Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) – full review!

Directed by Roy Rowland and written by Isobel Lennart (Love Me or Leave Me (1955)) this average musical comedy romance’s Score received an Academy Award nomination. Though it features the beautifully talented Cyd Charisse as an aloof ballet dancer who’s just discovering the world outside of her own sheltered existence Dan Dailey seems an odd (unworthy?) choice as her top billed co-star. Even though their lead characters’ magical romance is purposefully a pairing of unequals I think you have to be a fan of Dailey’s to accept his folksy homespun losing gambler cowboy (let alone his singing) that’s suddenly found his lucky charm in Charisse. Plus Agnes Moorehead plays his (vibrantly dyed) red-headed mother back at the ranch! Jim Backus as a frustrated hotel manager Lili Darvas as a Las Vegas-style dance talent and Paul Henreid (among others) also appear.

It’s not a total washout though: it’s fun trying to spot the various uncredited Las Vegas star cameos (including Peter Lorre Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra) sprinkled throughout Lena Horne & Frankie Laine (and Mitsuko Sawamura) perform and Sammy Davis Jr. (also uncredited) narrates Charisse’s “Frankie and Johnny” routine. Plus there’s an hilarious bit where Charisse’s ballerina character tired of competing with Sari Hatvani (Darvas) for Dailey’s attentions gets a bit tipsy and joins some cancan showgirls on stage; this scene is topped by her demonstration of it to Lili (Liliane Montevecchi) a former ballet star that chaperons Maria Corvier (Charisse) for manager (Henreid). Oskar Karlweis plays Lotzi a blackjack dealer at the Sands where Maria performs who’s friends with Chuck Rodwell (Dailey) and even holds the winnings. George Chakiris plays a young groom who’s honeymooning with his young bride (Betty Lynn). Dick Elliot (uncredited) plays one of the Sands co-owners for whom Tom Culdane (Backus) works.

Chuck is a gambler who never wins until he grabs the passing ballerina’s hand for luck and finds he can’t lose when he’s holding it. This eventually creates a spark of romance between the two and Maria learns that Chuck is actually a successful rancher who gambles away his profits to fill up his empty life. He takes her to his ranch where uncredited Roscoe Ates and Lee Tung Foo play a ranch hand and a cook respectively and his “cranky” mother Miss Hattie (Moorehead) runs things in his absence. Their magic continues there: when Chuck holds Maria’s hand the chickens lay eggs a cow with an upset stomach gives birth to a calf and a hole in the ground starts to spout black gold (e.g. oil). When they return to the Sands Maria’s absent manager has arrived but the couple’s magic has disappeared. Want to guess whether it all works out in the end?

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