GManfred ... As opposed to a musical comedy. Once again, Hollywood has tried to wreck a very successful Broadway play by removing most of the songs, but they failed in this endeavor - goes to show you can't keep a good show down. Actually, it is understandable in the case of a Cole Porter musical, as the Hays Code was in force for barely a year when Paramount produced this picture. Apparently his double-entendres and, ah, imaginative lyrics scared them off.So, here is a comedy with some songs, and it still succeeds on both levels. The songs that were added by Richard Whiting/Leo Robin and Hoagy Carmichael are for the most part tuneful and worthy of inclusion, and probably not as lurid (although I didn't see the original I have heard the missing songs), if that's the correct word. The script was first-class and maintained a good level of humor throughout.This is a good look at Ethel Merman (who was shamefully neglected by Hollywood, along with Mary Martin), and she is in fine voice, singing "You're The Top" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". She is ably supported by a chubby-looking Bing Crosby, the nominal star of the picture. But Bing was not Broadway material the way 'The Merm' was, and she leaves him in the dust in their duet of the aforementioned "You're The Top".Special mention should be made of Charlie Ruggles, who holds the flimsy plot together with an unexpected comic performance as a gangster-on-the-run. He is very funny, just as the music is very pleasing. Arthur Treacher is also on hand as a silly-ass Englishman, a role made popular in the 50's by Terry-Thomas. Ida Lupino, who always seemed somewhat horse-faced to me, has never - never, ever - looked lovelier as the runaway heiress.I think website contributors have underrated this film as I found it lacked nothing except what the Hays Office removed.

John Esche Even though only four or five (depending on how you count) of Cole Porter's great songs were retained ["I Get A Out of You," "There Will Always Be A Lady Fair" (the sailor's quartet with reprises ), "You're The Top" (with reprises and bizarrely done up as the chorus to a "Shanghai-De-Ho" finale number"), "Anything Goes" (all too briefly in the opening credits and background score) and the haunting "All Through the Night" (sadly, surviving only in the overture in the TV print seen!) several of them with altered lyrics and the song cues very much in place for "You Do Something To Me"] and a passel of not bad others for crooner Crosby ["Steer By The North Star/Sailor Beware," "I'll Get a Moonburn," "My Heart and I"] added in typical Hollywood know-it-all fashion (Cole Porter was a particular victim of this syndrome) this essentially plot faithful, and decidedly all-star preservation of one of Porter's greatest hits is required viewing for anyone interested in "golden age" musicals and jolly good fun for anyone else, even in its lamely TV retitled and apparently badly edited "Tops Is The Limit" version.Ethel Merman recreating her Broadway Reno Sweeney is at her best (possibly outshining even her later, smoother Broadway recreation in the film of CALL ME MADAM) and amply demonstrates why she (along with Mary Martin) was at the top of most lists of 20th Century musical theatre stars.More than ample support is provided by Bing Crosby in the William Gaxton role of Billy Crocker (who Reno is attracted to but who hankers after runaway socialite Hope), Charlie Ruggles in the Victor Moore role of "Public Enemy #13, 'Moonface' Martin - on the lamb from the FBI, Ida Lupino as Hope Harcourt, Arthur Treacher as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh who is trying to bring Hope home to England to marry her, Margaret Dumont briefly seen as Mrs. Wentworth the owner of a kidnapped Peikinese, Charlie Chan's "Number One Son" Keye Luke & Philip Ahn as a pair of gambling Chinese and Grace Bradley as Moonface's moll Bonnie.All are blissfully gathered (and some farcically hiding) on a ship crossing from New York to London. The original pre-Broadway rehearsal script had the cast shipwrecked, but the well publicized burning of the actual cruise ship Morro Castle off New Jersey while the show was in preparation made shipwrecks decidedly unPC for musical comedy so all the action was kept on board.Few shipboard films (certainly not the bland and UNfaithful 1956 remake with Crosby and Mitzi Gaynor) have as much fun capturing an Atlantic crossing OR a Broadway show.

lugonian ANYTHING GOES (Paramount, 1936), directed by Lewis Milestone, a movie musical based on the 1934 Cole Porter Broadway play starring William Gaxton, Ethel Merman and Victor Moore, is given the screen treatment with Bing Crosby and Charlie Ruggles in the Gaxton and Moore roles, and Merman reprising her stage performance. The movie version, as with most adaptations from stage to screen, has been altered and revised, leaving some of the original score intact, otherwise a traditionally predictable, often silly, mildly entertaining musical comedy that could be categorized as being more faithful to the play than the 1956 screen adaptation also starring Crosby, which borrowed the original title, used some of its original songs but had an entirely different scenario nonetheless.The story opens in a cabaret where American entertainer Reno Sweeney (Ethel Merman) is performing the very night she is to set sail over to London. She loves Billy Crocker (Bing Crosby), an ambitious young man whose boss has left him in charge while away on vacation. As Reno is performing, Billy notices an attractive young girl (Ida Lupino) sitting at another table who appears to be depressed or in some kind of trouble. Moments later, a couple of men (Edward Gargan and Matt McHugh), actually hired detectives, take her away. Fearing she's being abducted against her will, Bill attempts to rescue this damsel in distress, but takes the advise of the men to mind his own business. While on the dock bidding Reno bon voyage, Billy sees the young damsel (actually Hope Harcourt, a runaway heiress being taken back to her family in England by Evelyn Oakleigh (Arthur Treacher) to marry a man she doesn't love) boarding the same ship, and rushes on moments before its departure. While on board, Billy disguises himself to keep from being recognized by his employer (Robert McWade) and avoid arrested as a stowaway. Aside from following Miss Harcourt, who has taken a liking to Billy during the ocean voyage, he joins forces with con man "Moonface" Martin (Charlie Ruggles), Public Enemy No. 13, masquerading as a clergyman, accompanied by Bonnie (Grace Bradley). Because of Billy's association with Moonface, Hope mistakes him for or a notorious gangster and avoids him after he and Martin are arrested and placed in the brig.A Cole Porter score with much from the play discarded ("All Through the Night" is underscored), and new ones composed by others, the motion picture soundtrack to the final cut is as follows: "Anything Goes" (briefly sung by Ethel Merman during opening credits); "I Get a Kick Out of You" (sung by Merman); "There'll Always Be a Lady Fair" (sung by Chill Wills and the Avalon Boys); "Sailor Beware" (by Richard Whiting and Leo Robin/ sung by Bing Crosby); "There'll Always Be a Lady Fair" (reprise/Avalon Boys); "Moon Burn" (by Hoagy Carmichael and Edward Heyman/ sung by Crosby); "My Heart and I" (by Frederick Hollander/ sung by Crosby to Lupino); "You're the Tops" (sung by Merman and Crosby); "Shanghai-de-Ho" (by Hollander and Robin/ sung By Merman): and "You're the Tops" (reprise by Crosby and Merman). With much of the songs worked within the contest of the plot, only two are given the production treatment "I Get a Kick Out of You" with Merman sitting in a ring shaped carrier suspended from the ceiling in the cabaret sequence; and the finale "Shanghai De-Ho" performed by Merman dressed in Oriental costume for the Paramount news reel set in England during a rainy afternoon. The Crosby and Merman duet of "You're the Tops" is tops, even with its dated lyrics and in-jokes that might not be understood by today's generation. The humor from that same number predates those 1940s "Road" comedies starring Crosby and Bob Hope where Merman briefly sings in Crosby's voice and Crosby hers.For anyone familiar with Ida Lupino's dramatic movie career that took off in the 1940s, and her directorial work shortly afterwards, may be surprised seeing this brunette a blonde appearing in a musical. This would be one of her rare opportunities in which the British-born actress would portray a character of her true heritage on the American screen. Others in the cast include: Margaret Dumont (taking time away from The Marx Brothers) as Mrs. Wentworth; Richard Carle as Bishop Henry Dobson; among others.ANYTHING GOES might be mistaken as a 1930s Crosby musical that never made it to television. Due to the 1956 remake in name only, which had been shown on American Movie Classics around 1991-92, the television title to this version was retitled "Tops is the Limit." In recent years, it's cable television presentations were limited, notably presented as part of its "Best of Hollywood" series on the Disney Channel also during the mid 1990s.With the title that might have been suited for pre-code films produced during 1930-33, ANYTHING GOES is typical boy meets girl/mistaken identity/shipboard romance plot highlighted by songs and fine cast that should please any fan of musicals such as this. (***)

Sauerkraut625 Haven't actually seen this, but the actors a good, and I am in the process of doing this as a school musical, it's great! The story is a great love story between a love quadrilateral. Billy Crocker loves Hope Harcourt who is supposed to love Evelyn Oakleigh, who really loves the famous night club singer, Reno Sweeney. During all of this Moonface Martin (Public Enemy #13)and his girlfriend, Bonnie have snuck on the boat and disguised themselves as a minister, and a nightclub "angel" The whole play is great, the music can get a little annoying, but that's probably because I've heard them too often, but they too are timeless. Overall, this play has great characters, great storyline(s), great music, and (sometimes) great choreography, GREAT PLAY (movie)!