Birth of the Blues Michael Curtitz's musical "All the best in life is free" (1956) is a musical biography popular in 20-30s tandem of composers and songwriters for many Broadway musicals and Hollywood filmsRay Henderson, BuddyBaw and D'Brow/b>
The plot of the film: 1920s. Music teacher Ray Henderson (Dan Daly) comes to visit his relative, singer Kitty Kane (Shiri North), who is rehearsing a role in a new revue. During rehearsals, Buddy 'B.D.' DeSilva (Gordon McRae) and Lew Brown (Ernest Borgnine) come to the theater to play their new song and ask them to accompany Ray, who was mistaken for a pianist working in the theater.
Despite the fact that their song is not taken to the revue, Ray joins their company. Although they have different characters (one is an ambitious careerist, another is an exemplary family man, a third is a person called “roll the field”), they achieve success together. But their different values in life will always stand between them.
Musical biographies of famous composers, singers or dancers are a rather specific branch of the musical genre. Of course, first of all, it implies a global acquaintance with the works of the person (or those) to whom the film is dedicated, since, as I wrote earlier, the composer is best known by familiarizing himself with his works.
But the script content of these films is often very different quality. You can make such good and most important - reliable (in terms of presentation of facts) films as "While the clouds float" (1946) or "I'll see you in my dreams" (1951 - the last again from "b" Michael Curtitz), where everything will be balanced.
But you can compose a beautiful but false fairy tale, as happened with the film Night and Day (1946, and again from Michael Curtitz ), which was saved from complete failure only by the songs of Col Porter and the supporting actors .
Michael Curtitz, making the film All the best in life is free, is located somewhere in the middle of the above criteria. Using the magnificent music, which has become a classic in the United States and putting good dances, the director used more or less, but elaborate script, allowing the viewer to get a sufficient idea about those to whom this picture is dedicated.
Of course, the script part in this picture is not perfectly worked out - but for the musical this question is not the defining . Regarding the cast , in general, it was selected here successfully - but there are still some questions.
Gordon McRae, best known to today's audience for a number of films with Doris Day and Shirley Jones, plays here one of the last roles in his not so long film career. On the whole, he looks quite convincing as a "businessman", not to mention his voice.
Dan Daly, unfortunately, almost does not dance in this film, but quite organically fits into his role. Not quite in his place Ernest Borgnine as Lew Brown - it is clearly noticeable that the musical is still not his genre. Shiri North (singing duplicates Eileen Wilson) is very plastic in the role of Kitty Kane and adds positivity and vitality to the film, not to mention the fact that she dances perfectly.
Musical numbers in the film are good both in terms of dances and songs (nomination for the "Oscar" for the best soundtrack absolutely deserved). I would like to highlight for myself 'If I Had a Talking Picture of You', 'The Best Things in Life Are Free' (after which the film is named), 'Birth of the Blues', 'Black Bottom', 'One More Time', 'It All Depends on You' and 'Without Love' (favorite song from the film).
In general, this film, of course, is inferior to others in a series of musical biographies, shot in Hollywood, but connoisseurs of American music of the first half of the XX century and lovers of musicals This picture Michael Curtitz can be recommended for viewing. Thank you very much.
7 out of 10