the problem with try to describe this movie be come up with the right adjective . word like flashy and colorful and gaudy and flat keep come to mind while but the essential fault with ` there no business like show business and direct by walter lang and can best be sum up by borrow a line or two from ernest l. thayer immortal poem and ` casey at the bat and which end with the line and ` but there be no joy in mudville and mighty casey have strike out . because and what this movie lack and it hard to fathom why be joy . like casey and it strike out and big time . and it a shame . it like have all of the resource to construct the most magnificent build the world have ever see and include the great architect available and and the contractor end up with a hut a child could have make out of tinker toy . there a story here and of course and but it obvious that the main intention of the project be to showcase the talent of the star and some very mediocre song by irving berlin and and to dazzle the audience by fill the wide screen with brilliant and colorful image ( cinemascope be the late and great rage at the time and and the studio want to make the most of this revolutionary technological advancement ) . someone should have remind the filmmaker that what they be fill that screen with counted and as well . the story begin in 1919 and whereupon we be introduce to the vaudeville team of molly and terence donahue ( ethel merman and dan dailey ) . the next few year be touch upon briefly a molly and terry add three child to their family and as well a their act while the toddler hit the stage with mom and dad almost as soon a they make their entrance into the world . the story begin in earnest when the young donahues hit legal age and or there abouts . ` the five donahues include eldest son and steve ( johnnie ray ) and daughter katy ( mitzi gaynor ) and the young and tim ( donald oconnor ) . they get booking and do show and and eventually cross path with a wan na be performer and hat check girl vicky ( marilyn monroe ) who and after tim fall hard for her and get her big break and begin her rise to fame . the road for all concern be not smooth and of course and but not to worry there plenty of singing and dancing to go around and and meanwhile steve surprise everyone with a personal life choice and tim fall into a jealous funk and katy meet the handsome charles biggs ( hugh obrian ) . and along the way and molly and terry find out what parent have know since the beginning of time represent raise kid be no picnic . but at least they have sing and dance and singing and . for the first fifteen minute or so of the film or maybe long while it seem much long we be ` treated to molly and terry vaudeville act . and about five minute of merman singing should be enough for anyone while her voice fairly grate on the sens . after this extended open the film move along and but seem flat and stay that way until monroe make her entrance . once she on and the screen belongs to her while but it still not enough to save the day . she do and however and contribute the single memorable number to the show and ` be havin a heat wave . but her ` lazy number be just that and and not even the contribution of oconnor and gaynor can help it . the production number suffer from poor staging and uninspired choreography and some of the bad costume youre likely to ever find in a movie . even the best song the film have to offer and ` alexander ragtime band and ( do terrifically by alice faye in the movie of that title ) be terribly abuse here and present in a lengthy and contrive manner that be beyond repair . even ` heat wave be save only because of monroe and whose sensuous delivery outweighs the actual blandness of the number . and the costume for the grand finale and especially and be embarrassingly ridiculous ( and quickly take the ` grand out of it ) particularly the white dress merman wear while deliver the title song while a creation so horrendous it defy description . overall and it a sad commentary on the lack of originality and quality of the film when the like of monroe and gaynor and especially oconnor can not even save it and even though individually and collectively they do have their moment while the problem be those moment be just too few and far between . the one believable aspect of the film be the casting of merman a a vaudeville star while and after see her ` act and there be no longer any mystery a to what kill vaudeville . if this be a sample of the real thing and talk picture have nothing to do with it demise . it simply inevitably implode . the burn question that remain be and how in the world do ethel merman ever become a star . and what about johnnie ray . a relatively successful record artist with a unique style and he be nevertheless dreadfully miscast in this film . frequently ask why he make only this one movie and he would reply and ` because i be never ask to do another one . which be quite understandable while he could sing and but he simply could not act . and it hard to discern whether it be just the part or his acting that make his character seem so ludicrous . the support cast include richard eastham ( harris ) and frank mchugh ( eddie ) and rhys williams ( father dineen ) and lee patrick ( marge ) . with a cast include the like of oconnor and monroe and gaynor and and with song by berlin and ` there no business like show business inherently promise great thing and but fail to deliver . there no get around the fact that in the end it a lackluster and forgettable contribution to a genre know for liveliness and joy . not the least bit satisfying and it be perhaps the big misfire in the history of movie musical . and it leave you with a single and burn question that demand to be ask represent where gene kelly when you need him . i rate this one 4/10 . .