Spring Has Sprung The musical comedy Roy Rowland 'Sorry My Ashes' (1951) (not the most correct name in translation into Russian, but funny) is one of the most uncharacteristic films in the filmography of the popular comedian of the 40-50s - Red Skelton.
So, the USA, Indiana, the city of Willow Falls, 1895. In this city lives amateur inventor Joe Belden (Red Skelton), which almost everyone laughs at in the city for what he is trying to create a so-called "horseless crew", running on fuel (the prototype of modern cars). He is supported in this endeavor only by his mother (Jane Darwell), fiancée Liz Ballit (Sally Forrest) and best friend Ben Parrot (Herbert Anderson).
Against the relationship of Joe and Liz is the father of the latter (William Demarest), who as candidates for suitors for his daughter is more satisfied with Yale University graduate Sirius Rensom Jr. (McDonald Carey). And then in the city comes a new girl named Daisy Lou (Monica Lewis), which is crazy all the men in the city, but she shows a clear sympathy for Joe. However, everything must be decided by the auto race, the prize for winning which is $5,000.
So, at first glance, we have quite an inconspicuous and unassuming musical comedy, which few people will be interested in. But, in the film, there are components that work in the right direction and distinguish it from 's group of their own kind.
The plot of the film, of course, is not without stamps and platitudes, but at the same time the action does not slide into boredom and the lack of logic - everything goes quite smoothly, albeit without special surprises. Humor of the picture can hardly be called relevant, but it fully corresponds to certain norms and does not reach the level of "complete idiocy" - which, unfortunately, has become a frequent phenomenon in modern cinema.
The atmosphere of the 1890s directed by Roy Rowland is transmitted quite reliably - in general, when watching the film, the impression is constantly created that the viewer is at a picnic or at a party, which in small towns in the United States were arranged at the end of the XIX century.
The cast makes a good impression. Red Skelton quite successfully performs here most of the time in the role of an ordinary guy like "boy-next-door", which in his career was not so common. Moreover, all the typical comic techniques of the actor are minimized here, which, if you think about it, is even for the best.
Not so impressive looks Sally Forrest (singing duplicates Gloria Gray) as the usual "girl next door". Perhaps the fact is that her best roles she played in noirs of Ida Lupino, but it is her type that does not allow the actress to organically fit into the role.
On the other hand, a little "anachronistic" dance number in her performance looks great. By the way, the action of the number is transferred, as it were, to the early 1950s - the hero McDonald Carey represents who the heroine Forrest would be, If she was born 50 years later, and, oddly enough, in his fantasies she appears as an ordinary port woman of the oldest profession - this is you and the fantasies, it would seem, of guys from a provincial town in the end of the XIX century.
McDonald Carey in the role of the opponent of the hero Skelton is remembered for the fact that he sings - 1951 for this actor was definitely the year of vocal experiments - both in the film "Meet me after the show", and, in "Sorry my ashes". Monica Lewis , having a great voice, perfectly performs her numbers, but performs too convincingly for the presenters Anderson /b>
Musical accompaniment by Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields is quite correctly integrated into the film. From the songs sounding here, we can distinguish 'I'd Like to Take You Out Dreaming' from McDonald Carey and 'Spring Has Sprung' from Red Skelton and Sally Forrest (double. Gloria Gray - oddly enough, this fact was indicated in the review of Bosley Krauser in the New York Times).
So, we have nothing more than a pleasant musical comedy , which is quite suitable for viewing on a rainy autumn evening. Fans of musicals or fans of Hollywood classics this film is worth seeing. Thank you very much.
7 out of 10