abenr The wonderful Doris Day, the brilliant actress of "The Man Who Knew Too Much," is here asked to play Ruth Etting, a singer whose voice bears no resemblance to that of Ms Day. I imagine that difference won't disturb the vast majority of today's audience, few of whom have ever heard Miss Etting, but for those who have -- and you can catch myriads of her songs on YouTube -- the difference is simply a killer. I don't know much about Mr Snyder, but why was the great James Cagney forced to play him as if he were Little Caesar? I also wonder why the director has to show Snyder as Jewish. He has him needlessly say "Mazel Tov" to Miss Etting in one scene.

John T. Ryan WE SEE THAT this film is classified as being "A Musical." We beg to disagree. To our way of thinking, it is a Biopic about the life of a well known singer(albeit highly fictionalized). Any musical numbers portrayed are taking place either in an entertainment venue (night club, theater, movie sound stage) or in a practice/rehearsal. Ergo, the conclusion is: it's not a musical.FURTHER COMPLICATING THE story is accomplished with the intrusion of a local Gangster (Cagney) into the life of singer-wannabe, Ruth Etting (Doris Day). While the the story is highly fictionalized, this is one element of the story that rings true.THE STORY TRACES the relationship between the unlikely pair; starting with his observing her while she toiled as a 10 cents a dance girl. He was a racketeer, who operated a laundry business; which was supplemented with the use of good old fashioned extortion.THE MUSIC IS outstanding, the Technicolour breathtaking, the costuming first rate. Added to the 1920's sets and automobiles transform this into a first rate Period Piece.IN ADDITION TO Miss Doris Day and Mr. James Cagney, the cast features Cameron Mitchell and a cast of supporting players such as: Harry Bellaver, Tom Tully and others.WE FIND IT to be interesting and ironic that such great film work was done by both Doris Day and James Cagney at MGM: while both were under contract with Warner Brothers for so long. (Just another meaningless observation of ours.)"Recommended!"

BoomerDT This is really a 2 person film, as either Jimmy or Doris is in virtually every scene of this bio of 1920's & 30's singer and film star Ruth Etting. Cagney is once again playing a gangster, the role no one did better. Marty (the Gimp) Snyder is a hood on the peripheral edge of show business, he runs a company that supplies a linen service to the various clubs in Chicago. He's not a two bit punk, but he doesn't have the credibility or notoriety of a Capone or Nitti. He is well known, feared and respected in the speakeasy's and clubs and the owners are more than willing to introduce him to the various showgirls and dancers, which is where he first encounters Ruth Etting, working in a dime a dance dive. Cagney is playing a character similar to his roles in "Public Enemy" and "White Heat." He's cocky, arrogant and possesses an ability to manipulate and coerce to get what he wants. In the case of Ruth Etting, it is initially sex, but he can also see that she has an incredible singing talent which he can exploit as her manager. She is willing to be controlled, as long as he can advance her career. Marty Snyder does get things done, but Ruth Etting has to decide if his obsessive control and eventual stalking is worth it. Doris Day is superb in this dramatic role that also calls for quite a bit of singing and dancing within the context playing Etting on stage. For those used to her in the frothy WB musicals of the 40's or early 50's or in the light romantic comedies she would do later, this is something that shows what a truly excellent and versatile actress she was. She is also smoking hot, as she shows off an excellent body in some sexy outfits that she performs the various song and dance numbers in.

writers_reign In 1955, at almost the chronological mid-point of her film career (1948-1968) Doris Day made what are arguably the two finest films in which she ever appeared, Young At Heart and Love Me Or Leave Me. Both are best classified as Musical Drama and in both she played opposite a character whose screen name was Barney. If co-star Frank Sinatra got to sing the cream of the score in Young At Heart - Just One Of Those Things, Someone To Watch Over Me, One For My Baby, whilst she was stuck with the crowd-pleasing cotton candy confection - Ready, Willing And Able, Hold Me In Your Arms - with which she was identified, in Love Me or Leave Me she got to perform virtually the whole score, which, though not boasting anything like the quality of the Sinatra numbers in YAH was not exactly chopped liver. In both films she was obliged to abandon the role of professional virgin with which she was also identified in favor of semi-pro actress and in both films she managed reasonably well. LOLM is based partly on fact: Singer Ruth Etting did marry Martyn Snyder in 1922 and remained married until 1937; the following year she married Myrl Alderman, remaining married to him until his death in 1966. Whether events were as dramatic as portrayed here is speculative. Suffice it to say that though Cagney walks away with the picture as you would expect Day is only three or four steps behind while Robert Keith (who had played her father in YAH) scores well in the thankless nice-guy role as an agent. Good to watch, good to listen to, what more can I say.