Does anyone else gag at this movie, which could have been so great if they had:
a) hired people who could sing (Gene Kelly's voice sounds like he has a throat disease, and the only beautiful tenor voice -- that of the character of Charlie -- was dubbed)
b) shot it on location in Scotland instead of making those sorry-looking damned paper-mache sets -- the worst I've ever seen in any movie ever
c) hired real Scots with real accents instead of those awful Americans trying to go brrrrrr with every word
d) got some authentic 18th century Scottish costumes instead of the crazy quilt stuff they dug out of wardrobe
e) and above all, made it a MUSICAL, which means beautiful singing, not a Gene Kelly leap-fest as he bounds gracelessly around a too-small set. Those gorgeous, gorgeous songs that were slaughtered by Kelly, who not only has a voice like sandpaper but who truly cannot carry a tune. Is the man tone deaf?

Finally, though it is not the fault of the movie but rather the songwriters, who on earth told them that heather blooms in May? ("The mist of May is in the gloaming ...") Heather blooms in August and September in Scotland.

Is there anyone out there from Scotland who shudders at this movie?

Just wondered.


"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power."
- Julius Caesar, act 2 sc 1