Sensations of 1945 (1944)

Originally titled simply Sensations, this musical comedy was the final starring film for dancer Eleanor Powell and the final film, period, for comedian W.C. Fields. Powell is the prize client of flamboyant press agent Eugene Pallette. Dennis O'Keefe, Pallette's stiff-necked son, disapproves of his dad's razzle-dazzle promotional techniques, but finds himself just as shameless as his father when he takes over the business. Powell's particular highlight is a dance staged in a huge pinball machine (yes, critics in 1945 did say "Tilt!") W.C. Fields' contribution, based on one of his old Ziegfeld Follies sketches, is astonishingly unfunny; this protracted shaggy-dog story about a man who refuses to vacate his train compartment comes to life only during the byplay between a visibly ailing Fields and his sprightly female companion Louise Currie. Other guest stars in Sensations include Sophie Tucker, Cab Calloway, Woody Herman and a pre-Mary Ford Les Paul. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi