Good News

Well, it sure is a musical. There's nothing especially horrible about it, but it's all so cheesy and simplistic and the music isn't all that great either so I can't say I was particularly engaged.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

watched: 2021, 2023

Definitely feels dated in a way that other classic musicals don't. It all just seems so corny, safe and wholesome and doesn't generate enough charm to overcome it. The songs are actually not that bad, and the choreography is terrific. But the only good singer in the entire cast is Torme, the rest are barely passable. There's a lot of dumb gags and the third act dilemma doesn't make a bit of sense. The songs are good, but not good enough to make up for how bland the rest of it is.

After watching nearly two decades of these kinds of cheesy Hollywood musicals, it's the genre I'm getting most tired of. But the Good News (1947) is that this was filled with energy and managed to poke enough fun at itself to make things enjoyable. Didn't hurt that it was shot in good old Technicolor. And it definitely didn't hurt that June Allyson was the center of attention. So yeah, it was fine for one of these.

Disarmingly charming, and surprisingly funny on occasion. But I have to be contrarian on one point: the first half of the Peace Pipe song is just pure awful. Both lousy lyrics and lousy singing; Jane McCracken is a treasure, but not because of her singing voice. As soon as she starts dancing, things get a lot better.