Give Out, Sisters Reviews

Silly, witless musical that would have been better off as a short subject rather than a full-length feature. The Andrews Sisters are starring at a nightclub and, in a totally unbelievable turn of events, some local dance students are asked to join in their latest show. Grace McDonald is a wealthy young heiress whose three spinster aunts refuse to allow her to be in show business (Barrett, Helm, Blake). Butterworth is the school proprietor in bad financial trouble due to the shenanigans of his ex-partner, Catlett, so he can use the booking. Meanwhile, there's a love story brewing with McDonald and Dan Dailey (when he was still using the "Junior" in his name), who is the nightclub's bandleader. Club owner Frawley needs to get permission from the aunts because McDonald is underage, and, when he goes to their home, they are impersonated by the Andrews Sisters who dress up in biddy clothes. They give their assent, and McDonald is allowed to work. Now the three real aunts find out about it and race to the club, fully expecting to raise a ruckus. Once there, they are entranced by the show, and especially by McDonald, and they join the cast for the finale on the stage as everyone sings "The Pennsylvania Polka" (Lester Lee, Zeke Manners). With a musical cast that includes Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, Dan Dailey, and a number of other veterans, one would have hoped for more from this yawner, but it was not to be. Songs from several sources include: "The New Generation" (Walter Donaldson), "Who Do You Think You're Fooling?" (Ray Stillwell, Ray Gold), "Jiggers, the Beat" (Al Lerner, Sid Robin), "You're Just A Flower From An Old Bouquet," and the aforementioned polka from Pennsylvania. Blake was Jeanette MacDonald's sister and had a running role as the telephone operator in the DR. KILDARE series of MGM films.