In 1974, in the movie That's Entertainment, Elizabeth Taylor dubiously declared this move as 'Everybody's favourite high school musical'
Who knows, at that time perhaps it was..The movie version of Grease was still 4 years away and the cinema going audience had had little served up in this genre in the ensuing 27 years.
Don't get me wrong. It's a good musical, There are some great songs by accomplished songsmiths like Henderson, DeSylva, and Brown from the original stage show and additional Oscar nominated material by long time MGM composer and arranger Roger Edens in conjunction with Adolph Green, Betty Camden, Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. Chuck Walters does an amazing job with his directorial debut, and solid performances are given by the entire cast, especially June Allyson, Joan McCracken and Ray McDonald, with Mel 'Velvet Fog' Torme appears in a small role proving that he was at the very peak of his singing excellence.
The weak point of this movie is in my opinion Peter Lawford. I'm not talking about his obvious lack of singing and dancing ability...he does the same charming and inoffensive competent job he did in It Happened in Brooklyn, and which he would go on to do in Easter Parade. My issue with Lawford in this movie is that he is such an unlikable character.
He plays a good looking and dapper jock, the most popular guy in school who knows he can make it with any girl on campus. He spends most of the movie strutting around like a peacock in full plumage which is bad enough, but when he starts to use his cock sure arrogance to string along and ultimately breaks the heart of June Allyson's character, then we pretty much lose all respect for the guy,
You can already size up June Allyson's Connie from the first scene she appears in. Despite being the sweetest thing since the invention of the sugar cube, you immediately sympathise with her as she is the only student not having any fun out of college life. She's the poor girl having to work her way through college, missing out in all the dances, all the dating and only seems to exist to be the shoulder everyone seems to cry on, despite any problems she might have herself.
Then along comes Peter 'Bluebeard' Lawford, using all his charm to use her for his own ends, gets her to fall in love with him, asks her to the prom (which for poor Connie, who is usually left on the shelf in most things, is a huge deal) and then drops her flat and takes somebody else.
What a cad!
The movie was not a big success on release and actually lost MGM money. My guess is because of how mean Lawford comes off, I'm sure cinema audiences of the day were also appalled by the character, played by the usually likeable Lawford. It was one of MGM's few missteps of the era to cast him in such a role, regardless of how repentant and genuine his feelings for Connie finally become.
I feel sorry for Ray McDonald. Despite being an excellent little singer and dancer, he was also there as the comic relief. Imagine trying to put the smile back on the audiences faces when Peter Lawford had pretty much cheesed them off. Such a tough job.
Still a good musical with great routines and width a watch on a quite Sunday afternoon.
Who knows, at that time perhaps it was..The movie version of Grease was still 4 years away and the cinema going audience had had little served up in this genre in the ensuing 27 years.
Don't get me wrong. It's a good musical, There are some great songs by accomplished songsmiths like Henderson, DeSylva, and Brown from the original stage show and additional Oscar nominated material by long time MGM composer and arranger Roger Edens in conjunction with Adolph Green, Betty Camden, Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. Chuck Walters does an amazing job with his directorial debut, and solid performances are given by the entire cast, especially June Allyson, Joan McCracken and Ray McDonald, with Mel 'Velvet Fog' Torme appears in a small role proving that he was at the very peak of his singing excellence.
The weak point of this movie is in my opinion Peter Lawford. I'm not talking about his obvious lack of singing and dancing ability...he does the same charming and inoffensive competent job he did in It Happened in Brooklyn, and which he would go on to do in Easter Parade. My issue with Lawford in this movie is that he is such an unlikable character.
He plays a good looking and dapper jock, the most popular guy in school who knows he can make it with any girl on campus. He spends most of the movie strutting around like a peacock in full plumage which is bad enough, but when he starts to use his cock sure arrogance to string along and ultimately breaks the heart of June Allyson's character, then we pretty much lose all respect for the guy,
You can already size up June Allyson's Connie from the first scene she appears in. Despite being the sweetest thing since the invention of the sugar cube, you immediately sympathise with her as she is the only student not having any fun out of college life. She's the poor girl having to work her way through college, missing out in all the dances, all the dating and only seems to exist to be the shoulder everyone seems to cry on, despite any problems she might have herself.
Then along comes Peter 'Bluebeard' Lawford, using all his charm to use her for his own ends, gets her to fall in love with him, asks her to the prom (which for poor Connie, who is usually left on the shelf in most things, is a huge deal) and then drops her flat and takes somebody else.
What a cad!
The movie was not a big success on release and actually lost MGM money. My guess is because of how mean Lawford comes off, I'm sure cinema audiences of the day were also appalled by the character, played by the usually likeable Lawford. It was one of MGM's few missteps of the era to cast him in such a role, regardless of how repentant and genuine his feelings for Connie finally become.
I feel sorry for Ray McDonald. Despite being an excellent little singer and dancer, he was also there as the comic relief. Imagine trying to put the smile back on the audiences faces when Peter Lawford had pretty much cheesed them off. Such a tough job.
Still a good musical with great routines and width a watch on a quite Sunday afternoon.