Diamond Horseshoe (1945)

"Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe" is another effervescent Fox musical in Technicolor starring Betty Grable, this time supported by Dick Haymes, Phil Silvers, William Gaxton and Beatrice Kay. Grable plays Bonnie Collins, a performer at the Horseshoe who doesn't get along with the head guy, Joe Davis Sr. (Gaxton). When Joe Davis Jr. arrives (Haymes), Senior turns his attention to Junior, ignoring his girlfriend Claire (Kay). Junior has decided to try his hand at show business and forget his studies to be a doctor, to the chagrin of his dad. Desperate to get the kid out of the way, Claire asks Bonnie to pretend she likes Junior and then dump him, figuring that Junior's ego won't allow him to stick around. The prize for doing this is a fur coat of Claire's that Bonnie has always envied. Of course, the inevitable occurs.

Grable looks fabulous in a variety of costumes and is very funny as Bonnie, who is annoyed at first by Junior's attention. She has some good numbers - "Shoo Shoo Baby" and "A Nickel's Worth of Dime," plus a reprise of "More than You Know." Dick Haymes' lyrical sound is delightful singing "I Want to Know" and "The More I See You." Silvers has a great comic bit at a dinner table. The one off note is William Gaxton's character of Joe, who for most of the movie is absolutely hateful and so nasty to poor Claire, you want to slap him.

Great entertainment, the kind of stuff that made Betty so popular.