Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

Doris Day and James Cagney star in this unusual musical drama loosely based on the career of 1920s songstress Ruth Etting. 

The singer’s success is based on the patronage of Martin Snyder, who simultaneously nurtures and hinders her. Unfortunately, Cagney seems ridiculous in most of his scenes. It’s unclear how you’re meant to feel about him, but he comes across as so ludicrous that he’s neither the scary gangster initially hinted at, nor the likeably vulnerable character a more charitable viewer might perceive. Cameron Mitchell is weedy and unimpressive as the pianist/arranger Johnny Alderman – a bland character whose appeal to Etting is never explored. Doris Day is much better, and her singing is at least enjoyable. 

It’s a “proper” musical in the sense that the songs are performed by a singer within the storyline rather than merely bolted on. But with such thin characterisation and an usually unsatisfying ending, you do wonder if any of the actors come out of this very well.

Calamity Jane (1953)

Google: “The boisterous Calamity Jane Canary, the Wild West heroine, who dresses like a man, helps bring a star attraction to Deadwood and finds love.”

Doris Day is compelling and easy to like as the boisterous heroine in this brassy and colourful musical. Howard Keel is less appealing as Bill Hickok – a low, booming voice but not a great deal of charisma. Allyn Ann McLerie is charming as Katie Brown, the would-be singer and actress whose visit to Deadwood changes their lives. 

It’s lively and energetic. What makes it fascinating is the approach to gender politics. Calamity has to make herself “acceptable” to men by wearing a pretty dress and getting away from “female thinking”. It’s possibly the most sexist film I’ve ever seen.

Young Man with a Horn (1950)

Kirk Douglas stars as a gifted trumpet player in search of the mysterious “high note” of life that eludes him. It’s based on a novel by Dorothy Baker, which was inspired by the life of Bix Beiderbecke.

Hoagy Carmichael (who was real-life friends with Beiderbecke) and Doris Day play a pianist and singer who befriend him and also perform with him. And Lauren Bacall plays the trumpeter’s restless, troubled wife who cannot decide what she wants and envies his focus and sense of purpose.

It’s engaging and moving. On the down side, some important moments are glossed over: Douglas meets and marries Bacall so quickly that their mismatch seems inevitable from the beginning and it’s never clear what they saw in each other.

The ending feels particularly rushed and superficially resolved, but there’s still much that’s good about this drama. Harry James’ music is a delight. Doris Day may be as squeaky-clean as ever, but there’s a noir-ish element to the film that gives it an edgier dimension.