ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Chip_douglas After extensive introductions to Walter working at the gas station, Ruth at her parents high society party and all of their friends and family in between, we finally get to the all important Hubschen jazz club. Oh diesen Shreklichen kinder! Why do they have to go out when their parents have a private bowling range in the house? There are also a couple of kids in stripy shirts led by the gas pumpers little brother who lied about going to the pictures to their local priest so they could watch the performance. Father Gerber swiftly catches them but he is not so bad after all, being familiar with Porgy and Bess. The ones who really object to that horrible jazz club (event though the music is laughably unoffensive by today's standards) are the parents, both rich and poor.Uh oh. It's Schlager's biggest star Freddy Quinn in a supporting part singing in the deserted cavern café, accompanied only by a tape recorder. I think I see where this is heading. There is some romantic fluff involving another girl who works at Mr. Mushiks flower shop. Then all the teenyboppers go out on a ferry to play the same old song over and over. This number comes along some many times that by the end you actually find yourself sympathizing with the parents. The Big Chance from the title involves them entering a talent show where we have to sit through dueling piano's and a 'hillarous' old broad who objects to finishing last. Unfortunately, this was only the first round. So it's back to the café to perform an act of celebration that is far superior to the one they did in the contest (with bongos and a mini mouth organ!).Now Father Merrin is conducting his boys choir solemnly singing with Walter's kid brother as the star soprano. For some reason the band visit the pope (??) or some other high placed clergyman for approval and in turn old jazz legend Bert Nicholas come to listen to them and give them his blessing (guess which song they play for him?). All of these acts come together for the grand finale with Freddy Quinn as the secret weapon. Who will win the record contract? Nobody cares. But the moral of this story is: when you do a movie about jazz, make sure you get the rights to more than one song.2 out of 10