Greenwich Village
                                                                             
Director: Walter Lang
Year: 1944
Rating: 7.0
In a recent review of the Fox musical, Week-End in Havava, I mentioned that the male musical stars at the studio fell far short of the female stars. Well, that was before I saw the great William Bendix in this film! He sings, he dances. Ok, not well really but it was great seeing this tough guy have some fun instead of bashing someone. He is terrific in this and gives the film real weight as a lug in love. When he finally gets the news that she loves someone else, watching his face go through emotions from shock to anger to sadness to acceptance in a minute is brilliant. What a great actor when they gave him something to do. He and Carmen Miranda as the side dishes in the film overwhelm the supposed stars. Of course, Miranda can overwhelm a hurricane. All five feet of her. Seven if you measure her hat.



The two main stars - though in the opening credits Miranda is given first place - but the romantic pairing is Don Ameche and Vivian Blaine. Ameche is like a potted plant through much of this and though Blaine has a nice voice and lovely hair - nicknamed the Cherry Blonde - she is more pleasant than charismatic. You would never say you couldn't take your eyes off of her. She joined up with Fox in 1942, her first starring role was in the Laurel and Hardy film Jitterbugs. She then became a music star over the next few years at Fox. Beginning in 1950 she starred in Guys and Dolls for years on the stage and then in the film. Ameche can be charming in some films and sometimes he bores the hell out of me. The latter here, but Bendix, Miranda and the musical numbers pick it up for me.



It takes place in 1922 which felt like a bad sign as I thought the music would be too old fashioned but the music is fine - there is a lot of it and it is well orchestrated and staged with a gaggle of colors and bright costumes. Why this is set in 1922 is a mystery since they go to no trouble to make it feel like it is except there is prohibition.  I think Miranda's head gear got higher with each change. Simple plot. Ameche is visiting from Kansas and gets off the tour bus and goes into a small nightclub where Miranda is performing followed by Blaine. He falls for Blaine of course, not the crazy Latina. Bendix runs the club and is in love with Blaine and he wants to put on a real show for her so that Ziegfeld doesn't steal her away. Ameche has written a piano concerto - a what says Bendix - and hopes to get it to a famous conductor. It also makes for some good show tunes. Commercial vs classical. That old conundrum.   This one has some nice pizzazz and good tunes and becomes an ensemble piece with everyone getting solid screen time - and a few character actors thrown in as well. But she should have ended up with Bendix. Life of Riley.