User Reviews

Back in her earlier days in Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe did what most aspiring actresses did...she played bit parts and supporting roles. While "Ladies of the Chorus" offers her a bit more, she's not the lead nor was she ever intended to be. After all, it was 1948 and she was still a couple years from stardom. However, the studio did what I've seen many times with Monroe....after she become famous, they re-cut the movie (adding a title screen that shows Monroe in the lead) and re-released it! I watched this version. I've also seen many DVDs of Monroe and her bit roles with covers blazoned with her face....as if she was the star...so this re-issuing isn't any surprise to me.

The actual star of this film is Adele Jurgens, a gorgeous blonde who did quite a bit of television in the 50s. Sadly, her career worked out but not nearly enough to offer her many more starring roles. On the positive side, she lived a very long and full life aside from acting.

As far as Jurgens, despite being the star, the casting of Monroe as her daughter (despite only being nine years older) must have been painful to her. Jurgens plays Mae Martin, a chorus girl who works with her daughter, Peggy (Monroe). But when Peggy falls in love and the man asks her to marry her, Mae is worried. After all, Mae's husband came from a good family, just like this man, and she is worried that love won't be enough to keep Peggy's marriage going strong. After all, 'good families' don't want ex-chorus girls marrying into their family...and Mae's husband just couldn't cut it. What will come of Peggy and her new man?

In addition to this plot, there is lots of singing and dancing...especially by Jurgens and Monroe. Considering the film is made by Lippert Studios, it's surprisingly good...as I usually expect very little from their productions. The best part is how all this worked out in the film....something that makes it all worth seeing.

LADIES OF THE CHORUS (Columbia, 1948), directed by Phil Karlson, stars Adele Jergens, resident performer for Columbia, and Marilyn Monroe, newcomer to motion pictures in her first major movie role. Basically a dress rehearsal for young Monroe, stardom and legendary status did not come to her immediately with this 61 minute program musical, yet it was a start to what's to soon come in the 1950s over at 20th Century- Fox.

The ladies of the chorus happen to be May Martin (Adele Jergens), a former burlesque queen now dancing in the chorus with other much younger girls, one of them being her beautiful blonde daughter named Peggy (Marilyn Monroe). Peggy resents her mother's over protectiveness when wanting to go with Bubbles LaRue (Marjorie Hoshelle) for a night on the town after the show, but May lives only for her daughter's happiness, knowing full well that Bubbles is not the sort of person Peggy should befriend. After Bubbles quits the show on opening night, Joe (Frank Scannell), the stage manager, hires May to take her place. May has other plans. She has Peggy go on in her place. Peggy becomes a sensation as the new "burlesque queen." Her rise to fame at the Rome Theater soon attracts the attention of Randy Carroll (Rand Brooks), a wealthy young man, who anonymously sends her orchids on a daily basis. After Peggy gets to meet her new admirer at the flower shop, she becomes fascinated by him, enough to have dates and dinner before accepting his marriage proposal. Upon meeting with Peggy's mother, she results her feelings about her daughter's engagement by telling Randy via flashback her similar situation after marrying Al Wakefield (Bill Edwards), Peggy's father, much to the dismay of her former partner, Billy McKay (Eddie Garr), the man she should have married instead. It was after the family discovered May was a burlesque queen that her marriage to Al was annulled. Randy is convinced that his mother, Adele (Nana Bryant) and her society friends, are not that way. During the engagement party at the Carroll estate do both mother and daughter come up with some unexpected results.

Had it not been for the fact that Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) ever appeared in LADIES OF THE CHORUS, chances are this so-so story with forgettable songs might have vanished into some dark corner of a dusty film vault along with other forgettable Columbia programmers from this period. Because of Monroe's rise to stardom that took place in the 1950s, LADIES OF THE CHORUS was reissued into theaters, with opening credits changing Monroe's name over the title instead of Adele Jergens. The reissue print is the one that's been circulating on television, and used years later on both video cassette and DVD. The film itself would have been more believable as well as acceptable had Jergens played Monroe's older sister rather than her mother, considering how Jergens doesn't seem old enough to have a grown-up daughter, even without the blonde wig she uses to appear younger during the burlesque musical show sequences.

Songs by Allan Roberts and Lester Lee featured are: "Ladies of the Chorus" (sung by chorus during opening credits); "You Belong to Me," "Every Baby Needs a Da-Da Daddy," "You Belong to Me" (all sung by Marilyn Monroe); "I'm So Crazy for You" (sung by Adele Jergens); "The Ubangi Love Song" (performed by the Bobby True Trio); and "You're Never Too Old" (sung by Nana Bryant). While such a song as "Every Baby Needs a Da-Da Daddy" simplifies Monroe's musical style along with "You Belong to Me," somehow Nana Bryant steals the limelight with her rendition to "You're Never Too Young." Other acts incorporated into the story include a father and son bubble talking under water-type interior decorators, Hipple and Hipple Jr., played by Dave and Alan Barry; followed by the jive-singing by the Bobby True Trio at the Carroll home. Others in the cast include: Steven Geray (Salisbury, the Butler); Myron Healy )Tom Lawson); Gladys Blake (The Flower Shop Girl); and Almira Sessions (Woman at Engagement Party), among others.

Formerly shown on American Movie Classics cable channel prior to 2001, LADIES OF THE CHORUS has also become part of the film library of Turner Classic Movies dating back to its humble beginnings of 1994. Even though its basic theme could have been "You're Never Too Young," the movie itself is strictly "B" material with story-line resembling those early talkie musicals of the late 1920s. Regardless, it does offer curiosity and interest for anyone interested in viewing the youthful presence of Marilyn Monroe in her only movie for Columbia. (**)

Like most folks I tuned in to catch Monroe in her first featured role. Being a Columbia quickie (filmed in 10-days), I wasn't expecting much outside of the luscious blonde. So I was rather happily surprised that the 60-minutes turned out better than I expected. The first part features nicely staged burlesque bits, along with good snappy backstage dialog. The second part has Monroe and fiancé (Brooks) having to confront his family's apparent uptown snobbery. After all, Monroe does play a burly-que queen, not exactly the Manhattan Social Register. I like the way the ending's surprisingly finessed.

It's a fine cast with scrappy Jergens doing well considering she has to play Monroe's mother, of all things. Kudos too to Bryant as Brooks's uptown mom, though actor Brooks seems pretty colorless which maybe he was supposed to be. Anyway, the famously skittish Monroe appears utterly relaxed and glowing in her role. Musical numbers, I think, always brought out the best in her. Also, this is before super- stardom began to weigh her down. Should also note that director Karlson shows his versatility here since his specialty otherwise was tough, tight crime dramas.

All in all, the little flick can be enjoyed on its own merits or as an early peek at perhaps Hollywood's most legendary actress.

Peggy Martin (Marilyn Monroe) and her mother Mae (Adele Jergens) are both burlesque chorus girls. Bubbles LaRue keeps pushing Peggy to go out with clients but Mae forbids it. Peggy is tired of her mother's protectiveness but when Bubbles comes at Mae, Peggy is the one punching back. Bubbles quits. Mae is asked to do the solo dance but she gives it to Peggy. A new star is born. In the audience, Randy Carroll is taken with her.

This is early Monroe. She was still a relative nobody at the time. I doubt that she got top billing during its initial run even if she's the nominal lead. It's fascinating to see her before her sex goddess persona. She is still an ingénue. She has her overpowering beauty but her pouty sex goddess is still under construction. In that light, Randy is not good enough. It's hard to cast a suitor for a future legend. All I know is that Randy is not good enough. I don't see enough heat in the relationship and that drags down the film. It's still fascinating to watch a pre-goddess Monroe.

The plot explores the idea of being accepted as a chorus girl. Will the upper class set acknowledge such a lowlife species? The story is trivial but holds an interest as Marilyn Monroe (Peggy) carries herself well in one of her early entries. Thankfully, we see her deliver her lines without that irritating baby-talk that became her trademark. She talks properly in this film! So, it's a treasure if only for that.

There is a good segment where Adele Jurgens (Mae) shows off some dance moves – probably the best moment of the film. The music is OK, Marilyn Monroe sings a couple of songs, but nothing too special.

The flimsy story wraps itself up over the course of an hour, but we watch it for Marilyn Monroe.

For Marilyn Monroe fans this is a real treat. Before she hit the BIG time, Monroe made this 1 hour B movie at Columbia and puts in a relatively assured performance despite this being so early in her career.

Sure, her performance wasn't going to win an Oscar but she is self-assured and natural in front of the camera. Leaving aside a couple of duff line deliveries Monroe sparkles in this movie and brightens it up somewhat.

Although relatively light-weight and inconsequential, this cheapo is actually pretty well produced and looks and feels of higher quality than most quickie filler films.

At the end of the day, this is really going to appeal only to fans of Marilyn Monroe wanting to see her in an early role, but is enjoyable nevertheless and a pleasant way to waste an hour.

MM's first or second credited role. She's actually a pretty good actress in this one! A few more years, a few more roles, and she would just walk around and show off the goods after this one. Here, she and her Mom (Adele Jergens) are showgirls. And of course, the featured act is named "Bubbles". We're twenty minutes in, and i'm still waiting for a storyline to begin. Peggy, the daughter, meets the rich and suave Randy (Rand Carroll), but Mom is worried about their future... good ol mom, interfering with her daughter's plans. Jergens actually WAS a showgirl for years, so it turns out she is perfect for this part. Although Jergens looks about the same age as Monroe...(Jergens was only ten years older !), she wears a blond wig to make us think she needs help looking young. Much singing and tap dancing... more than I typically like, but it was GREAT to finally see this film, as its about the only MM film I hadn't seen. Historically, see it for Marilyn, but honestly, the storyline is no big deal. The whole middle part is one big flashback... and we were in it so long, I forgot we were IN the flashback. Is that good or bad ? TCM showed this at 3 am, so was expecting some naughty double entendres, but we WERE still in the film code years, so it's actually pretty tame. Story by the prolific Harry Sauber, towards the end of his career. Directed by Phil Karlson. It's pretty good. and it IS Marilyn M !!

A very young Marilyn Monroe in her first lead role made an impression on critics with her performance in this light film about a young burlesque queen whose mother disapproves of her engagement to a wealthy man.

Monroe's sweet singing voice is showcased for the first time in this film, and it is a real treat. She had not yet adopted the "Marilyn Monroe" persona, but even without the breathy baby-doll voice she is the image of innocent seduction.

Although the plot is rather formulaic and simplistic, this film does offer something of a twist at the end. All in all a cute film and opportunity to see Monroe as a young fresh-faced beauty who, as always, lights up the screen.

Cute story, burlesque diva Mae Martin (well portrayed by Adele Jergens),is mother to Peggy (Monroe) and worried about her falling in love with a man above her social strata.

While the story is rather standard for the era, Adele Jurgens looks and dances wonderfully, we do not see talent like this in film today, and probably never will again. I have a sad nostalgia for these films, and need to catch up on others from this golden era.

Nana Bryant is also good as the society matron with a surprising and shocking (at that time) talent for burlesque. Marilyn Monroe is so very young and fresh here; music director Fred Karger reportedly not a very nice man to Monroe in real life, helped her early in her career but degraded her personally saying a woman like her was not marriage material.

Overall a fun film with only an hour running time.8/10.

I don't know about you, but I'm a big MM fan. Not a overly huge or fanatical one mind you, but I have seen all her major pictures several times and have seen most of her smaller ones. For a long time Ladies of the Chorus was off of my radar screen. It's not seen often, video stores in my area don't have it. I missed the airings on cable or where ever. For years, I heard that this was a B picture, and one of her first pictures and not a special MM movie. So I figured this was another one of those small chances to see Marilyn similar to her early Fox appearances like "We're not Married" I was wrong, the critics were wrong, and people talking about the movie were wrong. MM is a featured player here in this B picture, it was great fun to see, she does some musical numbers (even if it wasn't her singing I didn't really notice) it was fun to see and I'm glad I made the effort to track down this movie and buy a copy.

(Flash Review)

From her stage presence and singing allure, it is easy to see how she rocketed to fame and became an icon. Even in this low budget movie, which is competently produced, Marilyn has a few quality singing numbers. The plot is a high class chap falls for Marilyn who is burlesque chorus singer which may be frowned upon by his 'proper' parents and family. That's the dramatic tension point. Will his family see Marilyn for who she is rather than what she does? At only 60 minutes Marilyn gets ample screen time to showcase her talents an easily hold her own singing and acting.

This movie certainly doesn't do burlesque any favors, but Marilyn Monroe does. If she'd been a burlesque queen, the form might not have died.

Her sixth film but her first big featured role-- only her name is above the title-- this truly stars Monroe, then age 22. In this formulaic rags-to-riches (actually sequins-to-riches) B movie, Monroe is given two full musical numbers, and the filmmaker finds reasons to give her an additional song or two as well-- that's in addition to padding the thinnest of plots with at least three other performed songs to fill the scant 61-minute running time.

Every shot of Monroe is flattering-- luminous close-ups, lingering takes of her dancing and singing. And she obviously deserves the camera's attentions; she holds the screen from the moment she emerges in front of it. In fact, her famous screen persona is already fully realized and recognizable, reminding me of the "Esquire" magazine review of her last complete film: "...the script Mr. Miller wrote for his recently divorced wife, Marilyn Monroe, was an attempt to render her real, off-screen personality. That he sees this pretty much as the rest of us off-screen people do is either a tribute to her wholeness or a sign that Mr. Miller is not very perceptive."

After seeing this movie, I'm convinced it's the former.

LADIES OF THE CHORUS is a fairly rare "B" movie from 1948 of interest because it's Marilyn Monroe's very first starring film but beyond that it's a quite well-made little musical. Marilyn was a complete unknown at the time with only a little extra work and one credited bit part under her belt when she was cast in this movie and yet she's quite wonderful and a total pro.

Marilyn stars as Peggy, a very young burlesque chorus girl who works in the chorus alongside her fortyish mother Mae (Adele Jergens). When the obnoxious "star" of the show walks out, Peggy steps into her part and becomes a sensation, earning the interest of various back door johnnies, in particular wealthy heir Randy (Rand Brooks). Peggy and Randy fall in love and he proposes but Mae is wary that Peggy will never be accepted in his social circles from her own past experience with her own annulled marriage to a socially prominent young man decades ago. Mae makes Randy promise to tell his mother (Nana Bryant) that Peggy is a burlesque queen in advance of their visit to the family's Cleveland estate, which he fails to do.

Marilyn is just adorable in this film and sings two surprisingly good songs for a "B" movie, "Anyone Can See I Love You" and "Every Baby Needs a Da Da Daddy", the latter a sexy little number that foreshadows her classic "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in sexiness and philosophy, right down to a reference to Tiffanys. Columbia's resident B queen of the era Adele Jergens is negated to a subordinate role as her mother, as still shapely middle-aged dancer who hides her gray hair under a blonde wig. Adele does very well at suggesting a slightly tired woman a decade or so older than her actual age and also gives a very good performance. (Adele was top billed in the original 1948 release but it appears only copies from the 1952 reissue exist where Marilyn was given that spot).

Rand Brooks (best known as Scarlett O'Hara's first husband in GONE WITH THE WIND) is quite pleasant as Marilyn's romantic suitor (they have a lovely scene together parked in a car that is an endearing ode to wholesome young love) and character actress Nana Bryant gives a pleasant performance as his mother, complete with a musical number of her own, the memorable "You're Never Too Old". Standing out in good comic unbilled bits are Gladys Blake as a gossipy sales girl and Dave Barry as a garbled-speaking decorator.

Running just a minute over an hour, the movie moves so quickly there's really no time for dull spots. This movie was reissued in 1952 by Columbia at the dawn of Marilyn's stardom but was virtually unseen for decades thereafter (likely because it was too short for most television movie programming slots); it reemerged in 1994 on video and a few years later had a handful of showings on cable television. Today your best bet in seeing it would probably be in buying a used copy of the out-of-print VHS tape or, if your DVD player can handle it, the region 2 DVD release from the United Kingdom in a Marilyn Monroe boxed set.

It's safe to assume that a number of Monroe fans, like me, haven't gotten around to seeing this early entry in her career. After several decades, I ran across it on Amazon Prime. Not yet the superstar, she shares the spotlight with the capable and lovely Adele Jergens. It runs only an hour, so I figured, "what the heck." It was what I expected......and yet, NOT what I expected. For a short, limited-budget feature, it's surprisingly pleasant. The standards are dated, as a 1948 production would be. (Compared to today, the film's 'tough' showgirls and burlesque routines are pretty tame, although for people who are tired of modern "nothing-left-to-the-imagination" standards, a little bit of restraint is a refreshing plus.) You'll also get an all-too-rare look at a more natural Marilyn--before her 20th Century-Fox transformation into the breathless bombshell. The supporting cast is very reliable. The chemistry isn't exactly volcanic between her and the older Rand Brooks, as her suitor---but they're sweet together, and his character is certainly much better-matched with young Marilyn than his ill-fated 'Charles Hamilton' ever was with Vivien Leigh's 'Scarlett O'Hara' a decade earlier, in a popular little Civil War flick. If you love old movies, Hollywood history, and Marilyn, give this a watch. Any dated spots are more than compensated for.

A real collector's item, long forgotten but of inestimable interest as the first film on which Marilyn Monroe was billed over the title on only the third film in which she appeared; giving her ample opportunity to demonstrate her burgeoning star quality.

A potboiler slickly and enjoyably helmed by the up-and-coming Phil Karlson in which Monroe and Adele Jergens play mother and daughter when they seem more like buddies (especially as Jergens was only nine years older than Monroe). Columbia ironically kept Jergens while letting Monroe go; an error of judgement they would quickly regret!

Today many people think that MM began her career at the bottom as a small part player, the blonde bimbo in many films like ASPHALT JUNGLE and ALL ABOUT EVE, who in time slowly rose to stardom. In fact, thanks to her sponsorship by her lover, the top-agent Johnny Hyde, very earlier in her career, 1948 to be exact, MM was cast in a major co-starring role as Adele Jurgen's daughter in this 60+ minute Columbia Pictures B movie. It was not a success and her contract at Harry Cohn's studio was dropped. MM then moved on to a Fox contract.

Given this film's feeble script and the twenty day shooting schedule, she can't do more than a competent job as a burlesque queen's daughter in a movie that avoids any suggestion of that tawdry world and the striptease. The dances and songs shown here are all mediocre, as is Phil Karlson's direction. In the beginning, MM was professional; she worked hard with was she's been given to play. She does her best in the few mother/daughter scenes with Jurgens who looks much too young to be believable as her mommy. Neither was MM helped by Columbia's casting of her leading man, Rand Brooks (Scarlett O'Hara's first husband in GWTW), who is particularly wooden and unattractive as the love interest.

A few years later, Marilyn did some rhinoplasty to fix nose and chin, but even in this minor effort she is still very beautiful and appealing. MM was determined to become a star, and when her moment came she was ready. She had paid her dues as this minor effort proves.

This surprised me when I discovered it being shown on TV as it was a MM movie previously not known to me. Although it only runs for an hour in black &white, it's packed with a good sense of fun, with charming performances all round. Marilyn's name was on the title credit but it looks like that may have been contrived after she became famous as Adele Jergen's who plays her mother is clearly the lead in this slight story of a burlesque mother and daughter who find love. Rand Brooks, who I remember from TV westerns is the love sick suitor to Marilyn, and who can blame him, she dazzles in this early role, with her stunning smile and languid eyes that the camera loved so much. She also has the opportunity to showcase her appealing voice. We still miss her after nearly 60 years, what's more to say.

A real suprise to any viewer here is that MM has an equal lead role

in this B grade Columbia burlesque musical along with Virginia

Mayo. Legend has it that MM only had tiny roles or walk ons really

until 1950, but this little 1948 picture has her front and centre and

is a real eyeopening experience to see her so young and pre-BIG

Star. It is like finding photo album of someone famous from their

teens that nobody knew about before. She looks just like those

extraordinary modelling pix brought to life and is particularly lovely

in her innocence........even though it is a tawdry setting. The film

wanders off towards the finale in 'the rich people's mansion' but

remains thoroughly entertaining all the way. A real find.

Ladies of the chorus's low budget is quite obvious. The story is simple & formulaic, the same sets are reused, songs are played over and over, & on top of that Adele Jergens is playing a mother to a co-star who was only 9 years younger than her. But the whole reason to see this 1940s B movie is to see an early soon to be screen goddess we all know as Marilyn Monroe. While her acting and singing wouldn't have won her no Oscars, you can definitely see a lot of that charm & presence that later carried over to her later work. The standout scenes are no doubt when she sings on stage. She first sings a little love tune called "anyone can see I love you" & there's just such warmth in her voice it's impossible to not fall in love with her. She then shows her sultry side with "every baby needs a da da daddy" which foreshadows the future sex symbol.

If you're curious to see her first major role before she really took off it's definitely an interesting watch. The rest of the film is mostly decent. The characters are likeable enough, the songs are fairly catchy, and the runtime doesn't overstay it's welcome.