I've read people's reviews about "Rosalie" not being a very good film due the unbelievability of it, but "Rosalie" was supposed to be a fantasy, pure escapism, which I feel gave parts of this film a very nice surreal feeling. Some reviewers called it weird and stupid, but it was supposed to be bizarre in the magical surreal escapism way it provided so well. I loved a lot of that. If they had made this film more plain and ordinary, it would not have been nearly as good.
I'll mention the film's couple of little problems which took it from a 10 to an 8. Then I'll get to the great stuff. I did not like the King's (Frank Morgan) venquilitrist dummy, he looked and acted kinda creepy. I also didn't care for Billy Gilbert's extreme sneezing character, his industrial strength sneezes, which weren't funny to begin with, got old fast
Now for the great things; Eleanor Powell was as beautiful as ever as the film's title character here just like she was in "Born to dance" and the "Broadway melody" films. Her amazing tap dancing shined up the screen here again just like in those films. Nelson Eddie showed his opera talent again just like in his films with Jannet McDonald. I disagree with some of the reviewer's comments, I thought that Eleanor and Eddie here had great chemistry and I could see their glowing passion for one another. Take for Instance the scene where Eleanor is hiding behind a tree, Eddie sees her and sneaks up to the other side of it, Eleanor lifts herself up to run her face right into Eddie's face right there gleaming right at her over those branches. There was something almost eerie about it, but in a good way. Then (after king Frank Morgan brings Eddie to the festivities from his plane which he flew from America), there was the look on Eddie's face when noticing Eleanor being carried on a platform by many dancers carrying flaming torches, which was a really neat visual presentation. That there brings me to the big festivities middle section of the film which was truly elaborate, amazing, and spectacular. It started with what looked like a carnival with stands and puppeteers, then moved over to an even more bizarre and wonderful world of fantasy and escapism. Men throwing enormous handles banging them onto huge drums. About 30 dancing girls in very large, wide (almost like authentically German or Danish looking) dresses dancing to what sounded like the melody to "Strangers in paradise". Then, opera singing beauties in very nice long white gowns along with blonde beauty Ilona Massey singing "Spring love is in the air". Then all those girls in the big, wide authentic dresses dancing faster now along with other dancing girls in white running excitedly and dancing fast and magnificently to the great overture music playing. The whole thing was an enormous, surreal, wonderful paragon. And those big beautiful fountains lined up in the background too I loved. And that wasn't all, there was still Eleanor being carried out by those flame torch carriers, her doing an amazing tap dance up and down these various sized drums, then doing her great spin dance (which she's shown in numerous films) through these plastic circles being held. The number of dancers and extras there in the last bit of that extravaganza had to be over a thousand. Very large, very wonderful, all of it.
There were also other great parts of the film such as Eddie singing outside Eleanor's window at her college, then the dance sequence where they first dance (and Frank Morgon sings), then a little later Eddie singing "In the still of the night", and then the great military part with Eleanor in army uniform leading the marching cadets in dance. Also, William Demearest shows up as sergeant, and Ray Bolger, who this not one of his best films ("Oz" and "The great Ziegfeld" were). However, I liked how Ray kissed that beauty by the plane and lifted his hand back to pay up some cash since he lost a bet, but didn't care due to having the beauty in his arms. Also, this film probably has the most variety of dancers in it since "The great Ziegfeld".
SPOILER
I loved the wedding ending too with the fanciness and music there.
I'll mention the film's couple of little problems which took it from a 10 to an 8. Then I'll get to the great stuff. I did not like the King's (Frank Morgan) venquilitrist dummy, he looked and acted kinda creepy. I also didn't care for Billy Gilbert's extreme sneezing character, his industrial strength sneezes, which weren't funny to begin with, got old fast
Now for the great things; Eleanor Powell was as beautiful as ever as the film's title character here just like she was in "Born to dance" and the "Broadway melody" films. Her amazing tap dancing shined up the screen here again just like in those films. Nelson Eddie showed his opera talent again just like in his films with Jannet McDonald. I disagree with some of the reviewer's comments, I thought that Eleanor and Eddie here had great chemistry and I could see their glowing passion for one another. Take for Instance the scene where Eleanor is hiding behind a tree, Eddie sees her and sneaks up to the other side of it, Eleanor lifts herself up to run her face right into Eddie's face right there gleaming right at her over those branches. There was something almost eerie about it, but in a good way. Then (after king Frank Morgan brings Eddie to the festivities from his plane which he flew from America), there was the look on Eddie's face when noticing Eleanor being carried on a platform by many dancers carrying flaming torches, which was a really neat visual presentation. That there brings me to the big festivities middle section of the film which was truly elaborate, amazing, and spectacular. It started with what looked like a carnival with stands and puppeteers, then moved over to an even more bizarre and wonderful world of fantasy and escapism. Men throwing enormous handles banging them onto huge drums. About 30 dancing girls in very large, wide (almost like authentically German or Danish looking) dresses dancing to what sounded like the melody to "Strangers in paradise". Then, opera singing beauties in very nice long white gowns along with blonde beauty Ilona Massey singing "Spring love is in the air". Then all those girls in the big, wide authentic dresses dancing faster now along with other dancing girls in white running excitedly and dancing fast and magnificently to the great overture music playing. The whole thing was an enormous, surreal, wonderful paragon. And those big beautiful fountains lined up in the background too I loved. And that wasn't all, there was still Eleanor being carried out by those flame torch carriers, her doing an amazing tap dance up and down these various sized drums, then doing her great spin dance (which she's shown in numerous films) through these plastic circles being held. The number of dancers and extras there in the last bit of that extravaganza had to be over a thousand. Very large, very wonderful, all of it.
There were also other great parts of the film such as Eddie singing outside Eleanor's window at her college, then the dance sequence where they first dance (and Frank Morgon sings), then a little later Eddie singing "In the still of the night", and then the great military part with Eleanor in army uniform leading the marching cadets in dance. Also, William Demearest shows up as sergeant, and Ray Bolger, who this not one of his best films ("Oz" and "The great Ziegfeld" were). However, I liked how Ray kissed that beauty by the plane and lifted his hand back to pay up some cash since he lost a bet, but didn't care due to having the beauty in his arms. Also, this film probably has the most variety of dancers in it since "The great Ziegfeld".
SPOILER
I loved the wedding ending too with the fanciness and music there.