CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Chris_Docker What should have been a great movie fell short even in the hands of the great Walter Lang. Instead of sparkling with many great song-and-dance routines it tends to slump, overloaded with far too many numbers at the expense of plot. The wonderful Donald O'Connor performs some of his comedic routines: but he worked best as a second lead, not the lead in a film. Monroe is clearly the star, but it is as if she has been reluctantly shoe-horned in instead of building the film around her. Much of the acting and script is pedestrian, and Ethel Merman's singing is bearable until we are treated to too many rather average songs and reprises. Monroe's appearances, for all the constant razzamatazz, are easily the most memorable, and possibly not so much because of outstanding on her part but as a welcome breath of fresh air amid the rather lacklustre cacophony.

Ian (Flash Review)The story follows the Donahue family from the husband and wife song and dance act through to when they have three kids all part of the act. Some kids decide to leave as they want their own career and then Marilyn enters the act creating light strife. Anyway, as usual Marilyn commands ever scene she is in and even though Merman and the male lead sing more, and do a great job, tend to play second fiddle. The story is OK but there are so many songs that it feels choppy and many of the songs don't' advance the main story. I watched it because of the famous song (movie title) but overall the film is for those who like song and dance and lavish costumes (not me) and/or Marilyn.

mark.waltz With Betty Grable slowly moving out of the film industry into live appearances and television, somebody had to take over the matriarchal stages of 20th Century Fox movies, and after her smash hit with the movie version of "Call Me Madam", Ethel Merman was just the one to do it. "There's No Business Like Show Business" is almost identical in one way or another to practically every Fox musical dating back to "George White's Scandals". It's a show business story, of course, focusing on a vaudeville family which started with mother and father (here played by Grable's former partner, Dan Dailey), and continued with their grown children (Donald O'Connor, Mitzi Gaynor, and Johnny Ray). Obviously, O'Connor and Gaynor have musical theater talents, while crooner Ray wasn't much of an actor, his character here taking a "higher calling" which for some reason upsets mama Merman.Coming into this wake of family drama with Irving Berlin music behind it is the sexpot Marilyn Monroe who wins the wrath of Merman by taking on their big number, "Heat Wave", for herself. Merman isn't too happy that other son O'Connor is obviously nuts about Monroe, but this is a 20th Century Fox musical, and nobody stays mad at nobody for long. To make this a bit different than all of the other similar musicals, 20th added Cinemascope into the mix, and packed every musical number with every available extra on the lot, especially for the lavish finale set in the now long gone Hippedrome.Musically, "There's No Business Like Show Business" can't be beat, with a blonde wigged Merman very funny while singing "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" and being ignored by husband Dailey, squiring around the chorus girls as she falls off a stage bench. Merman and Dailey are also ripe for a little parody from their own children who amusingly imitate them in a reprise of "When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam". Monroe not only heats up with "Heat Wave" but serves more electricity with "After You Get What You Want". There will probably be a mixed reaction to Gaynor and Merman in military drag when they sing the somewhat tacky "A Sailor's not a Sailor 'till a Sailor's Been Tattooed". To add to the audaciousness of it all is a huge elephantine revisit to "Alexander's Ragtime Band" which, in set as well as length, seems to go on forever.Overall, this is a nice big entertainment that misses something if not seen in its original Cinemascope presentation, and should probably be caught on the big screen if revived. When the entire company gets together for the title song finale, you'll feel relieved that the lengthy movie is coming to a close. But I guarantee, you'll be humming one of the songs before you've even removed the tape or DVD from your player and shut off the T.V.

Jackson Booth-Millard White Christmas, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cabaret are musical films with famous title songs to sing along to, and this another one I had heard about, from director Walter Lang (Cheaper by the Dozen, The King and I). Basically this is the story of the Donahue family, starting first with husband and wife Molly (Call Me Madam's Ethel Merman) and Terrance (Dan Dailey) the vaudeville team, and then their three children, Tim (Singin's in the Rain's Donald O'Connor), Steve (Johnnie Ray) and Katy (Mitzi Gaynor) to become The Five Donahues. Throughout we see some small dilemmas with the family members, including Molly concerned for her children, Steve wanting to become a priest, Katy is dating lyricist Charles Gibbs (Hugh O'Brian), and Tim meets and falls in love with up and coming stage sensation Victoria Hoffman (Marilyn Monroe). Victoria, now Vicky Parker, often shows up to be at certain family occasions and events, and without Tim the family have become The Four Donahues, and some other situations occur on and off screen with the family as they try and settle things. In the end, after worrying them, Tim returns, as do Katy and Steve to rejoin parents Molly and Terrance for a return performance as The Five Donahues, along with Vicky, to reclaim their fame. I will be honest, the story was rather patchy and I paid more attention to the songs and dances. Also starring Richard Eastham as Lew Harris. Merman does have some good dramatic style moments, and Monroe as always is beautiful but not quite as appealing as usual, the choreography for most scenes is really good, and one or two of the songs are catchy, especially the title song by Merman of course, I don't quite agree with the four stars from the critics, but it's not a bad musical. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Costume Design, Best Music for Alfred Newman and Lionel Newman and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story. It was number 86 on The 100 Greatest Musicals. Good!