Splashy overproduced Fox 50's musical. Merman, O'Connor and Gaynor are under utilized. MM good in 'Heat Wave' number, but languidly irritating in her other two numbers, "Lazy" and "After You Get What You Want". Skip this one!

Puttin' on a show has long been a successful movie plot. This 1954 take spins a different aspect of the premise. Terry and Molly Donahue had been a successful vaudeville team in the golden days of vaudeville. As vaudeville declined they raised two boys and a girl they hoped would take their place in show business. One son becomes a priest. The daughter and the other son make it big in show business. The show business son is soon sidetracked by an intent on making it in show business female performer. After much realistic behind the scenes look at the dark side of show business all turns out right in the end for Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Mitzi Gaynor, songwriter Irving Berlin, Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor and Johnny Ray. Ethel rocks the boat in Tattooed and There's No Business Like Show Business. The wide screen version today marketed on commercial DVD is a joy to watch.

There's No Business Like Show Business is not a great film. The story is very contrived with the mismatched chemistry between Monroe and O'Connor not ringing true at all, the script is a lot of melodramatic fluff and not much else, the film is a little overlong and Johnny Ray's performance is a failure in almost every regard. What it is though is a decent one, the music, choreography and most of the cast being what salvages it. The score is sumptuous and catchy and Irving Berlin's songs are literally like a song-book collection and a truly delightful one at that, Heat Wave and the title number coming off the best. If you love Berlin's music as I do, you'll love the music here. The choreography is lively but with grace also, Heat Wave just sizzles. Apart from Ray the cast are fine. Marilyn Monroe oozes beauty and sex appeal, with her glory moment being in Heat Wave, as mentioned already the number sizzles just as much as its title and Monroe literally smolders in it. Donald O'Connor dances wonderfully and his acting is quite touching, and the same can be said with Mitzi Gaynor, who provides the emotional moments without feeling fake at all. They are far more believable together than O'Connor and Monroe, and they're good singers too. Dan Dailey performs with much professionalism and Ethel Merman's warm personality and big brassy voice brings thrills up the spine. Walter Lang directs efficiently if more in the musical numbers than the drama ones and the film is a very well-made one, the colours just leap out of you, the costumes and sets look beautiful and the photography compliments all those in a great way. Overall, far from flawless with a few things like the story, script, length and one performance that fall flat but the things that There is No Business Like Show Business gets right are numerous and they do dazzle. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox

This movie tells the story of the Five Donahues, a vaudeville family, and their trials and turmoils. Their eldest son, Steve, leaves the act to become a priest; although Terry and Molly, the parents, object, Katy, the daughter, gets them to change their mind, because Steve could eventually become something bigger than a priest. The youngest son, Tim, meets a beautiful blonde hatcheck girl named Vicky, who is trying to further her career and become a Broadway star. Unfortunately, Vicky isn't all that interested in Tim, as she is focused on her career. This leads to trouble for Tim and the family. Fortunately, in a big splashy finale, everything works out for the best.This is one of the best movie musicals (in my opinion), and it is a shame that this movie is not more well-known as it should be. It has several wonderful Irving Berlin songs expertly performed by the 20th Century Fox orchestra under the baton of Alfred Newman, and it sounds glorious in a rich stereophonic soundtrack. An all-star cast, featuring Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Marilyn Monroe, Dan Dailey, Mitzi Gaynor, and Johnnie Ray, sing those classic songs to perfection, and provide energy to their songs, dances, and scenes. The musical numbers make good use of the wide CinemaScope screen. Seeing Ethel Merman perform the legendary title song (which she had earlier performed in Berlin's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN) is a thrilling moment, and Monroe displays sadly under-utilized musical talents. I wish she had done more musicals (her last one, LET'S MAKE LOVE, would come in 1960, and she had earlier done the more famous GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES in 1953). It also has one of the happiest of endings in any movie. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 10/10.