Lady Be Good (1941) User Reviews (40)

They Make Beautiful Music Together

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 May 2008]

The only resemblance between this film and the Broadway musical and silent film of Lady Be Good from 1928 is purely coincidental. All that MGM took for this film was the title and two songs from the original Broadway score.

That being said this version of Lady Be Good about a pair of husband and wife songwriters is good entertainment. Robert Young and Ann Sothern are the married pair and it's the same old story of two who can't live and can't live without each other. In fact the story is told in flashback by Sothern on the witness stand to Judge Lionel Barrymore in her divorce hearing.

The rest of the score is written by those MGM contract writers Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. None of it is particularly memorable. However an additional song which brought this film its only Oscar caused some considerable controversy.

The year before Oscar Hammerstein, II saw newsreels of the Nazis marching into Paris and the sad faces of the French people who now had to endure the unendurable. He spent some considerable time in Paris and loved the city. So moved was he that he dashed off a song lyric and immediately called Jerome Kern to put some music to it. The result was the incredibly popular The Last Time I Saw Paris.

So popular was it that MGM I'm sure paid a pretty penny for the rights and to interpolate into Lady Be Good. Tony Martin and Lanny Ross and Kate Smith and the great concert singer John Charles Thomas had made some good selling records of The Last Time I Saw Paris. Ann Sothern sang it beautifully in the film, the last chorus with her voice over newsreels of the occupation.

The popularity of the song and the entrance of the USA into World War II no doubt influenced the vote of the Academy. Plus the fact that interpolated songs like this were not specifically banned. It was sheer coincidence that the six of the first seven winners were original songs written specifically for the film they were in.

The Academy rules were tightened up and now songs had to be written specifically for the film. So Sweet Leilani and The Last Time I Saw Paris remain the only two songs not written for the films they were in. By the way Jerome Kern fought for the rule change himself, saying he voted for Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer's Blues in the Night as the best song for 1941.

The other musical highlight is Eleanor Powell dancing to Fascinating Rhythm. On stage it was Fred and sister Adele Astaire who did it originally, but there ain't nothing wrong about the way Eleanor Powell cuts that carpet. Busby Berkeley directed the sequence and it's filled with his original touches.

One day maybe I'll see a theatrical production of George&Ira Gershwin's Lady Be Good. Till then this will do nicely.

Lots of talent but not much script

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 22 November 2012]

Robert Young, Ann Sothern, Eleanor Parker, Red Skelton, and Lionel Barrymore star in "Lady Be Good," a 1941 film about two married and then unmarried songwriters.

He (Young) writes the music, she (Sothern) writes the words, but once Dixie and Eddie Crane become successes, Eddie becomes a little taken with the Park Avenue set and Dixie, bored by the whole thing, suggests that they divorce. They do, but they soon find themselves working together again, and Eddie wants to re-marry Dixie.

Sothern sings beautifully, and Young has a pleasant voice as they croon their way through various songs. Sothern sings "You'll Never Know," and "The Last Time I Saw Paris," and Young duets with her in "Your Words and My Music" and "Lady Be Good." The film's real energy comes from Eleanor Parker, who is beautiful and does two terrific numbers, "Lady Be Good" with Buttons the dog, and "Fascinatin' Rhythm," choreographed by Busby Berkeley. Had this movie been better, you'd be seeing both her numbers in movie musical documentaries and film compilations today. They're terrific. The Berry Brothers are outstanding, and in the same section, do a phenomenal number.

Sothern is lovely and delightful as always, and Young is an affable leading man. I wish there had been more of a script for all this talent.

Fascinating Rhythm

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 11 July 2014]

Pleasant musical comedy about a songwriting couple (Ann Sothern, Robert Young) who get a divorce because success goes to his head. But they're still in love so their friends conspire to get them back together. Lovely songs, including "The Last Time I Saw Paris." Ann Sothern, adorable as always, does her own singing here and she actually has a nice voice. Great cast includes (in addition to Sothern and Young) Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, Reginald Owen, Lionel Barrymore, and Virginia O'Brien. Powell's dance number with her dog and "Fascinating Rhythm" finale are classics. Perhaps a little longer than it needed to be for such a simple story but it doesn't drag. It's good fun.

A Lot of Fun and Great Musical Numbers

[liscarkat · 12 October 2004]

Everyone in this movie is terrific, and the story is one of the better ones among musicals of the period. The songs and dances are great, too, with two of the high points being beautiful Ann Sothern's "The Last Time I Saw Paris" and Eleanor Powell's dancing finale. But most amazing of all is Powell's duet with her dog. This number should be rated along with Fred Astaire's dance on the ceiling in "Royal Wedding" and Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" as one of the best of all time. If you're looking for social commentary, turn on NPR. If you want something deep, find a stable and pick up a shovel. This movie was meant to be fun and entertaining, and it succeeds perfectly on both counts.

The dog stole the show!

[steven_torrey · 10/10 · 26 December 2015]

The movie is at best, and being generous, a C movie. It is more in the tradition of a 'revue'--where songs are sort of presented in a venue, surrounded by a story line. The audience walks into the venue, expecting to hear songs--not a story. And the songs and dances make the movie outstanding.

I hate to say this, but I never heard "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (Hammerstein/Kern) until I saw Michael Feinstein's "Great American Songbook"--and by then I was probably 62 years old. It had immediately endeared itself to me and I knew I had to see the movie. But--it is still Ann Sothern singing the song standing at a piano in a revue--it is the revue we come to see. The excellence of that song alone outweighs the banal story line. (Bob Hope and Shirley Ross singing "Thanks for the Memories" (Big Broadcast of 1938) is another movie moment that elevates a so so movie into a must see movie.)

Likewise with Eleanor Powell rehearsing a dance in her apartment--still a venue--(Fascinating Rhythm--Gershwin) with her dog. And the dog steals the show--and the movie; a song and dance that is already wowsa, by a wowsa dancer, dominated by a dog! Simply stupendous. (It's why W. C. Fields didn't like working with kids and animals/dogs--they are scene stealers.)

I might add, as I'm listening and watching the taps, I couldn't help but notice that there were more taps then steps in Eleanor Powell's routine. Someone pointed out in the goofs that the taps continue while Miss Powell is on her head and off her feet doing cartwheels. No one can imagine Fred Astaire allowing that sort of mistake to creep into his dance routines.

So while the story line was iffy, the songs and dance were stupendous and made the movie worth seeing.

A so-so musical effort by MGM

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 12 May 2017]

I found this musical with not many (or any) big production numbers until the end rather dull, despite the involvement of the great Busby Berkeley. It was a little odd to see Eleanor Powell shuffled off to a second-banana, gal-pal role, though she does eventually get her big dance number. MGM could load on the "more stars than there are in Heaven", couldn't they? Lionel Barrymore and Red Skelton have relatively minor roles in this one. I had to roll my eyes when Ann Sothern and Powell have just gotten back to their place straight from divorce court, and Robert Young calls, and they're like giddy teenagers. I mean, you just got divorced ten minutes ago and you're already trying to figure out how to win him back? Only in the movies ...

Some Exceptionally Talented Artists

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 28 January 2013]

"Dixie Donegan" (Ann Sothern) and "Eddie Crane" (Robert Young) are a married couple who write songs together. Unfortunately, Eddie lets the success go to his head and as a result their marriage ends in divorce. At least that was their initial plan. What both of them begin to realize is just how much they need and love each other. At any rate, rather than spoil the plot for those who haven't seen it all I will say is that this is a nice little musical which clearly showcases some exceptionally talented artists. Personally, what I really enjoyed was the performance of the beautiful Ann Sothern, who in my opinion dominated this film with her acting and singing. She was excellent. I especially liked the songs, "Lady Be Good" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris". And while this film certainly has its faults, it's still worth viewing by those who enjoy light-hearted musicals from time to time. Slightly above average.

Great movie about the songwriting process and the music biz

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 8 April 2010]

There is a lot of great Gershwin music in this. Anne "Maisie" Southern and Robert Young portray a songwriting couple who have a quirky process and a rocky relationship. Kind of like real life, but this is funnier.

Eleanor Powell, second in tap only to Anne Miller plays Anne Southerns best friend and roommate. Red Skelton, a very young and always-eating Virginia O'Brien, John Carroll, Phil Silvers, Tom Conway, The Berry Brothers, and Lionel Barrymore are support cast.

The centerpiece of this film is the song "Lady Be Good" and the film rotates around the writing, production and distribution of that song - And for musical historians, this is a jewel, showing stacks of sheet music being printed and the song played around the nation, in player pianos and in sheet-music joints. One serious spot has Southern and Young singing "The Last Time I Saw Paris" obviously a tribute to that city during the nazi occupation - "When the Lights went Out". Directed by Norman Z McLeod with Musical Sequences directed by Busby Berkley.

This film was made at the pinnacle of MGM's musical prowess, and the art direction/set design, sound (Recorded by Douglas Shearer, Norma's brother), lighting are all superb. These are in my opinion the best "romantic musical comedies" ever made.

More wonderful TAP by the Berry Brothers & Eleanor Powell

[randy-322 · 8/10 · 4 December 2005]

The fabulous tap dance and flash styling of the Berry Brothers is complimented by Eleanor Powell's beautiful tap and acrobatics. The Berry Brothers have never gotten the credit they deserved. Their artistry is something that has not been duplicated all these years later. From Tap Dance, Spins, Cane work to handsprings into splits, these men did it all! In this movie Eleanor Powell demonstrates she was one of the few women who genuinely deserved the solo spot in tap dancing. Musicals like this are sorely missed in today's entertainment. In the days this movie was produced, special effects, computer graphics couldn't take the place of talent. Truly a treasure of tap dance history. A must see for any tap enthusiast!!!

One of the best musicals of this period!

[Incalculacable · 7/10 · 17 April 2006]

I found Lady Be Good to be a refreshing, surprisingly intelligent and upbeat musical with great songs and dances. The story is about a married song writing team who divorces. The story starts with Ann Southern explaining the story and follows on from there. The script is incredibly witty, and there is some great physical comedy. Some of the of the best music of all time written for this movie, including "Lady Be Good" which always gets in my head and the more famous "The Last time I saw Paris". The Gershwin's are incredible. So a combination of a witty script, great acting, great music and great dancing makes this a wonderful musical - a stand out from the rest! A truly lighthearted and entertaining musical.

A case of too much material for one film.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 26 September 2013]

"Lady Be Good" might have been a better film if it was a six hour film! That's because so much is crammed into the picture that it really moves too fast and the plot, at times, is really rushed. This is because the filmmakers weren't sure if the film should be a romance, a musical/dancing extravaganza or a chance to show off a few dozen (bostly B-list) MGM actors. I really wish the film had a narrower focus and concentrated more on the romance--especially since the leads were clearly NOT in their elements in a musical.

Dixie (Ann Sothern) and Eddie (Young) team up early in the film to write songs. INSTANTLY they are famous and what seemed like only about 30 seconds later, they are married and then divorced--all because Eddie is a bit of a fat-head and Dixie doesn't talk to him about how unhappy she is!! Things happened so fast, it made my head spin--and really seemed super-rushed. The rest of the film concerns the couple working together and determining IF they need each other romantically. You KNOW they do--and the ending is absolutely no surprise. In between, you have lots of songs, tap dancing and other distractions.

So is the film worth seeing? If you aren't a fan of musicals, probably not. However, ANY film where Eleanor Powell dances is STILL worth seeing, as she was an AMAZING dancer. However, the film was a disappointment to me--as with all the money, glitz and talent, it sure should have been better. Plus, the romance seemed really, really forced and unconvincing.

The Berry Brothers are an AMAZING talent

[BelleCBelle · 8/10 · 25 August 2006]

I have to give this film an eight simply because The Berry Brothers appeared in it (I love them - what incredible talent) which was pretty unusual for a 1940's "white" film, AND also because of the incredible, breathtaking, amazingly choreographed and executed dance sequences at the end of the film.

The film also has sublime bits throughout, such as the tap dances that includes Eleanor Powell tap-dancing with "Blackie," a captivating black and white terrier-mix dog, "Miss Deadpan" (Virginia O'Brien) who delivers her own style of comedic twists to the songs she sings in the film and, of course, Robert Young and Ann Sothern contribute their own charm to enrich the film.

TIVO the film and fast-forward to the song and dance numbers - they are worth the wait!

Another MGM B&W musical that includes Eleanor Powell's manic tap dancing

[weezeralfalfa · 8/10 · 9 April 2020]

Famous tap dancer Eleanor Powell, who headlined a variety of B&W MGM musicals in the '30s, may have been first billed in this '41 musical, but cute Ann Southern had much more screen time, and was the de facto female lead, while charismatic Robert Young was the male lead. They are characterized as a sometimes married husband &wife song writing team, with Young spending much time at the piano trying to compose tunes, while Ann leads in composing the lyrics. But, they query whether they weren't more productive when they weren't officially married. ...........The film begins with a divorce trial spearheaded by Ann's character(Dixie), with Lionel Barrymore's character the presiding judge. He had also been the judge in the previous divorce trial between Ann and Young, when he had ruled in favor of divorce. Since then they had remarried. .........As part of her plea, Ann begins recounting the relevant facts, which become the main substance of the film, although considerable extraneous scenes are included. Periodically, the screenplay returns to the courtroom to discuss the relevance of what we have seen. Meanwhile, actor and sometimes singer John Carroll and Eleanor are establishing a romantic relationship. Much more peripheral singer/comedians Red Skeleton and Virginia O'Brien start appearing together in scenes, suggesting a possible developing romantic relationship. All 3 couples are included in the finale group sing...........All the newly composed songs, supposedly composed by Young and Ann, were composed by the teams of Arthur Freed and N.H. Brown or Roger Eden. However, much the most memorable songs had been composed recently by Kern and Hammerstein("The Last Time I saw Paris"), or by the Gershwins("Oh, Lady Be Good", "Fascinating Rhythm"), back in the '20s.......... I didn't realize that Ann had been a professional band singer, as was her sister. She sang the Oscar winning original song "The Last Time I Saw Paris", composed the year before, as a lament to its conquest by the Nazi's. She was also the first to sing the title song, which was sung a number of times, including in the finale. Eleanor danced to the title song, with her dog Buttons, which she trained, after others failed to do satisfactorily. Later, she danced to "Fascinating Rhythm". Meanwhile, Virginia sang "Your Words and my Music" in her unique deadpan manner, which somehow gained popularity as a novelty during the '40s. I find it quite disconcerting!.........I have to mention the Berry Brothers trio, who performed several times their gymnastic style of dancing and clowning around. They were one of several African American brother teams who did so in the occasional musical during the '40s. I should also mention that famous choreographer Busby Berkeley directed the musicals. He had moved from Warner to MGM in the late '30s, and would continue with MGM into the '50s, choreographicing the occasional musical that didn't include Gene Kelly(who always choreographiced the films he was in). Returning to the initial divorce scene, Judge Barrymore denies Ann her second divorce from Young, citing his impression that they were still in love most of the time. This sparks their reunion and a signal for the imminent film ending.

Meet The Bickersons

[GManfred · 9 October 2013]

A great deal of time was spent on the back story and not enough concentration on the music, so much so that I was reminded of the 40's radio show, "The Bickersons". It was a comedy show centering around a continuously arguing couple played by Don Ameche and Frances Langford. This picture centers around a continuously arguing couple, played by Robert Young and Ann Sothern. They marry, divorce, remarry, etc... this is not musical comedy but musical drama.

On the whole, though, I liked it. The picture has so much to recommend it that I could overlook the infighting scenes because the music was great. Not a lot of it remains from the Broadway musical, just "Fascinatin' Rhythm" and the title song. But the song that put the movie over for me was "The Last Time I Saw Paris", sung to perfection by Ann Sothern. It won a well-deserved AA for Best Song. Then there was Eleanor Powell with a couple of terrific dance numbers, The acrobatic Berry Brothers, Red Skelton and Lionel Barrymore, who increases the stature of any movie he is in.

I thought Young and Sothern played off each other well and were true troupers, doing the best they could with peculiar material. The picture was about 15-20 minutes too long, dwelling too much on marital strife, but this was an MGM musical and in black and white, no less - made me think no one did musicals like Fox.

Way too long and disorganized

[richard-1787 · 5/10 · 21 November 2016]

This is a hodge-podge, and that makes it hard to sit through. Being almost two hours long doesn't help.

First, the good: Ann Southern. She is very good in this movie, and sings some songs very beautifully. Robert Young does a good job with his character, but that character is all over the place. Eleanor Powell is good as Southern's friend - which is fortunate, because she only gets two dance numbers, which is one of the negative things about this movie. Giving her only two numbers is wasting her.

The bad: this movie goes on way too long, and has way too many segments that have nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Actually, the best moment in the movie has nothing to do with the rest of it. Suddenly, with no warning, Reginald Owen announces that the song-writing team (Southern and Young) have written a new song. With no other explanation, Southern sings, very beautifully, "The Last Time I Saw Paris", which, unlike the rest of songs in the movie, is not by Gershwin but Kern. Suddenly we are made aware that the Germans have occupied France, and we are made to regret it with Oscar Hammerstein's moving words. The famous Paris monuments are run behind Southern's beautiful face. It is a perfectly filmed moment.

And then we go back to the rest of the movie, and the war in Europe is forgotten.

Young's character is disagreeable. There are too many extraneous numbers. The song that gets plugged the most, "Words and Music", is not that good.

There is some real good stuff here, mostly the musical numbers. The rest just gets aggravating after awhile.

Hollywood Has Always Demeaned Marriage, But At Least It Recognizes Dance Talent

[ccthemovieman-1 · 3/10 · 15 July 2006]

Here's another case of "great cast, stupid story" and yet one more example of Hollywood trashing the institution of marriage. Is it any wonder their divorce rates were ludicrous, but why push it on the rest of us? (There's a divorce granted early on in which the judge says, "there is more than sufficient evidence," when in fact there is no justifiable grounds.) No wonder no-fault divorce came into being. Hollywood's constant trivializing of it in the classic years helped. Movies like this actually promote it!

In this story, Ann Southern and Robert Young get married, get divorced, get back together and then get divorced again! Ridiculous!

The only thing that saves this film are a couple of very good dance routines by Eleanor Powell and the Berry Brothers (not well-known but similar in style to the more-famous Nicholas Brothers with their acrobatics.) Powell does a very clever dance in the living with a dog. Later, she and the Berry Brotherrs and the rest of the cast all collaborate on a long "Fascinatin' Rhythm" number.

classic and utterly Amazing

[moneywellspent · 12 October 2004]

Eleanor Powell must be the greatest female dancer of all time. The camera movement and stage settings are unbelievable. TCM movies own some wonderful gems and Turner is a genius.

The quality of the print seems perfect. I saw only the ending and per the other comment I was blessed with a great trigger. The dance was long and interesting from the beginning. When EP started it was very subtle but nonetheless fascinating. Little clicks and hand motions lead me to believe she was just window candy but she progressed into an amazing routine with such complexity that you forget how intricate it was by virtue of the simple start. A camera change revels a new perspective that plays perfectly into the remaining steps. It's ends beautifully.

Endure 2 hours of trivial drama for one fabulous dance sequence!

[David-240 · 6/10 · 6 April 2000]

Great songs but no plot. The trivial trials and tribulations of a married song-writing team are impossible to find interesting - even with likeable players like Robert Young and Ann Sothern (who looks great!). But top-billed Eleanor Powell does practically nothing - until one of the greatest dance sequences ever filmed appears almost at the end of the movie - "Fascinating Rhythm" is breathtaking! Sit through the rest to see this, or maybe watch the tape and fast-forward through the story bits, but don't miss the songs, or that great trio of black brothers who dance up a storm!

Should have been better with a cast like this!!

[Doylenf · 22 May 2001]

It's a shame to see three perfectly fine stars (Ann Sothern, Robert Young and Eleanor Powell), along with a supporting cast that includes Red Skelton and Virginia O'Brien, stuck in a lackluster, uninspired musical comedy about a pair of songwriters (Sothern and Young) having marital difficulties until the happy ending. Sothern gets to sing "The Last Time I Saw Paris" but her role is a sappy one. The scenes where she and Young are shown composing a song is laughable but for all the wrong reasons. Trouble is the script lacks the wit and sophistication badly needed here.

Eleanor Powell has little to do until the finale when she struts her stuff with a Busby Berkeley tap dance routine to "Fascinating Rhythm" that steals the show. Except for the pleasant cast, there are trying moments to sit through until the few good bits. Best watched on your VCR so you can fast forward when the action gets dull--which it does, with alarming regularity!

Summing up: good cast wasted on empty trifle.

Some great talent and a couple of great numbers in a terrible movie

[cherold · 5/10 · 20 March 2015]

It's sad when really good material is stranded in a really bad movie. Eleanor Powell, who in spite of top billing has a very small part, has a wonderful number with a dog for a dance partner and an overdone (by Busby Berkeley) but still excellent big number near the end. There's some nice cane work by the Berry Brothers, and Virginia O'Brien as an eternally hungry girl does one of her amusing deadpan numbers. Red Skelton is also amusing when he shows up.

Unfortunately everything in the above paragraph makes up maybe 15% of the total movie, which is mainly focused on Ann Southern and Robert Young as a song-writing husband and wife team.

The script is awful. The characters actions make no sense, ever. Every contrivance, every argument, every reconciliation, seems to come out of nowhere. Neither Ann nor Robert ever actually tells the other what they're unhappy about, and nothing you see explains the degree of difficulty in the relationship.

The dialogue is very poor, listless and repetitive. The direction is flaccid. Even Lionel Barrymore struggles in vain to bring his small, badly written part to life.

Also, while this is based on a Gershwin musical, for some reason it only has two Gershwin songs. It also has a couple of other mediocre songs written by someone else, and The Last Time I Saw Paris, which won an Oscar in spite of Sothern's dreary performance (she can sing, but she can't make it interesting). Since there are so few songs, most are used several times, performed in different styles by different people. This is find when that song is Lady Be Good, but with the more mediocre numbers it's hugely annoying.

I've seen both Powell with a dog and the Berry Brothers on youtube, so my recommendation would be to find the youtube clips from this movie and skip the movie itself. As a full movie it's awful, but as 15 minutes of youtube clips, it's excellent.

The Band Wagon it ain't

[ChorusGirl · 4/10 · 16 August 2008]

Based on the DVD supplements, it appears MGM cut one of Powell's numbers--"I'd Rather Dance". It must be one of the great Hollywood mysteries of all time how, considering all the stretches of tedium in this movie and the fact Powell is the only good thing in the whole enterprise, a studio would delete one of her dances.

Since Powell is relegated to a supporting Girl Friday/Matchmaker role, the film rests on the shoulders of Robert Young and Ann Sothern, whose roles are so painfully vile and obnoxious you expect them to be murdered by one of their long-suffering friends at any moment, and then Charlie Chan to show up. In their defense, one doubts that Hepburn & Tracy , or for that matter Lunt & Fontanne, could have made this work either.

And oh, that script. The courtroom scenes...the fights between Sothern and Young...the clunky way musical numbers are tossed in (particularly "The Last Time I Saw Paris", for which an entire incongruous "banquet" scene is set up for no reason whatsoever)...Red Skelton falling down 4 or 5 times...one practically yearns for a simple, low-budget Columbia musical.

If you can make it all the way to the end, Busby Berkeley, The Beery Brothers, and Eleanor Powell totally turn it out with Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm," which is a triumphant piece of staging, and actually a wonderful version of the song as well.

Incredible dancing

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 18 April 2019]

Lady Be Good is told in flashbacks as Ann Sothern tries to justify her divorce to judge Lionel Barrymore in court. She tells the story of her marriage to fellow songwriter Robert Young, and how her friends Eleanor Powell, John Carroll, and Red Skelton, try to get them back together. The plot isn't the good part of this movie, not by a long shot. The musical numbers are extremely entertaining, and I don't mean the songs Ann Sothern sings while Robert Young mimes playing the piano. Ann debuts the Oscar-winning song "The Last Time I Saw Paris," so if you love that song, you might want to rent this movie just to see it in its original form. Besides that, she sings "Lady Be Good" several times, and others sing and dance to it as well.

The Berry Brothers give the Nicholas Brothers a run for their money during the intense dance numbers they perform. Thankfully, they have quite a bit of screen time, so if you do decide to rent this movie, you'll get to see their talent for much longer than three minutes. Their endless splits and twirls will have you applauding at the end of their numbers. Eleanor Powell, the greatest female dancer of the silver screen, also has some fantastic numbers to show off her "machine gun" legs. She has a show-stopping number where she tap dances backwards while other set pieces are moved all around her and the camera tracks her upstage descent, then she gets tossed hands-over-feet down a line of chorus men, ending with a bright, relieved smile into the camera. If that number doesn't entice you, she has an equally impressive dance in her living room, a practice session she tries out with her pet pooch. The impeccably trained dog ends up joining her, and while he jumps through her hooped arms and circles through her legs, she's tap dancing around him and doing cartwheels, all while smiling into the camera. She doesn't once look at the ground to make sure she's not stepping on her dog. I'm always filled with admiration for Eleanor when I see her, especially because she makes it look so easy!

Check out this musical for the dancing. Ann is a bit annoying, and Bob isn't given anything to do, but the dancing is wonderful. Bob does get to sing a few lines during some of the songs, something he's never given the chance to do in his other movies. It's the dancers, though, who deservedly steal the spotlight.

Grand finish with fantastic dance and musical flourish saves this film

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 4 September 2022]

"Lady Be Good" has a tremendous cast, although none were among the best singers for a musical. Still, Ann Sothern does quite well singing, and Virginia O'Brien and John Carroll add their voices for a couple numbers each. This was apparently MGM's film to launch Ann Sothern as a singer, and while she is quite good, and this film wasn't a flop, it's 72nd place for the year at the box office wasn't enough to convince the musical studio that it has another singing star.

In a way, that's too bad, and Sothern's voice really was quite good, especially for soft, slow tunes. But the plot and screenplay for this film are very close to terrible. The writers forgot that it was supposed to be a comedy musical. And, Robert Young's character is a real drip, cad and dummy. Or, taken for its portrayal, it might be considered a good acting job of a type of some men who become stars with big egos and are very self-centered. He does play that role to the hilt as Eddie Crane, a composer. Sothern's Dixie Donegan spends the first three-fourths of the film pining after him while he hardly gives her a thought, even though they are married somewhere around halfway. Both of these actors were known for their comedies, comedy romances, and even drama. But there's no chemistry here.

Even with Young's role, if there had been a much better screenplay it would have helped. And, of course, for that first three-fourths, most in the audience must have been wondering when the top-billed Eleanor Powell would show her stuff. This is one of those Hollywood instances when a studio gives top-billing to a star who actually plays a supporting role. It was done once in a while on purpose as a lure to get more people to watch a movie. That says something about MGM's hopes for Sothern making it as a singer, in itself.

While the singing and supporting cast were all quite good, the dreariness of the first three-quarters of this film, with very little humor, just about tanked it for me. But then, the fantastic finish with a marvelous Eleanor Powell dance routine (Busby Berkely choreographed, naturally), and a nice overall musical crescendo saves the film. Buttons is a very talented dog that Powell training to dance. Considering the fantastic cast of support, this film really should have been much better. Lionel Barrymore, Red Skelton, Reginald Owen, Phil Silvers, Dan Dailey, and more. All it needed was a screenplay that would use all of the talents with song, dance and comedy. But the writers sure missed on this one.

Here are the only three lines of at least a little humor, in the film.

Joe "Red" Willet, "You know, you're going to ruin your appetite if you don't stop eating between bites."

Dixie Donegan, "What a spot to be in. A woman who doesn't dare marry her own husband."

Marilyn Marsh, "Help me get into my things. I don't wanna get shot looking like this."

Blah, Blah and Blah

[broadway_melody_girl · 5/10 · 21 April 2008]

This movie was sooooo boring. I love good old-fashioned movie musicals like no one else but this on was BLAH. You have to sit through at least an hour of watching the cliché and boring antics of Robert Young and Ann Sothern before Eleanor Powell actually does some dancing. The only reason to watch this movie is for the few bright spots that Red Skelton and the Berry Brothers bring, and of course, Ellie two amazing dance numbers. You may be amused by the comedic plot but I found it way too reused and slow and boring.

Do yourself a favor and skip watching this movie for now unless you are a huge huge Eleanor Powell fan. Hunt up some really ENJOYABLE musicals of this time, like Thousands Cheer or Down Argentine Way. This movie does not do justice to Ellie's amazing talent.

Song And Dance Pleasure

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 21 November 2023]

Lionel Barrymore plays a judge who is adjudicating a divorce between Dixie Donegan Crane (Ann Sothern) and Eddie Crane (Robert Young). As he interviews the witnesses and the litigants, their story is told in flashback. We learn that the two became writing partners (songwriter and lyricist) almost by accident, then success caused relationship problems. Their relationship becomes the core of the story, but the best parts of the film are the musical and dance performances.

If you are like me, you have always enjoyed watching The Nicholas Brothers in films. Harold and Fayard performed in thirteen films, displaying their athletic yet suave dance style. And maybe you never heard of The Berry Brothers, who appear in this film. Here the three put on a show that is the highlight of the film. Their style is like The Nicholas Brothers, but even more athletic. And it's the reason for rating the film so high.

Also watch for some beautiful gowns by Adrian. And listen for the music by George & Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II, who are also mentioned in the film's dialogue as examples of successful writing teams. Lastly, the dancing by Eleanor Powell deserves special mention.