably with Miller on board), a reference by Williams to a dinner speech she didn't actually give, and a romance between Skelton and Miller that had no beginning (I don't count her dance number by the piano) leaves me to conclude that 15 minutes or so got hacked out of this movie after preview audiences full of dummies said, ''it dragged in parts" and ''the car wreck scene wasn't funny" or ''that speech was boring."

Nevertheless, as long as you're not expecting to see Esther Williams floating around in a pool for 90 minutes (thankfully that only lasts about 90 seconds here) this is a decent way to kill just over an hour.

How to get ESTHER WILLIAMS wet and still have an entertaining musical must have finally gotten to whomever dreamed up this lackluster, shoddy script for the MGM swimming star. She seldom dips a toe into the water and when she does her swimming scenes are brief.

In fact, the whole story is told in little more than one hour and seventeen minutes--and even then, it's exasperating to watch so little happen. The story is the tired old mistaken identity theme taken to ridiculous heights by RED SKELTON, who's mistaken for an obnoxious and wealthy oil baron (KEENAN WYNN) at a luxury hotel with a deluxe size swimming pool. HOWARD KEEL ambles into the story via horseback singing just one of several unmemorable songs and is soon ogling Esther poolside in a manner designed to get her to take a dip (for the sake of her fans).

ANN MILLER pops up to add some breezy Texas charm to the proceedings, but even her lively dance numbers lack the usual splash MGM gave to its production numbers. Esther is supposed to be a carnival girl who gets dumped into water by any man who can throw a curve ball--and she's hungry, or so we're told, to the point where she faints in the arms of Howard Keel who then chases her until she's caught. Esther has to be one of the healthiest gals ever supposed to be suffering from malnutrition that I've ever seen.

The hazy plot plods along until the predictable ending with the stolen identity cleared up and Esther is ready to melt into Keel's arms--none too soon.

Summing up: At least Esther had MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID in her future--but this is one where she's just killing time. Very unworthy vehicle for the swimming star par excellence.