User reviews

This 1951 film is another backstage musical, a typical format for Betty Grable. Unfortunately, this musical suffers from a mediocre score. Even though the composers were the well-known Jule Styne and Leo Robin, none of the songs in this film come anywhere close to the quality of their other compositions (e.g. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes).

In part of the first production number, Grable does a very good, skillful tap dance joined by two male dancers. This was the time when tap dancing was giving way to jazz as the predominant style of dance in film, brought on by Jack Cole and Bob Fosse. While Grable was certainly technically proficient enough for that style in the other production numbers, in my opinion, it just doesn't seem to suit her persona.

What is choreographer Jack Cole's production number, "No Talent Joe", all about? With a chorus of muscle men attired in classical Greek costumes and tan makeup suggesting statuary, and herself wearing a beachcomber outfit, Grable sings a Latin/Calypso song. What a mishmash!

I suggest this might have been a homo-erotic fantasy interjected by choreographer Cole. He did a similar thing when choreographing 1953's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", with Jane Russell surrounded by gyrating nearly naked athletes.

Two other interesting points of trivia. The Miami film sequence is footage lifted directly from Grable's 1941 film, "Moon Over Miami". Also, take a good look at the set, props and the women's costumes in the last production number of the film. You will see very similar in 1953's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in the "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" production number. This probably due to the fact that Charles Le Maire and Travilla did costumes for both films, while Cole did the choreography for both.

While most musicals are excusably weak in the plot department, the plot is this film is downright dumb. Viewing this film would be enjoyable only for the die-hard Betty Grable fan. It's been resurrected recently on the Fox Movie Channel. Record it and skip everything but the musical numbers.

Later period Betty Grable picture gives her a chance to hoof and sing in a succession of glamorous outfits so for her fans there is plenty to enjoy within.

The problems start when the picture moves offstage. The first issue is Betty's leading man. It's not just that he's played by the less than fascinating MacDonald Carey but the character is a buffoonish, offensive sexist. It's difficult today to listen to several of the characters refer to how Carey's Jeff molded Betty into a star out of so much raw clay, as if Grable wasn't talented or intelligent enough to make it on her own. But even back in the 50's his character's condescending attitude must have made him come across as a sexist jerk.

The second problem is the script's absurd set of circumstances which stretch the bounds of logic by using the tired amnesia trope. The picture is full of quality support, Eddie Albert, Irene Ryan and Fred Clark all add a bit of spice, but it's all in the service of a weak scenario.

Bright, cheery and shallow but if you have a rainy afternoon to fill there are worse ways.

Alimony and amnesia are the movers of the lame plot that makes this film almost ridiculous. Almost, but Betty Grable saves the day. She shimmies and shakes and shows off her million-dollar legs delivering wisecracks that typify the times, frequently surrounded by a bevy of hunks. While the music is not particularly memorable, the dance sequences are full of fun. The battle of the sexes being the film's theme, "The Male Sex" is a clever switch on the male complaint that women are double-crossing two-timers. The final production number ("I Feel Like Dancing") teams Grable with the great Gwen Verdon; the first part of the number casts them as athletic ragamuffins and evolves into a ballet-like dream sequence showcasing Grable at her most glamorous. Favorite line, uttered by Grable as she suspected her husband of an affair with his show's sexy financial backer: "Why did you have to get a bankroll with a body by Fisher?"-a reference to a logo used on automobiles produced by General Motors. Runner up, when Grable's character has reverted to her old unsophisticated self: "Let's go back to the hotel and tie on a feed bag."

From the racetrack to the Broadway stage Meet Me After The Show is a remake of the 1940 screwball comedy He Married His Wife. The original film was pleasant, but nothing to write home about. This one has the addition Betty Grable and some song and dance which is a plus though the songs are most forgettable.

Grable has been married and divorced to producer MacDonald Carey who discovered her and made her a star and his wife in that order. But the two couldn't live with each other or apparently without each other.

Carey is slow on the alimony and Betty fakes some amnesia and loses 7 years back to when she was working nightclubs before Carey discovered her. She's also got Rory Calhoun making a big play for her as well.

At one point Carey sings a song. Like Tyrone Power in Second Fiddle he was not a good singer. Whose idea at 20th Century Fox was that?

Meet Me After The Show is a pleasant enough Betty Grable musical comedy.

A standard Betty Grable Fox musical, with some swell Jack Cole choreography and a below-par Jule Styne-Leo Robin score, this backstage frolic compromises itself somewhat in the casting and a lot in the plotting, a tortured screenplay by director Richard Sale and Mary Loos. Betty's starring in a hit musical (good opening number) produced by hubby MacDonald Carey. MacDonald Carey? He's hardly an expert at musicals, though he does warble a little at one point, and he's playing a rotter, romancing a wealthy backer who happens to look like Lois Maxwell. Betty's also receiving heavy attention from her leading man, Eddie Albert, who did do musicals, but the casting still seems a little odd. Meantime the central couple gets a separation (but he's paying her alimony, without her divorcing him-how does that work?), and after a minor accident, she develops amnesia, or appears to, sending her down to Miami, where she lives like it's 1944 again and begins a romance with a buff Rory Calhoun. The contrivances pile up on top of one another, and the ending is rushed. Certainly the dances are the best thing, including a production number with Betty and a just-starting-out Gwen Verdon, who does get billing in the program insert. But you have to slog through some dreary story to get to them.

Soon-to-be divorced Broadway musical performer is involved in an auto accident and acquires amnesia; estranged husband and best friend follow her to Miami, where she has reverted to her salad days of seven years prior and booked herself into a nightclub. Rather strange cut-price extravaganza from Twentieth Century-Fox has Betty Grable in and out of cockamamie outfits, singing tunes by Jule Styne and Leo Robin which include "It's a Hot Night in Alaska" (!) and a thudding number called "No Talent Joe" which surrounds Grable with muscle men dressed as Roman guards. Gwen Verdon pops up uncredited (except in the on-screen program!) for a duet with Betty in the movie's most bizarre number, a vaudeville-styled routine about bandits which turns into a ballroom blitz complete with candelabras and tuxedoed men in black masks. With so much nonsense taking place on-stage, one can easily ignore the contrived amnesia-line, which doesn't amount to anything anyway. Script was "suggested by" a story from Scott Darling and Erna Lazarus, the same story Fox filmed in 1940 under the title "He Married His Wife". *1/2 from ****

Released in 1951, Betty Grable's star was beginning to fade. Fox cast her in this role, which demanded a great deal more dancing than the usual Grable fair. Working with choreographer, Jack Cole, Betty gives one of her finest dancing performances on film. The film is funny, fast paced and delightful. Grable shines not only as a hoofer, but as a comedianne is this light-hearted romp of love and amnesia. Gwen Verdon appears alongside Grable in several dance numbers. McDonald Carey, Rory Calhoun and Eddie Albert are all superb in their roles of the past and present loves of Kitty Lee (Betty Grable). Memorable lines and songs are abundant in this film. This is a must-see for all Grable fans.

Through the 1940s, Betty Grable was a top star with Twentieth Century-Fox. However, by the 50s her star started to dim somewhat and soon the quality of her pictures began to slip significantly. "Meet Me After the Show" is one of these films...with a script that really seemed second rate.

When the story begins, Delilah (Grable) and Jeff (MacDonald Carey) are happily married and very successful. He's a Broadway producer and she stars in his productions. However, when she starts to become jealous, she separates from him and makes his life difficult. In fact, I would go so far as to say she was a terrible person-- backing out of his show and destroying the production...and putting a lot of folks out of work. Naturally, Jeff is angry and before he can get revenge, she is involved in a minor traffic accident. She's bumped her head and now has amnesia!! She disappears--appearing where she used to be before she met Jeff...as if the last seven years have never taken place. The doctor insists she's faking it...Jeff isn't so sure. What I am sure of is that Grable completely embarrasses herself and the second portion of the film is just plain stupid....and seeing Grable ACTING like an 18 year-old when she looks significantly older is very sad. At this point, the film just tries too hard to be kooky...and it completely lost my interest.

Sadly, with films like this and a few other huge disappointments, soon her career would be over...over by about age 40.

I first saw this movie back in 1985 on cable and video taped it. What a wonderful performance by the cast of this movie! Betty Grable was fantastic, as usual. And yes, I agree that this was probably her best dancing role ever. It features many wonderful costumes and beautiful set design. The entire cast is to be commended on a job well done.

Well, being the nice person that I am, I allowed a friend of mine to borrow my video tape. Well, her husband recorded a football game that started right after the 20th Century Fox introduction and ended with "THE END". I have not been able to see this wonderful movie since and am anticipating the re-release of it in the near future.

None of it happens during the film, that's for sure. We get a handful of terrible songs with awful choreography. Who had the idea for that awful finale number with the 2 girls acting the goat? It is embarrassing. Betty Grable deserved so much better than this.

The story is about married couple Grable and MacDonald Carey (Ames) and whether or not they will stay together. Given that this is a comedy (?) musical (?!), what do you think? However, none of the characters are interesting. Mixed into this less than riveting storyline, we get what are described as "songs" but aren't actually songs. It would appear that the studio hired some untalented children to make up some songs and then just shoved them into the film. You won't be able to sing any of them back to yourself.

Technicolour is good but Grable is wasted.

Believe it or not, I'm a massive fan of the golden age of Hollywood's musicals.

This one, however, doesn't even deserve to be called a turkey Firstly, McDonald Carey was completely miscast. He seemed to grow more masculine as he aged but looked like a complete dweeb in this outing.

Some of Betty Grable's numbers were absolutely cringeworthy and the dance sequences and costumes look like a child would dress up from the takings of a thrift shop.

They weren't all winners from that era, that's for sure!

Her legs were overrated too. And Miller's were much nicer. I kept waiting for this one to improve, but it never did.

Happily, I saw it for free on YouTube and if it's consigned to the public domain, that's probably where it belongs.

This is a delightful Grable flick with great music and fine production numbers. But whomever decided Carey would be the perfect husband for her deserves the Golden Raspberry.