It is
an MGM musical but had none of the flash that I expected. Shot in black and
white, the musical numbers were pleasant enough but nothing that made me
go, wow. Sinatra for me is the greatest male vocalist of all time (Ella Fitzgerald
the greatest female) and he does fine work here; one number performed on
the real Brooklyn Bridge is very cool, even singing in Italian at one point
and doing an aria duet with Katherine Grayson at another. Grayson on the
other hand is pushed into only operatic performances which showcase her voice,
but is a bit dull. Durante who usually annoys me is actually fun in this
one. Whenever I come across Durante, it makes me realize how much movies
have changed. He was enormously popular back then, but in today's industry
there would be no room for him. The fourth leg of this table is Peter Lawford
and he is fine and does a good job on his one song.
Not much of a plot. Sinatra comes home to
his beloved Brooklyn after four years away in the war. He kept a photo of
his love, the Brooklyn Bridge by his side. On his first day back he runs
into Grayson and falls in love. He can't find a job and so rooms with his
old friend Durante. Before leaving England, he had told Lawford to come to
Brooklyn to find love and music. He does, unfortunately it is Grayson. A
nice cameo from Gloria Grahame at the beginning of the film as a nurse, who
comes from Brooklyn. Just the year before she had that cameo in It's a Wonderful
Life that made people take notice.
