Saturday, August 26, 2006
Thrill Of Romance- Another Van Johnson Must See
The second movie we watched was the 1945 musical/romantic comedy Thrill Of Romance. Like 2 Girls and a Sailor- this is not the best story and it is certainly not original. But here are a few reasons to watch it:
- Esther Williams is the most graceful swimmer I've ever seen. We were dumbstruck. (Elizabeth and I are practicing Esther's methods and hope to entertain our family soon.)
- The great Tommy Dorsey Band plays several great tunes.
- Teen sensation Helen Stanley plays Dorsey's daughter -she sings and plays piano. Her one feature song is just fantastic.
- A very young Buddy Rich has an incredible solo- almost worth watching the whole movie to see...
- Lauritz Melchoir plays a fat, famous opera singer on a diet. He breaks out in song at ridiculous moments- we laughed at the obsurdity- but loved it none-the-less.
- There's a young, black bellhop who is inspired by Melchoir's music, but always loses his voice in the opera star's presence. Late in the movie he finds his voice- and reveals a truly unique and brilliant voice...accompanied by The Tommy Dorsey Band!
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