Who payed the critics

Better Late Then Never

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Ex-serviceman, posing as an insurance salesman but actually working for a racketeer, allows a pretty but romantically-aloof waitress to talk him into taking the drummer's gig at the jazz club where she works; naturally, he thinks this means she loves him, but she's got eyes for his dapper former boss. "The Strip"--as in Hollywood's famous Sunset Strip--is, if nothing else, a flashback to Los Angeles in 1951, when wealthy mobsters ruled the underworld and nightclubs were packed with patrons just waiting for a hot drum solo. If it weren't for Joe Pasternak's production and Robert Surtees' cinematography, this MGM effort would easily pass for a b-movie. The script and characters are too thin to support the framing story about a shooting, while Mickey Rooney's hyper lead performance verges on camp. Rooney, playing a musician so clean-cut he actually leaves the lucrative 'dark side' for a life of hoped-for domesticity, is unconvincingly unfettered by drugs or booze--his vice is romance! The movie has no connection with reality, though the soloists (including Louis Armstrong and Vic Damone) are enjoyable. ** from ****

"The Strip" contains a number of seemingly incongruous components which theoretically probably shouldn't be able to work together successfully. The fact that they do is ultimately what makes this film so interesting and entertaining.Stan Maxton (Mickey Rooney) is a character who makes numerous bad decisions, experiences consistently bad luck, gets falsely accused of two suspected murders, gets betrayed and beaten up and is finally devastated by the outcome of the story which leaves him feeling heartbroken and in a state of total despair. The fact that this grim tale is interspersed with some exhilarating dancing, upbeat jazz numbers and the romantic Oscar nominated song "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" is only surpassed in strangeness by the fact that Stan is normally such a chirpy, bright and breezy guy.The movie's film noir credentials are clear from the typical opening shot of Sunset Strip, the voice over narration, the femme fatale, the neon lights and the very nature of the story. Additionally, there are also numerous doubles involved (e.g. two homicides, two car accidents when Stan is driving, two accidents caused by passengers, two girls romantically linked with Stan, the femme fatale's involvement with two men and two women involved with one of Stan's employers etc.).The time taken out for the performances of the full songs, the drum solos and the dancing could reasonably be expected to be a problem and to interrupt the pace of the action in this type of movie. The fact that it doesn't is one of the strengths of this low budget offering and the presence of such great talents as Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Jack Teagarden and Vic Damone is another.Mickey Rooney is very energetic and especially impressive in the drumming sequences. The supporting performances by William Demarest, James Craig, Sally Forest and Kay Brown are also very good and contribute a great deal to the success of the film. Any doubts which the audience holds about the appropriateness of the musical content is effectively dispelled at the end when it becomes evident that if Stan is to find some form of salvation, it will almost certainly be achieved through his involvement with music.

This movie is a rather odd mix of musical, romance, drama and crime with a sniff of film-noir to it. It's basically one messy heap of different genres, of which none really works out like it was supposed to.This movie is an attempt by Mickey Rooney to be taken more serious as an actor. He's a former child-star who always used to star in in happy comical- and musical productions at the start of his career. In this movie he picks a different approach (although the musical aspects are still present in the movie). But his role is actually quite laughable within the movie. I mean Mickey Rooney as a tough player? He's an extremely small boyish looking man. He actually was in his 30's already at the time of this movie but he seriously looks more like a 16 year old. Hearing him say babe to women and hearing talking tough to gangsters who are about 3 times bigger than he is just doesn't look and feel right. He simply isn't convincing in his role.Because the movie mixes so many different genres, the story also really feels as a messy one. Somewhere in it there is a crime plot and somewhere in it is a romantic plot-line and one about living your dream but none of it works out really due to the messy approach and handling of it all. It just isn't an interesting or compelling movie to watch. László Kardos is also a director who has done only 10 movies in his lifetime, despite the fact that his career span from 1935 till 1957. He must have been a struggling director who had a hard time getting work into the industry and instead once in a while was given a lesser script to work with. His movies are all unknown ones and normally also not of too high quality.Let's also not forget that this is a '50's movie but yet it more feels like a '40's one or perhaps even as one from the '30's. This is of course mostly due to the fact that this movie got shot in black & white. Generally speaking black & white movies from the '50's often have a cheap looking feeling over it and this movie forms no exception.It's a rather strange sight seeing Mickey Rooney and Louis Armstrong and his band as themselves performing together in a sequence. It wasn't the only movie Armstrong appeared in though and he would often pop up in these type of movies, often simply as himself. I guess jazz lovers can still somewhat enjoy watching this movie due to its music, since there is quite an amount of it present in this movie. The movie actually received an Oscar nomination for best original song.An awkward little movie and outing from Mickey Rooney.4/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

OK-let's give credit where credit is due here OK? Mickey Rooney simply steals the show and is great on the drums. Not only that, he's great in this movie. The story, the acting, the music are all tops here. Give Me A Kiss To Build A Dream on was a Oscar nominated song. This is one of the most entertaining musicals I have ever seen. Mickey Rooney was in his 30's here and no longer a child. The man kept right on working when other child stars faded into obscurity. It's no wonder why. The man had talent that no other star in history could match. He could do anything, anytime, anyplace and succeeded at it all. I met Mr. Rooney while he was doing his show Sugar Babies and he also is a super nice guy. So, let's no under estimate the talent of this man, OK?