JohnHowardReid
This M-G-M "A" feature (the plot seems to run a laborious 120 minutes or so, but fortunately it is leavened by at least 30 minutes of musical numbers) starts off very promisingly with an amusing idea that – alas! – is resolved in favor of a corny romance. Charles Martin making his debut as a director (and his third film as a writer) adopts a somewhat casual approach. While this not-too-heavy, not-too-light handling certainly aids the earlier light-weight scenes, it does tend to make the climax seem rather under-played. Nevertheless, the actors, led by Van Johnson, Keenan Wynn and Pat Kirkwood are pleasant enough, but the big thrill for me was the presence of Guy Lombardo and his Orchestra playing Dvorak's "Humoresque" and supporting singer, Pat Kirkwood, with "Love on a Greyhound Bus" and "Isn't It Wonderful?" plus the Ralph Freed/Sammy Fain "All the Time" on which Pat was joined by Van Johnson.
bkazmer
A nice all around WWII film of Marines coming home to music, parties and women. There were three songs by the female lead Patricia Kirkwood, and it seemed even more by the woman portraying the Russian singer played by Marina Koshetz. She was a real life opera singer who did the difficult Eugene Onegin on stage for a debut. One of the highlights was the two "prodigies" with Frank 'Sugar Chile' Robinson playing piano and singing "Caledonia" and then Joey Preston on Drums looking like a tiny Gene Krupa. Both seemed to be around 10 or 11 years old. Neither seems to have recorded anything after around 1950! I wonder what happened to them. The Garcia's (Dance Team) were superb! And Elizabetmora... did you ever find a copy? I have one if you need it.
Elizabetmora
I started to look for things connected with my youth. the Garcias whom were a dance team are my brother and sister. I have been looking to purchase this movie and would like to know how and where.. I was very surprised to see this movie picture come up, The Garcias were a great dance team that also danced at the copacabana and other clubs of the 50's. There are other movies that they danced in most of the time with Xavier Cugat. Looking for those The internet is a wonderful thing. I am also proud to know that my brother was, in fact the first to dance with a glass of water on his head.I haven't seen it in at least 30 years. I thought it was great.
Eleanor Knowles Dugan
British star Pat Kirkwood is a delight in her only Hollywood film. A simple plot is diluted by sticking in opportunities for a half dozen other talents to do bits which are then diminished by cutting away to others chatting! Cugat and Marina Koshetz are wasted. Ms. Kirkwood says that on the first day of shooting, Van Johnson greeted her congenially and told her, "This picture is going to be a real stinker, so we might as well have a few laughs and forget it." Actually, the film is rather fun if you accept it as a light-weight, and Kirkwood's bouncy song "Love on a Greyhound Bus" is worth the price of admission. (Singer-dancer Van Johnson neither sings nor dances!)
AD
