Backstage Doll
Mary Elizabeth Carroll (Vivian Blaine) shows up for an audition and is doing well until someone recognizes her as Doll Face from the Burlesque theatre down the way and she is told she isn't cultured enough for the part. Mike Hannigan (Dennis O'Keefe) her manager and who is sweet on her is frustrated that her reputation is holding her back so decides to do something about it with unexpected results as he hires a ghost writer to write Carroll's biography whilst also putting on a Broadway show himself.
Sometimes you watch a movie which just is, which has nothing really noteworthy about it but at the same time when watched has nothing really offensive either. As I said it is just is and ends up the sort of movie which not long after you watched begin to struggle to remember anything about it. "Doll Face" is one of those movies, an adequate distraction but lacking in anything to make it memorable.
Part of the trouble is that "Doll Face" is just another one of those movies which takes us back stage and into the rags and riches tale of someone who thought the system to be a success. The rest of the trouble, well everything about it from the dialogue to the musical numbers as well as romantic tribulations just ends up cliche including the one liners. Yes it still works but as I said it is why when over "Doll Face" quickly fades from your memory.
About the only things I can come up with as a reasons as to why you should watch "Doll Face" is firstly that it has fallen in to the public domain which means you can watch it for free online without breaking the law. The other reason is that it was adapted from a story by Louise Hovick more commonly known as Gypsy Rose Lee the famous burlesque dancer. Aside from that the singing is not half bad but now I am pushing it for real positives.
What this all boils down to is that "Doll Face" is just a movie with nothing really special about it but at the same time nothing which is terrible, it is just what it is, that is an old movie.
