Tuesday, December 7, 2021

That said

I still made it 52 years without seeing this movie:


I KNOW!  That's not like me at all.  I mean, I don't gravitate to musicals, but still!  If you can watch Wizard of Oz every year until age of majority you can watch this once. 

Come to think of it, it didn't get a lot of syndication repeats for my area, to my memory.  Miracle on 34th Street got a lot more air time.  It's a Wonderful Life, of course. 

General Waverly was the same actor from Twelve O'Clock High.  Major Stovall, the Group Adjutant.  Dean Jagger

I thought the same actress appeared in both this and It's a Wonderful Life, but I was confusing Mary Treen and Mary Wickes.

The sets were gorgeous.  On a huge soundstage.  And in VistaVision.  Most of the outdoor shots were indoors.  Fire in the fireplaces and everything.  Inside.  And I have the same steamer trunk as Danny Kaye.  There is a LONG scene in the dressing that Bing and Danny make look effortless, but just memorizing the script for it would have been a big deal.  No cuts. Vera-Allen has some serious dancer gams, and watching her, the boys, and Rosemary Clooney to a quartet  about snow....  I found myself going "Damn!" at numerous points, so impressed was I with the performances.

And it starts out Christmas on the WWII battlefront.  Sorta appropriate for what started for us EIGHTY years ago.  I still haven't forgiven the Japanese for all that.  I should probably let it go.  I'm not Irish; I shouldn't be willing to carry paper on a grudge that long.  

Gun content:  I think I saw an unscoped Springfield 03 among the soldier in was was set late-war.  I saw the 03, pretty sure no scope.

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