ROSALIE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937), directed by W.S. Van Dyke II, is a super duper-duper production based on the Florenz Ziegfeld stage musical of the same name starring Marilyn Miller. Rather than reproduction of the 1928 play with the George Gershwin songs intact, MGM retains much of the scenario, substituting its original score with new ones by Cole Porter. In true Hollywood fashion, especially when MGM is concerned, there's little or nothing recognizable from its transition from stage to screen. Coming at a time where single name movie titles were hitting the musical screen, ROBERTA (RKO, 1935), and COLLEEN (Warners, 1936) being among them, ROSALIE follows in that category. In fact, ROSALIE in title can easily be mistaken for MGM's previous success of ROSE-MARIE, considering how both sound alike and each featuring baritone singer Nelson Eddy, whose name comes ahead its title character, the BORN TO DANCE dancing sensation of Eleanor Powell. Rather than an operetta-based production in the scale of Eddy's previous works, NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935), ROSE-MARIE (1936) and MAYTIME (1937), all opposite his most famous partner, Jeanette MacDonald, ROSALIE is contemporary at best, mixing modern songs with a dose of opera performed by newcomer, the Hungarian born Ilona Massey.
Opening at a football stadium with Army vs. the Navy, Dick Thorpe (Nelson Eddy), a All-American Army West Point cadet halfback, scores a winning touchdown for his team. Along with his best friend, Bill Delroy (Ray Bolger) and fellow cadets, the team marches over to a night club for a victory party. While there, Dick is introduced to Rosalie Callahan (Eleanor Powell) of Vassar college, and her best friend, Brenda (Ilona Massey). After becoming acquainted on the dance floor, Rosalie finds Dick conceded and the sort of guy who "wouldn't go a block to see any girl." When Rosalie, actually the Princess Romanikoff of Romanza, and Brenda, her lady-in-waiting, through the king's command by messenger, General Maroff (George Zucco), are to return to their country. Rosalie does so unhappily as she's to marry Prince Paul (Tom Rutherford), a man of her Queen mother's choice. Unable to forge Rosalie, Dick proves her wrong by going the extra 4,000 miles via airplane to her country, unaware she's of royal blood related to the Queen (Edna May Oliver) and her ventriloquist husband, King Frederic (Frank Morgan). Unforeseen circumstances occur having Dick return to West Point, with Rosalie and her royal family not very far behind.
Somewhat comparable to First National's earlier success of FLIRTATION WALK (1934), particularly during its West Point segments as Nelson Eddy does a Dick Powell, Eleanor Powell as his Ruby Keeler, and Ray Bolger in the physical sense of Ross Alexander. As much as Eddy and Powell do their best complimenting each other in style and performance, there's little contrast between them. ROSALIE starts off fine and dandy in high level of entertainment. Once it shifts over to Romanza, it loses something in the translation, weakened by some overlong comedy by the sneezing Billy Gilbert and Jerry Colonna, and moments involving Frank Morgan with his hideous looking dummy that should have been either shortened or scrapped altogether. Had ROSALIE been theatrically released at most 105 rather than at 123 minutes, it might have succeeded. Eleanor Powell playing a princess of foreign origin doesn't fit in with her personality. Her character introduction at the football stadium has her speaking with an accent, an accent she immediately disappears soon after-wards. The accented Ilona Massey would have been a better fit, though she wasn't a big enough name to carry an entire story.
With MGM scrapping songs from the play, the writers should have changed the story having Powell cast as a Boston heiress whose snobbish parents forbid her goal as a dancer on Broadway. The Romanza segment, which passes for the Land of Oz through portions through its orchestration, should have played as a dream sequence for the Eddy character considering all the unbelievability and lavish scale settings with cast of thousands that might have been acceptable for some viewers. Other members of the cast include Reginald Owen; Virginia Grey (Mary, Delroy's love interest); William Demarest; Al Shean, Janet Beecher, and the uncredited Tommy Bond in a sizable role as Mickey, the mascot.
While FLIRTATION WALK offers little as opposed to ROSALIE's over abundance of music, the motion picture soundtrack is as follows: "One Brave Old Army Team," "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," "Anchor's Aweigh," "Who Knows?" "Who Knows?" (reprise); "I've Got a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart," "Rosalie," "Why Should I Care?" "M'Apparicah Sopures" from MARTHA by Frederick Von Froth; "Spring Love is in the Air," "The Polovetsian Dance," "Rosalie," "In the Still of the Night," "Addio," "It's All Over But the Shouting," "To Love or Not to Love," John Phillip Souse Medley: "The Washington Post March," El Capitan," and "Stars and Stripes Forever," (mixed with "Who knows?)" "In the Still of the Night," Felix Mendelsson's "The Wedding March"; "Oh, Promise Me," and "Rosalie." Best moments are Nelson Eddy's introduction to a classic Cole Porter song, "In the Heat of the Night," along with Powell's tap-dancing solo on top of giant drums at the festivities, along with a personal favorite of she leading the cadet ensemble to marching band music, which might have been better suited as part of a West Point military show rather than part of the fantasized story.
Distributed to video cassette in 1986 through MGM/UA, and years later onto the DVD format, this million dollar movie can be seen on occasion on Turner Classic Movies. With so much to offer except Technicolor, ROSALIE is further evidence that big is not necessarily better. Then again, "Who knows?" (***)
Opening at a football stadium with Army vs. the Navy, Dick Thorpe (Nelson Eddy), a All-American Army West Point cadet halfback, scores a winning touchdown for his team. Along with his best friend, Bill Delroy (Ray Bolger) and fellow cadets, the team marches over to a night club for a victory party. While there, Dick is introduced to Rosalie Callahan (Eleanor Powell) of Vassar college, and her best friend, Brenda (Ilona Massey). After becoming acquainted on the dance floor, Rosalie finds Dick conceded and the sort of guy who "wouldn't go a block to see any girl." When Rosalie, actually the Princess Romanikoff of Romanza, and Brenda, her lady-in-waiting, through the king's command by messenger, General Maroff (George Zucco), are to return to their country. Rosalie does so unhappily as she's to marry Prince Paul (Tom Rutherford), a man of her Queen mother's choice. Unable to forge Rosalie, Dick proves her wrong by going the extra 4,000 miles via airplane to her country, unaware she's of royal blood related to the Queen (Edna May Oliver) and her ventriloquist husband, King Frederic (Frank Morgan). Unforeseen circumstances occur having Dick return to West Point, with Rosalie and her royal family not very far behind.
Somewhat comparable to First National's earlier success of FLIRTATION WALK (1934), particularly during its West Point segments as Nelson Eddy does a Dick Powell, Eleanor Powell as his Ruby Keeler, and Ray Bolger in the physical sense of Ross Alexander. As much as Eddy and Powell do their best complimenting each other in style and performance, there's little contrast between them. ROSALIE starts off fine and dandy in high level of entertainment. Once it shifts over to Romanza, it loses something in the translation, weakened by some overlong comedy by the sneezing Billy Gilbert and Jerry Colonna, and moments involving Frank Morgan with his hideous looking dummy that should have been either shortened or scrapped altogether. Had ROSALIE been theatrically released at most 105 rather than at 123 minutes, it might have succeeded. Eleanor Powell playing a princess of foreign origin doesn't fit in with her personality. Her character introduction at the football stadium has her speaking with an accent, an accent she immediately disappears soon after-wards. The accented Ilona Massey would have been a better fit, though she wasn't a big enough name to carry an entire story.
With MGM scrapping songs from the play, the writers should have changed the story having Powell cast as a Boston heiress whose snobbish parents forbid her goal as a dancer on Broadway. The Romanza segment, which passes for the Land of Oz through portions through its orchestration, should have played as a dream sequence for the Eddy character considering all the unbelievability and lavish scale settings with cast of thousands that might have been acceptable for some viewers. Other members of the cast include Reginald Owen; Virginia Grey (Mary, Delroy's love interest); William Demarest; Al Shean, Janet Beecher, and the uncredited Tommy Bond in a sizable role as Mickey, the mascot.
While FLIRTATION WALK offers little as opposed to ROSALIE's over abundance of music, the motion picture soundtrack is as follows: "One Brave Old Army Team," "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," "Anchor's Aweigh," "Who Knows?" "Who Knows?" (reprise); "I've Got a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart," "Rosalie," "Why Should I Care?" "M'Apparicah Sopures" from MARTHA by Frederick Von Froth; "Spring Love is in the Air," "The Polovetsian Dance," "Rosalie," "In the Still of the Night," "Addio," "It's All Over But the Shouting," "To Love or Not to Love," John Phillip Souse Medley: "The Washington Post March," El Capitan," and "Stars and Stripes Forever," (mixed with "Who knows?)" "In the Still of the Night," Felix Mendelsson's "The Wedding March"; "Oh, Promise Me," and "Rosalie." Best moments are Nelson Eddy's introduction to a classic Cole Porter song, "In the Heat of the Night," along with Powell's tap-dancing solo on top of giant drums at the festivities, along with a personal favorite of she leading the cadet ensemble to marching band music, which might have been better suited as part of a West Point military show rather than part of the fantasized story.
Distributed to video cassette in 1986 through MGM/UA, and years later onto the DVD format, this million dollar movie can be seen on occasion on Turner Classic Movies. With so much to offer except Technicolor, ROSALIE is further evidence that big is not necessarily better. Then again, "Who knows?" (***)