StunnaKrypto
Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.
Brightlyme
i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.
Taha Avalos
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
gkeith_1
Carmen Miranda was a big star. Here, she was second-billed. The banana show was excellent. Busby Berkeley was wonderful, as always. The Technicolor was superb. South American themes were prevalent during the time period. Exotic tropical getaways were alluded to in other films, like Weekend in Havana. Dorita was treated like a second-class human here. However, she had men swooning after her, and even in another film Mickey Rooney did a parody of Carmen Miranda's fruit-dance. In this film, another character kept saying putdowns to Dorita, away from the stage, as if a South American was only capable of stealing or other crass sins. They were making fun of Dorita's supposedly secondary racial status. Apparently, that was acceptable in those days. It was wrong, however.These were snide remarks, sort of like "Don't steal the silverware, you inferior lowlife." Dorita was still laughing and grinning. Carmen Miranda had the last laugh on these Anglos. She is still remembered today, as opposed to most if not all of the actors in this film. The Souse-American Way. Yay. 5/10
froberts73
My favorite musicals? The Busby Berkeley Warner Bros. flicks which had the advantage of better songs than this 20th Century item. That aside, I was happy to see the Berkeley direction and dance numbers which, as always are thrilling, exciting, and so very imaginative. Those numbers, alone, put this flick in the top bracket.One question I have concerns James Ellison with that all-American look. I thought he was delightful and enjoyable so how come he never became a good-sized star?Alice Faye, preggers during the shooting was, as always, lovely with her perpetual sweet smile. She and 'Philsie' seemed like an odd couple, but it was evidently a good marriage. They had a good show.Carmen Miranda, slaughterer of the English language, was unique and fun. Ever see the Confidential picture book of her? Gad, in any language.Charlotte Greenwood, like the other characters in the movie, portrayed themselves. I especially enjoy Eugene Palette and the voice he borrowed from Andy Devine (whose voice came from someone shoving a stick down his throat). Horton and the others were top-notch.All in all, you can be glad the gang was all there, even if the plot wasn't. Dig that hurry-up-let's-end-it-quick finale. Suddenly, it's we were just friends, etc.Minor, minor complaint. This is one of Fox's best and, while today's Fox is a pain in the rear end, yesterdays's Zanuck studio was a blessing.
JLRMovieReviews
Director and choreographer Busby Berkeley is in his element and is at his best with a new star, Miss Carmen Miranda! Carmen Miranda? You don't know her! Well, after this you will. A petite lady with a larger-than-life persona who can dazzle you with her spirit and stage presence. Alice Faye gets top billing and this movie can be found on a Alice Faye DVD collection as well as Carmen's DVD set, but Miss Miranda stops the show cold with some of her best showcases put on screen: the banana song and the trutti-frutti hat. Another highlight is Faye's polka-dot number, which closes the movie, another eye-popping showcase courtesy of Busby.I can't help feeling they could have picked a more charismatic actor for the lead other than James Ellison, and there are few things I could nit-pick about, but this is a musical which does defy believability anyway. He and Alice's romance did seem a bit rushed and forced near the beginning. Costarring Eugene Palette, Charlotte Greenwood and Edward Everett Horton, this is one upbeat film that you shouldn't think about too much and just enjoy. Oh, yeah, what about the plot, who cares?
sydbirchall
I go regularly to the Hayden Orpheum theater in Cremorne, Sydney. The theater has a live jazz session lasting about 90 minutes, then intermission and a movie linked by theme or genre to the live music. On Sunday last, the music was a tribute to Benny Goodman followed by the movie, The Gang's All Here. I loved the movie mainly because of Harry Warren's usual outstanding songs, seeing Benny Goodman live, Carmen Miranda, and Busby Berkeley's choreography.The scene I most enjoyed was the opening one with that brilliant song "Brazil" which is rarely a vocal. To hear it sung in semi-classical style, in Portuguese, and then switch to the swinging, ebullient style of Carmen Miranda at dockside in New York was a great pleasure.