Arthur Freed’s production of Du Barry Was A Lady (1943) reimagines the Cole Porter musical of the same name as a vaudeville variety show meant to showcase the talents under contract to MGM, particularly those of Red Skelton and Lucille Ball. The result is a film that feels like a USO floor show with a narrative that has been haphazardly applied. Though the film isn’t particularly strong over all, it does have some very nice numbers and memorable routines that are equal to anything in Freed’s more renowned films.
The “I Love An Esquire Girl” number puts the movable set to inventive use as director Roy Del Ruth swings the camera around from one tableaux to another. Roy Del Ruth had directed about a dozen musicals in the thirties and proves quite adept at manipulating the space of a stage so it takes on the infinite proportions of the choreographer’s imagination.
Fans of Red Skelton’s MGM comedies should note that Du Barry Was A Lady is the first time America’s clown prince shared the screen with Virginia O’Brien. O’Brien and Skelton would co-star in the MGM comedy quickies The Show Off (1946) and Merton Of The Movies (1947) together. O’Brien’s number in Du Barry Was A Lady, “Salome”, is perhaps the most memorable. One of the most minimally cinematic numbers in the film, O’Brien’s retrained performance of female sexuality in what is predominantly a close-up is consistently captivating with her blank, wide eyed expression and unique vocal qualities. “Salome” is also one of the better songs that Freed added to Cole Porter’s musical. It was written by the great Roger Edens who, in addition to his work on Show Boat (1951) also wrote the scores for Easter Parade (1948), On The Town (1949) and Annie Get Your Gun (1950).
Gene Kelly is of course magnificent dancing about with daring-do in a supporting role early in his career at MGM. As with Zero Mostel, Kelly’s role in Du Barry Was A Lady was meant as part of the studio’s grooming process before casting Kelly in a more prominent starring role. While his work as a dancer is stellar in the film, his dramatic chops and charm are noticeably rough around the edges. “Do I Love You?” is really the only song in Du Barry Was A Lady with considerable dance choreography and is the only time in the film that Kelly really gets to showcase his tremendous talents.
All in all, Du Barry Was A Lady is Red Skelton’s picture, more so than it is even Lucille Ball’s. This format of Red Skelton film would be perfected by MGM the following year in Bathing Beauty (1944) and would become the more prestige type of Skelton vehicle. Skelton’s other films were mostly shot quickly, cheaply and in black and white without the kinds of big names that one sees in Du Barry Was A Lady, Bathing Beauty and Neptune’s Daughter (1949).
