Everything moves at a fast pace for this Columbia programmer produced by Sam Katzman, known for getting his products in before their due time and under budget. This musical could have been produced in any era from the dawn of sound on up because it is a timeless story and simply utilizes modern sounds to advance it to 1959. It has appealing leads in Jo Morrow and Jack Jones, playing a European princess and a young American boy who has high hopes to become a singer, as well as some terrific guest stars. The featured cast is good to with veteran actors Brian Donlevy and Marjorie Reynolds as Jones' parents, Freida Inescort as Morrow'supper crust and, hanskin read as a junk dealer turned fashion designer, Fritz Feld as the proprietor of a higher scale fashion house, and Karin Booth as the femme fatale who tries to come between Jones' parents.
Among the specialties are George Jessel as himself (deliciously allowing himself to be the victim of an audience prank), the Earl Grant Trio, the Treniers, and a comic troupe called the Nitwits which features artists of varying age and racial backgrounds. at first, their act seems rather corny, something you might have seen on screen or in Vacaville back in the 1930's, but as their number progresses, it becomes a riotous dance number that is quite energetic. While this may not have been a huge hit when it first came out, in retrospect, it is charming, sweet, romantic and just simple light-hearted fun. I can't call it original in every way, but when it was all over, I realized that in spite of everything, I had had a truly good time, and this is one be musical that I will definitely be revisiting over and over.
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