Then I watched some of her clips, featured in the three "That's Entertainment" films and "That's Dancing".
Up to now I had seen very few films of her: just "Rosalie" and "Born To Dance" (a poor print) and today I've just seen her in "Broadway Melody of 1936". What an amusing film!! Top Entertainment.
In some books I have read that Miss Powell's acting talents were scarce and roughly equivalent to those of other "specialty" actors like Esther Williams or Sonja Henie. Well, I must say I was pleasently surprised that at least in this film that statement is not true.
She displays wonderful comedic talents in some scenes, especially when she does very a funny send-up of Kate Hepburn in "Morning Glory" and when she impersonates "La Belle Arlette". She looks ravishing with the blonde wig and all done up with beauty marks et al. She has some fine scenes with the Ebsen's too. And her dancing of course is superb!
All the players involved are very good in their parts: Jack Benny as a Walter Winchell character; Una Merkel as "heart of gold" secretary; Sid Silver as Benny's hilarious sidekick (you must watch him as "La Belle Arlette"...a hoot!); Robert Taylor, dashing, masculine (not just the "pretty boy" they intended to dismiss him as) and not wooden as I'd expected; June Knight, a quite talented beautiful lady.....Frances Langford's beautiful vocals; Buddy and Vilma Ebsen's good dancing routines and some fine production numbers.
I give this film ***1/2 out of ****.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)