Step Lively (1944)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This was funny as Room Service and it's charming in this variation with skinny young Sinatra. Well, up to the point Adolph Menjou arrives in the second act to scream about hotel bills not being paid. Goodness that got on my nerves fast. On top of that, everyone else started yelling - George Murphy, Eugene Pallette, Walter Slezak. Pretty soon what started as a pleasant, amusing musical comedy starring Frank Sinatra becamse an obnoxious screball comedy with a bunch of people not named Sinatra burning up screen time. I've rarely seen a movie fall so far off the cliff from Act 1 to Act 2. Cripes, you have the hottest young singer in America. You team him up with the beautiful Gloria DeHaven, write some songs, skip around a bit. Boom, you got a hit. I always hated try-hard screwball comedies - where shouting and strained, unfunny physical comedy substitutes for funny writing - but this one is right down there. My advice is to hit the skip button every time you see Menjou on the screen. Makes for a much better experience.

This lively forgotten musical romantic comedy will probably remind you of the style of some of the B&W Rooney-Garland films of the early '40s, with some of the musical numbers impromptu romantic songs, while others are elaborate staged productions, It may also remind you of the Marx Brother's "Room Service", upon which the background story is based. Along with some other reviewers, I think you will find it clearly the most entertaining film in the current Sinatra Early Years DVD collection. You may even find it on par with or better than the 3 later Kelly-Sinatra films. You will get a rare opportunity to hear and see Gloria DeHaven in her youthful heyday, with lots of singing opportunities. Too often, she just got to sing one song when included with other female singers and dancers. I often prefer her smooth sexy voice to that of Garland's. We also have Anne Jeffreys, who sings a couple of songs. I can't complain about her singing or acting either. And George Murphy, who probably has the most screen time of any actor, can sing , tap dance and act, with a fair dose of charisma. He had previously costarred with Garland and Kelly in "For Me and my Gal", and was featured in "Broadway Melody of 1940" and "This is the Army"Here, I would like to describe in some detail the various musical numbers, and skip commenting on the background theatrics and comedy, which others have summarized(except to agree that there is too much shouting between the various characters). There are 8 musical numbers, featuring 6 songs. Murphy and Gloria, backed by a mixed chorus,start things off with a rousing staged "Where Does Love Begin?"(and friendship end?), which includes some tap dancing by Murphy...Next, another staged production, featuring Gloria in a bubble bath, surrounded by a female chorus, crooning the catchy "Come In, come In, Wherever You Are". A male chorus changes the lyrics to "Come Out", and she emerges(beautifully clothed). Gloria, various males and Sinatra then take their turns singing a reprise, followed by a Gloria-Sinatra romantic dance..In the next musical scene, Sinatra croons "As Long as There is Music" to Gloria. Anne Jeffreys overhears, and becomes infatuated with Sinatra. Later, she catches Sinatra in a phone booth and makes a play for him, but he resists, preferring the tamer Gloria.He escapes and she chases, while they take turns singing bits of a modified version of the opening "Where Does Love Begin?".Finally, he pushes her into an elevator , where she becomes entangled with others, while he escapes down the stairs..Later, Sinatra and Gloria resume their romance. They take turns,back and forth, sometimes as a duet,singing "Some Other Time", with dancers in the background. Ironically, Sinatra soon after gets angry with Gloria about some performance credits and supposedly quits the show for some distant destination(to later return and make up).. Now, we are ready for another floor show. Anne Jeffreys is the lead singer, with female chorus, in the rousing "Why Must there be an Opening Song?" This is soon followed by an elaborate Ottoman-themed stage production, featuring the complex song "Ask the Madame", led by turbaned Murphy, who functions as the MC, periodic singer and magician. It also features the periodic singing of fortuneteller Gloria, and choruses. One of the scenes has a row of women hidden in apparent baskets, which will later function as their dresses in a dance.To the music of a flute, their gloved hands and forearms emerge, convincingly mimicking swaying cobra heads. Quite an interesting show, including Murphy's magic tricks.Now, we are ready for the final music number, impressively staged, if not nearly as interesting as the previous one. It features a reprise of "As Long as there is Music", which Sinatra previously crooned to Gloria. Sinatra, in a spotlight on an otherwise dark stage, starts things off, soon joined by a female chorus, all in white. Gloria then descends a long cloud-like staircase, while singing, as if a goddess descending from heaven. She and Sinatra then duet while dancing. Murphy and dance partner then sing and dance, with gleaming white columns and chandeliers in the background, against a pitch black backdrop. All file out into the audience, while singing, and the 3 stars say goodbye.Sound like a fun time? You bet! Too often, in his other '40s films, Sinatra was portrayed as a skinny timid romantically naive halfwit, and had to suffer the ultimate romantic rejection of a Kathryn Grayson("Anchor's Away", "It Happened in Brooklyn") or Esther Williams{"Take Me Out to the Ball Game") or meekly surrendered to the sudden Anne Jeffreys-like infatuation of man-hungry Betty Garrett(last title, and "On the Town").

George Murphy (Gordon) has taken over a floor of a hotel managed by Walter Slezak (Joe). The entire cast of his show eats and sleeps there for free to the horror of Slezak's boss Adolphe Menjou (Wagner). The film follows Menjou's attempts to throw everyone out of the hotel and Murphy's attempts to get some backing for his show.The film is easy to watch with pleasant songs and some funny moments. Gloria DeHaven (Chris) and Frank Sinatra (Glenn) are good but Murphy and Menjou are guilty of shouting too much, The story is complete nonsense and overall it's too shouty.Sinatra can obviously sing but it is the female backing singers that leave a lasting impression. They sing in that Wonderful World of Disney style that leaves a magical note in the air.

STEP LIVELY is a vast improvement over Sinatra's HIGHER AND HIGHER at RKO, but that's hardly a big compliment. Nevertheless, it's a more enjoyable romp with some good work from others in the cast, including GEORGE MURPHY and GLORIA DeHAVEN, but much of the comedy is played so broadly that it seems forced at times.Based on "Room Service", a comedy starring the Marx Bros. and based on a stage play, it's about a nervous hyperactive producer (Murphy) who wants to put on a show and is encouraged when he finds a talented writer/singer (Sinatra). The trouble is he can't pay his hotel bill and is constantly being badgered for money by WALTER SLEZAK and ADOLPHE MENJOU who don't want him to hold rehearsals for a new show in a penthouse suite.It's a broad farce and is played for non-stop zaniness by the entire cast, but the constant shouting by Murphy and Menjou becomes tiresome after the first half-hour. ANNE JEFFREYS has a thankless role as a young lady who is only interested in having EUGENE Palette back the show because she's got a crush on Sinatra once she hears him sing.The songs themselves don't make much of an impression, but are handled suitably by Sinatra and GLORIA DeHAVEN. It's no more then a B-musical with some A-sets for the hotel settings and production numbers.Sinatra is his casual self in a role that makes no great demands of him except to sing on cue, but everyone else is given to extravagant bits of overacting. His best number is "As Long As There's Music", but it's a good thing he was soon grabbed by MGM for ANCHORS AWEIGH.