Slightly French (1949)

How do you turn a sarong into a Paris original? It takes class, poise and a ton of conniving. This remake of the 1934 musical "Let's Fall in Love" puts Dorothy Lamour into carny clothes and after initially seen in a Carmen Miranda disguise, movie director Don Ameche plans to make her a genuine French movie star after his temperamental leading lady (Adele Jerhens) makes the scene to end all scenes. Lamour goes under strict training before making her public debut. Falling in love with Ameche, Lamour's honest slip of the tongue threatens to destroy both her future as a movie star as well as Ameche's directing career.A decent post war musical was just one of many musical remakes of the post war era which strived to remain traditional in spite of changing tastes. Still gorgeous, Lamour makes an amusing comedian and displays both feistiness and sweetness with equal zest. Janis Carter adds some sparkle as Ameche's sister while Jergens goes all out as the initial choice for Ameche's film. Jeanne Manet adds both glamour and eccentric humor. Willard Parker takes on a Ralph Bellamy role of Ameche's rather dull rival for Lamour's affections. Still, in spite of all the talent, it's another case of a Cinderella rising out of the cinders and becoming the bell of the ball. The musical numbers indicate that this should have been made in color with one number looking like it was from the set of the Rita Hayworth musical "Down to Earth". In her big dramatic scene, Lamour seems to be trying to burlesque an Irish accent that would embarrass Maureen O'Hara. She does a nice job with " Let's Fall in Love " however, so a few overlooks of her acting weaknesses can be forgiven.

I guess if you're in the mood for this piece of fluff you might find it diverting. I realize it was directed by Douglas Sirk, who has a following, as they say, but it's really undistinguished. To find it otherwise because of who directed it, is to commit the fundamental error of attribution -- "Sirk is a genius and therefore everything he does is outstanding by its nature." Don Ameche is a movie director and impresario who believes he's found in showgirl Dorothy Lamour the perfect expression of French charm and talent. (Actually she's from Brooklyn or someplace.) The movie is based on that idea. The only surprise in it is that in a supporting role Adele Jergens -- Queen of the B movies -- shows some background in dance. I've always admired dancers for the same reason I admired athletes. They can do all kinds of things with their bodies that are forbidden to the rest of us because we are born with a psychokinetic deficit. Dorothy Lamour. The name doth run trippingly from the tongue. Ah, l'amour, l'amour. Toujours l'amour. Ironically, Dorothy Lamour, born Mary Slaton in New Orleans in 1914, had Louisiana French forbears. (Her sister's name is Jean, pronounced "Zhawn.") The New Orleans cat house depicted in Brooke Shields' breathrough movie, "Pretty Baby," in which the Madam addresses her clientèle as "M'sieur," was set in the Storyville section of the city at a time when Lamour was a child.She was a pretty, unpretentious, and good-natured woman whose career was fading when this movie was made. She sings most of the songs and does her best with them. The best known is "Let's Fall in Love," which Cole Porter wrote in 1928. She didn't have much of a singing voice but had so much charm that it didn't matter much. And in other movies she managed to introduce a couple of songs that became standards -- "I Remember You," "But Beautiful", and "Personality," later adapted for use in a Wesson Oil commercial.In fact, though, both the leads are likable. It's just that the movie is too weak to carry them.

(Spoilers, yes -- but the plot hardly matters...) Nothing much to recommend this, I'm afraid, except perhaps for the opening dance number, which seems to be taking place in someone's idea of Paris, but which we only belatedly discover is a sound stage (as if we didn't know) with the entrance into the frame of a camera on its crane. Nice touch, that. Unfortunately, from her first scene top-billed Dorothy Lamour is quite insufferable (intentionally, perhaps, but that doesn't really help matters), and she is, unfortunately, the central character. Don Ameche does his level best with a role which he was to reprise (in essence) in the 1958 Broadway musical "Goldilocks," and he does rant well. Janis Carter gives a real amateur night in Dixie performance as Ameche's sister, but Willard Parker (very handsome, he) is more than respectable as Ameche's producer and Lamour's secondary love interest (who ends up with -- too bad for him -- Carter). At least the title is intriguing (as are almost all Sirk's titles, in one way or another). Quite, quite boring, however.

Don Ameche was on the decline in his career and Dorothy Lamour still trying to acheive stardom outside those "Road" movies when this movie was made. It tries to borrow from Ameche's earlier hits with Alice Faye but the formula does not work here because Lamour is no Faye. And she is expected to carry it. Supporting performances from Page and Kennard is good but not enough. If it were made today, it would make a good video rental.