Customer Reviews

Hello Frisco Hello

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hollywood legend Alice Faye was at the peak of her career when she made this costume musical drama. She is knockout in all her numbers, particularly so in the title song, and "Doin' the Grizzly Bear."

In this one, she is reunited with one of her favourite co-stars, the darkly-handsome John Payne, and the comedy relief comes from old timer Jack Oakie, and June Havoc, who was the character Baby June in the musical "Gypsy" - the sister of the famed Gypsy Rose Lee, who walked out on Mama Rose while a teenager to find fame in Hollywood! A tuneful musical, beautifully photographed in Technicolor. Miss Faye never looked lovelier.

I think so! Such song and dance ladies as Garland,Rogers,Hayworth are all much better known today for some reason. I admit this may be my first Faye movie ever, and I practically never heard of her until I read her obituary a few years back. (She lived well into her 90's)..Anyone watching this one must admit that Alice stands right alongside the top ladies mentioned, and then some! Just about perfect in this role of a lovelorn vauville performer in turn of the 19th century San Fran. The tune "You'll Never Know" is about perfect, not to mention many others, including a high flying Dutch Roller Skate number that is right up there with Olympic material! So check this out ASAP. Also ,it's in 1943 technicolor..This one has great acting, dancing, singing,stage sets, a whirlwind tour thru Europe, and about anything else you can expect in a great musical. The story line may be corny and old hat, but that may be true for about any movie musical!

"It's fifty cent hack ride down to the bottom of Nob Hill but it takes a million dollars to get back up."

Such are the memorable words of John Payne, musical performer and production impressario, in "Hello, Frisco Hello." Payne's musical review with romantic interest Alice Faye along with Jack Oakie and June Havoc achieves success along San Francisco's Barbary Coast. The ambitious Payne, however, has much more in mind. He wants to become a major player in the ritzy Nob Hill scene. Faye has the common sense to know that Payne is getting in over his head, but is powerless to stop him when he meets society matron Lynn Bari. She has a social name and standing but is currently broke while Payne believes she is his key to cracking the big time so they unite.

Alice Faye impresses moviegoers because of her inner sincerity as well as her unswerving loyalty. When Payne ultimately strikes out with Bari, who tells him bluntly, "I never said I loved you," Alice, after a successful performing run in London, sneaks money to drunken visionary Laird Cregar, who had previously panhandled Payne, convincing him that the money is no more than a loan, and that he will eventually strike it rich by finding gold. Payne, immensely prideful, accordingly believes that his own gold earnings are bankrolling his shows, not the fiercely loyal Alice. Eventually Cregar reveals the truth by accident when he has had too much to drink...

Not just for her signature performance of "You'll Never Know," but for the overall good spirits atmosphere as contributed by supporting stars Jack Oakie and June Havoc. The "Grizzly Bear" number has a particularly beguiling Faye in ragtime era splendor. A warmly melodious musical.

...if you like vaudeville, then you will like "Hello, Frisco, Hello". The stars are old hands at breathing life into music and situations like this, and they are terrific. If 'Fox Musicals' are something you enjoy...this is it...the plot is worn smooth as the rocks on the bottom of a rushing river...and the performers are even smoother than that...they know exactly how to engage you in the silliness at hand. Try it... I bet you'll like it!

I love this film! It's a mythical and musical romp through San Francisco (as seen by 1943 Hollywood.) It's survived the test of time and changing sensibilities remarkably well unlike other movies of the era...just lots of toe-tapping music and campy stage settings of SF landmarks.

"Hello Frisco Hello" has finally made it to DVD and Fox have done a great job. This was one of Alice Faye's most famous musicals, rich in familiar plot cliches but magnificently produced with spectacular colour, endless songs, great costumes and sets and Alice Faye's signature tune, "You'll Never Know", which is spellbinding and still a showstopper today.

Faye, John Payne, Jack Oakie and June Havoc, the talented sister of Gypsy Rose Lee, play small time entertainers who make the big time through Payne's entrepreneurial skills. Faye wears her heart on her sleeve, Payne does his standard macho turn and Jack Oakie and June Havoc add much needed vitality.

The DVD contains a restored print and the technicolour has never looked better. There are some excellent extras too. A featurette on Faye and her legacy has been included and her daughter Alice, Hugh Hefner, a huge Faye fan, and Miles Kreuger, that invaluable musical historian, among others appear. The featurette not only highlights Faye's underrated legacy as a pop singer but compares the film to an earlier Faye film, "King of Burlesque", noting how the same screenplay could be subtly shifted from Depression urgency to war time sentiment. It is odd that the featurette notes the contribution of Jack Oakie to both films but neglects to mention June Havoc, a fine performer in her own right. All the usual marketing bits are included such as the theatrical trailer and on set stills. Last of all, there is a audio only track which dove tails the studio recording of the music into the film without the soundtrack. Accordingly, we can hear the songs without interrruption - a delightful feature.

All in all, this is a good DVD, best value if purchased as part of the "Alice Faye Collection Volume 2".

They don't make musicals like this anymore. Alice Faye was great. Her version of You'll Never Know is a classic.

Hello Frisco Hello is an absolutely STUNNING Film/DVD starring alice Faye and John Payne. The Colour/Photography/Acts and AMAZING voice of Alice Faye combine to make this one of her very best Movies - only a year after she had given birth to her daughter. They really don`t come a lot better than this and to think it was made in 1943 - AMAZING.
There is NO DOUBT that Alice Faye ranks right up there with Doris Day as one of the VERY BEST all round performer/actor/singers America has ever produced.
Paul D.

This is a wonderful movie, I love this movie, if you like mucicals you've got to have this one. 1943, but its truly a classic. I saw it on T.V. and I just had to have it and you will too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!