IMDb RATING
5.6/10
267
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An American salesman pursues an heiress from Vermont, who is in turn being wooed by a Scottish lord in financial need.An American salesman pursues an heiress from Vermont, who is in turn being wooed by a Scottish lord in financial need.An American salesman pursues an heiress from Vermont, who is in turn being wooed by a Scottish lord in financial need.
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Anyone who has seen ' White Christmas ', ' On the Town ' and especially ' Call Me Madam ' will know that Vera-Ellen was enchanting to watch. But in these films she had excellent support, and here sadly she is paired with Tony Martin, who is in no way her equal. Robert Flemyng who is also the third man in the film is not right either, his acting stilted and unconvincing. But it is after all Vera-Ellen's last screen performance and in many ways she is as much fun, and as gloriously watchable as in her previous films. The story is banal; Vera-Ellen inherits money and goes to Scotland and there has a good time for the first time in her life. Although somewhat dully directed the film holds and despite mediocre songs there is a certain joy of life and in my opinion she was a loss to the cinema. Her dancing is extraordinary in a ballet sequence ( more of a musical than ballet, but well choreographed and designed, ) and see it if you can. The UK has great Cinemascope and not pan and scan version on DVD.
The locations are finely filmed, and is worth seeing simply for her performance.
The locations are finely filmed, and is worth seeing simply for her performance.
An independent feature made at the very, very end of the movie musical's golden age, and the desperation shows. Vera-Ellen, looking unhealthily slim and not dancing much, is a Vermont lass who inherits enough money to fly to Edinburgh, where she keeps running into Tony Martin and is wooed by impoverished lord Robert Flemyng. Martin, looking beefy and well past his leading-man prime, sings everywhere--at airport customs, in a Scottish dining car, at Vera's Vermont bungalow--and the songs, by Nicholas Brodzky and Paul Francis Webster, are neatly integrated enough but not what you'd call exciting. Nor is Henry Levin's direction, and even the Edinburgh location shooting looks rather skimpy. Wan storytelling, no-name supporting cast, so-so songs
No wonder it didn't do well.
Let's Be Happy is a musical film shot in Scotland by a British film company and released in America under the Allied Artist banner. It also has two American stars, Tony Martin and Vera-Ellen and both made their final big screen appearance in this production. Musicals were certainly becoming rarer and rarer on the screen by 1957.
If people have followed my reviews on Tony Martin's films, one my criticisms is why he was never teamed with his wife Cyd Charisse in any movie. Cyd was under contract to MGM and Tony did occasional films there as well. Both would move on to the nightclub phase of their careers as their primary venue and they were one of the biggest acts on that circuit for many years. I think Let's Be Happy was created with both of them in mind, but apparently Cyd was otherwise occupied with work at MGM. She did do Silk Stockings that same year over at that much bigger studio. So Vera-Ellen was brought in instead.
The story is a slight one and the songs by Nicholas Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster are pretty forgettable, but they're done well as sang by Tony and danced to by Vera-Ellen. She's a Vermont farm girl who gets an inheritance from her grandfather of $5000.00 approximately, kept in a secret compartment because apparently grandfather did not trust banks. And as a good Scots girl, she decides to visit the old country.
She meets Tony on the plane and the two seem to hit it off. But along the way an impoverished title played by Robert Flemyng gets the idea that Vera-Ellen is really loaded and in the tradition of European nobility down on its luck, they woo the rich American.
Let's Be Happy does boast some really nice cinematography of Edinburgh, a city which definitely believes in keeping its ancient look up for the tourists. It's a pleasant enough 90+ minutes of entertainment, but I do so wish Tony Martin had done this with Cyd Charisse.
If people have followed my reviews on Tony Martin's films, one my criticisms is why he was never teamed with his wife Cyd Charisse in any movie. Cyd was under contract to MGM and Tony did occasional films there as well. Both would move on to the nightclub phase of their careers as their primary venue and they were one of the biggest acts on that circuit for many years. I think Let's Be Happy was created with both of them in mind, but apparently Cyd was otherwise occupied with work at MGM. She did do Silk Stockings that same year over at that much bigger studio. So Vera-Ellen was brought in instead.
The story is a slight one and the songs by Nicholas Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster are pretty forgettable, but they're done well as sang by Tony and danced to by Vera-Ellen. She's a Vermont farm girl who gets an inheritance from her grandfather of $5000.00 approximately, kept in a secret compartment because apparently grandfather did not trust banks. And as a good Scots girl, she decides to visit the old country.
She meets Tony on the plane and the two seem to hit it off. But along the way an impoverished title played by Robert Flemyng gets the idea that Vera-Ellen is really loaded and in the tradition of European nobility down on its luck, they woo the rich American.
Let's Be Happy does boast some really nice cinematography of Edinburgh, a city which definitely believes in keeping its ancient look up for the tourists. It's a pleasant enough 90+ minutes of entertainment, but I do so wish Tony Martin had done this with Cyd Charisse.
I saw this film in glorious Cinemascope and color at the Palace Theatre when it first opened in 1957, and was already enchanted with the dancing charms of Vera-Ellen, certainly one of, if not the best dancers in Hollywood history. No, she didn't sing (always dubbed, although early stage recordings display a fun dancer's voice), and her acting relied heavily on her charm and good looks, but when she danced, watch out!
The film is a slight vehicle for the charms of Vera-Ellen and Tony Martin, star baritone of various MGM films of the 40s and 50s (and as Robert Osborne points out on TCM, you expect this to be an MGM film, but it's one of the few Allied Artists musicals of the period), complete with songs written by composer Nicholas Brodszky (Love Me Or Leave Me). At least it's not studio-bound; it was filmed in 1956 at the dazzling Edinburgh Festival, as well as other beautiful Scotland locales.
You will long to see the original Cinemascope print, but all that seems to exist is a pan and scan version. Better than nothing, and it is the only chance to see the film, which TCM just began showing in the past year, after it had been seemingly lost for the past 20-odd years. But now we need a proper print in the original Scope on DVD. Come on, Warner Archives, you've released every grade B and C film known and unknown, give a little TLC to LET'S BE HAPPY.
The film is a slight vehicle for the charms of Vera-Ellen and Tony Martin, star baritone of various MGM films of the 40s and 50s (and as Robert Osborne points out on TCM, you expect this to be an MGM film, but it's one of the few Allied Artists musicals of the period), complete with songs written by composer Nicholas Brodszky (Love Me Or Leave Me). At least it's not studio-bound; it was filmed in 1956 at the dazzling Edinburgh Festival, as well as other beautiful Scotland locales.
You will long to see the original Cinemascope print, but all that seems to exist is a pan and scan version. Better than nothing, and it is the only chance to see the film, which TCM just began showing in the past year, after it had been seemingly lost for the past 20-odd years. But now we need a proper print in the original Scope on DVD. Come on, Warner Archives, you've released every grade B and C film known and unknown, give a little TLC to LET'S BE HAPPY.
A minor 50's musical with the unusual backdrop of Edinburgh! Vera-Ellen is the biggest name, if that's any gauge, and she seems to have been cast for the circumference of her cinched waist. Watch her attempting to obey the direction to NOT look in the camera: her eye movements bring to mind Carol Burnett's over-the-top Norah Desmond.
The storyline has a slightly screwball premise so dear to musicals; 'young' Jeannie [Vera-Ellen in her last major role] goes to Europe for a vacation and spends her entire inheritance of $4000; two cads, one a helpful Yankee [Tony Martin, stalwart of lesser musicals and Cyd Charisse's husband] and the other a poor Scottish laird [Robert Flemyng] who believes her to be a million-heiress vie for her affections. An odd jazz-ballet number reminds you it was made in the late 50's. The city of Edinburgh and some stunning gowns co-star. ** out of **** stars
The storyline has a slightly screwball premise so dear to musicals; 'young' Jeannie [Vera-Ellen in her last major role] goes to Europe for a vacation and spends her entire inheritance of $4000; two cads, one a helpful Yankee [Tony Martin, stalwart of lesser musicals and Cyd Charisse's husband] and the other a poor Scottish laird [Robert Flemyng] who believes her to be a million-heiress vie for her affections. An odd jazz-ballet number reminds you it was made in the late 50's. The city of Edinburgh and some stunning gowns co-star. ** out of **** stars
Did you know
- TriviaVera-Ellen's lifelong conflict with various eating disorders had culminated famously in high necklines to cover her emaciated state in both "Call Me Madam" (1953) and "White Christmas" (1954). However, by the time she made this film, she had returned to a normal weight, reflected in costuming that once again partially revealed her neckline.
- Quotes
Helene: [French gold-digger] Do you want somezing?
Stanley Smith: You're sitting on it.
- ConnectionsReferenced in 'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney (2000)
- SoundtracksThe Man from Idaho
(uncredited)
Written by Nicholas Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster
Performed by Tony Martin
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Let's Be Happy
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 49m(109 min)
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55:1
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