Jupiter's Darling

An underrated musical comedy about Hannibal and his elephants crossing the Alps to sack Rome, that's invariably confused in movie listings with Esther Williams's Neptune's Daughter. Williams is in her Amazonian prime here, as she lures Howard Keel's Hannibal away from the Eternal City, and the two stars are superb together. Keel is as good as he was in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, all brashness and bravado: he had no equal in this type of role, but was constantly taken for granted. Other pleasures include George Sanders and Richard Haydn as very English patricians, and the wonderful Marge and Gower Champion, who do a terrific song-and-dance number with painted elephants. Perhaps one of the reasons why this failed at the box office was its substandard score, but the rousing Hannibal's Victory March is an exception and director George Sidney's use of CinemaScope is exemplary.