lepoisson-1 OK, I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for dance movies (I'm a mediocre male dancer). I've sat through some horrendous movies in spite of bad reviews just to see the dance scenes (i.e I saw Center Stage on the big screen). I was bored the other night, and this came on the public access channel, so I gave it a shot.The opening dream sequence sets the initial height (high? low?) of the schlock bar, properly preparing you for the predictable and atrocious plot and screen writing. I really didn't care for any of the characters (except Arthur Treacher and Louise Beavers as butler and maid: they were adorable, especially with the ice cream). There was a unique dance number with "mechanical" dancers, and the final "climatic" dance-singing routine (oops! Was that a spoiler?). The music was downright mediocre (that was supposed to be the point of this movie, right?).There's not really much to recommend. If you see it on DVD, catch the dances.

moonspinner55 Five writers worked on this kinda-cute/kinda-silly frolic starring Jane Powell as a 15-year-old boarding school youngster who's been bragging about her big sister, a Broadway chanteuse; turns out sis is really a burlesque queen nicknamed "Bubbles Barton", a secret which her idolizing sibling finds out the hard way. Begins with a flurry of teenage activity and wisecracks, some of which are very funny. Second act away from the school settles into more conventional comic material, ending with both sisters on stage for some trilling and hoofing. Pleasant enough, but Super Duper thin. Director Arthur Lubin sets up several creative visual gags, but he can't do much with the film's sentimental side, which is pure mush. ** from ****

Snow Leopard This light musical is solid if nothing special, with a story, characters, and production that are all about average overall. The cast is probably the strongest part if it, with a young Jane Powell in the lead role.The story concerns two sisters and their dreams of a career in show business. As the younger of the two, Powell's character wants to be a singer, and Powell is given several opportunities to perform. As her sister, Constance Moore has a simpler role, but she fulfills it adequately. Ralph Bellamy probably gives the best performance, and he is well-cast as a well-meaning, slightly befuddled Broadway producer. Arthur Treacher also pitches in playing Bellamy's butler.Most of the rest of it is rather plain, although there are no real flaws. The story is purely lightweight, but it has enough to keep you watching, and the characters are just believable enough to make you care about them.

calvertfan An early outing for Jane Powell as Sherry, a student at a musical school who yearns for a career on the stage, like her elder sister Jo (Constance Moore). But the fat is in the fire when Sherry travels to New York to see her sister on the stage, and finds out that she's not a top Broadway actress, but "Bubbles Barton" the burlesque queen.Jane P does the annoying little sister thing as well as Shirley Temple did in "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer", though at least this time she's not in love with the older man (phew!). "Delightfully Dangerous" starts off a bit slowly, but soon picks up, and is a treat to watch - except for the final musical number which drags on for what seems like hours. No one suddenly breaks out into song in this musical, all the numbers are the ones on the stage, so only one of them really seems to fit into the storyline at all. Constance Moore was brilliant as Bubbles, and the definite standout star of the movie has to be Arthur Treacher (one of my childhood favourites!) as Jeffers the butler. Remarkably witty as always, even he has seen the infamous Bubbles on stage and thinks she has "a wonderful pair of - eyes."