Wonderfully offbeat film!

To me, this movie is perfection.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

I was fortunate enough to be at the FBI Southbank when Jessie appeared with Michael Balcon at a Guardian lecture and talked a bout how Victor Sa ville gave her the confidence T9 face thé camera.Gros is one of the greatest thirties musicales.To thé American reviewer who claimed that any MGM musical such as Dancing Lady were better than this,i would say that they didn't make a memorable musical till Wizard of oz.Most of the rest suffering from elephantitis.

Okay, you take a fish-faced actress with a really awful voice and not that much acting ability, give her just one halfway decent song to sing, build a stupid plot around her that lacks not just a believable quality but any kind of charm or humor, and what have you got? Something that isn't even as entertaining as one of those mediocre Republic or Monogram musicals with Gale Storm or Phil Regan, both of whom sang better, and certainly looked better, than Jessie Matthews. There are about a zillion movie musicals better than this one. As for musicals by Rodgers and Hart, just about anything they did is a zillion times better than "Evergreen."

"Yesterday," to avoid scandal involving her illegitimate baby girl, music hall performer Jessie Matthews (as Harriet Green) retires from the stage. "To-Day" her adult daughter, Ms. Matthews (as Harriet Hawkes), is back in London, auditioning as a chorus girl. She meets young show business hopeful Barry Mackay (as Tommy Thompson), who promotes Ms. Matthews as the return of her eternally youthful mother. The British public is delighted with the comeback, but 60-year-old "mother" Matthews falls in love with "son" Mackay and their ruse is threatened by paramours from Mathews' past. Helping out are real-life husband Sonnie Hale (as Leslie Benn), veteran British favorite Betty Balfour (as Maudie), and director Victor Saville.****** Evergreen (4/34) Victor Saville ~ Jessie Matthews, Barry Mackay, Sonnie Hale, Betty Balfour

I must add to the other raves on this page. This is an utterly charming and delightful film, derived from the London production of a Rodgers and Hart musical. Sadly, only three of their songs are retained, but one is the classic DANCING ON THE CEILING. Five songs by Henry M. Woods and others fill out the score.Matthews is a sheer delight, reminding me of Joan Collins, Julie Andrews, Jane Wyatt and Jennifer Jones, all rolled into one.The plot is cute and its twists and turns are fun. It moves swiftly with marvelous performances and the cinematography, art direction and editing are all top notch.I saw an impeccable print on Turner. Highly recommended to all musical film enthusiasts.The order of songs as they appear in the film:DADDY WOULDN'T BUY ME A BOW WOW (Tabrar) I WOULDN'T LEAVE MY LITTLE WOODEN HUT (Collins/Mellor) A LITTLE SPRINGTIME IN YOUR HEART (Woods) IF I GIVE IN TO YOU (Rodgers/Hart) TINKLE, TINKLE, TINKLE (Woods) DEAR DEAR (Rodgers/Hart) DANCING ON THE CEILING (Rodgers/Hart) OVER MY SHOULDERR (Woods)