I always thought the first scene of the film, with Porter walking around the apartment, to be laughable. But then I learned that Porter did have a limited ability to walk. So maybe not quite as ridiculous. But it still feels like MGM was trying to gloss over the real-life Porter.
But, at least no turtles/conductors on speed, or chucking out too much of the composer's score (On The Town, On Your Toes, etc), or other whims that the studios foisted on stage musicals over time. Some changes of course (including that whole opening scene), but more or less the essence and spirit of the Broadway show is intact. And very well-performed. And the one song addition, "From This Moment On," fits beautifully and is fun to hear and watch - unlike the attempt to put it into the 1999 revival, where it just unnecessarily added running time to the show. |
