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I enjoyed the golden age original and remake

The Wolf

Call Me a Cab
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2,153
Location
Santa Rosa, Calif
I just rewatched Ball of Fire and A Song Is Born and still loved them both. They are both about a group of professors putting together an encyclopedia. One is headed by Gary Cooper and his seven little professors and is halted when his section on slang is realized to be out of date when a garbage man explains "The mouse is the dish, that's what I need the moola for! The dough! We'll be steppin', me an' the smooch— I mean the dish— I mean the mouse— you know, hit the jiggles for a little rum boogie?" and Cooper hits the streets and finds a singer named Sugarpuss (Barbara Stanwyck) that hides out from the police at the prof's institute.
Seven years late Danny Kaye and his six professors are putting together a music encyclopedia when two window washers introduce the professors to boogie woogie, swing, jump, blues, two-beat, Dixie and rebop. Kaye hits the streets to find out more and finds a singer named Honey (Virginia Mayo) that hides out from the police at the institute.
They both are very similar at times: dialogue, whole scenes and Mary Field as Miss Totten (I think she might even be wearing the same costume).
They are also many changes: the lead character's name, musical numbers and color film.
 

The Wolf

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,153
Location
Santa Rosa, Calif
part two

I'm breaking this into two parts because when I originally tried to post this the other night I was automically signed out when I went to post and all the writing was lost
The point is that I think I like both versions equally which is rare. I like both movies of The Maltese Falcon but prefer the Bogart version. I can't stand to watch High Society because when I hear certain bits of dialog I wish I were watching The Philadelphia Story instead. I prefer Flynn's version of Robin Hood over Fairbanks. I might like Fairbanks' and Power's Zorro equally.

What do the rest of you think?

Sincerely,
The Wolf
 

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