Wabash Avenue

What a shame. The colour is great as are the costumes for the showgirls on stage, but there is far too much time wasted with a comedy Irish drunk character and the plot will have you asking "where's the story?" as well as the story being completely ludicrous when it actually gets going. The idea is that Victor Mature (Andrew) will fool Phil Harris (Mike) into thinking Harris has killed someone in order to blackmail Harris to produce a show together and steal his girlfriend Betty Grable (Ruby).

Grable keeps this watchable with her music numbers otherwise it would be a bore and quite annoying with that idiotic drunken James Barton (Harrigan) taking up far too much screen time and grinding the film to a halt every time he appears.

Ruby Summers (Betty Grable) plays the main attraction at a Chicago burlesque theater run by Mike Stanley (Phil Harris), when Andy Clark (Victor Mature) an old acquaintance, shows up. Set around the turn of the century, with references to Oscar Hammerstein and the suffragette movement (a scene with Margaret Hamilton playing the leader of a militant band intent on wiping out these kinds of establishments leads her girls into Harris' club). The film has numerous musical numbers with Grable dressed up in some stunning outfits, as she sings and dances across the stage backed up by knock-out chorus line girls. The arrival of Harrigan (James Barton) as a heavy drinking tap dancer, energizes an already fast paced film. Phil Harris' part as the slightly crooked owner of the club is great as he and Mature outmaneuver each other for Grable, who looks great in the outfits, with the whole thing glamorized by lush Technicolor.

Remake of 1943's "Coney Island" (both starring Betty Grable!) has Victor Mature (in suits and straw hats) playing a hustler-showman conning old acquaintance Phil Harris into going in business together in 1890s Chicago. Seems nightclub owner Harris has scuffled with a rowdy drunk and believes he's killed him; Mature holds this over his head and steals his girl in the process! Screenwriter Charles Lederer has penned a great deal of smart, sassy patter (broken up every now and again by cute musical numbers), but he fumbles what little plot there is. Lederer also isn't helped by the casting: Phil Harris seems like such a genuinely nice guy (with a big, gregarious smile) that Mature comes off a bit cold-hearted by contrast (he's not the dashing romantic intended). Grable is very lively on stage and funny in a catfight scene with a showgirl; she keeps a heated temper throughout and gives the movie a good goosing. Also funny is Margaret Hamilton in small role as a crusader for decency (no one displays comic indignation better than Hamilton). Fox production values a bit low, although the trick photography during a ferris wheel sequence is well done and Harris has a funny bit there inadvertently proposing to a sailor. ** from ****

Lots of action in this Betty Grable film with a fine supporting cast.

Victor Mature is great with his escapades of being successful at starting trouble amongst Betty and Phil Harris. Phil Harris's character is pretty good in this department at playing games as well.

The musical numbers are divine and the choreography is very good.

The cinematography is brilliant with all the vivid colors. Very entertaining for a remake of Grable's "Coney Island." Nice to know that both films, made only seven years apart, were box office hits.

For the final time Victor Mature and Betty Grable teamed up to star in a film with Wabash Avenue. And this was the second time that Betty did this film if it seems familiar. The plot is taken from previous Grable hit Coney Island and moved to Chicago at the time of the 1893 World's Fair.

Mature and Phil Harris take the parts previously played by George Montgomery and Cesar Romero, a pair of ruthless rival conmen who live to top each other. In this case and in the previous film the billing tells you who tops who in the end.

Grable of course is caught between the two of them as a period entertainer of the day. She has some period songs to sing, but unlike Coney Island she also got an original score from Joseph Myrow and Mack Gordon. The song Wilhelmina was nominated for Best Song of 1950.

Mature was at the height of his career just coming off a loan out hit from Paramount in Samson And Delilah. He was big box office for 20th Century Fox at that time as was Grable. Tn their salad days the two were in I Wake Up Screaming and Song Of The Islands together and they were a romantic item at one point. Maybe Darryl Zanuck should have included My Old Flame in the score.

Best scene is when Mature uses some temperance workers played by Margaret Hamilton and Dorothy Neumann to break up Phil Harri's joint. One of his best scenes from any of his films.

Fans of the two stars should make Wabash Avenue a must.