Cast:
"Dynamite Hands"
George C. Scott ("Gloves" Malloy), Trish Van Devere (Betsy McGuire), Red Buttons ("Peanuts"). Eli Wallach (Vince Marlow / Pop), Harry Hamlin (Joey Popchik), Ann Reinking ("Troubles" Moran), Jocelyn Brando (Mama Popchik), Michael Kidd (Pop Popchik), Kathleen Beller (Angie Popchik), Art Carney (Dr. Blaine / Dr. Bowers), and Barry Bostwick (Johnny Danko)
"Baxter's Beauties of 1933"
George C. Scott ("Spats" Baxter), Barbara Harris (Trixie Lane), Barry Bostwick (Dick Cummings), Trish Van Devere (Isobel Stuart), Red Buttons ("Jinks" Murphy), Eli Wallach (Pop), Rebecca York (Kitty), Art Carney (Dr. Bowers), Maidie Norman (Gussie), Jocelyn Brando (Mrs. Updike), and Charles Lane (Mr. Pennington)
Produced and Directed by Stanley Donen (#137 - Bedazzled (1967), #227 - Singin' in the Rain, #346 - On the Town, #1029 - Charade, and #1194 - Saturn 3)
Cast:
So, here we are with a package deal: two films in one for 105 minutes, which features "Dynamite Hands", a boxing drama and morality tale presented in black-and-white and "Baxter's Beauties of 1933", a musical comedy presented in color. The opening features George Burns in an introduction to the double feature, while in the middle of the two films features a trailer for "Zero Hour", a flying ace short. Both of the main features have a few actors playing roles in both films, with Scott being the main star of both with varying support from traditional names and newer names. For example, Van Devere, Buttons and Wallach are present around a newcomer in both Hamlin and Reinking (each making their screen debut). In the second one, Scott is the star with a mix of familiar names (Harris, who despite being a Tony Award-nominated actress, doesn't sing) with a few newcomers in Bostwick (well, actually he was in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but does that really count?) and York. The film was written by Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller. Older viewers might know the first name as the writer for television such as for Sid Caesar or his part in the creation in the TV show M*A*S*H or his work on Broadway with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. For film, though, he had just finished work with Oh God! (1977) but was later the co-collaborator for Tootsie (1982). Keller was also a writer for Caesar and M*A*S*H for a time, but this was the third of three film credits (the one before was Cleopatra Jones). They wrote the initial script in six weeks after months spent by Gelbart proposing the idea to studios. To serve as the production company was Lew Grade and his ITC Entertainment for distribution by Warner Bros., while Stanley Donen was tapped to direct. Donen did work in various genres besides the musical he is perhaps most famous for directing with Singin' in the Rain (1952). This was his second-to-last feature film as a director for features, for which he closed out his career with noted features (read: me being nice) in Saturn 3 (1980) and Blame it on Rio (1984). Plans for a sequel were thought of early because of Grade's liking of the material that would have seen Gelbert and Donen return, but the lack of audience returns (blamed on distribution) scuttled those plans.
Within its structure is attempts to make light of two (technically three) genres big in the old days. The first one would probably be right at home for folks already familiar with boxing films of yesteryear such as Golden Boy (1939), Two-Fisted Gentleman (1936), or, well, The Champ (1931). It goes okay, but it is only the bare minimum when it comes to boxing, because, well, it tries to be a silly morality play with a hodgepodge of cheap jokes. How seriously can you take a film that ends with a boxer seeing his manager get shot and immediately study as hard as possible in law school so they could serve as the prosecutor of said murderer? Scott apparently stated about the script that "Gelbart is such a good writer and the picture was so much fun I was almost ashamed to take the money." This could apply as both a sign of goodwill from Scott but also a possible sign of things to come with acting that is hit-and-miss, specifically with the first segment. Somehow, he seems more at home with the second segment in impending death rather than the middling spry manager played here. Hamlin does okay with the material, but one can only handle the mix of moments meant to played for boxing cliches and cliches about falling in and out of the influence of fame so far. By the time he gets to do corny lines for the climax, it almost seems like a punchline of an outstretched TV episode. At least Wallach leans into the hammy nature required from corrupt-doers, but I'm sure there was meant to be something more to having Van Devere (an established actor who happened to be a spouse to Scott) in both segments beyond making me wish to see them in other things with more time such as The Day of the Dolphin (1973). As for the musical, one perhaps thinks of 42nd Street (1933), which also happens to involve a director trying to make a big hit under the pressure of health (in a case of total coincidence, two years after the release of the film, the director behind the Broadway adaptation of 42nd Street would die on the day the show premiered). It is perhaps more musical in song rather than big, choreographed numbers, but it ends up just fine in light entertaining neatness, as evidenced by the free spirit in Bostwick, with him and York making a passable duo. One can only wonder if Harris not being involved in songs or dance was meant to play against type given her Tony Award-nominated background, but whatever. As a whole, you will get a few chuckles from what was meant as an "affectionate satire", one packed with plenty of familiar beats and a decent closer to overcome a few bumpy moments that is handled with the usual qualities presented by Donen and company for a decent recommendation.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
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