"It was a fine cast and lots of fun to make, but they did the damn thing on the cheap. The backdrops had holes in them, and it was shot on the worst film stock"

This quote by Howard Keel reflects a candid and nuanced review of a movie production he was associated with. Keel, a well known star known for his functions in musicals throughout Hollywood's golden age, offers insight into both the favorable and negative aspects of the task.

Initially, Keel acknowledges the favorable components of the production by highlighting the cast and the total satisfaction stemmed from making the movie. The expression "fine cast" recommends that the stars involved were gifted, possibly popular, and worked well together, contributing favorably to the on-set experience. This shows that, in spite of any imperfections in other locations of production, the collective environment among the actors was a forte of the job.

On the other hand, Keel does not avoid criticizing the production worths, which he mentions as being carried out "on the cheap". This phrase indicates that the spending plan designated for the film may have been insufficient, causing a noticeable effect on the production quality. He offers specific examples of budget restraints with the reference of "backgrounds [having] holes in them", signifying insufficient or inadequately preserved set design, which can interfere with the visual believability and immersion of a film. Additionally, Keel discusses making use of "the worst movie stock", critiquing the option of products used to catch the film, which likely resulted in lower visual quality, affecting the total watching experience.

In essence, Keel's quote exposes a juxtaposition in between the sociability amongst cast members and the technical imperfections that afflicted the production. His words underscore a typical tension in filmmaking between imaginative enthusiasm and financial constraints, suggesting that while the artistic and individual investments were strong, these efforts were undermined by economic restrictions that jeopardized the completed product. Through this candid reflection, Keel clarifies the complexities and truths typically dealt with in the film industry.