CAN'T HELP SINGING: Blu-ray (Universal, 1944) Universal Home Video

A pert and platinum-tressed Deanna Durbin marked her one and only picture in Technicolor with director, Frank Ryan’s Can’t Help Singing (1944) – a western-themed musical extravaganza that had Durbin cast as Caroline Frost, the daughter of a U.S. senator, Martin (Ray Collins) who, along with his sister, Cissy (Clara Blandick) are dead set against Caroline’s involvement with Lt. Robert Latham (David Bruce)…and for good reason. The enterprising Latham is merely interested in advancing his own political career by latching on to Martin’s coat tails. Alas, as scripted by Lewis R. Foster, and, Frank Ryan (cribbing from a story by John D. Klorer and Leo Townsend, loosely based on Samuel J and Curtis B Warshawsky’s ‘Girl of the Overland Trail’), love is blind. And thus, the headstrong Caroline cannot see this forest for its trees. Through Martin’s connections, Latham is reassigned in his duties out west, forcing Caroline to pack her bags and trapse halfway across the country in search of true love. On this journey, she encounters the loveable thief, ‘Prince’ Gregory Stroganovsky (Akim Tamiroff) and his bumbling sidekick, Koppa (Leonid Kinskey), each who, as it turns out, possess a heart of gold. Tamiroff and Kinskey (occasionally spelled Kinsky) were already considered lovable hams in Hollywood, and would go on to have lucrative careers for many years to follow. As for Caroline, she also meets the ruthless gambler, Johnny Lawlor (Robert Paige) with whom she will ultimately fall in love.

A veteran of 65 movies, before being felled by a sudden aortic aneurysm in 1987 - age 76, Robert Paige holds the dubious distinction of being the only male lead ever to sing opposite Durbin in her musicals. Beginning his career in 1934 as David Carlyle, Robert Paige garnered early notice for his good looks.  And although he worked for Warner Bros. and Republic Pictures in bit parts, Paige actually made his debut at Columbia in a B-programmer serial, Flying G-Men, before moving to Paramount, making 7 movies in one year – none, memorable. Another move to Universal in 1941 sparked the studio’s interest to remake him over as their romantic leading man. Universal put Paige into light-hearted comedies and frothy musicals. Regrettably, the 1946 corporate shakeup at Uni, virtually wiped out his career. The next year, he became an indie producer, and moved into television work – first, as the host of The Colgate Hour, and then, as a newscaster for KABC Channel 7 in Los Angeles. Appearing in only 2 more movies between 1961 and ’63, Paige left the news desk too in 1970 to become L.A.’s Deputy Supervisor under Baxter Ward, before moving into public relations, and then, in 1979, retiring into private life for good.

Can’t Help Singing is a typical Deanna Durbin programmer, gussied up in the frothy and fabulous hues of vintage 3-stip Technicolor, and, given an immense boost by Universal’s decision to shoot much of the movie on location, allowing Durbin’s manufactured beauty to be offset by the startling rustic splendor of these vintage wilds. She even sings a number on the edge of the Grand Canyon, all of it spectacularly photographed by cinematographers, Woody Bredell, and, W. Howard Greene. For this outing, Universal was taking no chances. The score here is written by imminent tunesmiths, Jerome ‘Show Boat’ Kern, and E.Y. Harburg, whose contributions on 1939’s The Wizard of Oz need no introduction and include the patriotic, ‘March’, the ebullient title tune, ensemble rouser, ‘Elbow Room’, stirring ballads, ‘Any Moment Now’, and, ‘More and More’, toe-tapping ‘Swing Your Sweetheart’ – a tour de force novelty number for Olin Howland, as wagon master, Bigelow, and, for the melodic and mesmerizing finale, ‘Californ-i-ay’ – an anthem to the great state, rather shamelessly to riff off Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oklahoma!’ – then, taking Broadway by storm, sung herein by an ensemble of newly arrived settlers and indigenous Spanish migrants, with Durbin’s voice rising above the rest.

Under the working title, ‘Caroline’, Can’t Help Singing began to take shape in early 1943. Uncharacteristic for a Durbin movie, Universal resisted the urge to look outside its own stock company for viable leading men to play opposite their biggest and brightest moneymaker. In hindsight, it remains a tragedy the studio could not see the merits of doing more Technicolor musicals with Durbin. Rather short-sighted, their idea of her career was hermetically sealed in B&W. Curiously, the decision was made to alter Durbin’s trademarked dark chestnut stresses to shimmering ringlets of spun gold, presumably because blondes are more photogenic in Technicolor. And indeed, Durbin looks incredible in this movie, not only from the neck up, but neck down, in Walter Plunkett’s dazzling array of vintage costumes. Durbin’s ensembles in particular are a feast for Technicolor. For her debut, she emerges from an open carriage in a black and white riding dress, offset by potent emerald gloves, scarf and a billowing feather in her chapeau. Later, Plunkett dresses her in similarly-themed monochromatic attire, this time offset by blood-red strips of plaid, and more feathers. For her grand finale, Plunkett drapes Durbin in a sparkling, gold-embroidered gown that positively dances in the moonlight. Robert Clatworthy and John B. Goodman’s art direction is first rate, as is Russell A. Gausman and Edward R. Robinson’s set decoration.

When it premiered as Uni’s big Christmas release of 1944/45, Can’t Help Singing went on to break attendance records at Lowe’s Criterion Theater. Indeed, Durbin was at the zenith of her screen popularity.  Viewed today, the picture remains a gargantuan and tune-filled crowd-pleaser, diverting in its spectacle, and, an effortless hour-and-a-half enveloped in the timeless appeal of a great singer given a solid platform from which to emote romantic/comedy through song. Durbin is never anything less than exceptional in her delivery of the Kern/Harburg melodies. And if none ever quite rises to the status of an immortal pop tune, suitable for endless revival on the hit parade, then virtually all are of an artistic quality, bordering on well-intended perfection that resonates exceptionally well with the material for which they were written, occasionally to achieve a level of ‘hummability’ – especially, ‘Californ-i-ya’, “where it never rains, it just drizzles champagne!” I can’t help it. I really enjoyed Can’t Help Singing as a joyful, exuberant, fresh and invigorating Technicolor extravaganza – undeniably, Universal’s targeted endeavor from the outset. In a personal note, having lost my mother earlier this month, this movie was a wonderful reminder that, in a world where regrets and anxiety have generally come to represent the ‘new’ norm in all of our lives, the movies once upon a time (and arguably, in times much darker than our own), were a reflection of life not as it was, but as we might have sincerely wished it to be - and could be - while we sat quiet and spellbound in the dark. Deanna Durbin remains a titanic fantasy figure from this generation in Hollywood’s disseminating optimism. God bless her for that. And let’s keep movies like Can’t Help Singing very close to our hearts. Sometimes, they are the only salvation we have to get us through the day.

Can’t Help Singing arrives on Blu-ray via Universal Home Video proper and, remarkably, in a Technicolor transfer that shows very little signs of aging. Apart from two very brief instances of Technicolor mis-registration (so fleeting, you’ll barely notice) the elements used to mint this disc are of an absolutely gorgeous refinement, showing off all the reasons why 3-strip Technicolor was the only color process in the history of the movies to produce such exquisite images of rainbow-hue beauty. The color here is ravishing. While the main titles appear to be sourced from a print that momentarily belies this lushness (indeed, the white credits are soft and slightly out of focus, while the background information appears to have an almost desaturated pastel quality), the image thereafter is nothing short of breathtaking. Be prepared to be dazzled by eye-popping reds, greens, blues and yellows. Flesh tones are richly textured and beautiful. Contrast is excellent throughout, with deep and enveloping blacks, but without any loss of fine detail. Age-related artifacts do exist, but are so minor, they are hardly worth mentioning. The 2.0 DTS mono offers some startling moments, particularly for the songs, which can almost suggest ‘stereo’. Alas, Universal has provided us with nothing in the way of extras. Not even menus. For shame. Bottom line: Can’t Help Singing is a beautifully created movie musical. With intermittent exceptions, this Blu-ray is a quality affair. Buy today. Treasure forever.

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

4

VIDEO/AUDIO

4.5

EXTRA

0