That was an excellent one.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

An entertaining but dated period musical, this seems out of place in an era of colorful A musicals from the majors. But what is there is still enjoyable with up-beat song and dance numbers that bring the early part of the 1900's back to life even in glorious black and white. The more than slight story concerns a song-writing team (William Marshall and Kenny Baker) who promote a beautiful dancer for the cover girl of an upcoming 1901 calendar. The daughter of a tough fire chief, she at first spurns their romantic intentions but is soon torn between the two. This leads to friction between the two which can only be resolved in typical fashion through another woman. The music is the real star here with rousing performances of such standards like "At the Fireman's Ball" between a few lovely ballads which includes "Have I told You Lately That I Love You?". An amusing supporting cast includes such pro's as Victor McLaglen as the heroine's pop, Franklin Pangborn as an agent and stage veteran Irene Rich as a dottie landlady.

I enjoyed this movie. It captured the aura of the era better than most 40s productions with many authentic-seeming details. The fire horses were particularly effective. I wonder if they doubled as chariot horses in other movies. One of the most effective devices was having the musicians and singers at their windows, instead of having the music come out of nowhere. The movie made me want to live there! It looked like everyone was having a good time.The characters were engaging and did clever bits of business--I especially liked the artist on the telephone to his fiancée, the songs were buoyant, the patter was funny--such as the cow painter who couldn't get a word out, the dancing and singing very good. My favorite musical number was The Fireman's Ball which was clever and original but also in keeping with the 1900 setting. (I went back and watched that again because it was so entertaining.) Good line in it about "belle of the brawl." The women were strong-minded as was typical in movies of the war years, and the dresses were beautiful. I'm not a big fan of romantic ballads but I know from listening to 1940s radio shows online that they were hugely popular in that decade so I'm sure the audience liked that part better than I did.

Quick note on the print I viewed: not the best picture or sound quality, but apart from a view small cuts, complete. It can be found on Disc 1 of the 50 Movie Pack of Musicals DVD.The story is so-so, predictable for a musical. A songwriter and a artist share a flat in an artists-friendly establishment. One is in love with the girl next door but the other enjoys stringing her along.Someone is wealthy but he doesn't like people to know. And the girl next door has a father with a fiery temper.The songs are rather catchy and pleasant, and singers such as Kenny Baker and Janet Martin move them along. Attempts at comedy come off well as does the (slight) drama as the story unfolds.'Calendar Girl' is a cheaply-made B picture from Poverty Row but, for all that, it isn't bad, and will keep you entertained.

Jane Frazee, huh? Well, who'd have thought the Prelinger site would ever get around to some of the neatest little fillers available? Johnny Downes, Jane, Donald O'Connor ( I live in hope)a few of the names that took the sting from the expression B Movies. Okay so the memory plays tricks, all that used to glisten wasn't, etc, me I just sat back and enjoyed the unexpected treat. If there was ever a fault it was the fact that few, if any, of this kind of 'musical' ever featured material likely to have a life outside of the actual movie. Reams of songs which rarely appeared on a disc so that after watching 'Calendar Girl' you probably left the cinema whistling something from 'Show Boat'. Still a treat to see it, though.