Best Foot Forward
MGM found middling success with their film adaptation of the Broadway musical Best Foot Forward, which features some offbeat casting and some nice musical highlights from the composers of Meet Me in St Louis, but never comes together as a complete cinematic experience. Unfortunately, for the studio who reigned Hollywood in making musicals at the time, this was a bit of a disappointment.
The 1943 film takes place at a military academy called Winsocki where a young cadet named Bud Hooper who has planned to take his girlfriend, Helen, to the senior prom, but tells her he can't take her because he's sick. It turns out that Bud wrote a fan letter to movie star Lucille Ball asking her to go the prom with him. He is shocked when Ball agrees to attend the ball with Bud because her agent thinks it would be good publicity for her. Of course, things get tangled when Bud tells Ball that she has to pretend to be Helen and Helen shows up to nurse Bud back to health.
The film is based on a Broadway musical that opened on Broadway on October 1, 1941 and ran for an unimpressive 326 performances. Someone at MGM must have seen the entertainment value here since it reached the screen so quickly after its arrival on Broadway. My suspicion is that this vehicle was purchased by MGM and revamped to suit the talents of Ball, who they were really pushing at the time. Ball had done some solid work in supporting roles up to this point, but nothing as the lead. However, with this film and DuBarry was a Lady, Ball was given two ample opportunities to be a musical leading lady and neither really worked. Eventually, the actress did find success on television.
The film does feature some terrific musical numbers, competently staged by Charles Walters. I liked the opening "Wish I May Wish I Might", "Three Men on a Date", "The Three B's", and the finale "Buckle Down Winsocki". Harry James and his orchestra are also allowed to kill some screentime with three numbers, including James actually putting his trumpet down to perform a dance duet with Nancy Walker, which he appeared truly uncomfortable with.
Ball works hard at playing herself, much harder than should have been necessary. Gloria DeHaven and June Allyson also make the most of thankless roles and Tommy Dix tries really hard as Bud. It's actually Nancy Walker, who steals the show here as the blind date of a young cadet who rejects her upon his arrival but decides to find romance at the dance anyway. For hardcore Ball fans only.
MGM found middling success with their film adaptation of the Broadway musical Best Foot Forward, which features some offbeat casting and some nice musical highlights from the composers of Meet Me in St Louis, but never comes together as a complete cinematic experience. Unfortunately, for the studio who reigned Hollywood in making musicals at the time, this was a bit of a disappointment.
The 1943 film takes place at a military academy called Winsocki where a young cadet named Bud Hooper who has planned to take his girlfriend, Helen, to the senior prom, but tells her he can't take her because he's sick. It turns out that Bud wrote a fan letter to movie star Lucille Ball asking her to go the prom with him. He is shocked when Ball agrees to attend the ball with Bud because her agent thinks it would be good publicity for her. Of course, things get tangled when Bud tells Ball that she has to pretend to be Helen and Helen shows up to nurse Bud back to health.
The film is based on a Broadway musical that opened on Broadway on October 1, 1941 and ran for an unimpressive 326 performances. Someone at MGM must have seen the entertainment value here since it reached the screen so quickly after its arrival on Broadway. My suspicion is that this vehicle was purchased by MGM and revamped to suit the talents of Ball, who they were really pushing at the time. Ball had done some solid work in supporting roles up to this point, but nothing as the lead. However, with this film and DuBarry was a Lady, Ball was given two ample opportunities to be a musical leading lady and neither really worked. Eventually, the actress did find success on television.
The film does feature some terrific musical numbers, competently staged by Charles Walters. I liked the opening "Wish I May Wish I Might", "Three Men on a Date", "The Three B's", and the finale "Buckle Down Winsocki". Harry James and his orchestra are also allowed to kill some screentime with three numbers, including James actually putting his trumpet down to perform a dance duet with Nancy Walker, which he appeared truly uncomfortable with.
Ball works hard at playing herself, much harder than should have been necessary. Gloria DeHaven and June Allyson also make the most of thankless roles and Tommy Dix tries really hard as Bud. It's actually Nancy Walker, who steals the show here as the blind date of a young cadet who rejects her upon his arrival but decides to find romance at the dance anyway. For hardcore Ball fans only.
Last edited by Gideon58; 03-04-22 at 07:31 PM.