Step Lively (1944)

While at first though, a musical version of "Room Service" seems unnecessary, once the songs are added, it all comes together. Not all the songs are good, and a few of the production numbers (particularly one with an Arabian setting) have a sense of awkwardness even with special effects impossible on a Broadway stage. What is surprising here is the pacing of the film, a bit faster moving than its original 1938 film version with the Marx Brothers and more appropriately cast.George Murphy is a broke Broadway producer who has been keeping his cast of 22 and production team in his brother-in-law Walter Slezak's hotel, that is until the hotel's auditor (Adolph Menjou) arrives to examine the books. A potential investor send his representative (Eugene Palette) and gal-pal (Anne Jeffreys) to check out the potential success, and a playwright (Frank Sinatra) also shows up, believing that Murphy is producing his play. To keep these squatters from being evicted, Murphy gets Sinatra plastered, since hotels apparently are not allowed to throw out a sick guest whether they've paid their bill or not. But hangovers don't last forever, investors can change their mind, and playwrights, no matter how good they sing, don't always want to perform in a show that they know they didn't write.There's a lot to admire in this lavishly filmed musical, but their best songs are actually the ballads, not the big numbers. "As Long as There's Music" and "Some Other Time" will stick in your ear more than "Ask the Madame", "Why Must There Be an Opening Song?" and the annoying Arab production number which leads into a reprise of "Where Does Love Begin?". Grant Mitchell is very funny in a cameo as the hotel doctor whom Murphy locks out on a balcony in order to prevent him from reporting that Sinatra isn't sick. The lovely Gloria De Haven's beautiful soprano and Sinatra's smooth big band trained voice mix well together, but sadly Anne Jeffreys isn't given much good material and her character seems unnecessary other than to give the two leads a love interest for the finale fade-out.

Do you like good romantic music with beautiful vocals and crisp clear images? Certainly you do. But if you're looking for "Citizen Kane" or "Gone With the Wind" then you too should be gone and not allowed to comment on this sparkling gem. The film was made in 1944 with a gorgeously tender 19-year-old Gloria DeHaven and a 29-year-old Frank Sinatra in perfect voice. The songs are perfect: Where Does Love Begin (and where does friendship end), Some Other Time (I could resist you), Ask the Madam (she knows it all), and the fantastic Come Out (wherever you are) featuring Gloria in a bathtub in the final year of her teenage glory. Good God how could anyone resist the lure of this film? Now I will admit that George Murphy and company are way over the top as far as vociferous antics are concerned and they are certainly no match for this film's progenitors, Room Service, and the Marx Brothers. And I admit that according to IMDb the film did not do well at the January 1945 box office when it was released. But then honestly if you consider the fact that the USA was fighting for its life in World War II and it was frigid throughout half of the country that is extremely forgivable. Just ask yourself how many Academy Awards are ever given to films released in January! So in summary I suggest that this movie is artistically filmed, delightfully cast and a true beauty in every way. However I do suggest that you turn down the sound until Frankie and/or the incredibly delectable Miss DeHaven (or even Mr. Murphy) begin to sing. Watch the crip clean contrasts of the film and immerse yourself in the perfect images captured and then when the greatest song phraseologist of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra, or his distaff partner, gloria DeHaven, open their mouths to sing turn up the volume and luxuriate in the fantastic melodies and harmonies from Gene Rose, Alex Stordahl and C. Bakaleinikoff. This is a film to immerse oneself in and feel the joy of life and love rather than tear apart pretending one is some sort of Ebert and Roper tyro. This movie is an emotional rejuvenation. Frankly I love this film, Gloria DeHaven, and the era in which it was made; the greatest generation as Tom Brokaw would say. If you're out of high school and capable of any sincere feelings you will love it too.

As a lifelong Sinatra fan who has seen all the movies and owns all the CDs I have no hesitation in rating this the best film he made in the 40s, his best in fact until Meet Danny Wilson right at the start of the 50s. In fact it's right up there with the two great musicals he made in the 50s, Young At Heart and High Society and it's no coincidence that all three had rock-solid scripts, had in fact begun life in each case as non-musical dramas/comedies. Young At Heart was a successful novel by Fanny Hurst which became a fine drama, Four Daughters; High Society was a play, The Philadelphia Story, tailored especially for Katherine Hepburn who played it both on Broadway and the subsequent film version and Step Lively began as a farce on Broadway and became a film vehicle for the Marx Brothers. This means that Sinatra isn't asked to carry the film and we can enjoy George Murphy as a sort of pre-Bilko complete with two sidekicks, Wally Brown and Alan Carny, in a running battle with Walter Slezak, Adolph Menjou and Eugene Palette. The six great songs provided by Jule Syne and Sammy Cahn are a bonus even those in which Sinatra does not feature (Ask The Madam). Sinatra is allowed to develop his personality into something - albeit only a little - more than the gauche 'himself' he played in Higher And Higher and once he got to MGM he was back to gauche. I suspect that Anchors Aweigh would seem very dated today despite a fine score, The Kissing Bandit was always a joke with Take Me Out To The Ballgame only a notch better and I've always found On The Town vastly overrated which leaves It Happened In Brooklyn as the best of a mediocre lot. Step Lively - seen today, May, 2008, retains its freshness and failed completely to disappoint.

Gordon Miller is a Broadway producer with not much cash and even fewer scruples. He has ensconced the young cast of his new show in a large New York hotel, and is feverishly rehearsing them for opening night. Along comes the young writer Glenn Russell, and it transpires that the kid can sing ...A frivolous, fizzing little musical from RKO Radio, "Step Lively" doesn't even pretend to be sensible. The frenetic farce is augmented by workmanlike songs from Cahn and Styne, two numbers standing out as better-than-average - "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are" and "As Long As There's Music". Both are staged impressively."Come Out" gets the full production treatment, with Gloria De Haven heading a floorshow-style ensemble. "As Long" is the big finale, with two pieces of silver-screen magic. Gloria walks down a beam of light, and the chorus line have striking black-and-white gowns which enable them to 'disappear' impressively.The sets are fun. Glenn walks Christine home to her brownstone, and the couple is tracked by a neat crane shot. When Glenn runs out of the hotel, we see him sprint away from the camera, down the sweeping staircase, across the lobby and out through the revolving door. Now that's what I call a set.Frank Sinatra had made his name fronting the big bands, and now he was making the transition to independent actor-singer. He is good in the role of Glenn, the jeun-naif, but clearly lacking the poise of later years.Gloria De Haven (Christine) began her movie career eight years before this film, appearing as Paulette Goddard's sister in Chaplin's "Modern Times". She was still showing up in TV movies two years ago. How many actors working today have resumes dating back to the silent era? She is pretty and engaging as Christine, the romantic lead."Step Lively" is a curiously old-fashioned musical. It is almost as if RKO was trying to hark back to its heyday of a decade earlier, and the 'come on kids, let's rehearse a show' approach. Compared with "Meet Me In St Louis", it seems a cinematic dinosaur, and yet both were made in the same year.Verdict - A light-hearted, if light-headed, musical that was already old-fashioned in 1944.