Earl Carroll Sketchbook (1946)

Sadly Over-hyped

Excellent but underrated film

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Constance Moore is back at the Vanities, and this time, she's not European royalty pretending to be a commoner who happens to sing; She's the secretary to a songwriter (William Marshall) who pretends to have amnesia out of jealousy. all because of an innocent little kiss he shared with Hillary Brooke. Not much else really happens other than her schemes to prevent psychiatrist Edward Everett Horton from finding out she's faking and her old pal Vera Vague's man-handling of Horton in an effort to distract him. The musical numbers are mediocre for the most part, although one song, "I've Got the Right to Sing the Blues" has a rather creepy, dark film noir setting with Moore in a dark alley surrounded by shifty looking men. Fortunately, I did find the full length version, not the truncated TV edited version which apparently was missing two reels and some of the less satisfying musical numbers. Vague tries just a little too hard to get laughs, more suitable for the two reelers she did at Columbia than the Eve Arden type roles she played in features, ironic considering that Arden was Moore's pal in the previous "Earl Carroll" entry.

Constance Moore (Pam) fakes amnesia after a slight car accident to try and get her composer boss William Marshall (Brice) to notice her. She's appearing in a show with Bill Goodwin (Rick Castle) and Marshall shows up to see her. Constance Moore is performing one of Marshall's songs in Goodwin's show without him realizing and this leads to a lawsuit being issued but everything works out in the end if you can be bothered to watch it all.Edward Everett Horton is also in the cast and is very tedious as Dr Edwards. The whole story is peppered with forgettable songs and a small man leaping about when it comes to the dance numbers. There is nothing particularly good going on here.

EARL CARROLL SKETCHBOOK was one of Republic's attempts to compete with the major studios in producing a high-budget, grade-A musical. With Constance Moore and William Marshall as its talented romantic leads, a wonderful score by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, musical direction by Cy Feuer, and choreography by Nick Castle, this sadly forgotten film deserves to be revived. It's fast, melodious fun, and superior to most of the expensive major studio musical blockbusters released that same year. Sheek, glossy entertainment--long overdue for a restoration and revival on home video! If the negative is still in existence, will someone please strike a new print and show moviegoers that not all the great musicals came from MGM!!!