Quando una ragazza è bella

In 1955, Blake Edwards and Richard Quine produced two musical comedies for Columbia. They collaborated on both screenplays. The Quine directed effort, "My Sister Eileen" started with sure-fire material and had the star and support power of Jack Lemmon, Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall, Dick York, and Kurt Kasznar. There was a new sparkling score by Jule Styne and Leo Robin. Well, Edwards got the short end of the stick with "Bring Your Smile Along", a hum-drum "B" movie which seemed to use the same sets as "My Sister Eileen". The screenplay was an original, but does not have an original thought in it. The performing is left to the wooden acting of jazz singer turned pop star Frankie Laine, Constance Towers, a skilled theater singer who found better opportunities on the stage, and Keefe Brasselle, whose claim to fame was miming to Eddie Cantor's soundtrack in the "Eddie Cantor Story". The musical numbers are made up of standards and some very sub-standard original material written by a committee of songwriters. The whole mess is not unpleasant, but I expected more comedy from Edwards. There is very little here. Quine's direction of "My Sister Eileen" is personal and stylized. However, Edwards' work here is strictly pedestrian.

The directorial film debut of Blake Edwards, 'Bring Your Smile Along' is not one of his best films by a long shot (i.e. 'Days of Wine and Roses', 'Victor/Victoria' and 'A Shot in the Dark'). This said, it's not, though a lesser effort, his very worst (even if for Edwards this is almost unrecognisable in directorial style and humour, but have yet to see a film of his as bad as 'Son of the Pink Panther).

'Bring Your Smile Along' has strengths. It does look good, with stylish cinematography and handsome costume and set design, detected very little sign of cheapness. 'Bring Your Smile Along' fares better on the musical side than on the comedy, while not exactly timeless the songs are still lovely and the electrifying way they are performed and the lively and charming way they're staged really help enliven proceedings. The title song, "Mama Mia" and "If Spring Never Comes" are the standouts.

Frankie Laine is another high point. Laine fans will find 'Bring Your Smile Along' a delight, he is in wondrous voice as usual and his renditions of his songs (that serve his talents well) electrify. As an actor, while not "great" he is still a very likable presence. He is matched by the radiance and skill of Constance Towers. There is at times a nice light-hearted gentle feel that stops any sour taste from properly developing.

As an Edwards film though, and for fans of the director, 'Bring Your Smile Along' isn't anywhere as successful. This was Edwards' directorial debut and inexperience behind the camera is obvious. He fails to properly bring the story to life, which does have a pedestrian feel, and anybody expecting the sass, wit and sophistication of his best work (and the films that still qualify as decent and more) will be disappointed to find all three missing. For a comedy musical, there seemed to be an absence of comedy that actually works.

Laine and Towers aside, the cast don't have much of note to work with and struggle to do anything with those limitations. The characters are pretty bland, like much of the film itself.

Overall, uneven film with elements that stop it from being completely lame. 5/10 Bethany Cox