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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Billy Rose's Jumbo" (1962)
is one of the last musicals to emerge from MGM's
illustrious stable. It stars Doris Day as Kitty
Wonder, a performer in her father's circus. Pop
Wonder (the irrepressible Jimmy Durante) is the
proprietor of one of the greatest acts in circus
history -- Jumbo, a gargantuan elephant. He's also
engaged to the sad -eyed spinster and
fortuneteller, Lulu (Martha Raye). Together, they
frontline a troupe of jolly nomads who pitch the
idea of big top life as the greatest of all
traveling trades. However, a fly in this cotton
candy surfaces with the arrival of Sam Rawlins
(Stephen Boyd).
Unbeknownst to Kitty and
company, Sam is a spy for a rival traveling show,
helmed by the unscrupulous John Noble (Dean
Jagger). Sam sets himself up as a rigger in Pop's
show and observes the inner workings of his
operation, all the while with one eye firmly
zeroed in on Kitty for himself. Perhaps sensing
his less than honorable intentions, Kitty's
initial reception to John is cool and aloof.
However, after he rescues her from a near fatal
accident, she falls into his arms quite willingly,
and thereafter is bitterly disillusioned when Sam
lays the ground work for Noble Enterprises to
steal Pop's circus out from underneath them.
Based on the rollicking Broadway smash, director
Charles Walters opens the play up with great
panache, adding depth, scope and heart to what was
in essence a flashy spectacle minus substance on
the stage. The numbers, particularly "This Can't
Be Love," "Little Girl Blue" and "Why Can't I?"
are engaging diversions unto themselves,
seamlessly blended into the dramatic milieu.
Although Stephen Boyd does look a tad
uncomfortable in the role of Sam, he proves to be
in very good voice with the charming, "The Most
Beautiful Girl in the World." Yes, the film is
hopelessly hokey by today's standards -- but
that's primarily its charm. The final musical
number too is a bit flat when compared to the rest
of the score -- but staged by veteran
choreographer, Busby Berkeley in a way that almost
distracts one from the absence of magic.
Warner's DVD is a treat. The anamorphic picture
sparkles with renewed vigor. Colors are rich, bold
and vibrant. Blacks are deep, rich and solid.
Whites are very clean. Contrast and shadow levels
are bang on. There are only trace elements of
age-related artifacts for an image that is quite
smooth and engaging throughout. The audio has been
remixed to 5.1 but lacks in bass tonality, often
sounding thin and just a tad strident. The musical
sequences fair much better sonically than the
dialogue. Extras include a few shorts, including a
Tom and Jerry oddity. Final thoughts: it may not
be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but "Billy Rose's
Jumbo is a respectable sideshow of glamorous big
top entertainment. The acting is solid; the score,
supreme. If only the box office receipts of its
day had managed to match the considerable effort
put forth by the studio, there might have been
more good-natured entertainment from MGM in the
years that followed. |
