Delightfully Dangerous (1945)

Wonderfully offbeat film!

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

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.

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.

This is only Jane Powell's second movie and she can more than hold her own. She plays the little sister of Constance Moore, who is a big star in New York. Ralph Bellamy plays a Broadway producer and really gives a great performance. Jane wants to follow her big sister to New York and she won't let her go. Jane talks with Ralph about her sister and he tells everyone what a big star she is on Broadway. Jane goes to New York to see her anyway. She is crushed when her sister is the star of a burlesque show. She runs into Ralph and he calms her down and calls for her sister. He explains to the sister why he lied to Jane about her. Jane is noticed and hired to do a show until they find out what her sister does. Jane finds out Ralph needs talent for his show and she secretly records her sister. He hears it and hires her. She does a great job and Jane also gets to sing in the play. This was a nice movie with a good pace to it. The three leads were perfectly cast and I recommend watching this film. The DVD releases are cheaply produced, but it's still worth watching.

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."