NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

scooteratw Fine performances from Rita and all the other leads, but oh wow, is the music bad! I love musicals, but watching sequences like the closing number from the show "People Have More Fun Than Anyone" is actually painful. I was struck by how unmoved I was by any of the melodies--and the lyrics are easily forgotten or remarkable only in how awkward they are when sung.One thing I often notice when watching studio musicals that are set on Broadway is how absurd the sense of scale is when they show performances on a stage. I can grant exceptions for how they completely throw out the idea of people entering from theatrical wings, but the stage is bigger than ENORMOUS, and the sense of perspective is completely ridiculous--. I know, it's a film and I should suspend disbelief, but it makes me chuckle when they start shooting numbers from 6 different angles and there's no visible audience or sides to the stage. And then, magically, there are horses on the stage--for no reason.Fun costumes, and some fine performances, but there's a good reason why this film isn't remembered--all of the elements just don't add up.

intelearts I am a huge Heyworth fan - her dynamism, energy, joy, and smolder are all here in abundance - but you do feel she's bashing her head against a brick wall - the film's male stars are dull, the music is mostly misdirected, and it has moments that are toe-curling bad.However, if you just watch Heyworth's performance, and ignore the frankly horrible mess up on the screen then this is worth your time - at nearly 2 hours it pushes the trust of the most dedicated movie watcher - and it clearly is a star vehicle that was rushed together.Heyworth always, but always, gives of herself and that joie de vivre does leap off the screen massively, but if you're hoping for a good classic, musical with tunes you can hum and romance that will make your heart beat faster then, sorry, this won't be that one....

MrDungerreyMoat "Down to Earth" is a charming musical that showcases Rita Hayworth and her many talents to distinction. In this sequel of the classic "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941), she plays the Greek muse Terpsichore (who could be a more natural choice for a goddess than Rita Hayworth?) who is infuriated that a jazzy, satirical stage musical based on the muses is being produced in New York City. She demands from Mr. Jordan (played by Roland Culver) to be sent down to earth to play her part under the guise of "helping" producer Danny Miller (played by Larry Parks). Her introduction to him is in a scrumptious sequence in which she sneaks into the chorus and completely upstages the star with a great dance routine, proving again Hayworth's singular talent of taking charge of the screen.Danny is initially excited that "Kitty Pendleton" will play the lead but then she becomes a nightmare, demanding script rewrites, and changes in costume and set design (prompting a memorable quip from James Gleason as her agent: "I think she musta went to college. You know how that'll ruin anybody.") . However, she seduces Danny, making him warm up to her ideas, changing the basic premise to one worshipping Terpsichore. The result is disastrous, a bizarre and self-important turkey that draws the ire of the audience and critics. The cast and crew unceremoniously dump Kitty and revert to the original. Mr. Jordan reveals to her just what Danny has riding in this show: a pact with a gangster in which he will relieve his debt of $20,000 (about $200,000 in 2010) with either a successful show of his life. Humbled, she goes back to Danny, begging to come back to the show, promising that she'll do it his way. He accepts, the show is necessarily a smash, and Kitty finally reveals her love to Danny. However, Mr. Jordan reappears, telling her that since her original mission of helping Danny is completed, she must come back Up. Once again a goddess and heartbroken, she yearns to know what will become of Danny. Mr. Jordan reveals to her what happened: Danny remained in love with "Kitty" and became a successful producer. When he dies and is waiting to board the aircraft, Future Terpsichore appears and he immediately understands; she boards the plane with him and it flies off. Present Terpsichore rejoices and the movie ends with a lovely shot of her dancing happily toward the camera.I believe some of the criticism of the film is unfair. Contrary to other opinions, the score (mostly presented as songs in the show) is surely serviceable and has two strong ballads: "Let's Stay Young Forever" and "They Can't Convince Me," sung admirably by Parks. Certainly, the movie is decidedly less profound and moving than the original film or its 1978 remake "Heaven Can Wait." Ironically, the movie is much better (though much lesser-known) than its infamous remake "Xanadu" (1980). Fluffy and silly, "Down to Earth" works well not really because of its musical numbers, but its wonderful mix of rollicking humor (amply supplied by James Gleason and Edward Everett Horton, who reprise their roles from the original film) and a sweet romance, good pacing, and the great talent of Rita Hayworth. Though she showcased herself well in acclaimed dramatic performances in "Gilda" (1946), "The Lady From Shanghai" (1947), and "Miss Sadie Thompson" (1954), she displays here a great comedic talent, able to transmit both righteous anger and pettiness.Fans of Rita, fantasies, and Classical-era musicals will enjoy this most dazzling concoction.

mark.waltz This highly enjoyable sequel to "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (and according to Hollywood legend, the inspiration for "Xanadou") is a colorful musical that gave Rita a chance to escape from the "Gilda" image created the year before. The seemingly haughty goddess Terpsicore goes "down to earth" with "oh-dear" angel Edward Everett Horton at head angel Roland Culver's request to supposedly stop a show about the muses of Mount Ponassus from being ridiculed in the public's eye. There, she takes on the leading role of the show (replacing disgruntled leading lady Adele Jergens) and gives producer Larry Parks a very hard time. When she finds human emotions and falls in love with him, realizing that he has laid his life on the line for this project, she decides to follow his rules and the show goes on. But after opening night, she has to honor her promise to the angels, which finds her emotionally distressed as she goes from being a Broadway diva to an unable to cry muse once again.When Rita Hayworth smiles, men are transfixed by her beauty. Her long ravishing red hair, photographed to the max here, adds to her beauty. She can sing, dance, act, even charm the socks off the director in spite of being out to sabotage him. She wants to make the show "respectable" at first, but allows her emotions to take over her actions later on. Rita was Columbia's jewel in the crown by this time, and no expense was spared to make her a film goddess to rival the Greek one she portrays. Along for the ride are two hold-overs from "Here Comes Mr. Jordan"-EE Horton and agent Max (James Gleason). Mr. Gleason's character is more of a comical buffoon here than he was in the original film, walking through a moving set door at one point and becoming very befuddled by still being inside the theater. Roland Culver replaces Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan, and is acceptable, but no one can truly replace Mr. Rains in talent and on-screen magnetism.Larry Parks ("The Jolson Story") is fine as the love interest, not sounding at all like Al Jolson here when he sings. Marc Platt, already a well-respected Broadway hoofer, does a fine job in the dance sequences, but in his conflict backstage with Hayworth, there is never any doubt who would come out the victor if Hayworth hadn't agreed to change her plans. He comes off more as an annoying sidekick to Parks due to his stiff acting. As for the musical numbers, the lyrics aren't always the greatest, even though the bad lyrics of the opening song, "For instance take a chick like me, they call me Terpsiquore", are meant to be parody. The bigamy song is probably the worst number, but "People Have More Fun" (set in New York's Gramercy Park) is fun, and "Let's Stay Young Forever" is very pretty. Look for William Frawley of "I Love Lucy" as the investigator questioning Gleason. While not as good as the two other big color musicals that year ("Mother Wore Tights" and "Good News"), it isn't as bad as critics wrote. I've seen it over 10 times in the past 30 years and enjoy it more than a lot of movies I saw as a child, then re-visited several times as an adult.PS-Anybody know where I can get a copy of the song they mention, "Who hit Nellie in the belly with a flounder?"