Maidgethma Wonderfully offbeat film!

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Karlee The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

weezeralfalfa The "Something for the Boys" gang is back for one last fling!. This would be the last of 9 memorable Fox musicals featuring Carmen Miranda's inimical musical productions and off-stage frequent bombastic comedic personality. Actually, she's rather tame off-stage in her last 3 films, and was present only in several cameo appearances in her first film. This was also the last of 3 Fox films for singer Perry Como. Here, he has graduated to leading man role: his only such in a Hollywood film. Recognizing his limitations as an actor, Fox wisely included a couple of well established supporting men with obvious natural charisma in Phil Silvers and Edgar Buchanan, who play their typical selves. Such actors were missing in his previous film: "Doll Face", which greatly reduced it's appeal, despite reasonably good musical numbers. The screenplay lacks the hilarious comedic interactions between Carmen and Silvers, as well as on their own, that so much contributed to the enjoyment of "Something For the Boys". However, this film has other comedic elements.Vivian Blaine is also back as the leading lady, in her next to last Fox film. Her hair color was changed from the striking red of her 2 previous Technicolor films, to the more striking blond, for a B&W film. I wouldn't know she was the same woman! She gets to sing some solos, with Como, and with the whole gang. She's OK, if unremarkable , in her dramatic role as the straight-laced bug-eyed girlfriend of Como's character. Finally, there is the new addition of Harry James and his orchestra. He was then the husband of Fox's superstar Betty Grable, and had been more prominently featured with her and Carmen in the previous "Springtime in the Rockies". Like Como at this stage, aside from his trumpet playing, he lacked charisma and acting talent, hence needed to be included with actors having such to make for a pleasant film experience.Like the previous "Doll Face", this is a B&W film, rather than the expected Technicolor of Carmen's previous films: an indication that Fox was getting ready to dump her. Also, she only gets one major production number, rather than the usual 2 or 3. But don't let that dissuade you from viewing this film! What her production number lacks in color is made up for by the sheer exuberance of a large team of dancers, as well as center stage Carmen. Adapting to the B&W photography, Carmen wears an all white outfit, with fancy headpiece. The dance team are mostly dressed in outfits emphasizing black and white(presumably) stripes, and several types of outrageous headgear. Like "Something for the Boys", the screenplay is pretty daffy, although somewhat more interesting. At least, they were quite different from the well trodden screenplays of the struggles of young musical performers and their managers to achieve stardom on Broadway. It involves Edgar Buchanan playing a drunkard political blowhard(Yep, fits this former dentist's type casting very well), running for governor for the 'Common Wealth Party', which sounds like it has a reform socialist platform. (There was, around this time, a UK Common Wealth Party with a socialist agenda). The unemployed 'gang' are hired to perform musical numbers promoting his election. He knows he as no chance to win unless he promises more than the current governor to a group of wealthy influential machine politicians who control the media, and demand various forms of monetary or job-favoritism rewards for backing him. When Buchanan baulks at some demands, they publish some scandal(easy to verify), discrediting him as a candidate. The corrupt clique decide to replace him with a very reluctant Como, who knows and cares nothing about politics, just wanting to get a radio show featuring singing. Hence, he hopes he will lose, especially after he learns he will just be a puppet for this corrupt clique. Despite threats that they will ruin his life if he doesn't 'play ball', he decides to expose them in an important campaign speech just before the polls open, where they are all in attendance. This is the funniest segment of the film, along with the very last portion. His friends then hustle him onto a bus to exit the state, and think a police squad chasing them want to put him in jail. Instead, they are chasing the bus for speeding, and later become a welcoming motorcade for the new governor, for a happy ending!(I thought he didn't want to be governor!?)The plot somewhat reminds me of the actual plot by some far right powerful financial elite to stage a military overthrow of FDR and his 'New Deal' programs, with a fascist regime, headed by popular General Butler as their puppet dictator. Butler pretended to go along with it, then exposed the plot to a congressional committee, which failed to convict anyone of wrongdoing, for fear of the publicity repercussions on the American economy.The music? The title romantic ballad is the only memorable song. Hence, it's repeated adnauseam, serving as the theme song for the budding Como-Vivian romance. "Follow the Band" and a few other songs provide reasonable musical support for some aspects of the screenplay, but were not intended to be keepers.

David Kelsey If a film was described as "made by 20th Century Fox, featuring Vivian Blaine, Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers, Harry James, and Perry Como," you might reasonably expect the sort of bright, brash, and breezy Technicolor musical of which TCF were the masters during the 1940s.If a film was described as "a black and white political satire about an upright young man duped into standing for office only to find that he was intended to front for a gang of corrupt politicos," you might reasonably expect the sort of film of which Frank Capra was master, perhaps starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur.It is unlikely that you would envisage one film to fit both descriptions, but "If I'm Lucky" does just that. Perhaps we shall never know what prompted TCF to produce this unlikely hybrid, but surprisingly it works quite well. The musical numbers are neatly integrated into the plot, Phil Silvers' usual over-exuberance is kept in check, one misses Technicolor only during Carmen Miranda's numbers, and the political shenanigans are carried mainly by Edgar Buchanan, Reed Hadley, and other supporting players, thankfully making little demand on Perry Como's acting abilities.This is not a particularly good movie, but nor is it a bad one, and it is sufficiently unusual to warrant attention.

JLRMovieReviews Another film found on the Carmen Miranda DVD Collection, this revolves a group of musicians (including Phil Silvers, Vivian Blaine, Harry James, and Carmen) who need a job...and some food. They see a sign for free food, come one ,come all, at a political rally. When other people start eating and leaving, they start playing to keep the crowd and then they're hired by the politicians for just that purpose.Enter Perry Como who has aspirations of making it big as a crooner and who's plugging a song he wrote, If I'm Lucky, which is a very beautiful song. Of course he and Vivian hit it off. Then Perry gets put into a position to run for governor himself.As musical comedies go, this is very good, despite the political plot, which may turn off some people. But, it makes it even more fulfilling in the long run. (This was a remake of a previous Dick Powell movie, Thanks a Million.) The musical numbers are very upbeat and memorable, especially Perry's daydream sequence.As a Miranda movie goes though, you'll be disappointed with her one song and her not being the center of attention. Her song, while good, doesn't quite measure to others being more opulent and fantastic-looking. On the other hand, Perry Como has a very affable disposition and makes the viewer enjoy this simple film for what it is, a musical that can and will leave you smiling.

malcolmgsw This is an entertaining remake of "Thanks A Million".I do not know much about American politics in the thirties but i would guess that the original was probably a swift punch to the midriff of the American body politic whereas this is more a nudge in the ribs.If you stand this on its own you would say that this is a reasonably entertaining Fox musical from the 1940s with all the usual ingredients,the best of which is Carmen Miranda who really steals the show.As for Perry Como well we all know he can sing but unfortunately he cant act and that is one of the main problems of this film,particularly if you compare him to Dick Powell in the original.Also i have to say that not one of the songs stays in the mind for one second after the music has faded away.I would be bound to say that if you had to see one version it would have to be the original.Any film with Fred Allen,Patsy Kelly and Raymond Walburn has to be unmissable