Review of My Sister Eileen (1955) by David A — 05 Jun 2010

(from The Watermark, 10/19/06).

This 1955 Technicolor treat is your typical musical fare: two sisters from Ohio, a writer and an actress (Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh), arrive in New York City seeking their fame and fortune. They take up residence in Greenwich Village amongst a colorful array of artistic characters, and we get to enjoy their misadventures on the way to love and employment. The well-rounded cast also includes the questionable musical talents of Jack Lemmon and Dick York, plus the incredible Tommy Rall. Behind the camera, the film has a lighthearted yet sassy screenplay co-written by Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, Victor/Victoria), a tuneful score by Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl), and clever lyrics by Leo Robin (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes).

The real up-and-comer to watch, though, is Bob Fosse. As both choreographer for the film and Eileen's love interest, he adds his unconventional touch to the musical numbers and clearly shows signs of the dance genius he would become. A dance-duel performed by him and Rall is superb in its technical precision, expression in movement, and complete absence of underlying homoeroticism.

If you like your musicals bubbling with idealism and innocence bordering on naïveté, you'll like this one. (FYI, if you're scratching your head thinking this sounds an awful lot like Leonard Bernstein's 1953 Broadway show Wonderful Town, keep scratching. It's a different musical based on the same material. Anybody out there know why two versions were made?).