Best Foot Forward Reviews

(OK) In the way to "Good news", the peak of college (well, here's a military academiy to cope woth war effort) with a film star by herself as bonus: Lucillle Ball. Buzzell keeps everything warm and manages (he directed Marx Brosthers¡) tie comic stuff...

A military academy student gets “Queen of the B’s” Lucille Ball to be his date at the upcoming prom, hijinks and hilarity ensue. And that’s about it as far as plot goes in Best Foot Forward, a lightweight but very charming musical comedy from MGM’s infamous musical department. Like Du Barry Was a Lady, another Ball vehicle, MGM took a Broadway hit and gave it a complete makeover, keeping only the name, the vaguest bit of story, a song or two, and a few cast members.

There’s not much to it, but Best Foot Forward owns much of its success to Ball’s knowing performance. She’s in on the jokes, and is unafraid to take a pratfall or look less than glamorous if it’ll get a laugh. These traits would be better explored and given immortality in I Love Lucy, but even here Ball is allowed to look gorgeous, toss of a few zingers, have a klutzy moment and poke fun at her stardom.

And poor Virginia Weidler, a former child star probably best known for her roles in The Philadelphia Story and The Women, is given her chance to bridge the gap between child stardom and adult stardom but never managed to make it. This would be her last film, and it all boils down to being out-shown by a trio of newcomers: June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven and Nancy Walker, who out does them all with her pitch-perfect timing and the three of them have the greatest moment in the film with “The Three B’s.” Best Foot Forward never demanded much from its audience like classics Meet Me in St. Louis or An American in Paris did, but there’s plenty of flimsy charms to hold your interest.