The Merry Monahans

A black-and-white musical from Universal does not sound promising. It sounds bland, uneventful and tuneless. Boy, will you be surprised. I think the first surprise will be that you can't find this picture available in any format, so you'll have to get lucky and wait until some station runs it or buy a copy from a DVD pirate.

But the big surprise is what a good movie it is, how quickly it moves and how effervescent the performers are. The story has been done many times before but it really works here. And the musical numbers are not new songs but they are exhilarating and full of energy, led by old pro Jack Oakie, and Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, two very young pros.

This picture is solid in all respects, and, except for the lack of color, could stand next to many MGM or Fox musicals.

After a bit of a slow start, The Merry Monahans really picks up with the entrance of Peggy Ryan and Donald O'Connor. Having already made several films together, it is obvious that these two enjoyed working together and playing off each other's comedic timing. They have many hilarious moments which are made even better by their freshness. There's a nice sort of improvisational feeling to the movie that we don't really get to see in modern films. Although she's playing a pretty straight character, Ann Blyth even gets a few laughs, and Jack Oakie's just very likable. The plot (surprisingly) doesn't get stale, probably since there's only half an hour of plot development. It really is a sweet, good-humoured little film that any fan of movies would enjoy viewing.

Oh, how I wish this film were on video or dvd! I saw it countless times on late night TV when I was growing up in the late 50s and early 60s. Now it seems to have vanished. What a shame! The Merry Monahans is a feel good movie. My heart always leapt at the ending. The cast is magnificent, the music infectious, the whole thing a delight!

I have seen four Donald and Peggy movies. This one isn't my favorite of them all. It's still very good, though. Donald and Peggy work great together, no matter what the movie. Ann Blyth, who had been in "Chip Off the Old Block" with them previously, shone in this one. She is a very pretty girl, and boy, does she have a voice! This was one of the few higher budgeted Universal musicals. It shows in costumes and sets, certainly. The Manhattan Follies number has a huge stage with many dancers in elegant costumes. My favorite costumes are at the end. Peggy's dress is gorgeous. Then again, I think Peggy is gorgeous. Call me crazy! Jack Oakie is enjoyable all around, and it's almost impossible to not like him. Though Isabel Jewel was only in a very small amount of it, it was exciting to see "the white-trashed Emmie Slattery" in something else other then "Gone with The Wind". Rosemary DeCamp was great. But the show is stolen by, as usual, the amazing Donald O'Connor. He and Peggy's "I Hate to Lose You" was a show stopper and is one of the only clips of the film available on Youtube. That song is enough of a reason to get the movie.

I gave this an 8 out of 10 because, though the costumes and the performances were indescribable, the plot is a bit clichéd here and there. Only a few times, though. It's a very good movie and I recommend it to anyone.