TrueHello
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Jemima
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
jacobs-greenwood
Directed by Roy Rowland and written by Isobel Lennart, this average musical comedy romance's Score received an Academy Award nomination. Though it features the beautifully talented Cyd Charisse as an aloof ballet dancer who's just discovering the world outside of her own sheltered existence, Dan Dailey seems an odd (unworthy?) choice as her top billed co-star.Even though their lead characters' magical romance is purposefully a pairing of unequals, I think you have to be a fan of Dailey's to accept his folksy, homespun, losing gambler cowboy (let alone his singing) that's suddenly found his lucky charm in Charisse. Plus, Agnes Moorehead plays his (vibrantly dyed) red-headed mother back at the ranch! Jim Backus as a frustrated hotel manager, Lili Darvas as a Las Vegas-style dance talent, and Paul Henreid (among others) also appear.It's not a total washout though: it's fun trying to spot the various uncredited Las Vegas star cameos (including Peter Lorre, Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra) sprinkled throughout, Lena Horne and Frankie Laine (and Mitsuko Sawamura) perform, and Sammy Davis Jr. (also uncredited) narrates Charisse's "Frankie and Johnny" routine. Plus, there's an hilarious bit where Charisse's ballerina character, tired of competing with Sari Hatvani (Darvas) for Dailey's attentions, gets a bit tipsy and joins some cancan showgirls on stage; this scene is topped by her demonstration of it to Lili (Liliane Montevecchi), a former ballet star that chaperons Maria Corvier (Charisse) for manager (Henreid).Oskar Karlweis plays Lotzi, a blackjack dealer at the Sands, where Maria performs, who's friends with Chuck Rodwell (Dailey), and even holds the winnings. George Chakiris plays a young groom who's honeymooning with his young bride (Betty Lynn). Dick Elliot (uncredited) plays one of the Sands co-owners for whom Tom Culdane (Backus) works.Chuck is a gambler who never wins until he grabs the passing ballerina's hand for luck and finds he can't lose when he's holding it. This eventually creates a spark of romance between the two and Maria learns that Chuck is actually a successful rancher who gambles away his profits to fill up his empty life. He takes her to his ranch where uncredited Roscoe Ates and Lee Tung Foo play a ranch hand and a cook, respectively, and his "cranky" mother, Miss Hattie (Moorehead), runs things in his absence.Their magic continues there: when Chuck holds Maria's hand, the chickens lay eggs, a cow with an upset stomach gives birth to a calf, and a hole in the ground starts to spout black gold (e.g. oil). When they return to the Sands, Maria's absent manager has arrived but the couple's magic has disappeared.Want to guess whether it all works out in the end?
Man99204
There is a reason this is a practically unknown and rarely shown on TV. While there is nothing terribly wrong about this movie, there is also nothing terribly right about it either. It is a throwaway production from start to finish.It succeeds only as modest entertainment. None of the songs are particularly memorable. One song, "The Girl with the Yaller Shoes" is downright annoying. The script is especially weak - even by movie musical standards. It does not serve wither of the leads very well. Dan Daily is about twenty years too old to be playing a "young rancher". Cyd Charisse's character is very cranky and negative at the start of the film. It is very difficult to feel any empathy for characters who have no positive energy. Especially silly is the casting of Agnes Morehead as Mr. Dailey's Mother - even though they are roughly the same age.Fans of modern dance will no doubt enjoy the dance numbers. To my untrained eye they just seemed very dated and out of place.
silvrdal
Okay, so "Singing in the Rain" it's not, it's still better than... okay, I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but it's an enjoyable movie with lots of singing, dancing, pretty colors and fun cameos from a host of stars. AND it has the best version of "Frankie & Johnny" I've ever heard -- courtesy of Sammy Davis Jr.Cyd Charisse is in the top ten of 'the-most-gorgeous-and-talented-women-to-ever-appear-in-movies'. She is displayed like a flawless multi-carat gemstone in "Meet Me in Las Vegas". In fact, there are so many gorgeous women in this movie my eyes bugged out. Wowie-wow-wOw! If you don't like musicals, forget this one, it's just a cute diversion. If you DO like musicals, don't miss this one. It's a tad long, but it's still a winner.
crispy_comments
Why do I feel like I'm watching a long commercial for Las Vegas casinos and resorts? Probably because the plot is terribly thin: an unlucky gambler discovers he can't lose as long as he's holding a dancer's hand - a frosty workaholic dancer who's never had time for love. Will she thaw? Will they get together? Will their love last if their winning streak doesn't? You may wonder, how can a movie stretch out such a simple story over 112 minutes? By pausing frequently to allow then-current Vegas acts to strut their stuff! It feels like the filmmakers are saying, "Here's a preview of some spectacular shows you can see if you come on down to Las Vegas right now! Don't you want to see more? Y'know, we had to censor the girls' numbers for this movie...so come check them out in the flesh and you'll see a LOT more. Flesh, that is. Well anyway... COME TO VEGAS!" Geez, there's even a lengthy montage of billboards at various nightclubs so we can see all the names flashing in lights and know exactly who's performing, and where. I wonder if these people paid for the plug? It would be like some studio making a movie today, set in Vegas, and showing a bit of Celine Dion's act to attract more business her way. It's just...tacky. But then, so is Vegas. And Celine. They're a perfect tacky match. A much more convincing match than Cyd & Dan are in this movie. (See how I got back on topic there?)Anyway, I never had the desire to hit the casinos, and I'm even less interested in visiting the City of Sin now. The harder this film tries to convince me that you win more often than you lose, and everybody in Vegas is so gosh darn nice - the less I buy it.The celebrity cameos are kinda fun (in a "oh, there's so-and-so, I'm surprised" way, not because they're actually *doing* anything amusing), but pointless (unless the point is to show us that these celebs endorse Vegas - ooh maybe we'll spot 'em there! Let's go!) Dan Dailey is a grinning fool. Agnes Moorehead is good, but wasted in a tiny part. Cyd Charisse has some funny moments, even if she is basically repeating the same kind of role she played in "Silk Stockings" - complete with comical tipsy scene. Once she was uptight. Now she's just tight and barely upright. Haw! I guess this is considered a musical, but unlike the best musicals, the songs in "Meet Me In Las Vegas" are not integrated into the story (what story?) - They do not help propel the plot forward. Instead, the action simply stops for an unrelated musical number. The songs aren't particularly memorable, and the choreography is uninspired. Cyd gets her chance to dance, but I kept getting distracted by the fact that I'd seen all these moves before! Oh, there's the step she did in "Singin' In The Rain", and she did *that* in "The Bandwagon"...etc, etc.Not the worst movie in the world - just insubstantial, blatantly commercial and mercenary. I prefer movies that at least *appear* to have a higher goal than just trying to sell me something. I also enjoy clever dialogue and deeper characterization. Am I asking too much? Okay, how about some catchy songs? No? Well, I took a chance on this movie, and I lost. Better luck next time!
