Main Cast: Betty Grable, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Jack Lemmon, Myron McCormick
Release Year: 1955
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
Three for the Show is a musical remake of the 1940 comedy Too Many Husbands, which in turn was based on a play by Somerset Maugham. In her next-to-last film, Betty Grable plays Julie, a popular musical comedy stars whose husband Marty (Jack Lemmon) is reported missing in action during WW2. After an appropriate waiting period, Julie makes plans to marry Marty's best friend Vernon (Gower Champion), even though she still carries a torch for her "late" husband. After the wedding, who should show up but Marty, demanding his rights as a husband. At first appalled, Julie eventually begins to enjoy the notion of two husbands. In the original film, the plot was never resolved; in the remake, Marge Champion plays a sidelines character named Gwen, so it's a safe bet that Vernon will lose out to Marty in the Julie sweepstakes. Most of the songs in Three for the Show are old standards, written by such notables as the Gershwin brothers, Gene Austin and Hoagy Carmichael. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
With a cast that includes the likes of Betty Grable, Jack Lemmon and Marge and Gower Champion, you'd expect Three for the Show to be a much better show than it is. This is doubly a shame, as the premise, drawn from the earlier Too Many Husbands, has promise for a light, fun-filled musical, maybe even one with a bit of Lubitsch-ian sophistication thrown in. Unfortunately, Leonard B. Stern's screenplay is too clunky (not helped, presumably, by cuts insisted upon by the Catholic Legion of Decency in order to avoid a "Condemned" rating), and the dialogue doesn't have the requisite "spring" that is needed. Equally problematic, while the musical numbers themselves are quite good, they feel a bit forced and don't come across as part of the whole fabric the way they need to. Add to this the fact that Lemmon seems uncomfortable and that Gower, though a superb dancer, is not actor enough to carry his role, and you can see why Three fails to live up to its promise. That said, however, Grable does very well with her role, even if she is a bit mature for Lemmon, and the numbers -- with some stunning Jack Cole choreography and some exceptional dancing by the Champions-- do pick the picture up quite a bit. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Paul Harvey - Col. Wharton; Robert Bice - Sgt. O'Hallihan; Hal K. Dawson - Theater Treasurer; Eugene Borden - Costume Designer; Aileen Carlyle - Mother; Rudy Lee - Boy; Willard Waterman - Moderator; Charlotte Lawrence - Girl; Gene Wesson - Reporter
Credit
Walter Holscher - Art Director, Jack Cole - Choreography, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, H.C. Potter - Director, Viola Lawrence - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Composer (Music Score), Arthur E. Arling - Cinematographer, Jonie Taps - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, Leonard B. Stern - Screenwriter, W. Somerset Maugham - Play Author
Singing-and-dancing stage star Julie (Betty Grable) is told that husband Marty (Jack Lemmon) is reported missing in action during WWII. After a long waiting period, she makes plans to marry Vernon (Gower Champion), who is Marty's best friend. After the marriage, Marty turns up at one of Julie's shows. Upon discovering Julie's new marriage, Marty demands his rights as her first husband.
Julie soon finds that she is legally married to both Marty and Vernon. She soon realises that she must choose who she wants to be with, if only to avoid being branded a bigamist. But Julie loves the idea of having two husbands and so she decides to try to live with them both, to the annoyance and disapproval of Marty and Vernon who both know that her idea will not work out.
Meanwhile, Julie's close friend Gwen (Marge Champion) has a secret crush on Marty and hopes to get with him, if only Julie could make her up mind as to who she wants. After a long serious decision and a talk with them both, Julie decides that she is more in love with Marty and she ditches Vernon, who has now fallen for Gwen.
Memorable quotes
Vernon: Phone us when you've made up your mind. Marty: No, phone one of us!
Marty: I could see you alright. I remember you were staring at me. Julie: I wasn't staring at you. I was staring at those lovely hamburgers!
Julie: So I'm legally married to Marty and I'm legally married to Vernon? Col. Harold: Of course, you'll have to decide which one you want more. Julie: Why?
Words and Music by Gene Austin and Ray Bergere.
Performed by Betty Grable.
Down Boy
Words and Music by Hoagy Carmichael and Harold Adamson.
Performed by Betty Grable, Gower Champion, and Jack Lemmon.
I've Got A Crush On You
Words and Music by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.
Performed by Betty Grable.
also performed in the finale by Jack Lemmon, Marge Champion and Gower Champion.
Someone to Watch Over Me
Words and Music by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.
Performed by Marge Champion and Gower Champion during the opening titles.
Later sung by Marge Champion.
Just One of Those Things
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter (uncredited).
Performed by Betty Grable, Marge Champion and Gower Champion.
Which One
Words and Music by Lester Lee and Ned Washington.
Performed by Marge Champion.
Polovetsian Dances
Music by Aleksandr Borodin (uncredited).
Used as introductory music for "Which One".
I've Been Kissed Before
Words and Music by Bob Russell and Lester Lee.
Performed by Betty Grable.
Finale from 'William Tell Overture
from the opera "William Tell" by Gioacchino Rossini.
Danced to by Gower Champion in the Two Husbands fantasy.
Miscellany
The film's working title was "The Pleasure Is All Mine".
This was Jack Lemmon's first colour film. It was also Lemmon's first musical. He went on to make another two more musicals.
This was Betty Grable's last musical after Marilyn Monroe became the 'Top Blonde' in Hollywood.
The dance numbers were choreographed by Betty Grable and Jack Cole.
Mercury Records issued a 10-inch LP of the soundtrack, which would be the only contemporary soundtrack album released from a Betty Grable film.
