GamerTab
That was an excellent one.
Gutsycurene
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
MissLisa1970
As a lover of all things "Martin & Lewis" if i were forced to choose which movie i enjoy the most from the team - i'd have to say this one. Why? While i understand and adore the gimmick of the team (Dean: the straight man, the romantic crooner, the big brother - Jerry: the "all over the place" monkey, the off key bumbler, the kid.) This movie gives us a chance to see Jerry's "other" talents. Yes, Jerry is a brilliant physical comedian, but ....He can dance! OH YES! There is a scene with him and Sheree North in a very exuberant dance number that i can't help but to rewind and watch several times. it's just an awesome routine! the choreography is excellent! and Jerry moves with straight swag! Also there is a delightful number with him and Dean in top hat and tails whereby Jerry clearly dances better than Dean. However, Dean clearly sings better than Jerry, so it evens out (HA!) that said- there is also a rare opportunity (especially in the Martin and Lewis Days) to hear Jerry sing a song straight up-neat, shaken and not stirred. Just his regular singing voice. (no high pitched shrieking that i adore in spite of itself) although it obviously goes without saying it's not as beautifully crooned as when Dean sings the same song-still It's surprisingly pleasant and shows a hint of what makes Jerry capable of being every bit as romantically appealing as Dean if given the chance to switch it up. At least...it worked for me, and i fell IN LOVE with Jerry after having seen this film for the first time as a kid. It's just a great movie. If you've not seen it..give it a view. Chances are you won't regret it.
gfarral
She was Hazel Flagg and Charles Winnegar was Dr. Enoch Downer Fredric March played the reporter from New York, Wallace Cook. The acting is comparable with identical story lines. The Martin and Lewis version does not degrade or surpass the original. Very enjoyable to watch. The location was changed from Vermotn/New York to New Mexico/New York. Both towns can be described as not up to date, impoverished, and a bit backward. Dean Martin likes his alcohol as did Charles Winnegar. Jerry is far more ditsy than Carole. Janet and Fredric were on par as reporters. Often times the remake is not as good as the original. Very little difference in the 1937 and 1954 version of this movie technologically. Easy to compare them.
edwagreen
Absolutely inane Martin and Lewis film where Dino is the doctor and Lewis, a railroad employee, supposedly comes into contact with a radioactive car. Dean, at first, feels that Lewis is terminal but soon reverses himself. That reversal doesn't come before N.Y. newspaper lady, Janet Leigh, arrives and gets the two to come to N.Y. for a sympathetic last trip with the hopes of increasing the newspapers' circulation. Fred Clark, as the editor, is his usual cynical self.What makes this film so ridiculous is that it could be obvious to anyone that there is nothing wrong with Homer Flagg (Lewis.) His antics are as silly as ever. The attempt at slap-stick comedy with the three doctors is nonsensical at best.Even some of the dance sequences are out of line here especially the one with Sheree North playing herself.
lzf0
In 1937, William Wellman directed a classic screenplay by Ben Hecht called "Nothing Sacred". This film has become a screwball comedy classic. Doctor Charles Winninger wrongly diagnoses patient Carole Lombard telling her that she has radiation poisoning. New York journalist Frederic March finds out about this and brings Lombard and Winninger to New York as a publicity stunt. March later discovers that Lombard is not going to die, but this does not matter to him; he has fallen in love with her.Now in the early 1950s, this movie was turned into a Broadway musical called "Hazel Flagg". The score was written by Jule Styne ("Anchors Away", "High Button Shoes", "Gentleman Prefer Blondes", "Gypsy", "Funny Girl") and Bob Hilliard (a Brill Building lyricist). The show was semi-successful, so Paramount decided to use it as a basis for a Martin and Lewis comedy.Dean is the skirt chasing, incompetent doctor. Jerry is the patient, becoming "Homer Flagg". March's role is given over to Janet Leigh and she falls for Dean. Some of the Broadway song are used: "How Do You Speak to an Angel", "Every Street's a Boulevard", "You're Gonna Dance with Me". Styne and Hilliard also wrote a batch of new songs for Dean and Jerry. In fact, Dean and Jerry handle all of the musical numbers.Now the movies never really captured the essence of Martin and Lewis. That is only available through kinescopes of their "Colgate Comedy Hour" and a bootleg film of a show at the Copa. The tension between the relaxed crooner-comic (Martin) being upstaged by his ambitious partner with a schizoid personality (sometimes silly juvenile, sometimes savvy show biz comic) is seen in these shows. It is truly fascinating and brings a depth to the partnership of Martin and Lewis that no other comedy team has ever had.In the movies, Dean was cast as a heel who is reformed by the end of the movie by his partner and his leading lady. Jerry is a magical sprite; he appears to be inept and clumsy, but he is way ahead of every other character in the film. While some of this is seen in "Living It Up", it is blatantly true of "Jumping Jacks". Both Dean and Jerry are full service entertainers. They are funny, the can sing, they can dance, and they can act. The shame of it all is that they broke up before they had really hit their stride. Just imagine films featuring Dean's drunk, sex maniac character which appeared very shortly after the breakup and Jerry's mature schizoid "I'm a famous movie star" clown.As for "Living It Up", it is a musical comedy which can be viewed again and again. The story is great, the songs are tuneful, and the gags are fast and funny.
