This is an all-new rendition of the 1934 play and 1936 Cole Porter musical play attributed to P.G. Wodehouse. It is a substantial rewrite of that product, which itself completely revamped the Wodehouse script. But the best of Cole Porter's songs from the play are intact.
This isn't a matter of comparing versions of "Anything Goes," since each one must stand on its own for the musical performers and the specific scripts. The screenplay for this one is just so-so. By the 1950s, the formula for musicals was changing into plays with music written into them. This is in the order of the old form - mostly musical revues pieced together with a thin plot.
And, on the basis of the performances and numbers, this is an excellent package of entertainment. Bing Crosby leads with the singing, and the two female leads and Donald O'Connor give out with the moves in dance numbers. This film has some terrific choreography for all three dancers. It's a good look at Zizi Jeanmaire, a great French ballet star and dancer. She really puts zing into a couple of her routines with ballet and jazz. Her husband of many years, and famous dancer and choreographer, Roland Petit, designed the dance numbers. Petit and Jeanmaire founded Les Ballet Champs Elysees in Paris.
Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O'Connor are superb in their dances. Bing Crosby and O'Connor have some nice song and dance numbers. The better-known songs of the film include "Anything Goes," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top," and "It's De-Lovely." Crosby is Bill Benson, O'Connor is Ted Adams, Gaynor is Patsy Blair and Jeanmaire is Gaby Duval. Phil Harris plays Patsy's father, Steve Blair.
The comedy romance developments are hardly worth noting - not very well scripted or developed. The best of the comedy is in a scene with dialog between Steve Blair and a U.S. Treasury agent.
Alex Todd, "I've handled a lot of income tax cases in my time, but yours is driving me crazy."
Alex Todd, "We know you're a gambler." Steve Blair, "Ah, mathematical consultant." Alex Todd, "Yeah."
Alex Todd, "We've followed your career as a mathematical consultant all the way from Saratoga to Santa Anita." Steve Blair, "Ah, Santa Anita."
Alex Todd, "You had five straight bad years." Steve Blair, "Well, that's not my fault. Arrest the horses."
Alex Todd, "On the sixth year you reported no income." Steve Blair, "That's right." Alex Todd, "The government can prove that you won over $100,000 that year." Steve Blair, "Sure, but that wasn't mine. I had to take care of the guys that took care of me during the five bad years." Alex Todd, "You had the money, why didn't you pay your taxes?" Steve Blair, "What do you think I am, a crook?" Alex Todd, "Now, look..." Steve Blair, "What have we got, a government full of welchers? It's not ethical to let your friends down. They lent me their money, so I paid them back. And I would've paid you too, but I had nothing left. So, I figured, why declare it and... and... and put you to a lot of trouble?" Alex Todd, "What do you suppose would happen if everybody felt the way you do?" Steve Blair, "The country'd be loaded with racetracks."
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