L'île aux plaisirs

Eddie (George Montgomery) arrives at a nightclub owned by old friend Joe (Cesar Romero) and asks to become a partner in his business. Joe's girlfriend/protégé, Kate (Betty Grable) is a singer at the club and the story follows how these 2 men fight over her and her transformation from a trashy performer into a classy performer.

The film is only interesting when Betty Grable is performing. Thankfully, she sings and dances in quite a few numbers, so saving this film from being bad. George Montgomery is terrible as the lead - very cheesy - and the supporting characters - Finnigan (Charles Winninger) as a drunken Irishman and Frankie (Phil Silvers as his usual self) - are annoying. The only characters with any credibility are Cesar Romero and Betty Grable and they save this film from being a complete turkey.

The colour is good, the songs are good and Betty Grable single-handedly brings the film into the overall "ok" category.

CONEY ISLAND was such a successful Fox musical that seven years later it was turned into another starring vehicle for Grable called WABASH AVENUE. It's a breezy turn-of-the-century show biz tale about two Coney Island hucksters and the tricks they play on each other to win patrons at their establishments.

Betty is the brassy singer with the garish costumes and exaggerated singing/dancing style that Montgomery has to tone down by tying her to a prop so she can't move but has to deliver her ballad ("Cuddle Up A Little Closer") without gyrating all over the stage. Naturally, the love/hate relationship blooms into romance with Grable and Montgomery making a pleasing match as a team.

Lost of comedy relief from PHIL SILVERS and CHARLES WINNINGER, some nice song and dance numbers for Grable, and the whole backstage story is easy to take, the usual misunderstandings and schemes backfiring before the fadeout to a happy ending.

For BETTY GRABLE's fans, this one has to be rated one of her best.

Was very shocked 15 seconds into the film to see a character in blackface. Later there is an entire musical number in blackface. Lastly, the grand finale has a number in blackface as well. Is it just a sign of the times the film was made in? I guess. Do I have to celebrate it, or recommend it? No, I don't and no, I can't.

I would allow that it works as a historical document, of sorts. Of a kind of entertainment that was wiped out by rock'n'roll. Cesar Romero delivers his usual classy, excellent performance. The leading lady was unfortunately portrayed as dumb enough to be manipulated at every turn, a mere chit in the 2 guys' competitive rivalry.

Betty Grable is a nightclub singer-dancer in turn-of-the-century Coney Island whose boss/boyfriend (Cesar Romero) is tricked into hiring his childhood friend/nemesis (George Montgomery) as a show manager. Montgomery is intent on making flashy, hyperkinetic Grable sing and dance like a lady, which she resists, but the results put stars in both their eyes, and soon Montgomery is planning on opening his own nightclub--with Grable as the star attraction. Fox musical was so popular, the studio remade it--with Grable--just seven years later as "Wabash Avenue". She's terrific here, snapping off her lines with streetwise cynicism, her beauty mark usually in a different location. Fox overloads the film's musical moments with specialty numbers--a Plantation number, a Louisiana showboat number, a Christmas number, an Irish number, etc.--but what really makes Grable shine are her ballads delivered standing still (just like her character is told to do). Montgomery is rather like a riverboat cardsharp--slick and cunning, he never elicits our feelings--but he's preferable to Romero, who acts with his teeth. Phil Silvers is less offensive than usual in support, and the soundtrack has some gems including "Cuddle Up a Little Closer", "Pretty Baby" and the title song. **1/2 from ****

Fortunately, the chorus only sing the names of the three that share top billing here! Thereafter, we meet the loveable rogue that is "Eddie" (George Montgomery) who just wants what he thinks is rightfully due to him from his erstwhile partner "Joe" (Cesar Romero). This pal is about to open a new venue in which he will see "Kate" (Betty Grable) star - and has no intention of sharing! Out of options, "Eddie" turns to his friend "Frankie" (Phil Silvers) to let him join his circus-like enterprise during which he and "Kate" start to publicly spar about who is wearing what. She has an hat that Carmen Miranda might have been proud of. Anyway, the punters quite like his antics so "Joe" muscles in leading to reprisals that ultimately leads "Joe" to believe that he is a murderer! "Eddie" agrees to keep schtum, but it is going to cost him. With "Eddie" now cheek by jowl with "Kate" and "Joe" out of the picture, could things be set fair? Of course, there are loads of twists and turns yet to come as this trio play cat and mouse with each other just waiting to see who can pounce! The story itself is all a bit old hat - we've seen the love triangle story loads of times before, and I'm afraid that Phil Silvers just never could make be laugh, but there is an amiable degree of chemistry between Grable and her two suitors and there are plenty of set-piece theatrical numbers for the million-dollar legs to showcase just what a charismatic star she was. It's a great example of Technicolor brilliance too, especially towards the end when the screen positively comes alive, and it is probably just the kind of wartime fillip the audiences would have lapped up. It's all fairly forgettable, but it's quite good fun.