''Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business'' is a 1954 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Walter Lang Walter Lang (August 10, 1896 – February 7, 1972) was an American film director. Early life Walter Lang was born in Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business p ...

. It stars an

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

consisting of

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obitua ...

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred, in succession, with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talki ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

, Dan Dailey,

Johnnie Ray John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and blu ...

, and

Mitzi Gaynor Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber (September 4, 1931 – October 17, 2024), known professionally as Mitzi Gaynor, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her notable films included ''We're Not Married!'' (1952), ''There's No Business ...

. The title is borrowed from the famous song in the stage musical (and

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

film) ''

Annie Get Your Gun Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (Malayalam actress) (born 1975), Indian actress who works in Malayalam-language films * ...

''. The screenplay was written by

Phoebe Ephron Phoebe Ephron (née Wolkind; January 26, 1914 – October 13, 1971) was an American playwright and screenwriter, who often worked with Henry Ephron, her husband, whom she wed in 1934. Ephron was born in New York City to Louis and Kate (né ...

and Henry Ephron, based on a story by

Lamar Trotti Lamar Jefferson Trotti (October 18, 1900 – August 28, 1952) was an American screenwriter, producer, and motion picture executive. Early life and education Trotti was born in Atlanta, US. He became the first graduate of the Henry W. Grady Co ...

; and the movie was Fox's first musical in

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

and

DeLuxe Color DeLuxe Color or Deluxe color or Color by DeLuxe is Deluxe Laboratories brand of color process for motion pictures. DeLuxe Color is Eastmancolor-based, with certain adaptations for improved compositing for printing (similar to Technicolor's "se ...

. O'Connor later called the film the best picture he ever made.

Plot

In 1919, Terence and Molly Donahue are a husband-and-wife

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

team. By 1923, their children Steve, Katy, and Tim have joined the act, with the troupe billed as The Five Donahues. As the children mature, Terence and Molly enroll them in a Catholic boarding school in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. One Saturday, as their parents are performing, Steve and Tim attempt to leave but are caught by Father Dineen. The priest sends a telegram to Terence and Molly saying the boys miss their parents and performing, but says they are capable of becoming leaders. Molly, however, insists the children stay enrolled. The family moves to

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. In October 1929, the stock market crashes and the theatre stock company drops the Donahues in favor of motion pictures. Terence and Molly take whatever jobs they can find, including performing a carnival act and singing radio advertisements. Before long, movie theaters begin providing live entertainment before screenings, and the Five Donahues are performing once again. In 1937, Tim has graduated from high school, Katy becomes a dancer, and Steve develops a talent for singing. After a live performance, Tim and Katy sneak out on separate dates at Gallagher's nightclub, worrying Molly and Terence. At the club, Tim dates older chorus girl Lillian Sawyer while Katy dates Eddie Dugan. Tim meets with aspiring performer Victoria "Vicky" Hoffman who performs a solo number. Impressed, Tim arrives at Vicky's dressing room, and pretends to be a journalist for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. Eddie and talent agent Lew Harris also arrive at the dressing room, where Vicky learns Tim is part of the Five Donahues. She dismisses him in favor of talking with Eddie and Lew. Back home, Steve tells the family he has decided to become a priest. Terence is disappointed at his son's decision, but their discussion is interrupted by Tim, who has returned home drunk. Eventually, the family comes to terms with Steve's decision, and throws him a farewell party. The troupe, now billed as The Four Donahues, accepts an engagement in Florida where Tim meets up with Vicky (now billed as Vicky Parker) during rehearsal. Tim allows her to perform a tropical-themed musical number that was to be performed by his family. Eventually, Tim falls in love with her, though Vicky declines his romantic advances. The next morning, Vicky calls the Donahues and tells them Lew Harris is arranging a Broadway show with her as the star. She wants Tim and Katy to join her. Molly, despite her prior irritation over Vicky using their tropical-themed number, agrees to let them do the show. During rehearsals, Katy begins dating Charlie Gibbs, the show's lyricist, and marries him after Steve has been ordained into the priesthood. Tim continues courting Vicky, but becomes angry when she arrives late for an evening dinner after disagreeing with Lew Harris over a costume change. Tim accuses Vicky of being romantically involved with Lew, gets drunk, and later gets into a car accident. Before opening night, Lew considers cancelling the show, but hires Molly to take Tim's place. Meanwhile, Terence visits Tim at the hospital where the two have an argument. The next morning, Molly and Terence arrive at the hospital to see Tim; however, the nurse hands them a note from Tim saying he has gone but with no indication of where he might be. Molly and Terence open a missing persons investigation and attend various nightclubs looking for him, to no avail. On the closing night of the Hippodrome Theatre, Steve unexpectedly arrives backstage in the uniform of an Army chaplain. As he and Katy watch from the wings, Molly performs the film's title song. Moments before the song ends, Tim shows up wearing a U.S. sailor uniform and is embraced by Katy, Steve and his parents. Tim reconciles with his family, and for the first time in years, the Five Donahues reunite for the elaborate finale.

Cast

Soundtrack

All songs written by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

Production

Before the film's production,

had been placed on suspension from

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

after refusing to accept the leading role in a film version of a Broadway musical titled '' The Girl in Pink Tights''. During her suspension, she married baseball star

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...

and the two honeymooned in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, during which time she entertained American soldiers in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. Fox had intended to cast Sheree North in ''There's No Business Like Show Business'', going so far as to screen-test North in Monroe's own studio wardrobe. When Monroe returned to California, her Fox suspension was lifted, and studio executives offered her a role in the ensemble cast of ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' as a replacement project for having refused to make ''Pink Tights''. Monroe initially refused to make ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' just as she had for the previous project until Fox assured her that her next vehicle would be ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, who co-wrote the screenplay with George Axelrod. Based on Axelrod's 1952 The Seven Year Itch (play), play of the same name, the film stars Marilyn Monroe ...

''. She also demanded a pay increase of $3,000 a week.

had first sung "There's No Business Like Show Business" in the original Broadway production of ''Annie Get Your Gun'' in 1946 and would go on to sing it again in the 1967 television broadcast of the subsequent

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

revival of that musical comedy.

Release

To publicize the film, Monroe wore a black cotton polka-dot swimsuit. It went on auction at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

in London in 1991 and sold for $22,400 to collector David Gainsborough Roberts.

Reception

Box office

During its second weekend, ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' was the number-one box office film, screening in 17 key cities. It held the number-one position a week later before it was displaced by ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...

'' (1954) during its fourth weekend. By January 1956, ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' earned $5 million in estimated box office rentals from the United States and Canada. However, the film's negative cost was $4.3 million, and ''Variety'' reported the film needed to earn $6.5 million to break even.

Critical reaction

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called the film a "major success", in which he praised Donald O'Connor's performance in particular. He also noted that

had surpassed Monroe's "wriggling and squirming" which were "embarrassing to behold." ''

Harrison's Reports ''Harrison's Reports'' was a New York City–based motion picture trade journal published weekly from 1919 to 1962. The typical issue was four letter-size pages sent to subscribers under a second-class mail permit. Its founder, editor and publish ...

'' praised the film, calling it "a feast to the eye, the ear and the heart. It is a delightful mixture of Irving Berlin's popular songs, intimate and spectacular production numbers, heartwarming comedy and human interest, adding up to a musical extravaganza that is one of the top entertainments of the year".

Abel Green Abel Green (June 3, 1900 – May 10, 1973) was an American journalist best known as the editor of '' Variety'' for forty years. Sime Silverman first hired Green as a reporter in 1918, and Green's byline first appeared on May 30, 1919. Biograp ...

of ''Variety'' praised Ethel Merman as "a belter of a school of song stylists not to be found on every stage or before every mike" and Dan Dailey "an effective actor" with "polish and conviction." Monroe's "Heat Wave" number was described as needing to "be seen to be appreciated", while noting she's "more competitive to

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

in her delineating." Television host

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

described Monroe's performance of the song "Heat Wave" as "one of the most flagrant violations of good taste" he had witnessed. A review in ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine called the film "an Irving Berlin potpourri, containing some good old sweetmeats along with a few fresh-picked sour apples." Gaynor was noted as having "a finely machined set of ball bearings, becomingly encased, and Marilyn Monroe will undoubtedly singe the eyebrows off front-row patrons in her Heat Wave number, in which she bumps and grinds as expressively as the law will allow." Edwin Schallert of the ''Los Angeles Times'' felt: "Those who like Miss Merman—and that will be New Yorkers or the New York-minded especially—will feel that this is one of her most sterling efforts, and that she and Dailey form a first-rate mature team. Miss Gaynor, who is away out in front, and O'Connor are also splendidly matched." He was more critical of Monroe's performance, writing "there is much stress on this to the point where much of the time she seems almost inarticulate."

Legacy

The film's United States television premiere occurred on October 28, 1961, on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's ground-breaking movie anthology series, '' Saturday Night at the Movies'', in a

pan-and-scan Pan and scan is a film editing technique used to modify widescreen images for display on a fullscreen screen. It involves cropping the sides of the original widescreen image and panning across it when the shot's focus changes. This cropping ca ...

version to match the square, small-screen design of televisions manufactured at the time. Later syndicated broadcasts on local television stations were unkind to the legacy of ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' because it warranted a time slot of at least two-and-one-half hours, including commercials, and also because of the lack of letterboxing during that era. Every CinemaScope movie lost much of its appeal when shown on television in the 1960s and 1970s, even if it was in black-and-white, but ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' was hit especially hard because of cinematographer Leon Shamroy’s numerous tracking shots of cast members on the wide screen as they hit a lot of marks on soundstages. Dance sequences with most of the cast members, as well as the “Heat Wave” sequence with Monroe surrounded by numerous male dancers, were compromised by the pan-and-scan process. The movie's release to the home video market in the early 1990s solved the problem of commercial interruptions and improved its profits and reputation considerably. The issue of the aspect ratio of CinemaScope remained, however. A DVD release in 2001 included letterboxing and 4-channel surround sound, thereby eliminating the bad aspect ratio and introducing the movie to younger generations. It has received favorable reviews from critics and customers who have purchased it.

Accolades

The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

in these lists: * 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:There's No Business Like Show Business (Film) 1954 films 1954 comedy-drama films 1954 romantic comedy films 1954 romantic drama films 1950s musical comedy-drama films 1950s romantic comedy-drama films 1950s romantic musical films 20th Century Fox films American musical comedy-drama films American romantic comedy-drama films American romantic musical films Films directed by Walter Lang Films produced by Sol C. Siegel Films scored by Alfred Newman Films scored by Irving Berlin Films scored by Lionel Newman Jukebox musical films CinemaScope films 1950s American films 1950s English-language films English-language romantic comedy-drama films English-language musical comedy-drama films English-language romantic musical films