MOVIE MOVIE flickered briefly in 1978 as a bright spot in the latter career of director Stanley Donen, whose earlier run of luck from 1949’s On The Town to 1967’s Two For The Road and Bedazzled had veered into a slate of misses with Staircase, The Little Prince and Lucky Lady taking it on their budget-doubled chins. While this charmer also failed at the box office, critics raved, and rightly so: the masses missed out. Producing as well as directing, Donen and a choice cast deliver a 105-minute win-win twofer in a double-feature homage/send-up of Hollywood staples from the days when times were harder but movies were more hopeful. Great stuff.

“With the woman that you love at your side to stand behind you, a man can move mountains with his bare heart.”

Cooked by writers Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller, the menu first serves up Dynamite Hands, wherein a swell kid from the poor side of the East River uses his dukes to rise to the top of the ring in order to pay for his sister’s eye operation. Cameraman Charles Rosher Jr. covers this canvas in period-summoning black & white. When that saga wraps there’s a mock preview of Zero Hour, a WW1 aviation actioner. Next comes Baxter’s Beauties Of 1933, a show-must-go-on Broadway musical done in ritzy color (thank cinematographer Bruce Surtees).

SPATS: “Only four weeks to live! Thirty days!”  DR. BOWERS: “This is February, Spats.”

Most of the main players enjoy dual duty. Dynamite Hands—Harry Hamlin scores a comic knockout as people’s pugilist ‘Joey Popchik’–Hamlin was never better, and gets the funniest mangled dialogue. George C. Scott is “seen’em all” manager ‘Gloves Malloy’ who along with ring man ‘Peanuts’ (Red Buttons, in control) tries to keep naive Joey away from hoodlum promoter ‘Vince Marlow’ (Eli Wallach) and devilish dish ‘Troubles Moran’ (Ann Reinking, slinking up a storm). Trish Van DeVere is ‘Betsy McGuire’, Joey’s neighborhood sweetheart. Barry Bostwick is slickster ‘Johnny Danko’ who fancies  ‘Angie’ (Kathleen Beller), Joey’s vision-afflicted kid sis. Art Carney offers advice as ‘Dr. Blaine’.  This one recalls oldies like Kid Galahad or maybe something that would’ve starred John Garfield. Never stooping to mock, the writers, Donen and the cast bring back the era with such style and affection that after you stop smiling and giggling you’ll want dig up one of those aged Warner Brothers chestnuts and take another look. For ‘Ma’.

Baxter’s Beauties Of 1933—Scott is Broadway legend “Spats Baxter” who gets the old “you have one month, pal” diagnosis from ‘Dr. Bowers’ (Carney). Spats wants/needs/MUST go out with a winner so he can leave his daughter (who, thru tragic circumstances, he’s never met) a nest egg. Putting on his last show entails handling bitch-diva star ‘Isobel Stuart’ (Van DeVere), fledgling songwriter ‘Dick Cummings’ (Bostwick, aces), choreographer ‘Jinks Murphy’ (Buttons), theater manager ‘Pop’ (Wallach), loyal trouper ‘Trixie Lane’ (Barbara Harris) and ‘Kitty’ (Rebecca York), starry-eyed dance-line hopeful. Riffing off Depression-bred classics like 42nd Street, this one gets a good share of laughs, has some appropriately daffy songs and elaborate hoofing. One hurdle after another, but that’s Show Biz, and show biz is Life, especially to Spats, who has thirty days left.

Made for $6,000,000, the revenues only reached $1,900,000. A shame.

With Jocelyn Brando, Michael Kidd (‘Pop Popchik’), George P.Wilbur and the olden days fixture who outlasted everyone, Charles Lane (1905-2007). George Burns does an introduction bit. After this neglected gem, Donen’s dispiriting downturn resumed, with Saturn 3 (critical & fiscal dud), and Blame It On Rio (made money, savaged by reviewers). Put your dough on Movie Movie, a sure bet.