Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
Kailansorac
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
mark.waltz
This highly enjoyable sequel to "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (and according to Hollywood legend, the inspiration for "Xanadou") is a colorful musical that gave Rita a chance to escape from the "Gilda" image created the year before. The seemingly haughty goddess Terpsicore goes "down to earth" with "oh-dear" angel Edward Everett Horton at head angel Roland Culver's request to supposedly stop a show about the muses of Mount Ponassus from being ridiculed in the public's eye. There, she takes on the leading role of the show (replacing disgruntled leading lady Adele Jergens) and gives producer Larry Parks a very hard time. When she finds human emotions and falls in love with him, realizing that he has laid his life on the line for this project, she decides to follow his rules and the show goes on. But after opening night, she has to honor her promise to the angels, which finds her emotionally distressed as she goes from being a Broadway diva to an unable to cry muse once again.When Rita Hayworth smiles, men are transfixed by her beauty. Her long ravishing red hair, photographed to the max here, adds to her beauty. She can sing, dance, act, even charm the socks off the director in spite of being out to sabotage him. She wants to make the show "respectable" at first, but allows her emotions to take over her actions later on. Rita was Columbia's jewel in the crown by this time, and no expense was spared to make her a film goddess to rival the Greek one she portrays. Along for the ride are two hold-overs from "Here Comes Mr. Jordan"-EE Horton and agent Max (James Gleason). Mr. Gleason's character is more of a comical buffoon here than he was in the original film, walking through a moving set door at one point and becoming very befuddled by still being inside the theater. Roland Culver replaces Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan, and is acceptable, but no one can truly replace Mr. Rains in talent and on-screen magnetism.Larry Parks ("The Jolson Story") is fine as the love interest, not sounding at all like Al Jolson here when he sings. Marc Platt, already a well-respected Broadway hoofer, does a fine job in the dance sequences, but in his conflict backstage with Hayworth, there is never any doubt who would come out the victor if Hayworth hadn't agreed to change her plans. He comes off more as an annoying sidekick to Parks due to his stiff acting. As for the musical numbers, the lyrics aren't always the greatest, even though the bad lyrics of the opening song, "For instance take a chick like me, they call me Terpsiquore", are meant to be parody. The bigamy song is probably the worst number, but "People Have More Fun" (set in New York's Gramercy Park) is fun, and "Let's Stay Young Forever" is very pretty. Look for William Frawley of "I Love Lucy" as the investigator questioning Gleason. While not as good as the two other big color musicals that year ("Mother Wore Tights" and "Good News"), it isn't as bad as critics wrote. I've seen it over 10 times in the past 30 years and enjoy it more than a lot of movies I saw as a child, then re-visited several times as an adult.PS-Anybody know where I can get a copy of the song they mention, "Who hit Nellie in the belly with a flounder?"
Maddyclassicfilms
Alright so we know that Down To Earth is no Oscar winner but it has some great dance numbers and memorable songs and is romantic and funny.Starring the wonderful Rita Hayworth it tells the story of the Greek goddess Terpsichore(Rita Hayworth)who's up in heaven and finds out that a practically(in her artistic view)tasteless musical of her and her muses is being produced on stage.She appeals to one of Heavens head men Mr Jordan(Roland Culver)to let her go and help the man behind it Danny Miller(Larry Parkes)to turn it into a masterpiece.Mr Jordan agrees(on the condition that she return to Heaven when her task is completed)and sends with her his trusted friend Heavenly messenger 7013(Edward Everett Horton). Along with an acting agent Max Corkle(James Gleason)her own talent,a name change(Kitty Pendelton)and some other worldly help from the kind Mr Jordan she attempts to turn it into a hit.Will she and Danny be able to have a relationship? as she sees him falling in love with her and what will audiences think of the production when it opens on Broadway?.Well watch this great musical and discover what happens for yourself.Rita is fantastic in this and performs some great dances and lovely costumes and sets really add to the film,this is one to watch when you need cheering up.
Noirdame79
After the success of "Gilda", Columbia put their superstar Rita Hayworth in this musical remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan". It did well at the box office, although in later years it has been panned by many as silly, far-fetched fare. I personally don't have a problem with it - it's not on par with Rita's earlier musicals, but it is very entertaining. The color is lush, and Hayworth is breathtakingly beautiful, and certainly suited to play the goddess of music and dance, Terpsichore (her singing voice was again dubbed by Anita Ellis), and Larry Parks is adorable as the young Broadway producer who wants so desperately to succeed. George Macready, who played Hayworth's evil spouse in "Gilda" again appears here in a similar role (with comedic undertones) - his office even seems to be the same as in the earlier film. It's also fun to see William Frawley in a small but memorable role. Parks, sadly, had a short-lived career, as it was virtually destroyed by the McCarthy witch hunts. And the romance is touching and even a little tear-inducing. The term "Heavenly Goddess" certainly applies to the lovely Rita. Adele Jergens is also great as the original dancer in the show that Kitty/Terpischore replaces. Not the best Columbia musical, but an off-beat film, and worth watching simply because of the dance sequences, color cinematography and Rita at her most enticing.
Mike-764
Danny Miller is producing a musical on Broadway, Swinging the Muses, about two war pilots who end up in the days of Greek mythology romanced by a man hungry Terpsichore, the Greek Goddess of song and dance. This portrayal upsets the real Terpsichore who decides to go down to earth and make the musical accurate. Enter once again Mr. Jordan and messenger 7013, to help her come to the land of mortals and into the play, where she gets the lead role easily (using the name of Kitty Pendleton). Terpsichore/Kitty and Danny have constant arguments over the way the musical is being presented, but Danny becomes so infatuated with Kitty that the musical, in a preview, is presented accurately, which when produced becomes an artistic and symphonic production, but bores the audience to sleep or an early exit. When Danny decides to do the musical the way it was intended to be, Kitty storms off the set and asks Mr. Jordan to return to heaven, but Mr. Jordan informs Kitty that Danny needs this play to succeed, since its being backed by a racketeer, Manion, who Danny owes $20,000 to in gambling losses, and if the show flops, Danny will be "rubbed out". Kitty then decides to return and make the show a success, even though she realizes she will have to return to heaven and lose Danny. The movie is good, but really lacks much of the charm of its predecessor, Here Comes Mr. Jordan. The film is a star vehicle for Hayworth, but she is very enchanting in the role. Parks wasn't romantic leading material, but has the talent to get by (still has his singing voice lip-synced). Culver's Mr. Jordan is less charming and a more serious version than Claude Rains' version, but his performance is still admirable. Horton and Gleason are the only ones reprising their roles from the original. The film's setback is that the musical numbers aren't that good and seem to last forever (the last one from the film is OK, but the two versions of the ancient Greek setting musical drag on for an eternity). Still a good film, but you may be lost or disinterested if you didn't watch Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Rating, 7.
