Two Sisters From Boston (1946)

Set at the turn of the 20th century, an aspiring opera singer (Kathryn Grayson) from Boston takes a job as a burlesque performer at a Bowery dive to make ends meet. When her snooty Boston relatives hear of it, they rush to New York to bring her back home. Directed by Henry Koster (THE ROBE), this musical comedy is fine as long as it sticks to the comedy and the music hall songs and ambience but when we get to the opera and Grayson's shrieking starts, bring out the aspirin. Fortunately, there's double talking Jimmy Durante for laughs and June Allyson as Grayson's kid sister for perkiness. Curiously, although the movie's settings cry out for Technicolor, MGM had it shot in B&W but the public flocked to it anyway and it was one of MGM's biggest hits of the year. There is one bit of sexism that riled me. As the opera company's star, Lauritz Melchior chastises his leading lady for her excess weight while ignoring the fact that he could lose a few pounds himself! With Peter Lawford as the priggish romantic interest, Ben Blue, Isobel Elsom and Thurston Hall.