The Dolly Sisters (1945)

The Dolly Sisters bears little resemblance to the real life twins whose scandalous affairs and gambling wins made them the toast of Jazz age society and Ziegfeld’s darlings. And it’s hard to tell whether this campy musical is intentionally tongue-in-cheek or just ends up that way through melodrama, hammy acting, and over the top costumes, but it should inspire drag and retro-burlesque queens for all time!

June Haver and Betty Grabel pass themselves as 10 year olds with baby doll dresses and lollipops…. “Lipstick, Powder, and Rouge” features showgirls introducing themselves as various items in a make-up kit, including a woman with a giant lipstick on her head and “Peggy Powderpuff” who takes it rough…. “Le Darktown Strutters Ball” is a jazz standard used as a bizarre send up of The Folies Bergere’s fascination with everything Le Negre, and puts blue-eyed showgirls in blackface festooned with watermelon hats, dice, and money! Eek!

Both actresses are gorgeous in tailored gowns and sculpted hairstyles. Haver is delicious as the ball-busting Rosie and her bitchy glares make her even more beautiful, while Grabel as the lovestruck Jenny shamelessly steals every scene with her “active listening” constantly moving her head like a pigeon and blinking her large eyes during everyone else’s lines. John Payne is hunky in a uniform but hissably bad for dumping Grabel at the train station when she chooses her career over love, and you’ll howl with laughter during a tearful confession at the hospital after Grabel is in a “disfiguring” car accident with bandaged face and false eyelashes. Later she exclaims “Luckily I didn’t have any scars!”.