StunnaKrypto
Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.
pointyfilippa
The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.
Billy Ollie
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Cristi_Ciopron
This musical _dramedy with Jane Powell as the poison ivy, Constance Moore as her sister, Bellamy as helpless but resigned, directed by Lubin (who was a director otherwise dependable for gentle humor, mostly gags like the ice-creams) and written by DeLeon but also a few others (which usually means slapdash), has its meager graciousness and classiness (but not as naughty), with a bit of awkwardness, and it was meant as extravagant, grand and piquant. Although perhaps not as much sleazy as sulfurous in spirit, it doesn't qualify as exploitation, it has a cool cast, mostly ineffective direction (mediocre, bland but knowledgeable) and likable sets; the fact that the players have styles so unlike enhances the meant extravagance and flurry. Bellamy's character is honest and chivalrous, but the casting _betted on the player's innate shrewdness and slyness.The story bubbles away. Save for the cast, the result is disappointing. Jane Powell and Constance Moore play two sisters, and they both give good performances; Bellamy's character is a consummate gentleman, after all he gets to marry a stripper whose tits and ass are famous, and the player seems resigned and somewhat amused.While the movie has a claim for being a fairy tale, it also comprehends the coarser facts, like the unnerving scene with the marines (the leading actress gives it its truth), and the numberless ironies, as when Ruth Tobey, the dependable and plump roommate, flatters Jo Williams for providing what to tell her children about.Being the tale of a rescuing, it's nonetheless character driven (by the players, not in any way by the script) and it has a feel of laziness, of torpor, contradicted by Jane Powell's force. It's certainly watchable, but mediocre at best, and quite lifeless or uninspired, bland. Precisely what could of been exploitative is awkwardly delivered; so that the naughtiness comes across as bland, the piquant gags as rough, and the gentleness as enjoyable, the storyline, mostly random footage, manages somehow to be good-natured. Yet, why did people like DeLeon and Lubin have to be involved with it? The general sentiment is of aimlessness.Constance Moore's tits and ass are complimented, which they presumably deserve.When the tall girl on the toes enters, she exclaims: 'They just came!'. Maybe they did.
lepoisson-1
OK, I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for dance movies (I'm a mediocre male dancer). I've sat through some horrendous movies in spite of bad reviews just to see the dance scenes (i.e I saw Center Stage on the big screen). I was bored the other night, and this came on the public access channel, so I gave it a shot.The opening dream sequence sets the initial height (high? low?) of the schlock bar, properly preparing you for the predictable and atrocious plot and screen writing. I really didn't care for any of the characters (except Arthur Treacher and Louise Beavers as butler and maid: they were adorable, especially with the ice cream). There was a unique dance number with "mechanical" dancers, and the final "climatic" dance-singing routine (oops! Was that a spoiler?). The music was downright mediocre (that was supposed to be the point of this movie, right?).There's not really much to recommend. If you see it on DVD, catch the dances.
rooprect
I just finished watching this wonderful movie and immediately rushed to IMDb thinking I'd find a whole bunch of cult followers to yap with. Instead I find only 1 post in the forum and 2 lukewarm reviews.As my title states: C'mon peeps, this movie is FREAKING AWESOME! First of all Jane Powell is absolutely adorable as "Little Poison Ivy", the 15-year-old girl who has a spooky way of looking twice her age at times. But regardless of how she's gussied up, she carries a sweet, impish, Jennifer Jones-like charm which is just perfect for the role.It's perfect because--enter the sultry sister--Constance Moore works the other end of the spectrum. As a worldly, boogie-woogie burlesque showgirl, Ms. Moore is the perfect compliment to Ms. Powell's Baroque innocence.Caught in the middle is Ralph Bellamy as a very Jimmy Stewart-like father figure who gets dragged into the whole mess that these feisty sisters create. He does a fantastic job. I would venture to say that in this case he out-Stewarts Stewart.But what really knocked me out were the supporting performances from the butler Jeffers, the schoolchum Molly and the maid Hannah, each of whom make perfect comedic entrances at the perfect time. It was like watching a Shakespearean comedy where the real big laughs are handled by the minor characters, leaving the major characters to focus on the plot an dialogue. Freaking brilliant stuff & excellent performances all around. This is one of those movies where the cast is absolutely perfect all the way down to the extras, and I can't imagine anyone doing a better job in any of the roles.Lastly I have to mention the excellent camera work and framing of shots. The director was very creative with perspective and depth, so we don't feel like we're watching a 2-dimensional cartoon all the time. There are clever shots where the action is in the forefront, but our eye is drawn to some detail in the background. And when the director applies this cinematic style to the actual dance numbers, the result is staggering (like in the finale where a parade of girls magically "flows" from behind a column and draws the shot toward the camera while Powell remains the stationary focal point in the background. Yeah it's hard to describe.I am truly dumbfounded at why this film has such a low (5.9) rating on IMDb. I'm guessing it's because this is a very female-dominated story & performance, and practically all of the votes are from males (out of 40 votes, only 2 are female). Well golly, I don't feel like any less of a man for saying "this girly movie kicks ass!"
calvertfan
An early outing for Jane Powell as Sherry, a student at a musical school who yearns for a career on the stage, like her elder sister Jo (Constance Moore). But the fat is in the fire when Sherry travels to New York to see her sister on the stage, and finds out that she's not a top Broadway actress, but "Bubbles Barton" the burlesque queen.Jane P does the annoying little sister thing as well as Shirley Temple did in "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer", though at least this time she's not in love with the older man (phew!). "Delightfully Dangerous" starts off a bit slowly, but soon picks up, and is a treat to watch - except for the final musical number which drags on for what seems like hours. No one suddenly breaks out into song in this musical, all the numbers are the ones on the stage, so only one of them really seems to fit into the storyline at all. Constance Moore was brilliant as Bubbles, and the definite standout star of the movie has to be Arthur Treacher (one of my childhood favourites!) as Jeffers the butler. Remarkably witty as always, even he has seen the infamous Bubbles on stage and thinks she has "a wonderful pair of - eyes."