Month O' Musicals: Guys and Dolls

Vital Stats:
Year: 1955
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Stars: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Stubby Kaye, Sheldon Leonard
Choreographer: Michael Kidd
Music & lyrics: Frank Loesser
Based on stories by: Damon Runyon

Summary:
Gambler Nathan Detroit is under a lot of pressure. Not only is his fiancee of 14 years getting tired of waiting for him, but he also can't find a place to hold his permanent floating crap game. In an attempt to get the money to pay for a gambling location, Nathan makes a $1000 bet with high-roller Sky Masterson. Surely Sky can't talk missionary Sgt. Sarah Brown into going to Havana with him. Or can he?

Memorable Moments:
The title song, the city sewer performance of "Luck Be a Lady", and the show-stopping "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat".


What I love about it:
Two fun numbers by the ladies: "Adelaide's Lament", ("a person can develop a cold") and the rum-induced-exuberance of "If I Were a Bell". Actually, a big part of the fun of the latter song is watching Brando react to the rum-induced-exuberance. (And while we're on the subject, you have to give Brando credit for doing his own singing, in the same movie as the incomparable Frank Sinatra, too.)

Month O' Musicals: State Fair

Vital Stats:
Year: 1945
Director: Walter Lang
Stars: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter, Charles Winninger
Choreographer: Hermes Pan
Songwriting: Rodgers & Hammerstein

Summary:
As corny as its Iowa setting, the movie follows the Frake family's trip to their great state's annual fair. Will Father Abel's prize boar Blue Boy win the grand award? Will Mother Melissa's views on liquor affect her chances of winning the mincemeat competition? Will sister Margy hear words that she has never heard from a man she's yet to meet? Will brother Wayne end up with the glamorous singer he meets at the fair or will he return to the girl back home?

Memorable Moments:
The movie has some lovely songs, including "It Might As Well Be Spring", "It's A Grand Night For Singing", and even the silly "All I Owe Ioway". There's also a great bit with Harry Morgan involving Wayne's quest to get even with the guy who cheated him at the ring toss game at the previous year's fair. ("We're having fun here!")

What I love about it:
The pig snorting along to "Our State Fair" is brilliant. I also find rather amusing the scene with Margy's really unromantic boyfriend Harry. But most of all I love watching Dana Andrews. Sometimes my family calls him "that cute little Dana Andrews" just for me. Despite his dubious choice of "bobby locks" as a pet name, he's charming and suave and very watchable as the newspaperman who sets out to investigate Margy. How's this for an invitation: "What'd be wrong with you and me sitting down over there and exchanging our ideas of life over a Coke?... I'm not saying it's a great idea, I'm just asking what's what's bad about it? What could we lose? Let's give it five minutes. What do you say?" What follows? Fun on a roller coaster, of course.