Publisher: CinemaSerf February 28, 2023
I wasn't quite sure about the casting of Anna Neagle in the early WWII remake of the 1930 song and dance romance, but she does ok. She's the eponymous circus star who falls hook, line and sinker for "Larry" (John Carroll). He's from nouveau riche (car-dealership) stock, and his family had far greater aspirations for their son than this big-top performer. Their relationship is not helped by the fact that her fellow artistes don't take to him much either, and so we embark on a rather routine all-singing and dancing, light-hearted and uncomplicated, "can the guy get the gal" exercise. Like so many stage actors of her day, Neagle was a better than competent dancer, a useful singer and is very much at ease here - if completely unchallenged by the rather unremarkable writing and the somewhat formulaic story. It's really only got the two notable songs - and these "Sunny" and "Who" - written by Oscar Hammerstein II , Otto Harbach & Jerome Kern appear in various refrains as the story trundles along to it's predestined conclusion. It's too long and is probably not a film you will ever recall watching. Indeed, I doubt those who made it would have recalled it for long either - but it does showcase the considerable versatility of the star and for that, is just about worth a watch.