Judy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe. Also in the company is Bubbles, a brash mantrap who leaves the struggling troupe for a career in burlesque. When the company disbands, Bubbles gives Judy a thankless job as her stooge. The two eventually clash when both fall for the same man.
Maybe it's because I watched House by the River before this but I could not stand Louis Hayward's character to the point where it prevented me from fully enjoying this. Lucille Ball and Maureen O'Hara were both great and I enjoyed their interactions. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending either, but it was much better than what it could have been.
Maybe it's because I watched House by the River before this but I could not stand Louis Hayward's character to the point where it prevented me from fully enjoying this. Lucille Ball and Maureen O'Hara were both great and I enjoyed their interactions. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending either, but it was much better than what it could have been.
graysun
6.0★ · 01/20/26
Good!
Good!
Alfred HitchTOK
7.0★ · 01/03/26
Maureen O’Hara is your virginal goody-two shoes girl next door type hoping to make it as a ballet star. Lucille Ball is sassy and flavours her dance with more than a little ‘oomph’ that makes her a favourite of the burlesque halls. The pair have a somewhat rivalry over love-bombing, hung up on his ex millionaire Louis Hayward who has a tendency to disappear for like half the movie.
A box office failure on release and shaded by critics, this has had a critical re-evaluation of late from a feminist lens, with SPOILER ALERT O’Hara’s third act speech deriding the hypocrisy of the jeering burlesque audience.
Buuuuut apart from that particularly memorable firey moment for O’Hara (and her participation in a straight up scrag fight), it’s hard to deny that Lucille Ball doesn’t own this movie in a role both hot and hilarious as burlesque babe bubbles aka Tigetlilly White. When she isn’t on screen it’s a matter of counting down the seconds until she returns.
Maureen O’Hara is your virginal goody-two shoes girl next door type hoping to make it as a ballet star. Lucille Ball is sassy and flavours her dance with more than a little ‘oomph’ that makes her a favourite of the burlesque halls. The pair have a somewhat rivalry over love-bombing, hung up on his ex millionaire Louis Hayward who has a tendency to disappear for like half the movie.
A box office failure on release and shaded by critics, this has had a critical re-evaluation of late from a feminist lens, with SPOILER ALERT O’Hara’s third act speech deriding the hypocrisy of the jeering burlesque audience.
Buuuuut apart from that particularly memorable firey moment for O’Hara (and her participation in a straight up scrag fight), it’s hard to deny that Lucille Ball doesn’t own this movie in a role both hot and hilarious as burlesque babe bubbles aka Tigetlilly White. When she isn’t on screen it’s a matter of counting down the seconds until she returns.
