Anything Goes (1956)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Robert Lewis

Writers:

Guy Bolton (play) &
P.G. Wodehouse (play) ...

Release Date:

April 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Plot:

Bill Benson and Ted Adams are to appear in a Broadway show together and, while in Paris, each 'discovers'...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Bill Benson
Donald O'Connor	...	Ted Adams
Zizi Jeanmaire	...	Gaby Duval (as Jeanmaire)
Mitzi Gaynor	...	Patsy Blair
Phil Harris	...	Steve Blair
Kurt Kasznar	...	Victor Lawrence
Richard Erdman	...	Ed Brent
Walter Sande	...	Alex Todd
Archer MacDonald	...	Otto
Argentina Brunetti	...	Suzanne
Alma Macrorie	...	French Baroness
Dorothy Neumann	...	German Woman
James Griffith	...	Paul Holiday

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This was Bing Crosby's last Paramount picture.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Year of the Dog (2007/I)

Soundtrack:

A Second Hand Turban And A Crystal Ball

Bing's farewell to Paramount

In 1956 Bing Crosby wound up his 25 year old contract with Paramount pictures. It remains the second longest contract for any star with any studio, only exceeded by Robert Taylor with MGM. This second version of Anything Goes was his farewell film for the studio.

Bing should have quit with White Christmas.

Again, Hollywood under the Code was to squeamish about filming any of Cole Porter's musicals. As they did in 1936 with that version of Anything Goes, it was censored heavily. Cole Porter's original score did not make it intact to the screen again. Other Porter songs were used and a few numbers written by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn.

As for the plot the only similarity is that it takes place on an ocean liner. In this one we have recent partners Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor each signing a leading lady for their new Broadway show. Both of their finds, Zizi Jeanmaire and Mitzi Gaynor are on the ocean liner with them. Mix the inevitable romantic complications and if you're any kind of a movie fan you'll figure what the result will be.

Phil Harris is also on hand as Mitzi Gaynor's father. One of the little known facts of Hollywood was that Harris was one of Bing Crosby's best friends in the motion picture capital. Harris had appeared with Bing previously in Here Comes the Groom, but that was only in one musical number. He has a nice turn here as a professional gambler that the IRS is looking to nail.

Usually Bing Crosby movies are just that, Bing is normally partnered with non-musical talent. Here he has three talented performers to share the spotlight with. All have some good numbers. I particularly liked Donald O'Connor and Mitzi Gaynor singing and dancing to It's DeLovely.

This was a reunion film for Crosby and O'Connor. Donald O'Connor got his first big break as a child actor in Bing's Sing You Sinners back in 1938. But that one was a far superior film.

If you like the talented performers involved, this is a good film. But Paramount should have done better by Bing in his farewell film for them.