Micu

I already got lost on Mulholland Drive in 1986 (see my comments on MULHOLLAND FALLS, of last April). This time, I managed to stay on for 100 of its 145 minutes, but had to pull over after. It started very brightly with a endiabled jitterbug, first looking a little farfetched but soon explained by the Canadian starts of Naomi Watts. Then the intrigue proceeded smoothly, like an usual Film Noir, far more inspired than BLUE VELVET, which was plain dull at its beginning.

Then things began to look awkward, when the villain started to fire on a vacuum cleaner. And I had to pull out when the bad smelling corpse of Diane Selwyn came back to life under Naomi's nice features... David Lynch is a brilliant director, and I was fascinated for 2/3 of his last movie. But unlike in BLUE VELVET, which kept the suspense alive until three minutes from the ending credentials, I had to abandon my glasses for a kaleïdoscope, in order to keep up with the merry-go-round falling action.

No wonder Mr. Lynch had to enroll the French producers Alain Sarde and Le Studio Canal+, plus a few others, in order to transform his Zero-number of a TV series into this brilliant but long drawn-out movie. With all the possible humility, I beg to advise him to think a hundred times before starting his next production, if he still cares not to see angry customers stepping out and yelling for their money back. I had brought along two of my best friends, and discussed the movie contradictorily for a while, before our chauffeur found his car towed away. He swore never to be found on MULHOLLAND DRIVE again. Henry Caraso, Paris

SUN VALLEY SERENADE was a surprise and a big success when it came to Europe, and I don't understand why ORCHESTRA WIVES did not travel well over the Atlantic (to my knowledge). The musical numbers are quite a few, and Lucien Ballard did a tremendous work at filming them. The Nicholas Brothers are even better than in the former Miller movie (and they were at their climax the year after, in STORMY WEATHER). The plot is unessential, as in most of the musicals, but the "wives" are all good looking and the players are credible too. Special mention to singer Marion Hutton, sax player Tex Benneke and drummer Moe Purtill, all uncredited.henry caraso

It was a hell of a job to grab a video tape of that movie, still but seldom shown on TV in the States, but invisible in France since it was contradictorily issued, in the late forties. Well, the beginning with the Goodman band's motorcade is a landmark, saluted by many critics as the sweeping entrance of the Swing Era in motion pictures. Lead by Benny and Johnnie Davis, plus Frances Langford (still alive in Florida and just re-married at 80), the band gives a tremendous start to a picture which soon looses its impetus, occasionally rewinded by the hilarious appearances of Hugh Herbert plus the wits of Glenda Farrell or Ted Healy. As a little pest, Mabel Todd is not convincing. After two syrupy tunes, we get a good staged crowd number at the Callaghan's restaurant, with allusions to Columbus, before the real gem comes, from the Orchid Room: the second part of SING, SING, SING (Christopher Columbus), with Krupa, Goodman and James at their best, unfortunately for just three minutes (but they weigh ten times more than the 5'30" of the same standard, as re-created in BENNY GOODMAN STORY. It's the difference between genuine music and re-heated soup). But Berkeley gets our pardon by setting immediately after a brilliant number with Benny's Quartet (HOUSE HOP, not I'M A DING DONG DADDY FROM DUMAS, as stated in IMDB's credentials). That makes five GREAT minutes for the millions of jazz fans still in love with swing. A second quartet number, GET A HEARTFUL OF MUSIC, was deleted by the production. Then the movie keeps moving, with an astonishing performance of DARK EYES, by Raymond Paige and his "battalion" of musicians and singers - what critics would call "jazz symphonique" - before everybody gets together for the finale,with SING, SING, SING, YOU SON OF A GUN. The 6.7 mark is severe, because the beginning and the five minutes of pure swing are invaluable. I urge TIME WARNER to issue this movie in video, for people who lack my courage to hunt for copies. henry caraso