For Me and My Gal (1942)'s comments

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Siskoid

Gene Kelly's first film, For Me and My Gal, pairs him up with established star Judy Garland and though he's a little cartoony and can't keep up with her emotionally, it's nevertheless a quick star-making turn for him. The two of them meetcute over the title song (which is the best tune among a bunch of novelty songs, including one called Ballin' the Jack, cough cough) and off they go trying get their Vaudeville act on the Palace stage. He's the grifting opportunist, she's the purehearted girl putting her brother through medical school. I like how they fall in love. All this is happening in the shadow of World War I, so I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when this 1942 piece turns into a propaganda parade in the third act. Kelly has to prove he's no coward and regret any of his attempts to dodge the draft so he can finally win Garland's hand. Oh, and buy war bonds, please. Sold as a tribute to the Vaudeville era, the film is soon coopted by another agenda, and while it's certainly stirring, it's also a bit of a Frankenstein's Monster as a result.

4 months 2 weeks ago

Qwijybo

More plot than a half dozen other musicals and all the better for it. So much so you can almost overlook the Peak War Bonds jingoism that permeates the movie.

It still works though, Kelly and Garland are a good pair. Kinda funny that in what was considered Garland's first "grown-up" movie, the ending lines are spoiler

.

3 years ago