What a Way to Go (1964)

Plot:  A Widow discusses her 4 deceased husbands, all of whom died rich.
Stars: Shirley Maclaine, Gene Kelly, Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum, Dick van Dyke, Paul Newman

A frothy, often silly, comedy that never takes itself seriously and allows Shirley MacLaine to wear 100 different costumes, have 50 different hair styles, show off her dancing and interact with some great stars.  The production values are lush; at times over-the-top. Everyone turns in a solid performance. The highlights include Gene Kelly as the absurd "Pinky", his dance with Shirley, and Newman as a Parisian artist. Summary:  An enjoyable star vehicle for Maclaine, its all Shirley, all the time.  Her co-stars and production values make up for the B- script and direction.  But its more amusing than funny.

Hello Dolly (1969)

Director:  Gene Kelly
Story: In 1890 New York, a brassy match-maker tries to find several young men a wife, while reserving rich Horace Vandergelder for herself.
Stars:  Barbara Streisand, Walter Matthau

Hello Dolly is a Tony award winning Broadway musical made into an overly long, slightly above-average musical. Positives? It looks great, has one great song ("Hello Dolly" natch), the score is enjoyable, if not spectacular, and all the money is up there on the screen.  We get an army of extras, bright 19th Century costumes, and spectacular set designs.  However, the Producers didn't cast the movie right, add better songs, or improve the play's sluggish plot.

Miscasting of Streisand as the Lead
The producer, Ernest Lehman, defended the casting of Streisand as Dolly Levi, over Julie Andrews or Carol Channing till the day he died, but all his excuses are nonsense.  As shown by her acting in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" there's no evidence that Channing was "too big for the screen" (Lehman excuse no. 1) nor was Julie Andrews anymore "wrong for the part" (Lehman excuse no. 2) than Streisand.

Who could be more "wrong for the part" of middle-aged "Dolly" than a 25 year old singer with almost no film acting experience, no comedic skills and little charm?  Even Debbie Reynolds would've been better.  To make it more absurd, Dolly's role is primarily comedic. There's no need for a great singer in the role.  Carol Channing supposedly said that Streisand did OK in the role, she just forgot it was a comedy.

Miscasting the Rest of the Movie
Lehman compounded the Streisand error by casting Walter Matthau as  Horace Vandergelder. Matthau can't sing or dance, and its impossible to believe a 25 y/o Streisand would scheme to land a 48 y/o Hay Merchant with a basset hound face, and flabby body.  Not surprisingly, Matthau and Streisand have zero chemistry (and disliked each other off-screen). As for the six young supporting players, they're simply forgettable.

Summary
Hello Dolly is another one of the overstuffed late 1960s musicals that went wrong due to a mediocre script, miscast leads, and a complete lack of artistic vision or energy.  Even the dancing (directed by Kelly and Michael Kidd) is no more than above average.  Critics claimed the film inflated the play's faults to elephantine proportions. Was there something in the water, back then?  How else to account for all the cinematic misfires: Dr. Doolittle, Hello Dolly, Star, Paint your Wagon, or the dull Camelot - did everyone forget how to make good musicals?

Two for the Road (1967)

Director: Stanley Donen
Stars:  Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney
Plot:  We follow the rocky, 12 year marriage of Mark and Joanna Wallace through their various trips to the French countryside
Plus: Direction, Photography, Rural France, Hepburn
Minus:  Albert Finney, “Comedy” relief, Too cutesy at times

Background
Despite what you may have read, Two for the Road is NOT a “realistic look at a troubled marriage”.  70% of the movie is pure Rom-Com with romance, cutesy scenes and supporting actor comedy..  Only about 30% is somewhat serious, with Finney and Hepburn fighting, discussing divorce, and having affairs.  Although the mish-mash of Rom-Com and Drama is often jarring, the serious scenes cut down on the sugar and make the film better.  But it’s not Hepburn’s version of “Scenes from a Marriage”.

Today, Two for the Road is considered a “Cult Classic” and the critics are almost unanimous in their praise.  Quite a change from 1967, when the film gathered mixed reviews (Kael and NYT both disliked it) and a disappointing box office.   Audiences found the bickering and extramarital affairs unattractive and the non-sequential plot confusing.

Evaluation 
My review is also mixed.  On the positive side, Audrey is her usual cute self and looks great.  Donen keeps the plot and camera moving with endless quick cuts, flash-forwards and flash-backs.  And the same is true of the actors. Donen believed film was movement, and Hepburn & Finney are constantly in motion. There’s a lot of talk, but its talk accompanied by action. The actors talk while driving, while eating, while fixing the car, while flying, while swimming, etc.  And through it all we get wonderful shots of the French Countryside.

But Albert Finney is a major problem.  His character – as written – is a lout and requires a likable actor (Cary Grant, a Young Bill Holden) to take the edge off - which Finney doesn’t do.  He turns in a charmless performance, and often looks beefy and gross, instead of handsome.  His comic skills are minimal.  Finney's miscasting is a big problem, since he and Hepburn are in 95% of the movie & speak 80% of the dialogue. Donen would later blame Finney’s charmless performance for the film’s relative failure.  But Donen’s first choice was Paul Newman, an actor with no Rom-Com ability.  Maybe Donen simply didn’t understand what the part required.

Finally, the “wacky neighbors” played by Eleanor Bron and William Daniels, are terrible.  On-screen for about 15-20 minutes they are intended to be satirical and funny, but aren’t.  And the kid actor was unbearable.

Book Review - Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen & His Movies

** spoiler alert ** This is more less the "authorized" biography of Stanley Donen and traces his career in detail from a 1941 Broadway Chorus line to his 1995 retirement. The focus is on his work not his colorful private life, which included 4 marriages and possible communist ties in the 1940s.

We get Donen's comments on every movie he made, and also the views of the actors and screenwriters where appropriate. The discussion on such films as Funny Face, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Charade, or Singing in the Rain is excellent.

But the biography mostly gives us Donen's side of the story, and people he disliked aren't given much chance to respond (exception: Debbie Reynolds). Nor is there much criticism of Donen, except his self-criticism. Usually others are blamed for any Donen film that didn't succeed critically or financially.

Donen vs. Gene Kelly
Which leads of us to Gene Kelly. The author (and maybe Donen) really hates Gene Kelly. From 1946-1955, Donen worked with Kelly as his assistant and sometimes Director/ Co-Director.  But the book claims Gene Kelly's artistic contribution to those films was minimal, and Kelly is trashed for hogging the camera, taking credit for Donen's work, and loading up On the Town, American in Paris, and Singing in the Rain with "Boring" "Cliched" ballet dances and dance numbers. But the Kelly bashing doesn't stop there.  In describing a 1980s Singing in the Rain reunion, Gene Kelly is painted as an egoistical bore, who's rude to the fans and demands to be the center of attention. The author also smugly compares Donen's success as a Director to Kelly's and states Kelly only directed Hello Dolly - because Donen turned it down.

Who gets the Credit?
Of course, film is a collaborative exercise and its often difficult to apportion praise or blame for any one picture.  That's especially true of the Old time musicals.  Not only were the studio execs often involved, but in addition to the director, you had the screenwriter, song writer, producer, choreographer, and actors all contributing.  It seems that Gene Kelly usually was the official - or defacto - choreographer on every film after 1946.  Donen was usually in charge of the Camera.  How much either man was responsible for the script, casting, or story is unclear. 

Summary
Kelly bashing aside,  one of the better Hollywood biographies.

Brigadoon (1954)

Plot: Based on the Lerner and Lowe Broadway Musical.  Two American Hunters discover an enchanted Scottish Village that appears every 100 years for one day.
Stars:  Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Cyd Charisse
Plus: Talented cast, some good songs
Minus: Kelly's singing, lack of charm, sluggish plot

A Box office dud when released, Brigadoon is an enjoyable musical that somehow disappoints. The plot often seems sluggish and thin. The romance is colorless and despite a short 108 minutes run time, it seems longer.  While the songs are excellent, I felt the whole thing needed more charm and humor.  Accordingly,  I was surprised to learn the *play* had been praised as " a scintillating song and dance fantasy" - because "scintillating" is the last word I'd use for the film.

So, what went wrong in adopting the play to film?  
Lyricist Alan Lerner identified three reasons:  (1) A singing play had been turned into a dancing film (2) A Scottish supporting cast was needed (3) the charm of the story had somehow been lost.

Gene Kelly blamed MGM's failure to film on location, but I think that's a minor reason.  IMO, Gene Kelly was simply wrong for the movie.  The songs were written for a baritone singer and Kelly's light, high voice just doesn't make the grade. Further, the dancing is uninspired and Kelly doesn't play the role with much energy or charm.  Maybe, Bing Crosby or Howard Keel could've done better.

Summary: I've been fairly critical but Brigadoon is actually an enjoyable 1950s musical.  Its just a good - above average movie - that should have been great.

On the Town (1949)

Plot:  Based on a Broadway Play, Three Sailors with a 24 hour Leave, find fun and Romance in New York City
Stars:  Gene Kelly,  Frank Sinatra,  Vera-Ellen,  Ann Miller
Co-Directors:  Kelly - Donen
Positives: Cast, Location shots, Cinematography, Dancing, Fast paced story,  Title Song
Minuses:  Mediocre Songs,  Not much of a Plot,

Background
Supposedly Gene Kelly's favorite musical, On the Town was a popular ground-breaking musical in 1949. The use of believable characters in a real location (as opposed to a sound stage) had been done before but never to such an extent or with such impact.  The MGM brass were against filming in NYC, wrongly thinking Culver City was good enough.  Today, the location shots of 1949 New York, are one the film's chief attractions.

Leonard Bernstein's songs in the Broadway play received mixed reviews. Some loved his experimental music, while other reviewers were less impressed.  One wrote " ...a musical needs some music to got with its lyrics. Words that rhyme and have a Rhythm do not necessarily make a lyric, nor do 32 bars full of notes, necessarily make a song."  Louis B. Mayer, agreed with the critics and the Bernstein's songs were junked and new one's added.  The substitution has been criticized, but after listening to Bernstein's songs on Youtube - I have to agree with Mayer.  Except for "I can Cook too" there's not a great song  in the bunch.  The only mistake was in not adding better songs.

Judging by its IMDB rating (7.6 based on 13,000 votes) On the Town still seems to be fairly popular. No doubt the casting of Frank Sinatra has something to do with it.  Certainly, Sinatra was responsible for a significant portion of film's 1949 success.  While filming in NYC, Sinatra drew crowds where ever he went. And he was paid accordingly.  Old Blue Eyes made $130,000 to Kelly's $42,000 (which includes his additional "Co-Director" salary) despite his character getting significantly less screen time then Kelly's.

Evaluation 
So what do I think?  On 2nd viewing, I'm much more impressed.  I saw it on my Big Screen TV and On the Town really needs to be seen on as big a screen as you can manage. The film looks fantastic, and even though the songs (except for "Its a Wonderful Town") were mediocre, the cast's energy and good humor put them over.  People focus on Kelly and Sinatra, but its the actresses who make the film enjoyable.  Betty Garrett is hilarious as the man-hungry taxi driver out for Sinatra, Ann Miller sets the screen on fire with her tap dancing and great gams, and Vera-Ellen never looked lovelier or danced better.  The story isn't much (its seems very similar to Anchors Aweigh) but Donen-Kelly keep the pace up.  Its definitely one of Gene Kelly's best films.

The Stepford Wives (1975)

"Stepford Wives" would seem to be a surefire hit. The concept has been satirized, copied, and spoofed in movies/TV for 40 years.   Men in a small town are turning their wives into submissive, forever young, Fem-bots. Qué horror! But this good plot idea is poorly executed.  Written by one of my least favorite screen writers, William Goldman, Stepford Wives takes itself far too seriously, is too low key,  and trudges along to a predictable conclusion.  Neither Paula Prentiss or Katherine Ross add much.

And the whole "Fem-bots" concept is ridiculous.   Why do these men need to kill their wives - why not  a divorce?  And why keep the Fem-bots a secret when they could be sold for $millions?   At least Mike Meyers gave us "Fem-bots" with breasts that shoot bullets.  A much funnier/interesting movie would have had a real wife coming to town and "liberating" the Fem-bots.