just watch it!

Dreadfully Boring

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS comes in toward the end of MGM's golden age. A fun story here about a gambler (Dan Dailey) who only has luck while holding the hand of ballerina Cyd Charisse. Cyd has several gorgeous dance numbers here, including a stunning "Frankie and Johnny" with vocal by Sammy Davis, Jr. The film is crammed to the gunwales with guest stars including Lena Horne, Jerry Colonna, Frankie Laine, and an adorable young Japanese singer named Mitsuko Sawamura. There are many fleeting cameos, too including Peter Lorre, Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds. Special mention should be made of Cara Williams' smashing rendition of "I Refuse To Rock And Roll," where she sets the screen on fire. Agnes Moorehead is effective as Dailey's Mother. A sharp eye will notice Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW) in a tiny part. This film is a product of 1956, set in the US's gaudiest city, and the colorful decor is properly gaudy. Car lovers will swoon over the red 1956 Lincoln convertible Dan Dailey drives in the picture. This is done in Eastman Color, which is notorious for fading, but this print has gorgeous color that could easily be mistaken for Technicolor. The sound is clear and robust, and does justice to the many musical numbers. You could find many worse ways to spend two hours than by enjoying the many charms of MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS.

Directed by Roy Rowland and written by Isobel Lennart, this average musical comedy romance's Score received an Academy Award nomination. Though it features the beautifully talented Cyd Charisse as an aloof ballet dancer who's just discovering the world outside of her own sheltered existence, Dan Dailey seems an odd (unworthy?) choice as her top billed co-star.Even though their lead characters' magical romance is purposefully a pairing of unequals, I think you have to be a fan of Dailey's to accept his folksy, homespun, losing gambler cowboy (let alone his singing) that's suddenly found his lucky charm in Charisse. Plus, Agnes Moorehead plays his (vibrantly dyed) red-headed mother back at the ranch! Jim Backus as a frustrated hotel manager, Lili Darvas as a Las Vegas-style dance talent, and Paul Henreid (among others) also appear.It's not a total washout though: it's fun trying to spot the various uncredited Las Vegas star cameos (including Peter Lorre, Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra) sprinkled throughout, Lena Horne and Frankie Laine (and Mitsuko Sawamura) perform, and Sammy Davis Jr. (also uncredited) narrates Charisse's "Frankie and Johnny" routine. Plus, there's an hilarious bit where Charisse's ballerina character, tired of competing with Sari Hatvani (Darvas) for Dailey's attentions, gets a bit tipsy and joins some cancan showgirls on stage; this scene is topped by her demonstration of it to Lili (Liliane Montevecchi), a former ballet star that chaperons Maria Corvier (Charisse) for manager (Henreid).Oskar Karlweis plays Lotzi, a blackjack dealer at the Sands, where Maria performs, who's friends with Chuck Rodwell (Dailey), and even holds the winnings. George Chakiris plays a young groom who's honeymooning with his young bride (Betty Lynn). Dick Elliot (uncredited) plays one of the Sands co-owners for whom Tom Culdane (Backus) works.Chuck is a gambler who never wins until he grabs the passing ballerina's hand for luck and finds he can't lose when he's holding it. This eventually creates a spark of romance between the two and Maria learns that Chuck is actually a successful rancher who gambles away his profits to fill up his empty life. He takes her to his ranch where uncredited Roscoe Ates and Lee Tung Foo play a ranch hand and a cook, respectively, and his "cranky" mother, Miss Hattie (Moorehead), runs things in his absence.Their magic continues there: when Chuck holds Maria's hand, the chickens lay eggs, a cow with an upset stomach gives birth to a calf, and a hole in the ground starts to spout black gold (e.g. oil). When they return to the Sands, Maria's absent manager has arrived but the couple's magic has disappeared.Want to guess whether it all works out in the end?

Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse provide some good chemistry in this 1956 film. Unfortunately, they're a little too old to play the parts of the gambler and ballerina who discover they're meant for each other.In her short appearance as Dailey's mother, Agnes Moorehead's part would have been more suitable to the likes of Marjorie Main. Her booming voice was needed with the scenes on the farm.Charisse dances up a storm and Dailey is given little musical talent, except that he sings very well with a young Japanese child.As her manager, Paul Henried looks so different in color, but maintains the same smoking tradition as he did with Bette Davis, 14 years before, in "Now, Voyager."Cara Williams is able to dance up a storm and really vamps around the stage. Who did the coloring of the hair in the movie? Williams and Moorehead have that same heavy red tint. What kind of henna were they using?Since we're dealing with the Las Vegas night club scene, the appearances of Frankie Laine and Lena Horne are worthwhile. Don't think we don't see Frank Sinatra and Peter Lorre at the slot machines and tables as well.

This almost unknown musical, like the (better) also forgotten IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955) are two of MGM's real treasurebox surprises: modern time musicals instead of fantasy or historical setting musicals. VEGAS is yes, an advertisement for Las Vegas.... and the pre ratpack snazzy nightclub 1955 Las Vegas we all can dream about having been able to visit. With excellent MGM star cameos and even stylish and breathtaking Lena Horne solos this is a raucous rude musical with star turns in slot machine heaven. Jerry Colonna hosts a genuinely riotous number called 'My Lucky Charm" with showgirls dressed in such a funny array of hilarious goofy costumes, I am sure Mel Brooks pinched the 'look' when adding a new level of ridiculous to 'Springtime For Hitler" in "The Producers". The same idea turns up a year later in PAL JOEY with the "My Funny Valentine" tawdriness and costumes. It is a really funny number and as other commenters on this site will tell you, has Cyd wander drunk onto the stage and hilariously wreck the whole routine. The ballet sequence: Frankie and Johnny is a sensation and appears in one of the MGM That's Entertainment/ Dancing films. However, one really scary and sinister dance number is called 'The Girl in the Yellow Collar" with rough bumpkin men hounding Cyd alone around a tree, and is almost like a pack rape scenario. It is a horrible number, subconsciously un nerving with all these lustful rednecks pursuing this gorgeous dancer like a pack of sex hungry men. Otherwise this film is a dance and time/vogue sensation and well worth seeing in Cinemascope.... not the irritating and ridiculous pan and scan cropping of VHS.