Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

WiseRatFlames An unexpected masterpiece

Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

JohnHowardReid I saw this picture on first release. My memory told me that it was rather ponderous and heavy-handed. On the whole, I would have said, "The Best Things In Life" offered no more than moderate or even mediocre entertainment.Now that I have seen the film again, I find that my memory assessment is largely correct. Particularly so far as the last half of the movie is concerned. There the story becomes hopelessly bogged down in an all-friends-together-once-more and dear-old-pals-through- thick-and-thin atmosphere of ridiculous sentimentality. And needless to say the on and off romance between MacRae and North finally wins out. Yes, all these sequences are rather heavy going, the only light touch provided by the somewhat uncomplimentary portrait of Winfield Sheehan (the Fox producer whom Zanuck sacked when he took over as production chief), played with amiable aggressiveness by Larry Keating.What's more all the production numbers and almost all the good songs are in the first half too. The only decent one left for the second is "Sonny Boy", which starts life as a splendid joke but peters out somewhat in the half-strength hands of Norman Brooks' sadly diluted Al Jolson impersonation. Director Curtiz was actually working at Warner Brothers when Sonny Boy was in production, but he fails to make anything of the sequence. Maybe because he regarded Lloyd Bacon as a bum director anyway and wanted to show up his deficiencies? In any event, he disappointingly puts all the Hollywood episodes across as a nothing. On the other hand, Curtiz skilfully conveys the bustle and vitality of back-stage life, his fluid camera movement, allied with fine art direction and costumes, giving the movie an agreeably in-period flavor. The songs are lively and pleasant. Borgnine is surprisingly agile in song and dance, while his full-bodied acting imparts plenty of dramatic zing, especially in such sequences as his confrontations with gravelly-voiced gangster Murvyn Vye. The support players are great too. Roxanne Arlen provides a rather delightful Barbara Nichols imitation, while Tommy Noonan and Tony Galento are equally adept at comic relief, the first as a harassed stage director, the latter as a pocket- frisking crim. Nice to see Julie Van Zandt (her only film so far as I know) in a sizable role as Sheree North's competition. As for Miss North herself, she puts across her usual Marilyn Monroe imitation — very noticeably in "The Birth of the Blues" number where she is made up and hair styled as an MM dead ringer.The production numbers staged by Rod Alexander are undoubtedly the most appealing aspects of the movie. Not only do they take full advantage of John De Cuir's eye-catchingly smokey sets, but they feature the equally visual Sheree and company (including the energetic Jacques d'Amboise) prancing around in some vivid costumes. Alas, there are some dreary scenes of domestic bliss with Dan Dailey, Phyllis Avery and their two kids, but fortunately we don't have to contend with them for too long. All the same about twenty minutes of judicious cutting would make all the difference between middling entertainment and the most pleasantly lively. The film editing throughout is very smooth. It's obvious that the production numbers were shot by a second unit as they're photographed in an altogether different style: far glossier and sharper than the rather fuzzy, blotting-paper texture of the rest of the movie. And thank goodness for that fabulous 20th Century-Fox sound (heard to special advantage in "The Birth of the Blues" and "Black Bottom" production numbers).

ron-fernandez-pittsburgh Not a bad bio as bio's go. I'm sure what you see in the film is NOT what really happened in real life for the most part. Still an enjoyable viewing, especially some great musical numbers like BLACK BOTTOM and BIRTH OF THE BLUES. Nice performances by all, especially Ernest Borgnine. Unfortunately this Fox MOD is in the pan and scan version, not Cinemascope as presented in cinemas. Strange that Fox, who invented the Cinemascope process would release some of their scope films flat. This really ruined my viewing experience. There is a disclaimer at the beginning that THIS FILM IS FORMATTED TO FIT YOUR SCREEN. This may have been true several years ago, but now 95% of the population have wide screen TV's, so why would a company who invented the scope process send out films in pan an scan? A tragedy indeed.

impsrule Unlike most of today's audiences, I'm not 'alergic' to an old-fashioned Hollywood musical. Just last week, I saw "The Best Things In Life Are Free" for the first time in 15 years. It is disappointing - but not so much for what it is, but rather what it could have been: a classic. And considering the talent involved on-screen, I'd lay most of the blame at the feet of the director and the 'bean-counters'.Fluidity and pacing are critical in a musical, and I think the direction and staging is a big issue in "The Best Things...". For example, with the exception of the 'Birth of the Blues' number, the camera feels almost nailed to the floor. By comparison, despite the raucous, finger snapping music and Sheree North's vivacious hoofing, the other big production number 'Black Bottom' feels oddly 'constrained' and 'flat' (almost one-dimensional). The musical numbers scroll by as if on a player-piano roll, with little cinematic depth or texture - despite lively action performed by talented people.In my humble opinion, "Best Things..." has all the ingredients to make a great musical, but they somehow 'taste' like the 'generic-brand' as opposed to Grade-A fancy. This is even more strange upon looking at the 'brand names' utilized: the Set Decorations were by the same team as created the sumptuous "Daddy Long Legs" and "The King and I"(!). Costume Direction was by Charles LeMaire(!). The musical numbers were directed by John de Cuir ("No Business Like Show Business" and "Call Me Madame"). And lest we forget, director Michael Curtiz is the man who gave us "Casablanca," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Mildred Pierce," and just two years before, "White Christmas." While decidedly nearing the end of his career, Curtiz still had Elvis' "King Creole" and a few other decent films ahead of him.So..., the ingredients of an "A-list" picture were decidedly in evidence. I lay the blame at the feet of penny-pinching executives. Having lavished so much money on sets,costumes and Cinemascope, "Best Things..." registers as if executives decided in mid-production to cut back on what was originally intended to be an 'A-picture'. But as opposed to a vehicle with truly great music or Broadway pedigree, the 'substance' IS the 'spectacle' in a movie like "Best Things...", and somebody cut WAY back on the 'spectacle'.Perfect Example: MGM's "Meet Me in Las Vegas" was released this same year (and ALSO starring Dan Dailey). But "Meet Me..." had the glamorous cameo's (Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone...) and 'guest artists' (Lena Horne, Frankie Laine, Sammy Davis, Jr) that one expects of a musical of this kind.In "Best Things...," this kind of 'sparkle' is curiously absent. Instead, the best thing "The Best Thing..." trots out is a bit-player in black-face(!) impersonating Al Jolson(!) Huh...? In 1956, Fox had contracts and/or 'relationships' with a number of great performers who, with just a bit of thought, could have been brought in to do some interesting '20's themed cameos: imagine JOHNNIE RAY as an 'updated' "Jolson;" DOROTHY DANDRIDGE as (the early-career, sexy) "Ethel Waters" or "Florence Mills;" or how about JANE RUSSELL as "Helen Morgan" or "Ruth Etting" (a role she regretted turning down a year earlier in MGM's "Love Me or Leave Me")? What fun that would've been...!?While DeSylva, Brown & Henderson's work may not be of the caliber of Porter, Gershwin, Ellington and Coward (properly pronounced 'C-AAhhwd' - lol), the boisterous score is certainly evocative of the roaring '20's. Charles LaMare's costumes are dazzling and fun. Appearing in his last film (before choosing to retire to concentrate on supper clubs and a lucrative career as a popular TV host), one remembers what a great voice Gordon McRae had. And its fun to see somebody BESIDES 'Marilyn,' or 'Jayne' in the female lead of a splashy fifties musical, Sheree North being quite an accomplished Broadway dancer, as evidenced by her top-notch performance with Balanchine ballet dancer Jacques D'ambroise in this film's 'Birth of the Blues' number (this scorching-hot fifties movie-musical number is, sadly, largely forgotten as it is buried within this film...).A classic? Heck no. Still, I think "Best Things..." has 'good bones', and isn't the worst way one could while away a rainy afternoon getting lost in some old fashioned celluloid tinsel.

didi-5 Henderson, De Sylva, and Brown. Not exactly in the same league as Berlin, Porter, or Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein. Still, you may know a few of their songs as they've lingered through the years - 'The Birth of the Blues', for example, or 'Button Up Your Overcoat'; they also wrote the campus musical 'Good News'.The three mismatched songwriters are played here by Gordon MacRae, Dan Dailey, and Ernest Borgnine. Yep, and he even has a song or two. The stand-out though has to be MacRae's superb rendition of 'The Birth of the Blues', in which he proved yet again why he was in the top handful of singers in the movies. Girly support is from Sheree North, but she isn't very memorable. Nor, in fact, is the story of this trio - perhaps musical biopics were tired by 1956, or we were just wise to the cliches.'The Best Things In Life Are Free' is worth a look when there are no superior musicals on, and is a fairly good example of colour and Cinemascope of the period. But a great musical, it isn't.