Review of She's Back on Broadway (1953) by Arthur R — 04 Dec 2017

A rather mediocre musical with a wonderful cast. They try their best to save this turkey, but it is beyond redemption. The sets are nice, the costumes are nice, the acting is good (usually), the singing and dancing are first rate.

So, what is wrong with this picture? There are two major flaws: the script and the songs. Typical backstage musical: fading movie star returns to her Broadway roots to re-kindle her career. Like "A Chorus Line" except that she is the star of the show and not in the chorus.

But like ACL, she is an ex-lover of the director. Will they get back together? Will the show be a hit? By the time we got to the end I didn't care. The dialog so often sounds like spoiled teenagers throwing tantrums, jumping to erroneous conclusions, making dramatic exits and generally showing the maturity of Trump on Twitter.

Steve Cochran does score points for showing his hairy chest, but even that can't atone for all the sulking about he is called on to do. Carl Sigman and Bob Hilliard's songs are fair to middlin', but largely forgettable.

The musical staging is that annoying Hollywood version of what Broadway was never like. The dancing is smartly executed, but the choreography is largely uninspired. So, if you like a silly soap opera with mediocre melodies, then this is the movie for you! The ending is somewhat abrupt, and we never really find out if the show they are producing was a hit or a flop.

A hit is hinted at, but not actually confirmed. Oh, and did people really smoke that much in the 50s? It is a wonder that generation survived at all.