Lady Be Good (1941)
directed by Norman Z. McLeod
written by Jack McGowan
I don't know how we ended up with this, maybe my mother-in-law gave it to Hallie. It's about a couple who fall in love while writing hit songs together. As much as I'm fine with Robert Young and Ann Sothern, they really don't have much chemistry together. It's also not a typical musical. There aren't many songs and most of them are the product of the couple's work and are part of a musical number. That said, we're keeping the movie.
There are two reasons; the lesser reason is the montage of the song "Lady Be Good" being shopped around to different singers. The major reason is Eleanor Powell who actually gets top billing. She was a tap dancer and her routine set to "Fascinating Rhythm" is unbelievable. She dances with a dog, too, but it's the FR number that will blow your mind. I've seen it several times and it's never failed.
There are a few other fun bits in the movie. The Berry Brothers, a soft-shoe dance trio are amazing, and Red Skelton and Lionel Barrymore are good fun.
