Very Cool!!!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I only have a few negatives about this film. So, I think I will get those out of the way. The plot is a bit far fetched. It isn't likely that you'll just fall in love with a princess. But they made it work well. The only other negative is the opening credits. As silly as it sounds, it's strange. Ethel Merman's demanding voice shouting, "Call Me Madam!" was a bit surprising. But other than those two minor things, I loved it! Then again, if Irving Berlin wrote the music, it's going to be fantastic. Walter Lang directed it. He also directed "There's No Business Like Show Business", which also has Ethel and Donald O'Connor. This movie is for Ethel and Donald fans, especially. They do a smashing duet together, "You're Just in Love". It is a show-stopper. And you can't watch this movie with out watching Donald's "What Chance Have I With Love?" at least six times. That is one of his most famous dances, behind the electrifying "Make 'Em Laugh" from "Singin' in the Rain". Vera-Ellen does great, too. Her and Donald do two dances together that are very romantic and exciting. They also sing a song together. And in one scene, you can get a glimpse as Vera's neck, which was never shown. Since she had anorexia at the time, it left her neck very wrinkled, thus, she never showed it. This is one of the very rare occasions where it is revealed. Her and Donald make an amazing couple. They were almost paired in "White Chirstmas" together. But Donald got severely ill and was replaced with Danny Kaye. Oh, yes. You also see that not only can Donald dance. He has an enchanting voice! His singing is usually overshadowed by his dancing. But with two whole songs with him just singing without and dancing or comedy, for that matter, you hear his absolutely gorgeous voice! If you don't like musicals, you won't like this. But if you're a musical freak like me, you will fall in love with it.

"Call Me Madam" (1953) possesses perhaps the most complete list of attributes that most other musicals made since the early 1970s have completely lacked of any film ever made. Its protagonist is past 40 and not particularly attractive, female. gruff, tough-minded and smart. Her romantic opposite number in the film is foreign, classically-trained as a singer, anti-United States, honest, unpopular in his own country and a nobleman. The second leads are a comic dancer and a short, skinny blonde playing a member of a foreign royal family. Veteran Walter Lang used this material to fashion a well-directed film set in a Graustarkian nation all of whose leaders want U.S. aid from the new ambassador--except for one man, the man the heroine, the new U.S. ambassador, falls for. Arthus Sheekman deserves the credit for making of Russel Crouse's and Howard Lindsay's book of the stage hit of the same name, with music by Irving Berlin, the best of his musicals and a filmic delight. Solid Sol Siegel produced and Leon Shamroy supplied vivid cinematography for this ambitious work that goes indoors, outdoors, presents at night and by day and does all with seemingly effortless ease, by my standards. With art direction by Lyle Wheeler and John De Cuir, set decorations by dependable Walter Scott and a range of colorful costumes by Irene Sharaff the movie had to be beautiful, and it is. Add in musical work by Ken Darby with the singers, Earle Hagen as orchestrator and Robert Alton as choreographer, and interesting results should have been expected. Songs such as "You're Not Sick You're Just in Love", "It's a Lovely Day Today" a folkloric showstopper, "The Hostess With the Mostess" and a dance number that rivals Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at their best for staging and the possibilities improve even more. But the film is also one that moves well, is pleasant, intriguing, and features a large number of locales, moods and scenes, tied to a running gag about the then new female ambassador's boss, Harry Truman, who appointed her and to whom she reports by phone. Something special with these elements mixed well was bound to happen. It happened I say because of Ethel merman's very professional approach and the great singing and acting of her award-level co-star, George Sanders as the honest official who woos her. Billy de Wolfe is Merman's insufferable underling, Donal O'Connor her protégé and Vera Ellen the royal with whom O'Connor falls in love. Helmut Dantine is powerful as O'Connor's rival, Walter Slezak and Steven Geray two bumbling comic ministers. Others in the large and talented cast includes Ludwig Stossel, Lilia Skala as his wife, capable Emory Parnell, Percy Helton and Charles Dingle as well as Oscar Beregi, Olan Soule and Nestor Paiva. For an adult viewer, one willing to forego Hollywood's usual musical clichés, this amiable and memorable entertainment--based loosely on the life of real-life hostess Perle Mesta--should work satisfactorily from brassy opening to intelligent conclusion. Not to be missed, if only for Sanders' musical numbers.

Ethel Merman's overly-jovial, happily impersonal, maniacally spirited stage persona didn't always translate well to the silver screen (she was accused of projecting too big, as was Carol Channing). She certainly had some worthwhile movie opportunities however, this bright musical from Fox--modeled on the career of Perle Mesta--being one of them. Merman plays a Washington, D.C. hostess who is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Lichtenberg by her good friend Harry Truman, whom she telephones once in a while to check up on. Farcical, frantic and thoroughly insincere, the picture is still a marvel to behold as seen in unreal Technicolor (looking like 20 different flavors of Jell-O). Finger-snapping Merman is a hoot in her duet with lackey Donald O'Connor ("Your heart goes pitter-patter/I know just what's the matter..."), although Ethel never really adjoins herself to anybody else: she's intent on towing this ship fully on her own steam. It's a snug, entertaining concoction, though one which is apt to amusingly perplex and frazzle those unfamiliar with Merman's impertinent charm and gimme-some-elbow-room gusto. **1/2 from ****

I love Donald O'Connor and it's so hard to find his movies. So when I found this one I jumped at the chance to get it. I had never seen it before I bought. I went home and watched and quickly fell in love with it. The acting was well done and it's a cute little story line. I had seen There's no Business like Show Business with Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor so I knew a little bit what it would be like to see them together. I'm not a huge fan of Ethel but like I said I love Donald and this was one of his best! On a scale of 1-10 I would give a 10. It is in my opinion one of the best musicals around. I love the songs in it. I think that my favorite song in the movie though would have to be You're Just in Love. Though I also think that Donald looks a little funny in those glasses. But I also really like What Chance have I with Love. Donald shows in this song that he was one of the best dancers ever around. He's right up there with Gene Kelly.