Footlight Serenade (1942) (original) (raw)
Synopsis
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT! LAUGH ABOUT! SHOUT ABOUT! THE MIRACLE MUSICAL OF THE YEAR!
Conceited World Champion boxer Tommy Lundy decides to test his popularity in a Broadway show. Tommy always has an eye for the ladies and he starts paying attention to beautiful chorus girl Pat Lambert. Pat's boyfriend Bill Smith isn't impressed with Tommy even though Tommy gets him a boxing part in the show. When Tommy finds out that Pat and Bill were secretly together the night before the show opens, he angrily plans to turn the boxing scene with Bill into a real bout.
Cast
Popular reviews
Pleasant little musical which 20th Century Fox brought together some if its biggest stars at the time - Betty Grable, Victor Mature and John Payne. It's also odd in how it combines a boxing and a backstage musical theme but it somehow works. The best part are the musical numbers. None of the tunes is famous but there's a jazzy boogie-woogie 1940s feel and Betty Grable tap-dancing up a storm. Hermes Pan, who choreographed most of the Astaire/Rogers musicals, did the choreography and has a number where he dances with Grable.
A Broadway producer (cranky James Gleason) and a comic (Phil Silvers) decide they'll cast Tommy Lundy (Mature), a championship prize fighter as the draw in their next big show.…
If you've always wanted to see a boxing musical, look no further than this movie. It was fun to see Victor Mature in such a goofy role. Jane Wyman was great in an Eve Arden-like role. I love John Payne but he was grumpy in this one. At least I got to hear him sing! Betty Grable was adorable but her dancing style was a bit odd.
The end might have been a little lightweight, but for a boxing musical a lot of this was a knock-out! The end did suit the easy going nature of the electric character Victor Mature was playing, though, but I wouldn't have minded a wilder scenario. Otherwise the film belongs to Betty Grable's legs.
Betty Grable comes out of the chorus to be a star in "Footlight Serenade," also starring John Payne, Victor Mature, Jane Wyman, Phil Silvers, James Gleason and Cobina Wright, Jr.
This is a backstage musical, done in black and white. Payne and Grable (Pat and Bill) are in love and ultimately marry. He's down on his luck but gets a job fighting boxing champion Tommy Lundy (Mature) on stage each night in the show; Grable is doing chorus.
Lundy, however, is after Pat, and insists that she be made understudy to the lead (Cobina Wright, Jr.). After the Wright character quits the show, Pat gets her big break. To keep the volatile Lundy happy, the producers want Pat and Bill…
La escena de baile con la sombra… ¡pelos!
Footlight Serenade (Gregory Ratoff, 1942) 7/10
Conceited boxing champ (Victor Mature) turns in his gloves and decides to become a musical stage star. When he catches sight of a chorus girl (Betty Grable) he bumps her part upto being the understudy to his girlfriend (Cobina Wright) who is the star of the show. When the jealous star walks out the chorus girl becomes the lead but has to contend with the jealousy of her own husband (John Payne) who plays the foil guy to the boxer in the show. Fast paced musical comedy not only has the three charming leads but adding witty sparks on the sidelines are a trio of funny character actors - Phil Silvers, James Gleason and Jane Wyman, who was still a few years away from becoming a full fledged star herself. Snappy dance routines and lovely Grable singing a number of tunes makes this a lot of fun.
Perky musical with Betty shining bright as usual. Both Payne and Mature play against her well but the real standout is Jane Wyman deep in her blonde showgirl phase, sprightly and fast with a quip.