Evergreen!

[Moraldo Rubini]

Yippee! I just happened to turn on the tele to discover that Evergreen is about to screen on TCM. This has been high on my list for 40 years with no opportunity to see it. My lucky night. Hope it lives up to its reputation!

[Moraldo Rubini]

And what an interesting delight it was. Who knew that Norma Varden was once young? Yet, here she was as a barmaid; a role far different from her later matronly parts. Victor Saville's visual style was more interesting than I'd remembered from his later flicks (e.g., Green Dolphin Street; The Silver Chalice, etc.). The themes were so frank that I wondered if it had distribution problems in the States. Blackmail, pre-marital sex, incest, and a striptease finale! The production numbers were dazzling and bewildering (the Metropolis-like number wherein gauzy gals were metamophosed into robots), but the movie belonged to the charming Jessie Matthews (who starred with her real-life husband, Sonnie Hale). Her self-choreographed "Dancing on the Ceiling" number was a lovely highlight. Thanks to TCM for bringing this to my apartment!

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Marco,

Thanks for telling us about this movie; I had never heard of it before... But, just to see Norma Varden is enough to interest me!
Love her in all her films, no matter how small.

"The Von Trapp children don't play, they MARCH!!" is a perfectly delivered line in 'S of M' and I never tire of hearing it...

I've never seen Jessie Matthews in a movie, so will look for "Evergreen"...

Larry

[Jezebel38]

I had seen this film before, but a bad print on a local UHF station. TCM showed a much better print, although still a little soft, and I watched it through the Dancing on the Ceiling number. Jessie Mathews sure is an engaging dancer and singer; what long legs and love those high kicks to the head! This is the only film of hers that I have seen; I missed when TCM played First a Girl.

I think she is a look-a-like for Sarah Brightman!

[intothenitrate]

That's so funny. I just pulled that one off the shelf on a whim and watched it the other night. I wondered if the producers got together and said, "Let's give Busby Berkeley a run for his money."

Jessie Matthews is a powerhouse. And if you look up "waspish waist" in the dictionary, there's sure to be a photo of her.