Top Banana Reviews

By 1951, the American musical theater had reached a degree of art and sophistication that were the envy of the rest of the world. Through talents like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, and others, musical theater had never been so diverse. From serious musical plays like South Pacific and The King and I to musical comedies like Guys and Dolls and Kiss Me Kate, the great musicals ran for years to tremendous audience response. But those masterpieces weren’t the only musical shows running. There was still a place then for the star-driven comic show, and 1951’s Top Banana was one of the shows that fit that bill. Seen today in its 1954 film incarnation, the jokes are ancient and the production obvious, and everyone is pushing too hard to be funny and make an impression. Still, despite the “photographed theater” approach to the film, the movie does allow us to step into a time capsule and be transported back to Broadway in 1954 just to see what a typical early 1950s star show looked and felt like. It’s not always pretty, but for students of musical theater, the movie is sort of invaluable.

To participate in the discussion of Top Banana DVD Review, please click on the highlighted title.