I don't know what it was, but I couldn't really get into this movie, be affected by it or enjoy it very much. Well, yeah, the society party scenes were a hoot, the scenery was pretty, the chereography of the "Friend" song was good, but that was about it. The rest was just... there, not horrible, but definitly not above average, either.
Debbie Reynolds should have been very well suited to the role of Molly Brown, but for all her teeth-gritting, yelling, and wailing, she just doesn't rise to the occasion. Why this is often considered her best role, and why she was nominated for an Oscar for it, I really couldn't tell you. Harve Presnell has a soaring voice, but again, just is average. The Merideth Willson score is rather pedestrian. (Apparently several songs were cut from the Broadway show; maybe they were better.) But really, this guy did The Music Man? And the Titanic sinking is done and dispensed with in maybe two minutes, if that. Come on! The one reason this musical was made was because of Mrs. Brown's legendary courage after that sinking. Not much evidence of that here. Oh, and yes, the musical is pretty accurate in terms of the many legends surrouding Margaret Brown, but not so faithful to the real person. (Many minute things: she was never rescued from a flood as a baby, she was actually born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, her husband was always called J.J., never Johnny, they never really did reconcile, she actually had two children with him that were not mentioned, she never really was accepted by the Sacred Thirty-Six, her many contributions to the juvenile and suffrage movements were ignored as always, etc. and so forth. She was never even called Molly, always Margaret.) You get the point...
It simply wasn't anything special.
Debbie Reynolds should have been very well suited to the role of Molly Brown, but for all her teeth-gritting, yelling, and wailing, she just doesn't rise to the occasion. Why this is often considered her best role, and why she was nominated for an Oscar for it, I really couldn't tell you. Harve Presnell has a soaring voice, but again, just is average. The Merideth Willson score is rather pedestrian. (Apparently several songs were cut from the Broadway show; maybe they were better.) But really, this guy did The Music Man? And the Titanic sinking is done and dispensed with in maybe two minutes, if that. Come on! The one reason this musical was made was because of Mrs. Brown's legendary courage after that sinking. Not much evidence of that here. Oh, and yes, the musical is pretty accurate in terms of the many legends surrouding Margaret Brown, but not so faithful to the real person. (Many minute things: she was never rescued from a flood as a baby, she was actually born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, her husband was always called J.J., never Johnny, they never really did reconcile, she actually had two children with him that were not mentioned, she never really was accepted by the Sacred Thirty-Six, her many contributions to the juvenile and suffrage movements were ignored as always, etc. and so forth. She was never even called Molly, always Margaret.) You get the point...
It simply wasn't anything special.