Wabash Avenue

Betty Grable, it has been said, has the prettiest legs in Hollywood. She also has a pretty face and other lovely features. However, in this technicolor musical of life in Chicago during the 30's, she tries to act. This is very sad because Betty Grable has the prettiest legs in Hollywood, a lovely face, and some other lovely features.

Victor Mature uses oily hair tonic. He also has long sideburns and flashing white teeth. However, in this picture which tells the story of an up-and-coming singer and the struggle between two men for her hand, Mr. Mature doesn't try to act. This is unfortunate because he has oily hair, long side-burns, and flashing white teeth.

Now it's difficult to tell why Miss Grable chooses this particular picture to act and Mr. Mature doesn't. Starting out as a honky-tonk singer Miss Grable acquits herself well, for fast music is the only type of song that I'm sure she was intended for. It may be difficult to conceive of her singing "Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" while wearing a gee string and something else, but she does it well. However, when she is called on to tell smiling Phil Harris that she doesn't love him, I felt sorry for her, because words without music don't seem to come to her easily.

Mr. Mature is cast as somewhat of a likeable wise guy but the full impact of his role never quite gets over. It's hard to tell why, for Mr. Mature once played a role well. It's hard to remember how he was cast in that picture for it was some time ago, but I think he was a villain. It is possible that he is currently being bothered with a speech impediment for his mouth never opens more than a quarter of an inch, even when he is saying "oh."

There are several songs in this picture, including a ballad called "baby Won't You Say You Love Me" and "Wilhelmina, The Cutest Little Girl in Copenhagen." The former is the key to Miss Grable's downfall because what little voice she has is not sufficient to sustain a note. Unfortunately the number has several sustained notes.

On my way out, the man at the door said the co-feature was called "Side Street." It features Farley Granger, a child star, and is supposed to be a mystery. It shall remain so.