Ma soeur est du tonnerre

I had heard that this second musical version of "My Sister Eileen" (the first being the Broadway show "Wonderful Town") was very underrated. Well, it's not.

Columbia Pictures owned the movie musical rights to "Eileen" and when Leonard Bernstein wanted too much money for "Wonderful Town", Columbia passed on adapting the Broadway hit, and created its own musical film adaptation. Unfortunately, this version isn't just inferior to "Wonderful Town" - the score and script are truly mediocre in their own right. The songs are all forgettable, which is surprising given that the composer is the great Jule Styne who went on to write "Gypsy" and other shows. Either he and lyricist Leo Robin had very little time to write the score or inspiration took a vacation.

The two saving graces in this film are Betty Garrett, who plays the more tomboyish Ruth. Unlike Rosalind Russell who played Ruth both in the non-musical film and in "Wonderful Town," Garrett can really sing and she's less self-conscious about being the center of attraction - she's much more natural in the role.

The other occasional grace is Bob Fosse's choreography. In some numbers, especially one dancing "duel" between him and the terrific Tommy Rall, the film comes alive. Unfortunately, some of the other dances - particularly the climactic "Conga" sequence, fall flat, perhaps due more to director Quine than Fosse.

Janet Leigh plays Eileen and she's very charming, though not quite the kind of looker who would have men literally at her feet all the time. She sings fairly well, and dances rather better. And since she's top billed, the script gives her character more emphasis than the original play. Jack Lemmon plays a publisher on whom Ruth has a crush; Lemmon is good, though his one song is far from a highlight - he's no singer.

It's a pity that Columbia and Bernstein didn't see eye to financial eye - it would have been great to see Garrett do "Wonderful Town," though Leigh and Lemmon would never be able to handle their parts in that score.

Where has this film been all these years? What a completely charming piece of entertainment with a nice score by Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl, Bells Are Ringing). OK, so it's no Singin' In The Rain or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. But it's equally as good as a lot of the other lesser MGM musicals of the 1940s and 1950s such as Summer Stock and On The Town. Based on the 1940 play of the same name (Book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov;) Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh are perfect as the Sherwood sisters. They both shine in their performances. And top it off, the film highlights some wonderful choreography by none other than legendary Bob Fosse. His work is, as it always was, stylish and pure class. The only glitch in the casting is that of Jack Lemon. He tries to be a slick, man-of-the-world New York publisher. But his performance just falls a bit short of his usual standards. And sadly there was very little chemistry between Garrett and Lemon, making the blossoming romance of their characters somewhat hard to believe. Still, even with this small weak link in the chain, overall the film really works.

It does seem strange that just the year before this film was released, Broadway produced their own musical version of the original 1940 non-musical version of My Sister Eileen, called Wonderful Town (Music by Leonard Berstein; Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green). While Wonderful Town wasn't a huge Broadway smash, it did run 559 performances, which was respectable for 1954. With a musical stage version of the play already existing as a part of the world of musical theater, I tend to wonder why Columbia started from scratch with this film and didn't film the Bernstein, Comdon & Green musical. But still, it's nice to know that there are two different musical versions of this charming play to enjoy.

Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh star in "My Sister Eileen," a 1955 musical also starring Jack Lemmon, Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall and Kurt Kasznar. This is not the musical "Wonderful Town" but it has delightful music by Jule Style. It's the story of the Sherwood Girls, Ruth and Eileen, who come to Greenwich Village from Ohio to "make it" -Eileen as a performer and Ruth as a writer. The two are conned by a landlord (Kasznar) into renting (for a whopping $65 a month) a basement apartment that shakes like crazy during subway construction. Not to mention, with their window placed the way it is, they may as well be living in the street.

The Ruth character is based on the writer of the original story, Ruth McKenney. Eileen is the freshly beautiful blonde who always has men swarming around her; in comparison, the pretty, funny and stylish Ruth feels like a plain Jane. She sublimates by being dedicated to her career until she meets a publisher (Jack Lemmon) and falls for him. He's interested in her story, "My Sister Eileen," and she's so insecure, she tells him that she is the sought after Eileen - it's another aspect of her personality, she says.

The Greenwich Village aspect makes the film as the movie captures its atmosphere perfectly and gives a real feel for the New York of the 1950s. Betty Garrett is great as Ruth. Her singing and acting are both wonderful. Surprisingly, though it's the title role, the part of Eileen really isn't much. (Sadly, the real Eileen died very young. She married writer Nathanael West and died with him 8 months later in a 1940 car accident.) Janet Leigh is pretty and sweet, putting over the necessary naiveté as Eileen, plus she gets to show off her singing and dancing. Fosse, who also choreographed, and Tommy Rall are suitors of Eileen and do some fabulous dancing. Dick York has a small but showy role as a young man in Ruth's and Eileen's building. Jack Lemmon, in an early role, is slightly miscast as the sophisticated publisher but is very likable.

Well-directed by Richard Quine, it's a shame that "My Sister Eileen" hasn't gotten more attention. It's pretty to look at and to listen to with wonderful, vibrant performances. Check it out.

A musical remake of the original Broadway play, MY SISTER EILEEN is a little-known gem from Columbia in the mid-'50s, produced in lively Technicolor and starring JANET LEIGH as Eileen and BETTY GARRETT as her writer/sister, both newcomers to the Greenwich Village scene. And naturally, the story and the film are very dated when viewed today.

But for light entertainment, it passes inspection beautifully. BOB FOSSE and TOMMY RALL are excellent ingredients as singer/dancers and both of them have more screen time than usual here. JACK LEMMON doesn't have much to do as the publisher in love with Garrett and gets to sing the film's most undistinguished song--unfortunately.

The "Conga" number that comes near the end of the film is a treat, the Brazilian soldiers bursting into dance at the drop of the word "Conga," with some imaginative choreography by Bob Fosse. KURT KAZNER is the Greek landlord who actually joins in the number, as do most of their Greenwich Village neighbors.

A bright, unpretentious and sunny film, it's long on charm but short on inspired musical numbers. It's a wonder Columbia decided not to use the Comden/Green Broadway score but hired Jule Styne and Leo Robin to write a new one. Watch for DICK YORK as "Wreck," the husky neighbors who looks out for the girls.

Passes the time pleasantly, but is easily forgotten.

Trivia note: Director Richard Quine was featured in the original MY SISTER EILEEN starring Rosalind Russell in the 1942 film version.

"On the Town"'s Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh play two sisters looking for romance from their slightly seedy flat on the wrong part of town.

Eileen (Leigh) is the pretty one who has all the attention, while her sister waits quietly for her talents and charms to be appreciated. In the cast are Jack Lemmon, Bob Fosse, and Tommy Rall (so some excellent dancing going on here).

There are a number of OTT moments, not least the all-inclusive conga number near the end, but this musical version of a 40s classic manages to add something new and showcase the talents of its cast well.