Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

jjnxn-1 The real Dolly Sisters were dark, in both complexion and hair, Hungarian dancers with complex personalities and troubled lives, in fact Jenny had committed suicide several years before the debut of this musical, so if you are looking for anything resembling a depiction of the actual Dolly Sisters story look elsewhere. However if a sumptuous overstuffed showcase for blonds Betty Grable and June Haver is what you seek this is for you. Filmed in almost blinding Technicolor with some good songs and one great and beautiful one, I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, eye popping costumes and hairstyles this is old fashioned entertainment dished up with style.

moonspinner55 Fictionalized, romanticized tale of the real-life Dolly Sisters, Hungarian siblings who arrived in the States as little girls in 1904 and grew up to be international showgirls. Story reconfigured as a star-vehicle for Betty Grable, who looks terrific and gives one of her better, less unctuous performances. June Haver, as kid sis Rosie, matches up well alongside Grable, yet the two actresses are rarely in sync during their musical numbers; worse, the character of Rosie is under-developed, and her actions in the final reel are unclear. The tacky color production doesn't help but the supporting players do, with John Payne well-cast as songwriter Harry Fox who marries Grable's Jenny before leaving for duty in WWI. The picture's time-line is fuzzy, and the reunion finale is limp, however several of the stage numbers have spirit, particularly a Cotton Club-styled production and a batty Ziegfeld extravaganza. Twentieth Century-Fox did a paste-up job on most of the picture, undercutting the drama with winking camp, but Grable works hard and makes it worthwhile. ** from ****

bkoganbing The Dolly Sisters is another of those nostalgic biographical film salutes to a pair of twin sisters from Hungary who became celebrated entertainers in those years before World War I and the Roaring Twenties. Both sisters had a few marriages and suffered many ups and downs in their lives. Of course this being Hollywood we're getting quite a sanitized version of them.They were in fact identical twins, but 20th Century Fox did not decide to cast one actress in both roles. Originally it was supposed to be Alice Faye and Betty Grable, but Alice took her screen retirement when Darryl Zanuck would not give her more dramatic roles and June Haver was brought in to replace. Both Grable and Haver had their hair done in the same style, wore the same outfits all the time and my guess was that Haver who was slightly smaller wore platforms to give her equal height or almost equal height with Grable.A lot of interpolated period music is used, but Jimmy Monaco and Mack Gordon wrote one original song I Can't Begin To Tell You which was nominated for an Oscar. It also has the unique distinction of being the only song Betty Grable commercially recorded during her stint at Fox because Zanuck did not like his stars singing for records. She did a vocal with her husband Harry James's band under a pseudonym at the time. Later releases credit Betty. But the big selling record of this song was by Bing Crosby with only a piano accompaniment by Carmen Cavallaro. It was one of Bing's biggest sellers. It's sung at various times in the film by Betty, June and John Payne and a few combinations thereof.John Payne plays Harry Fox, song and dance man who Grable marries and leaves. In real life they never got back together which is what the film alludes to. Also it shows Fox as being jealous of the success of the sisters. In fact he was a success before they were and Jenny Dolly was accused of marrying him to boost her career. In fact that was an accusation leveled at both sisters who made a few advantageous matches.In real life there was no happy ending for Jenny Dolly, she committed suicide in 1941, she was in a lot of pain and never recovered from the automobile accident that Betty Grable was shown to have. Rosie Dolly's final marriage was to a department store heir and she survived her sister by 29 years.Since much was made in real life of the sister's Hungarian ancestry you had to have S.Z. Sakall in this film as their lovable uncle who's constantly losing money at pinochle. My grandfather was a heavy pinochle player as well so it's something I could identify with. Sakall was with Warner Brothers at the time and I'd love to know what Darryl Zanuck had to give in return to Jack Warner for Sakall's services. As always Sakall is his lovable self, you could just reach into the TV to pinch his cheeks.The Dolly Sisters is a fine nostalgic and sanitized biographical film with a lot of gaudy color for a pair of gaudy sisters. It should only have gone this easy for the real Dolly Sisters.

julianhwescott One of my favorite Betty Grable films, as this one is a musical comedy/drama. I think Betty put her all into the scene where she was driving the car and had the accident on the cliffs above the sea. She really looked like she was having a nervous breakdown and was very convincing in her portrayal of a troubled woman all alone and lost. Also in the hospital scene, with June Haver, she was again very dramatic in her acting. Too bad the academy didn't take notice and nominate her for an Oscar. As usual, the music, dancing, singing, choreography and the cinematography, in glorious Technicolor, are brilliant as, of course, is the acting. The story continuity is very well maintained. I gave it a 10! One of Grable's and Payne's finest!