Watch Let's Be Happy For Free

Memorable, crazy movie

Fresh and Exciting

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I like a lot of the older movies, including B movies and less than stellar musicals. While this one had the Scottish scenery going for it, that's about all as far as I am concerned. Tried to go it, but just couldn't. Too many "ouchies." Vera-Ellen, while good in other things, was a bit painful to watch in this. Same for Tony Martin. The redhead was, to me, hard on the eyes and nerves. The lord character was lackluster. Surprised at the comments of other reviewers that Cyd Charise should have had the female lead. Good grief. Get some proportion. While Tony Martin was married to Cyd Charise, there is a huge difference in their movie presence and draw. They don't cast parts to be cutesy.Ms. Charise played and co-starred with major stars in top films. Mr. Martin never did. There's no comparison. This was way too low a production for Ms. Charise. While Mr. Martin enjoyed success as a recording artist, a strong actor, he wasn't. I didn't even care for his singing in this. Forget the acting, on anyone's part.Definitely give this one a pass - as in pass up. Good performances can override a bad script/plot. That didn't happen here.

Let's Be Happy is a musical film shot in Scotland by a British film company and released in America under the Allied Artist banner. It also has two American stars, Tony Martin and Vera-Ellen and both made their final big screen appearance in this production. Musicals were certainly becoming rarer and rarer on the screen by 1957. If people have followed my reviews on Tony Martin's films, one my criticisms is why he was never teamed with his wife Cyd Charisse in any movie. Cyd was under contract to MGM and Tony did occasional films there as well. Both would move on to the nightclub phase of their careers as their primary venue and they were one of the biggest acts on that circuit for many years. I think Let's Be Happy was created with both of them in mind, but apparently Cyd was otherwise occupied with work at MGM. She did do Silk Stockings that same year over at that much bigger studio. So Vera-Ellen was brought in instead.The story is a slight one and the songs by Nicholas Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster are pretty forgettable, but they're done well as sang by Tony and danced to by Vera-Ellen. She's a Vermont farm girl who gets an inheritance from her grandfather of $5000.00 approximately, kept in a secret compartment because apparently grandfather did not trust banks. And as a good Scots girl, she decides to visit the old country.She meets Tony on the plane and the two seem to hit it off. But along the way an impoverished title played by Robert Flemyng gets the idea that Vera-Ellen is really loaded and in the tradition of European nobility down on its luck, they woo the rich American.Let's Be Happy does boast some really nice cinematography of Edinburgh, a city which definitely believes in keeping its ancient look up for the tourists. It's a pleasant enough 90+ minutes of entertainment, but I do so wish Tony Martin had done this with Cyd Charisse.

A minor musical, to be sure, but some of the dialogue reminds us that things have not changed much. How about the bell boy who, when asked by the hick from Vermont, if she should tip him, says with Scottish reserve: "yes, it has been done.". When Tony Martin, appliance magnate, proposes to Vera Ellen, he ups the ante with "You don't know what you're getting -- a washer that irons!".A musical with bagpipes! A lord who acknowledges that he needs tourist dollars (before he admits that he needs to marry for money), an American that can out-duel a French customs-clerk!How can one not be affected by this innocent charm!?

A minor 50's musical with the unusual backdrop of Edinburgh! Vera-Ellen is the biggest name, if that's any gauge, and she seems to have been cast for the circumference of her cinched waist. Watch her attempting to obey the direction to NOT look in the camera: her eye movements bring to mind Carol Burnett's over-the-top Norah Desmond.The storyline has a slightly screwball premise so dear to musicals; 'young' Jeannie [Vera-Ellen in her last major role] goes to Europe for a vacation and spends her entire inheritance of $4000; two cads, one a helpful Yankee [Tony Martin, stalwart of lesser musicals and Cyd Charisse's husband] and the other a poor Scottish laird [Robert Flemyng] who believes her to be a million-heiress vie for her affections. An odd jazz-ballet number reminds you it was made in the late 50's. The city of Edinburgh and some stunning gowns co-star. ** out of **** stars