bkoganbing
Probably the most demands on Perry Como as an actor in his brief sojourn in Hollywood was this watered down remake of Dick Powell's classic Thanks A Million. Sad to say that has not been made available and it is a pity. Thanks A Million was a sharp and witty satire on the American political system how a crooner gets himself good and used by a corrupt political machine when they dump their candidate and nominate him for governor. The same material is used, but without the bite. Instead of the radio crooners of the Thirties the music is now the swing music of the Forties supplied by Harry James. He's got a pair of attractions with his band played by Vivian Blaine and Carmen Miranda and a press agent played by Phil Silvers. He hires Perry Como as a male singer and the group accepts a touring gig with a political candidate who has a drinking problem and is played by Edgar Buchanan. One night when he's in his cups, Como goes on and wows the crowd. At that point the political bosses switch to use him as their stooge.The musical score is nothing to write home about. Perhaps if Perry had a big hit from this he might have stayed a little longer in Hollywood. Not much more though. That relaxed attitude that made him welcome in so many homes in the 50s was not hiding any great acting talent like his contemporary graduate from the big bands Frank Sinatra.Even Carmen Miranda was somewhat subdued in If I'm Lucky.Hope that some day you get to see Thanks A Million so you can compare.
jjnxn-1
Silly but pleasant little Fox B trifle. A Carmen Miranda musical in B&W is an oddity but in B&W or color she is always Technicolor and is as full as sass as ever and her headgear is as truly astounding. Perry Como sings well and is certainly attractive but he is missing that big screen charisma needed for major stardom. It is easy to see why he was a big hit on TV, he possessed a very warm and friendly presence that makes you feel right at home. Vivian Blaine is lovely and Edgar Buchanan is always a welcome addition to any movie but Phil Silvers is an acquired taste, there's no in between either you like him or not. For me he's hard to take but if you're a fan than he can be amusing. One big plus this has is that Harry James and his band provide the music and that's always a good thing.
David Kelsey
If a film was described as "made by 20th Century Fox, featuring Vivian Blaine, Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers, Harry James, and Perry Como," you might reasonably expect the sort of bright, brash, and breezy Technicolor musical of which TCF were the masters during the 1940s.If a film was described as "a black and white political satire about an upright young man duped into standing for office only to find that he was intended to front for a gang of corrupt politicos," you might reasonably expect the sort of film of which Frank Capra was master, perhaps starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur.It is unlikely that you would envisage one film to fit both descriptions, but "If I'm Lucky" does just that. Perhaps we shall never know what prompted TCF to produce this unlikely hybrid, but surprisingly it works quite well. The musical numbers are neatly integrated into the plot, Phil Silvers' usual over-exuberance is kept in check, one misses Technicolor only during Carmen Miranda's numbers, and the political shenanigans are carried mainly by Edgar Buchanan, Reed Hadley, and other supporting players, thankfully making little demand on Perry Como's acting abilities.This is not a particularly good movie, but nor is it a bad one, and it is sufficiently unusual to warrant attention.
JLRMovieReviews
Another film found on the Carmen Miranda DVD Collection, this revolves a group of musicians (including Phil Silvers, Vivian Blaine, Harry James, and Carmen) who need a job...and some food. They see a sign for free food, come one ,come all, at a political rally. When other people start eating and leaving, they start playing to keep the crowd and then they're hired by the politicians for just that purpose.Enter Perry Como who has aspirations of making it big as a crooner and who's plugging a song he wrote, If I'm Lucky, which is a very beautiful song. Of course he and Vivian hit it off. Then Perry gets put into a position to run for governor himself.As musical comedies go, this is very good, despite the political plot, which may turn off some people. But, it makes it even more fulfilling in the long run. (This was a remake of a previous Dick Powell movie, Thanks a Million.) The musical numbers are very upbeat and memorable, especially Perry's daydream sequence.As a Miranda movie goes though, you'll be disappointed with her one song and her not being the center of attention. Her song, while good, doesn't quite measure to others being more opulent and fantastic-looking. On the other hand, Perry Como has a very affable disposition and makes the viewer enjoy this simple film for what it is, a musical that can and will leave you smiling.
AD
