Knickerbocker Holiday (1944)

Just the man himself.

Nelson Eddy, Constance Dowling, Charles Coburn.  At first I put this in the cute but pretty stupid category, but it had several good songs and definitely grew on me, especially as I began to appreciate that the stupidity could also be explained as deliberate silliness.  I always thought it pretty funny, even if it was probably the silliest film Eddy was in (and that is part of the humor).  Eddy was getting a little long in the tooth to be continually be playing the "young" anyone, but his enthusiasm is always appealing.  I like much of the music, although only the lead characters can carry a tune worth a damn.  I find it interesting that many Eddy fans pan this film harshly, but the worst criticism seems to be that he didn't play the character (played by Charles Coburn, who can't sing) that sang "September Song", which song they all seem to like best.  Well, I, for one, don't blame Eddy.  Brom is more funny, has more humor and gets to kiss Constance Dowling repeatedly in this movie (more screen kissing in this movie, I think, than in all his other films put together [sorry, forgot I Married an Angel]).  She's pretty, too.  OK, the ending is more than a little lame.  Note also that Nelson Eddy did record "September Song" so all was not lost.  Note also that many of those uninitiated to Nelson Eddy that I have shown his movies to like this among the best.***   MUST SEE

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