Call Me Madam (1953)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Must See Movie...

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good concept, poorly executed.

I only have a few negatives about this film. So, I think I will get those out of the way. The plot is a bit far fetched. It isn't likely that you'll just fall in love with a princess. But they made it work well. The only other negative is the opening credits. As silly as it sounds, it's strange. Ethel Merman's demanding voice shouting, "Call Me Madam!" was a bit surprising. But other than those two minor things, I loved it! Then again, if Irving Berlin wrote the music, it's going to be fantastic. Walter Lang directed it. He also directed "There's No Business Like Show Business", which also has Ethel and Donald O'Connor. This movie is for Ethel and Donald fans, especially. They do a smashing duet together, "You're Just in Love". It is a show-stopper. And you can't watch this movie with out watching Donald's "What Chance Have I With Love?" at least six times. That is one of his most famous dances, behind the electrifying "Make 'Em Laugh" from "Singin' in the Rain". Vera-Ellen does great, too. Her and Donald do two dances together that are very romantic and exciting. They also sing a song together. And in one scene, you can get a glimpse as Vera's neck, which was never shown. Since she had anorexia at the time, it left her neck very wrinkled, thus, she never showed it. This is one of the very rare occasions where it is revealed. Her and Donald make an amazing couple. They were almost paired in "White Chirstmas" together. But Donald got severely ill and was replaced with Danny Kaye. Oh, yes. You also see that not only can Donald dance. He has an enchanting voice! His singing is usually overshadowed by his dancing. But with two whole songs with him just singing without and dancing or comedy, for that matter, you hear his absolutely gorgeous voice! If you don't like musicals, you won't like this. But if you're a musical freak like me, you will fall in love with it.

Ethel Merman certainly proved her comedic gifts in this 1953 gem of a musical.Loosely based on Pearl Mesta, "Call Me Madam" deals with a female ambassador to an imaginary kingdom.Merman pulls out all the stops in blasting away such nostalgic music. She certainly was the hostess with the most.What makes the film so good is that she is ably supported by a great cast including Donald O'Connor, who played her bad boy son in "There's No Business Like Show Business." In this film he portrays a reporter who finds romance while assigned to her. He is with the wonderful, charming Vera-Ellen.George Sanders, with a thick European accent, shines here as a count. He gets away from the usual cads that he played in films.Billy de Woolf is his usual irritating but wonderful self here.

Ethel Merman's overly-jovial, happily impersonal, maniacally spirited stage persona didn't always translate well to the silver screen (she was accused of projecting too big, as was Carol Channing). She certainly had some worthwhile movie opportunities however, this bright musical from Fox--modeled on the career of Perle Mesta--being one of them. Merman plays a Washington, D.C. hostess who is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Lichtenberg by her good friend Harry Truman, whom she telephones once in a while to check up on. Farcical, frantic and thoroughly insincere, the picture is still a marvel to behold as seen in unreal Technicolor (looking like 20 different flavors of Jell-O). Finger-snapping Merman is a hoot in her duet with lackey Donald O'Connor ("Your heart goes pitter-patter/I know just what's the matter..."), although Ethel never really adjoins herself to anybody else: she's intent on towing this ship fully on her own steam. It's a snug, entertaining concoction, though one which is apt to amusingly perplex and frazzle those unfamiliar with Merman's impertinent charm and gimme-some-elbow-room gusto. **1/2 from ****

Ethel Merman wasn't just a great entertainer; she was a phenomenon and one of the Seven Wonders of the Showbiz World and the part of Sally Adams, American ambassador to Lichtenburg, is one of her greatest roles. It was also one of the few stage parts she had to be preserved on film which makes this screen version of the Broadway musical doubly welcome.The plot is classic musical-comedy; in other words as corny as all-get-out and about as realistic as "The Wizard of Oz", and it's got a great Irving Berlin score, (the 'You're just in love' duet between Merman and Donald O'Connor is a highpoint in the musical genre). Walter Lang's direction isn't particularly innovative, (the film is lavish but stage-bound), and Vera-Ellen was never the most charismatic of musical-comedy stars but these are minor quibbles when there is so much else to enjoy.