Step Lively

Gordon Miller is a Broadway producer with not much cash and even fewer scruples. He has ensconced the young cast of his new show in a large New York hotel, and is feverishly rehearsing them for opening night. Along comes the young writer Glenn Russell, and it transpires that the kid can sing ...

A frivolous, fizzing little musical from RKO Radio, "Step Lively" doesn't even pretend to be sensible. The frenetic farce is augmented by workmanlike songs from Cahn and Styne, two numbers standing out as better-than-average - "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are" and "As Long As There's Music". Both are staged impressively.

"Come Out" gets the full production treatment, with Gloria De Haven heading a floorshow-style ensemble. "As Long" is the big finale, with two pieces of silver-screen magic. Gloria walks down a beam of light, and the chorus line have striking black-and-white gowns which enable them to 'disappear' impressively.

The sets are fun. Glenn walks Christine home to her brownstone, and the couple is tracked by a neat crane shot. When Glenn runs out of the hotel, we see him sprint away from the camera, down the sweeping staircase, across the lobby and out through the revolving door. Now that's what I call a set.

Frank Sinatra had made his name fronting the big bands, and now he was making the transition to independent actor-singer. He is good in the role of Glenn, the jeun-naif, but clearly lacking the poise of later years.

Gloria De Haven (Christine) began her movie career eight years before this film, appearing as Paulette Goddard's sister in Chaplin's "Modern Times". She was still showing up in TV movies two years ago. How many actors working today have resumes dating back to the silent era? She is pretty and engaging as Christine, the romantic lead.

"Step Lively" is a curiously old-fashioned musical. It is almost as if RKO was trying to hark back to its heyday of a decade earlier, and the 'come on kids, let's rehearse a show' approach. Compared with "Meet Me In St Louis", it seems a cinematic dinosaur, and yet both were made in the same year.

Verdict - A light-hearted, if light-headed, musical that was already old-fashioned in 1944.

Step Lively is simply Room Service with a musical score by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. It was Frank Sinatra's second feature film role and it marked the first time he worked with that team of songwriters. There would be others, especially with Cahn who has the distinction of putting more words in Frank Sinatra's mouth than any other lyricist.

The original Room Service took place in the hotel suite of Gordon Miller, fast talking producer/conman and was originated by Sam Levene on stage and Groucho Marx on screen. George Murphy is certainly a lighter, gentler version of both of them. But he's passable enough in the part because we wouldn't want too much attention taken from Frank Sinatra.

Sinatra's role as the naive singer/playwright from Oswego was built up considerably from the original play. It was because of him that this film version was taken out of the one room setting of the original. His role was first played by Eddie Albert on Broadway and Frank Albertson with the Marx Brothers.

One song stands out in the score, As Long As There's Music which Sinatra really aces. Yet while Step Lively was being filmed at RKO and while it was out the recording industry was being struck by the musicians union. Additionally shellac which was needed to make those 78 RPMS was in short supply because of World War II. Sinatra never recorded the songs from Step Lively even after the strike was over. Yet As Long AS There's Music still became a hit. I have a version by Eddie Fisher on one of my record albums. Yet it's never identified with Sinatra.

Playing the roles that Chico and Harpo did are the comedy team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney, RKO's attempted answer to Abbott and Costello. RKO also got Adolphe Menjou and Walter Slezak to play the exasperated hotel managers and Eugene Palette had a memorable bit as the representative of Murphy's secret show backer who wants discretion in all things.

The female roles are from a pair of lovely RKO starlets who had substantial careers, Gloria DeHaven and Anne Jeffreys. So you can't say they didn't do all right by Old Blue Eyes.

On the strength of this film which did very well at the box office, MGM bought half of Sinatra's contract from RKO and he went on to make some great musicals in the Forties with them. But that's coming very soon.

Step Lively is both funny and contains some great singing by The Voice.

Yes, it's a flimsy but very funny, fast-paced script. George Murphy's brief dancing and comic delivery is excellent. Sinatra is terrific in his young, vibrant, handsome and romantic best. His ever move from his first entrance shows natural skill and timing. The songs are vastly better than most 1940s musicals. Cone Out Wherever You Are sticks with me for days whenever I hear it. DeHaven is gorgeous as us AnnJeffries. Whenever I watch a film like this I lament that there is no well known talent alive today that could duplicate this film with 1/2 the charm.

A screwball comedy, Step Lively is a remake of the Marx Brothers' Room Service, with a B-level musical score made listenable largely by the crooning voice of young Frank Sinatra. Released at the height of World War II, this farce does not pretend to make sense; it clearly was made to showcase Sinatra's talents as a singer and sex symbol. It works; you can't take your eyes off the skinny little guy from Hoboken, New Jersey. Supported by an enormously talented cast that includes Gloria DeHaven, Anne Jeffreys, Walter Slezak, Adolphe Menjou, and George Murphy. The choreography, however, could have used a hand from Busby Berkeley.

George Murphy (Gordon) has taken over a floor of a hotel managed by Walter Slezak (Joe). The entire cast of his show eats and sleeps there for free to the horror of Slezak's boss Adolphe Menjou (Wagner). The film follows Menjou's attempts to throw everyone out of the hotel and Murphy's attempts to get some backing for his show.

The film is easy to watch with pleasant songs and some funny moments. Gloria DeHaven (Chris) and Frank Sinatra (Glenn) are good but Murphy and Menjou are guilty of shouting too much, The story is complete nonsense and overall it's too shouty.

Sinatra can obviously sing but it is the female backing singers that leave a lasting impression. They sing in that Wonderful World of Disney style that leaves a magical note in the air.