It is a testament to Carman Miranda's (1909-1955) status as a larger-than-life pop culture icon that she warrants a DVD box set for films in which she isn't even the star (though without her, they would be merely pleasant diversions). The best film in this five-disc bunch, 1943's The Gang's All Here is a splashy Technicolor riot directed by the legendary Busby Berkeley: never mind Alice Faye's showgirl or James Ellison's smitten soldier—all eyes are on “The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat,” who plays matchmaker when she isn't otherwise wowing audiences at a New York nightclub (which, judging by the spectacular production numbers, must have a stage the size of the Roman Colosseum). There's no denying the camp value of a phalanx of showgirls manipulating massive bananas while Miranda sings, “Some people say I dress too gay/But every day I feel so gay/And when I'm gay I dress that way/Something wrong with that?” Suffice to say, they absolutely do not make ‘em like this anymore. New to DVD, Something for the Boys (1944) is an entertaining “let's put on a show” musical starring the unlikely trio of Miranda, Vivian Blaine, and Phil Silvers (with hair!) as three cousins who decide to convert the dilapidated mansion they've inherited into a home for army wives. From the same year (also making its DVD debut), Greenwich Village stars Don Ameche as a composer who enters the bohemian world of New York's Latin Quarter, where Miranda works as a fortune teller at William Bendix's “members only” club. Miranda adds exotic color to two black and white musicals, If I'm Lucky (1946), featuring an underwhelming Perry Como as a crooner recruited to run for governor, and the snappy Doll Face (1946), based on Gypsy Rose Lee's book about a “burley-q” dancer (Blaine again) who writes a sensational autobiography to legitimize herself with Broadway producers. With her stylized outfits, signature crazy hats, hips-don't-lie dancing (on platform heels, no less), and comic malapropisms that make fruit salad out of the English language (“You're making a mountain out of mothballs”), the divine Ms. Miranda is definitely the main attraction. This set contains a cornucopia of extras, including a featurette on Berkeley, audio commentary on The Gang's All Here, bonus radio shows, and a deleted scene. But the best extra is the feature-length documentary Carmen Miranda: The Girl from Rio, tracing the performer's remarkable life and one-of-a-kind career. A clip from The Jimmy Durante Show says it all about this ultimate show business trouper: stricken with a heart attack during a musical number, Miranda gamely dances offstage, waving and blowing kisses to the audience. She would die 12 hours later. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)
The Carmen Miranda Collection
Fox, 5 discs, 431 min., not rated, DVD: $49.98 September 15, 2008
The Carmen Miranda Collection
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