Call Me Madam

With a larger-than-life personality and a voice that could blow open a barn door at thirty paces, Ethel Merman was among the great stars of Broadway for some thirty years. Hollywood, however, never quite figured out how to use her talents. Although she made a number of screen appearances over the years, whenever an Ethel Merman show went to Hollywood, someone else always got the Merman role. But there is a single exception: the 1953 screen version of CALL ME MADAM.Although she actually had significant political credentials, Washington hostess Perle Mesta was best known for her parties--and her 1949 appointment as Ambassador to Luxemberg inspired Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse to create CALL ME MADAM. With Ethel Merman in the leading role and music and lyrics by the legendary Irving Berlin, the show proved a popular ticket in both New York and London. And surprisingly enough, when 20th Century Fox picked up the film rights, the studio decided to have Merman recreate her Tony-winning performance on screen.Although Hollywood tweaked both script and score, the screen version is essentially the same show that delighted theatre-goers in the early 1950s. President Harry S. Truman rewards Washington hostess Sally Adams (Merman) for her support by appointing her Ambassador to a European duchy. Adams takes Kenneth (Donald O'Connor) along for the ride--and romantic complications with a European dignitary (George Sanders) and a love-lorn princess (Vera-Ellen) have farcial international complications.CALL ME MADAM is what you might call a "standard" musical of the era; although the story references the Cold War and various political issues of the day, it doesn't go serious on you, and while the film is very obviously a take-off on Mesta the political satire involved is light and amusing rather than sharp and meanspirited. There's no denying that Merman is clearly a performer used to the stage, but she translates to the screen extremely well, and when she opens her mouth to sing you know what all the fuss was about. O'Connor, Sanders, and Vera-Ellen also fare extremely well, each one charming and playing up to Merman's larger-than-life style.Although Berlin's score doesn't really compete with his more famous works, it is quite amusing and his lyrics have a satirical edge in keeping with story; "Hostess With The Mostes'," "Can You Use Any Money Today?," "It's A Lovely Day Today," and the roundhouse punch Merman-O'Connor duet "You're Just In Love" are witty and charming. And everything about the film sparkles and shines in classic Hollywood musical-comedy fashion. It's just enchanting, through and through.Copyright issues kept CALL ME MADAM out of circulation for some twenty years, so any release would have been welcome--but this DVD transfer is quite good, with good sound and brilliant picture and nary a blemish to be found. The only significant bonus is a commentary by film historian Miles Kreuger, and although it is on the mild side it is quite entertaining as well. Recommended for fans of the "old style Hollywood musical"--and Merman fans in particular!GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Accept no substitutes---there's only ONE Ethel Merman, and what better way to preserve her unique power and presence than this fine film version of her 1950 stage hit?And Donald O'Connor's performance is equally fabulous---in fact, the Amazon reviewer who feels that 2 straight hours of Ethel is too much should at least acknowoledge the fact that Donald and Vera Ellen occupy a major amount of screen time on their own. And whereas the performance of Russell Nype in the role of Kenneth Gibson on Broadway created something of a sensation, he was apparently not a dancer; thus the casting of Donald O'Connor in the film version added a whole new musical dimension to the character, while providing us lucky viewers with another prime example of the whimsical charm and dazzling artistry of Mr. O'C.There's just too much to praise in this wonderful film; I can only add to the chorus of praise by citing: the physical beauty of the production, the sumptuous and colorful musical arrangements/orchestrations by the great Alfred Neumann (check the gorgeous opening verse of "Marrying for Love"), George Sanders' charming and sympathetic performance (who? George Sanders?!?), in which we have the pleasure of hearing his own mellifluous bass-baritone singing voice (confirmed by theatre historian Miles Kreuger in his excellent commentary), the super-charming "It's a Lovely Day Today" scene in the record shop, with clever on-screen plugs for this delightful song between Donald and Vera, Mr. O'Connor playing (and destroying) a giant Marimba with his twinkle toes, etc.... I could go on.My only complaint is the very static direction in the duets between Ethel and George Sanders. There's only so long they can keep staring at each other adoringly before you want to shout at the screen: "Move a bit, for Pete's sake!" The great Berlin tune "The Best Thing for You", which I have always felt gets short-changed as the magnificent song that it is, is similarly affected by the blocking. Even the delightful "Money" song is sabotaged by this stand-and-deliver approach; why couldn't Ethel have gone to her desk and started to write a check while singing---something---ANYTHING to give the screen a bit of movement! Then again, the dynamic energy of Ethel Merman just standing and singing at close range is perhaps as much as we should safely expose ourselves to!In any case, CALL ME MADAM is a delight from beginning to end, and as fine a tribute to the bright, tuneful, fun-filled fifties as you are likely to find.

This is not the best 50's era movie musical, but its far from the worst too. Ethel Merman is a joy. Not just the loud hard edged character that she often played in the 60's and 70's, in Call Me Madam she's a full on Broadway diva in a role that translated well on screen. The Donald O'Connor roll is thin but allows him to sing and dance with the always dependable Vera-Ellen. Unfortunately this part is woefully underwritten, although perhaps appropriately gender bland for the period. O'Connor's big dance scene is fun, Vera-Ellen's doesn't really show her off, and I thought a bit "ehh".The script is dated, pulled from the Truman era, so you might not get many of the jokes that the writers depended on to make the premise work. (I'll take Margaret Truman for $100 ) But the political satire still stands up (Ambassadorships for sale!). Billy de Wolf is the perfect State department up tight grandee and George Sanders sufficiently grand and charming as Merman's Romantic foil. (Not him signing, although it does sound alot like Georgio Tozzi who sang the Emile part in South Pacific. Sander's singing voice is not credited, that I can find.) Otherwise, the screen is filled with contract character actors, wearing some fine costumes.A couple of memorable Irving Berlin songs, a good cast, and a lovely production design make Call Me Madam an enjoyable experience.

It played just fine. I purchased for the senior community I work for so the true test will be if it plays on our equipment in the theater. We had a copy that wouldn't play, which really disappointed the seniors. Hopefully they will be happy with this one...it's a good musical with great dancing and singing from the big band era.