La Venere di Chicago

This remake of "Coney Island" has director Henry Koster taking the action to Chicago at the turn of the last century. Perhaps the change of locale was an attempt to mask the fact this was a film already done before with only a few years of difference.

The cast assembled for this film is colorful. Victor Mature is Andy, an enterprising young man who has an eye for the finer things in life. Betty Grable makes the most of her role with Ruby, the star at the center of the action. Both Mr. Mature and Ms. Grable prove to be a winning combination in the way they interact with each other.

Phil Harris is seen as Mike, who is in love with Ruby. There is a hilarious scene in which a poker game is taken place in which is clearly Mike has cheated, but there's no proof of it. He should have six cards in his possession, but when he shows them to everyone in the table there are the allowed five. A moment later we realize what has happened to the sixth one!

Reginald Gardiner, James Barton and Margaret Hamilton make excellent contributions to the film. The songs reflect the period in which the action takes place. It's surprising also the Technicolor used in the film doesn't look faded.

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.

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 ****

Another movie watched at period 1978's era of my youth time, haven't seeing it until nowadays for any source, due it wasn't release on DVD format and almost forgotten from cable TV and so for, thus the only way to re-watch it again appeal on Youtube where some channels had it on bad shape, any subtitles at all, it somehow has served its purpose plenty in last night.

A Fox musical with Betty Grable means a huge box-office at its time, on so glorious dancing & singing girl, in other hand the male star Victor Mature whereof hasn't any skill to do nothing on musicals, thus the producers allowed him a manager of showbiz, Wabash Avenue as title is mean a famous Chicago avenue where all began in burlesque night club where the owner Mike Stanley (Phil Harris) has a star Ruby Summers (Betty Grable) when sudden appears an old acquaintance of Mike the skunk Andy Clark (Victor Mature) whom in the past was Mike's partner, Andy is broke, meanwhile flirting on Ruby he envisages on Mike's lofty position to reach on the top, he suggests become his partner on a newest high class enterprise which Mike promptly denied.

Cornered Andy enforced a riot on the night club over the Ladies's league of the decency protesting in front there, thus the Ladies invade the place causing struggles and breaking breaks widespread, on the fight Mike ends up punched so hardly his old pal and hammered singer-tap dancer Harrigan (James Barton) that hits his head in a bar fainting after, the wise Andy grabs Harrigan and pretend him as a dead man to naïve Mike who begs to Andy does not telling it to the police, the greedy Andy agrees as long as he becomes his partner on high class night club, in a dead end Mike surrender, however the farse doesn't take too long.

A forgotten picture in lowest numbers of reviews posted here, impossible not to laugh on ferris wheel sequence when Mike is misleading by Andy, when Mike is about to asking Ruby hands for a marriage without notice a sailor in double seat, what a funniest scene, both double-crossing each other along the entire picture, priceless, as the whole, worthwhile take a look.

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First watch: 1978 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.