Cairo is enormously fortunate to have Jeanette MacDonald on hand. Without this bright star operating in top form, it would be a bit of trial to sit through all the muddled nonsense that passes for its screenplay. With MacDonald, who looks sensational, Cairo emerges as an entertaining bauble. Rarely has the singer been in better voice, and she's given ample opportunity to show that voice off to its best advantage; whether dealing with "light" numbers like "Beautiful Ohio" and the title song or attacking operatic entries like "Il Bacio" and "Chi mi frema," MacDonald sounds glorious. She's also allowed to take full advantage of her comic abilities, including her too-rarely-used knack for spoofing herself. As her suspicious paramour, Robert Young provides very able support; if his role doesn't allow him the chance to shine as it does MacDonald, he nevertheless acquits himself quite respectably. Ethel Waters is given entirely too little to do, but she makes the most of "Buds Won't Bud" and "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee," and Lionel Atwill, Reginald Owen, and Dennis Hoey help to make the proceedings pleasant and enjoyable. Cairo is far from a top-notch vehicle, but as long as MacDonald is driving it, it's an engaging little diversion.
