Avventura al Cairo

If you are a Jeanette MacDonald fan this is a "MUST SEE" film. No, it's not her very best film, but it's different enough for her that it's really great watching!! Read the other comments - except for the fellow that doesn't like Musicals (poor fellow), they're pretty much right on track. While Robert Young gets a bit "hammy" in a couple scenes, overall it's a very delightful musical/spy spoof/drama/etc. A good balance of songs and drama, which was important for morale during the early years of WWII.

Hint for Jeanette MacDonald fans: You _MUST_ see Ethyl Waters and Jeanette's rendition of "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" about half way through the film. You've NEVER seen Jeanete like this - very cute, very well done!!

In one of her last movies, Miss MacDonald shows a real gift for light comedy - along with her well known vocal talents.

And for the guy who said there were too many songs...WAKE UP!!!...it's a musical! LOL That's like saying there are too many explosions in an action flick or jokes in a comedy.

'Cairo' is a World War II spy story with Jeanette MacDonald and Robert Young each suspecting the other of being a spy. It's a spoof of all the spy stories popular in the '40s and strains to be funny--but the script defeats the purpose. Despite obvious flaws, it's interesting to see Jeanette looking her very best and in fine voice for a good number of songs--including a clip from one of her old films. The cast includes the dependable Ethel Waters (but the script makes poor use of her abilities), Lionel Atwill, Eduardo Ciannelli and Reginald Owen. It's a muddled mixture of musical comedy and espionage intrigue salvaged in part by Jeanette's occasional bursts of song. She's obviously having fun with her role as a movie star suspected of being a spy--and there are some inside jokes thrown in for good measure--but nothing really helps. One outstanding number is a night scene using a dramatic pyramid as the background for one of her songs--too bad it's just about the only musical highlight of the film.

"Cairo" (1942) is a typically polished MGM production - even if it does take place in an entirely Hollywood-studio Cairo. It features some surprising, for the time, "meta" humor, like Jeanette MacDonald's response to the question "Have you ever been to San Francisco?", or the final scene where she "teaches" Robert Young how to carry himself as an actor in front of a supposed camera - which is the actual camera filming them. There is perhaps a tad too much singing, although MacDonald, who looks gorgeous and younger than her age, has a remarkable voice. A fine supporting cast helps. **1/2 out of 4.

Pleasant mix of spy caper and comedy stars a much more relaxed Jeanette MacDonald than was usually the case during her MGM years. Perhaps it was the freedom of not having Nelson Eddy bellowing in her face but she's loose and charming and has a fine chemistry with both Robert Young and Ethel Waters her two major scene partners. Jeanette and Ethel's differing singing styles offer a nice variety to the entertainment although why Ethel is Jeanette's maid and still has to sing in the big show is never explained. It doesn't really matter and her musical numbers are terrific. There's also a funny bit where Jeanette sends up one of her biggest hits, San Francisco. One quibble: a good deal of the picture is very dark, hard to tell if it's intentional or the age of the film. Not a great film but a little known enjoyable gem.