Review of Top Banana (1954) by Greg W — 15 May 2010

I am a fan of mid-Century content, especially related to New York, so this was interesting to me for its boatload of dated references to everybody and everything from the Essex House to the Jersey tubes to Toot Shors. After that, however, it ran pretty dry for me. I wouldn't recommend going too far out of one's way to see it.

Still it's an excellent showcase of Phil Silvers delivering a bunch of classic Vaudevillian shtick and one-liners. Available on VHS only, pulled from the sole surviving 16mm positive, no resto.

The film was based on an earlier Broadway play and this was subsequently shot on an L.A. sound stage one day with the original cast members, no editing, one take, just as it would have been seen by an audience member sitting in the Winter Garden where it ran.

There's a bit more background available over at Wikipedia. Never DVD released.