Bloodhounds of Broadway

I LOVE the opening shot of Marguerite Chapman! Stunning Mid Century Hard Boiled Glamour Show Girl. Good voice, great figure, and lots of Technicolour screen presence. Flash but not trash. In the mould of Linda Darnell, Jane Russell, Dolores Grey, and even Lynn Bari in Orchestra Wives. Travilla, who dressed Marilyn and Jane in "Blondes", creates some stunning outfits for her too.

Nice to see a fresh faced Mitzi, but I wish Marguerite had been given a little more time on screen - a second song would have been great. Was Mitzi Gaynor star material? I think so. Sweet, but not cutsie. Loved her in There's no business like show business, and South Pacific. I do think she looks likes she's carrying a lot of weight in the bottom half of her body, but hey who cares.

All in all an easy to watch colourful musical!!

Mitzi is knockout in this movie, and shows what a wasted talent she was in Hollywood, every movie Mitzi appeared in, "she shined like a rare talent", but unfortunately at the wrong studio, she was great in The Joker is Wild with Frank Sinatra, which I consider to be his best film, and was one of the best casted films ever, also she was great in Les Girls and stole the show, in There's no Business like Show business she was an absolute knockout and her part was built up as it became apparent the work she was doing was so good, even though during the making of the film the studio sacked her, but they asked her back four years later to star in one of the greatest musicals of all time "South Pacific" which turned out to be a blockbuster, she later went on to be probably one of the greatest entertainers (certainly the greatest female entertainer) in Las Vegas and other cities, where she always got knockout reviews with sold out performances.look out for this movie being at last released on DVD

As delightful as it is corny, this comedy-musical is based on a story by Damon Runyan, whose interest in the New York crime world led to the creation of "Guys and Dolls," another must-see musical. Mitzi Gaynor is a delight as a country girl caught up in the escapades of a couple of crooks. This is totally her film, whether she is dancing a duet with Mousketeer Sharon Baird to the folk tune "Cindy" or swinging with Richard Green and Mitzi Green to "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'." However many Mitzis they put in this movie, it belongs to Gaynor, whose enduring career makes her a performing legend and a movie great. In 2020 she was still kickin' going on age 89.

Lots of slang like used in GUYS AND DOLLS. Well it is based on Damon Runyon's stories, so why not? Gamblers and dolls. Simple plot revolves around a numbers man Scott Brady meeting up with a little hick from GA, Mitzi Gaynor. Shades of what was to become her Nellie Forbush in SOUTH PACIFIC. Her character development in this is kind of sudden. In "life" a real cute little innocent, and in the musical numbers a regular siren. But who cares. This is a musical. Fox should release more of these little gems that were no great shakes at the box office, but are very much needed in this day and age of smutty and violent films. Nice interview with Mitzi on the new DVD. She says nice things about Marilyn Monroe during THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, but I understand she didn't like her and didn't say very nice things about her. Has she changed her mind? Hope so. Well, let's have more of Mitzi like GOLDEN GIRL and THE I DON'T CARE GIRL. BLOODHOUNDS is certainly worth a look for nostalgia if nothing else.

This Damon Runyon story feels slightly related to "Guys and Dolls", but it does not have the production values of the better-known musical that was released in 1955.

Crime boss "Numbers" Foster (Scott Brady) leaves New York by car when the heat is on, afraid he might have to testify before the Crime Commission. When his driver/minion, "Poorly Sammis", takes a wrong turn, they find themselves in the Georgia backwoods, where a beautiful young Emily Ann (Mitzi Gaynor) treats them right neighborly. Numbers decides to take Emily back to New York with him, along with her two pet bloodhounds.

When back in the city, Numbers---whose intentions might be avuncular; it's hard to tell---tries to find a job for Emily Ann. Surprise, she can sing and dance! That works well for everyone except Numbers' girlfriend, Yvonne (Marguerite Chapman), who feels threatened.

This is a decent musical, but definitely B level. Mitzi Gaynor is quite good in her role. The wardrobe and the choreo have notable moments. The music cannot stack up to "Guys and Dolls", but having two cast members named Mitzi is unique.