It's a shame that a huge number of once great Hollywood
stars will be forgotten or completely unknown to a new generation. Those of us
who grew up with them will remember them but for a while we had no outlet to
see them once again. Thanks to TCM we get that opportunity. But what about fans
of certain stars and their desire to own copies of movies they remembered?
That's recently changed as well as studios are bringing out titles in great
number. Not only that, they're doing so in blu-ray so you get the best quality
as well. Case in point ON THE RIVIERA starring Danny Kaye.
Kaye is best remembered by some for WHITE CHRISTMAS but
those of us old enough to recall remember him from movies like THE COURT JESTER
and his TV series, back when variety shows actually aired. He was an all around
talent, able to sing, dance and do comedy like few others. All of that is on
display in this film.
Kaye plays two roles in this one: Jack Martin, a nightclub
performer in France trying to make it big and Henri Duran, a French
aviator/industrialist who just made a trip in his newest plane design. Duran is
also quite the womanizer, much to the chagrin of his wife Lili (Gene Tierney).
The thing about both men is that they look amazingly alike, something even
Henri's wife notices at a performance Jack puts on.
When the backer of Henri's new design tries to wedge himself
in to take over the company, Henri must fly to London to discuss the
possibilities of a new backer. But if he does so it means the backer in France
will know that he has him on the ropes. Henri's partners come up with a plan to
save the day: get Jack to pose as Henri during a party. Plans like these always
sound simple but rarely become so.
Jack's partner and girlfriend Colette isn't fond of the
idea, especially since she noticed Jack had an eye for Lili. While Lili is
aware that Jack is posing as Henri, Jack thinks she has no idea claiming if she
knew he'd be too nervous to pull it off. Some harmless flirting ensues but not
much more. Other troubles arise when Jack is pulled into a closed door meeting
with the backer, Henri returns early, Jack must leave the party to perform on
TV and Collette shows up at the Duran house during a party. It all ends well
with everyone straightened out by the final reel.
What the movie does for Kaye fans is give them a chance to
see him doing what he does best. The musical numbers are well performed from
choreography to the songs chosen. His dancing has never seemed more seamless.
His singing is up to par with others from this time period. And the laughs are
there, though perhaps not as much as in some of his other films.
The best thing about this release is that fans have the
chance to own another classic Kaye and locate it on their shelves. While this falls
into the category of sexual comedies there is nothing remotely tasteless or
over the top as is seen today. Instead we get some laughs and the chance to
enjoy an adult comedy that stays within bounds. Gone are the days.
Click here to order.
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