It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
“Meet Me In Las Vegas” – Musical #151

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
Roy Rowland

Starring:
Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Henreid, Lili Darvus, Jim Backus, George Chakiris, Betty Lynn, Sammy Davis Jr. (voice only), Robert Fuller (uncredited)
As themselves: Lena Horne, Frankie Laine, Pier Angeli, Vic Damone, Debbie Reynolds, Peter Lorre, Tony Martin, Dewey Martin, The Four Aces, Steve Forrest, Jeff Richards, Frank Sinatra, Elaine Stewart, Jerry Colonna

Plot:
Ballet dancer Maria Corvier (Charisse) is performing at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Gambling rancher Chuck Rodwell (Dailey) makes his yearly visit to Las Vegas and is notorious for poor luck with gambling. Chuck finds that he has consitent luck winning big every time he holds Maria’s hand.

Trivia:
-Composers George Stoll and Johnny Green were Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.
-Filmed in Las Vegas.

Highlights:
-Cameos by Lena Horne, Frankie Laine, Pier Angeli, Vic Damone, Debbie Reynolds, Peter Lorre, Tony Martin, Dewey Martin, Steve Forrest, Jeff Richards, Frank Sinatra, Elaine Stewart, Jerry Colonna
-The “Frankie and Johnny” dance number narrated by Sammy Davis, Jr.
-Dan Dailey dancing and singing with Mitsuko

Notable Songs:
-“Frankie and Johnny” sung by Sammy Davis Jr.
-“The Girl with the Yaller Shoes” sung by Dan Dailey
-“If You Can Dream” sung by Lena Horne
-“My Lucky Charm” sung by Dan Dailey and Mitsuko Sawamura; also performed by Jerry Colonna

My Review:
“Meet Me in Las Vegas” has a simple and nonsensical plot: holding the hand brings good luck while gambling.
But while the plot is silly and simple, this is a charming musical, and the cast has a lot to do with that.
Cyd Charisse is stunning with beautiful clothes and impressive dances, as always, and Dan Dailey always feels like an old friend in his films.
As an added bonus you get 13 cameos from other MGM players throughout the film from Charisse’s husband Tony Martin to actress Debbie Reynolds.
While the songs aren’t terribly memorable, the dancing is outstanding. Charisse has the opportunity to exhibit both her classical ballet style with Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Ballet and her modern dance with the “Frankie and Johnny” number.
This brightly colored Technicolor musical is one that keeps me smiling throughout.

Cyd Charisse and Dan Dailey in “Meet Me in Las Vegas” (1956).

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