Review of Step Lively

This was funny as Room Service and it's charming in this variation with skinny young Sinatra. Well, up to the point Adolph Menjou arrives in the second act to scream about hotel bills not being paid. Goodness that got on my nerves fast. On top of that, everyone else started yelling - George Murphy, Eugene Pallette, Walter Slezak. Pretty soon what started as a pleasant, amusing musical comedy starring Frank Sinatra becamse an obnoxious screball comedy with a bunch of people not named Sinatra burning up screen time. I've rarely seen a movie fall so far off the cliff from Act 1 to Act 2. Cripes, you have the hottest young singer in America. You team him up with the beautiful Gloria DeHaven, write some songs, skip around a bit. Boom, you got a hit. I always hated try-hard screwball comedies - where shouting and strained, unfunny physical comedy substitutes for funny writing - but this one is right down there. My advice is to hit the skip button every time you see Menjou on the screen. Makes for a much better experience.