Les rois de la couture

This could have been much better. Terrific cast, however Red Skelton (one of my favorites, usually) isn't in good form (but Ann Miller's form is terrific), Howard Keel is lackluster, and Zsa-Zsa is YOUNG! However blah the plot and acting are, I can highly recommend this picture on the basis of 3 dance routines by Marge & Gower Champion, two of which are unique. The first takes place among clothes racks, utilizing a wheeled dress-sizer. Take a long look at the dance... there are no cuts! IT IS ALL ONE TAKE! The last dance is near the end of the film, where jewel-thief Gower tries to take a diamond bracelet from mannekin Marge. Superb choreography in both routines! I gave it an 8 out of 10.

Typical MGM treatment. Not much plot but the musical numbers are beautifully staged and the whole production is much more enjoyable than the Astaire-Rogers version. Grayson and Keel blend well in their duets and Ann Miller is in top form. Marge and Gower Champion have a field day in their roles and certainly deserve the praises they received during their time together. Red Skelton was always a class act and this role is no exception.

Neither the RKO 1935 version of Roberta or MGM's 1952 Lovely To Look At are anything like the original show on Broadway. RKO eschewed a male lead singer opposite Irene Dunne and went with Randolph Scott. In and of itself that necessitated change as the vocal chores got divided up between Irene Dunne and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who were the secondary leads. In that version it was Scott who inherited the Parisian dress shop and romanced a woman who managed the place named Stephanie played by Dunne.

Stephanie played by Kathryn Grayson is still running the dress shop known as Madame Roberta's. But here it's Red Skelton who inherits half the place from his late aunt. He's partners in an act with Howard Keel and Gower Champion and they want him to sell his half so that they can get the money for a Broadway show. The three of them have to cut Ann Miller in on the deal just to get passage over to Paris.

Of course it's Keel who Grayson pairs off with and in doing so the film comes into balance vocally as the stage show did. Getting the dance numbers are Marge and Gower Champion, Marge playing Grayson's younger sister.

I think I can see the way the minds worked at MGM. In 1950 they copped the Best Picture Oscar for An American In Paris with a nice Parisian setting. Then the following year, Keel, Grayson, and the Champions were in a remake of another Jerome Kern classic Showboat which did very well. What to do, but combine all that in a Jerome Kern show that's Parisian based in Roberta. Besides why let all those expensive sets recreating Paris go to waste.

Also the fashion show finale was absolutely inspired by the fantasy ballet from An American In Paris. But the fantasy of Kelly in that film is replaced by a surreal reenactment of Jimmy Durante's famous line of 'everybody's getting into the act'.

Sometimes these things work and sometimes they don't. In this case the sum was definitely not greater than its parts. Howard Keel in his memoirs said that he felt that Mervyn LeRoy did not do right by him in this film that he had to make up his own interpretation of his character. Maybe LeRoy had too loose a hand and the film needed an overall creative genius like Gene Kelly.

'Roberta' with Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers wasn't immune to flaws (Randolph Scott, lacking story execution), but on the whole it is a much better film, especially for the songs and their timeless renditions, production values, the choreography and the rest of the cast being used to great advantage.

'Lovely to Look At' certainly is lovely to look at, being filmed in absolutely glorious Technicolor and boasting opulent costume and set design. Jerome Kern's songs are as timeless as ever, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is one of his classics though "I Won't Dance" and "I'll Be Hard to Handle" are the standout renditions of the film. They are accompanied by choreography that's witty and poised, again the delightfully charming "I Won't Dance" and Ann Miller's knockout performance of "I'll Be Hard to Handle".

Despite garnering a reasonably mixed reaction, the fashion show is sheer visual beauty and is where the energy and interest is most apparent. Some of the cast disappoint, but Marge and Gower Champion have a field day and triumph in "I Won't Dance". Ann Miller was a scene stealer in many of her films and anybody who loves her will in no way be disappointed by her enviously energetic and poised dancing in "I'll Be Hard to Handle". It has to be admitted too, that Howard Keel does sing sublimely, he is a tender singing partner in the title song and fares even better in "You're Devastating".

On the other hand, this cannot be said for the rest of the cast. Kathryn Grayson is not at her best, pouting her way through her role and she has been in better voice, sometimes very nice but at other times shrill and fatigued. As wonderful as Keel sounds, he is unusually stiff here and he and Grayson don't seem to share much chemistry together so some of their longer scenes border on the tedious.

Then there is Red Skelton (who always was a take or leave performer), who mugs embarrassingly and comes over as irritating, and Zsa Zsa Gabor whose performance generally lacks charisma and sass in a role that gives her little to do.

Much of the story is contrived and tedious, with flashes of greatness in two or three song renditions and the fashion show but falling flat especially in the scenes between Keel and Grayson. The script lacks the light-hearted touch that worked so well in 'Roberta', as well as its warm heart and wit, disadvantaged by the comedy falling so flat particularly with Skelton and the performances of the cast varying so wildly. Mervyn LeRoy directs quite sluggishly on the whole.

In conclusion, lovely to look at but to see this talented crew on better form look elsewhere. 5/10 Bethany Cox

"Roberta" (1935) was based on a play of the same name. Now here in 1952, MGM decided to remake it. However, they didn't really like the plot and the characters and so all they really kept were the songs and a few pieces here and there. Not exactly a re-make, huh?

I should point out that the reason I watched this is because I really like Red Skelton films. But, I don't usually like him in musicals because then his comedy clearly takes a back seat. Can this film somehow be a good musical AND a good Skelton vehicle?

Al (Skelton) and his two buddies (Howard Keel and Gower Champion) are trying to get backers for their Broadway show...but with no luck. Then, out of the blue, Al receives a telegram...his aunt in Paris has died and left him her fancy dress business. So, the three head to Paris...intent on selling the place and using the money for their show. But there's a problem...Al is smitten with one of the ladies running the business (Kathryn Grayson) and has a hard time telling her of his intentions. The same happens with his buddies and they decide, instead, to try to make the place even bigger and grander...and they seem to have forgotten about their play. This is odd...even odder is their idea of turning this dress shop into a combination dress shop and night club of sorts! If this sounds confusing, welcome to the club!!

The confusion gets worse when practically everyone seems to have fallen in love with Tony (Keel)...and you wonder whether he'll end up with Stephanie (Grayson) or Bubbles (Ann Miller) or the one he really seems to be in love with...Tony! As for the third friend, Jerry (Gower Champion) says very little and is really only there to do fancy dance numbers with his real life wife, Marge Champion.

So is this any good? Well, it depends. If you love a big, long and very splashy dance sequence at the end and don't mind that the film has many formulaic elements (pretty much all of them are embodied in Tony!), then you'll no doubt enjoy it. As for me, I wanted more comedy, more Skelton and less of everything else. Mildly entertaining and that's all.