Sonhos de Estrela

Gypsy Rose Lee's literary career certainly got a lot of good imitations going. Though not as good as Pal Joey, Doll Face is a pleasant and snappy musical about a stripper who gets involved with her manager and a ghost writer. And who wrote the play on which this is based on, none other than Gypsy Rose Lee. She certainly exploited her literary talent and persona to the max.

Vivian Blaine plays our Queen of Burlesque who wants very much to break into Broadway and the legitimate theater. Her manager Dennis O'Keefe encourages her, but it's no go, legitimate producer are afraid of her notorious burlesque reputation. So O'Keefe gets the brilliant idea to have her write a book on her life, but we'll alter it a bit and he gets an author who has a good literary reputation but who hasn't cracked the popular market yet. That would be Stephen Dunne. I think you see the basis for the romantic triangle.

Though the three leads do fine the plot is an excuse to display some musical numbers that songwriters Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson wrote for this film. Carmen Miranda is here and just those two words tell you exactly what to expect. And Perry Como is our lead singer and he's got a secondary romance going with Martha Stewart.

Which brings me to the big hit of the show A Hubba Hubba Hubba (Dig You Later). It was Como's first million selling record and even given World War II mores I'm a bit shocked. Part of the lyrics involve the celebration of bombing of the Japanese and mind you this film came out on 12/31/45 three months after V-J day. That would be four months after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Though those atomic bombings are not mentioned we have such lyrics about a B-29 pilot dropping another load for luck and then turning away saying Yuk Yuk. There's still controversy about whether the atomic bomb use was right or not, but there sure ain't reason for any Yuk Yuks.

I'd probably rate Doll Face higher because over all it's a pretty good musical. But that Yuk Yuk has not worn well over time. In fact it's downright ghastly.

An unusual cast perks up this '40s Fox musical, replete with the cliches of its period but providing quite pleasant old-fashioned entertainment, with Dennis O'Keefe's patented brash and domineering star turn (forgive the script's overt sexism). I especially enjoyed seeing the young Perry Como singing and romancing Martha Stewart (no, not that Martha Stewart), having watched his tv series for so many years in my youth.

The cleansed version of burley-que portrayed is quaint and actually not so far removed from the softcore peep show loops and burlesque movies shown as so-called Adult entertainment in the '50s -it was fun to watch. And especially to see how times have changed now that this is shown On Demand for free courtesy of the new owners of the Fox library -Disney!

I came across this movie only as an inclusion in the Carmen Miranda Collection, and I am commenting here for those in the same situation, who are wondering if this is worth having.

As for Carmen: she sings one number, "Chico Chico (from Porto Rico!)", which features a lot of dancing with the chorus. The main drawback as far as Carmen is concerned is that the film is in black and white, and we are deprived of some of the gaudiness and festiveness that we expect from her participation in a movie. I know that Technicolor was expensive, but it seems bizarre for Fox to have made black and white musicals after the public came to expect color, and to cast the colorful Carmen Miranda in them! A better number was excised from the movie, but included in the Special Features --- Carmen wears her famous outfit with the phallic lighthouse atop her head (which lights up on the downbeats at the end of the song), and the number is done in a burlesque style on a runway. Carmen gets quite a bit of dialogue in this movie, and is actually integrated into the plot, not just a nightclub performer as in some films (like "Down Argentine Way"). I wish she were given more musical numbers to do, though. One funny bit (five seconds long) has Carmen's character, "Chita," disparagingly mimic Carmen Miranda!

The movie itself is watchable and has some fun moments, but on the whole suffers from a bland cast. Vivian Blaine lacked the spark of an Alice Faye or Betty Grable, the other Fox stars of the day, and came across as brittle and not particularly likable. The leading men, including Perry Como, were also uninteresting, and there is even a misogynistic undertone to the movie, with male characters bragging about beating their girlfriends to keep them in line. There is something wince-inducing about seeing bland Perry Como threaten to beat his girlfriend, who gets turned on by it! As for the music, there are a couple of serviceable numbers, but they are reprised to death -- I found myself muttering "oh no, not this one again" by the middle of the movie. Como and Blaine's "Hubba Hubba" duet was the only number which for me was fresh and fun, and not overdone.

In general, this is not a terrible or unpleasant film, but is not one many would want to rewatch. As another commenter noted, the melodrama seems to take over at times, and for me, the characters are not sympathetic or likable enough for me to get drawn in by the non-musical aspects of the plot. If you are wondering whether this adds anything of value to the Carmen Miranda collection --- in my opinion, it is only a very minor addition.

I started to read a fellow critique of this and stopped, but I too am writing this to let you Miranda fans that this isn't the movie for you, if you want Carmen, Carmen, and more Carmen! She sings one song I think in this movie based on a book written by Louise Hovick AKA Gypsy Rose Lee. You see, there's this stripper, played by Vivian Blaine, who can't get a job out of the business to go legitimate, because, in auditions when they find out who she is, they don't want an ex-stripper in their stage play/musical. So, she and her boyfriend/manager Dennis O'Keefe decide she needs to write a book to get respect and hire a ghost writer to help her.

Perry Como is on hand with his smooth voice, but while the movie has its moments, there aren't enough good songs or Miranda to get really excited about or to really recommend it.

Some good talent here, but all have done better and some are not used particularly well. 'Doll Face' is watchable, mostly for curiosity or for any musical fan who wants to continue to find more to watch, but while there are good things here one couldn't help feeling that it could have been better than it turned out.

'Doll Face' is nicely photographed, and has very professional-looking set and costume design. Would have preferred for it to be in colour, and numbers like "Chico Chico" cried out for it, but depending on budget and such not every musical or film can have the benefit of being in colour. It would have been more preferable but it made do, the film still looks nice enough (if not giving the wow factor) without it.

The songs are lovely and pass the memorability test, the highlights being "Walking in My Dreams", "Dig You Later" and "Here Comes Heaven Again" and all three are sung beautifully and performed with spirit. In terms of choreography, most not much to write home about but Miranda's big production number captivates in its energy. The cast are a very mixed bag, but faring best are a hilariously sparkling Carmen Miranda and vivacious Martha Stewart. Dennis O'Keefe also tries hard and does have moments of amusement.

On the other hand, Vivian Blaine is a polished but passionless lead, and while Perry Como looks handsomely and sings exquisitely (then again when did he ever not?) he's pretty bland and doesn't look very at ease. That is true with much of the male cast actually, the roles are underwritten and people may also object to the way they're written too, sexism has been brought up in a couple of comments and understandably (the male characters' attitudes towards women doesn't really hold up now and be a sour note for a fair few).

"Chico Chico" aside, the choreography is very routine aside, most of the numbers being so indifferently choreographed and directed, as well as confined, that the one with the most energy and the most cinematic-feeling feels over-produced in comparison. The story makes thin ice seem thick and feels plodding and dreary in the non-musical scenes, and was expecting more energy and wit from the script here which felt bland.

Overall, worthwhile enough curiosity but unremarkable and had a lot of room to be much better. 5/10 Bethany Cox