Perdoa-me, Amor

Ain't Misbehavin' is a fairly obscure 1950's musical from Universal, a studio not much associated with the genre since Deanna Durbin left the decade before.

To tell the truth, I tuned in on Roku TV in order to catch Mamie Van Doren, but despite fourth billing above the title, her role was very limited and she had very little to do. Still, she looked gorgeous in technicolor.

The film seemed like an unofficial sequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but without the incomparable talents of Marilyn Monroe. It picks up where Gentlemen left off, a showgirl (Piper Laurie) marries a millionaire (Rory Calhoun) and must take her place in society, with mixed results. It might have been more interesting had Mamie had the lead and it was a more direct follow-up to Blondes.

Rory Calhoun was handsome and engaging but really didn't have much to do. Piper Laurie was good, despite having to act like MGM's Jane Powell or Debbie Reynolds, trying a little too hard to be charming. Jack Carson delivered his standard performance.

All in all, a pleasant way to pass the time.