A recent viewing on TCM confirmed what I'd long suspected: This is one of Warners' best musicals, off the assembly line to be sure, but with an added dose of heart and honest sentiment. Too, it's modestly produced and unpretentious, with a believable, touching little love story that doesn't get lost among the parade of Gus Kahn song hits. It's also a family comedy, and Jack Rose and Melville Shavelson, who knew how to write for kids (they also did "Yours, Mine, and Ours"), provide some bright moments for the tykes. Thomas underplays, never pushing Kahn's wisecracking too hard, and Doris is at her best (if unflatteringly coiffed and costumed); her "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)" is one of her best numbers ever. The conflicts and resolutions are fairly standard-biopic, but Michael Curtiz, who directed "Yankee Doodle Dandy," appears to have lavished the same attention to detail to this much more modest effort. Don't mind the clichés about immigrant parents' dreams for their children (Minna Gombell overdoes this part), temperamental stars (Patrice Wymore is good), and difficult producers (Jim Backus as Sam Harris, who was far more benign than how he's portrayed here). Stick with this one; you'll be rewarded.
Review of I'll See You in My Dreams
