Dean Martin proves to be an excellent musical comedy star, and
Judy Holliday, repeating her role as an answering machine operator from the Broadway show, is as good as ever in this film adaptation of
Jule Styne,
Betty Comden and
Adolph Green's music from
Bells Are Ringing. The particular revelation is
Martin, who handles character songs like "Do It Yourself" and "I Met a Girl" convincingly. Of course, the
Martin/
Holliday duet on "Just in Time" and
Holliday's "The Party's Over" are the highlights, but the whole score is well-performed on a successful screen adaptation of the Broadway hit. ~ William Ruhlmann