Happy Father's Day! - The Girl Next Door

20th Century Fox, 1953
Starring June Haver, Dan Dailey, Dennis Day, and Billy Gray
Directed by Richard Sale
Music by Josef Myrow; Lyrics by Mack Gordon

We celebrate a day for dads with this unusual comedy about a devoted dad, his adored son, and the Broadway star who moves in next to them. First, though, we're going to begin with chorus girls traveling around the country, and find out how Jeannie Laird (Haver) ends up moving to Scarsdale, New York...

The Story: Tired of living out of trunks, Jeannie is delighted to take a home in the country. On the night of her first party, birds attack the guests, then smoke pours over the wall and chokes them. She goes next door to discover her neighbors are cartoonist Bill Carter (Daily) and his son Joe (Gray). Bill's comic strip revolves around his life with Joe, and he and his son are the best of friends. Joe's upset when his father starts to spend more and more time with Jeannie and less with him, especially when his father blows off a trip to Canada. Bill's torn between his new love and his dear child, but it takes Joe befriending a little girl (Mary Jane Saunders) to understand why his father is in love with Jeannie.

The Song and Dance: Simple and charming, this one has more in common with sitcoms about single fathers from a decade later like Family Affair and The Courtship of Eddie's Father than a typical musical from this time. It's rare to see such a close father-son relationship in a musical, and Joe and Bill have a genuine and sweet relationship. Haver and Daily get to show off their dancing abilities in two extended ballets and several duets, while Saunders and Gray are very funny as the boy who is afraid he'll lose his father and the girl who wishes Joe would let her into his world. Even the limited-animation sequences with Bill's cartoons and Joe's in the finale are pretty cute.

Favorite Number: We learn how Jeannie went from chorus girl to Broadway star in two numbers seen over the credits, "We Girls of the Chorus" and "The Great White Way." The credits end with Jeannie describing her perfect, peaceful new home in "A Quiet Little Place In the Countryside." After Jeannie storms off, Bill and Joe claim that "I'd Rather Have a Pal Than a Gal Anytime."

Two extended fantasy ballets stand out in an otherwise low-key film. "Nowhere Boy" is Jeannie's plea to her prowling lover in a dark film-noir style dance in a night club that has Dailey dreaming himself onto the stage with her. Bill is torn between his fishing buddy Joe and his love for dancing and Jeannie in another fantasy dance sequence towards the end of the movie.

Trivia: Last film roles for Dennis Day and June Haver. Haver joined a convent for six months before dropping out to marry Fred MacMurray.

This was originally supposed to have been Dailey's fifth pairing with Betty Grable, but she dropped out early-on.

What I Don't Like: Not only are Jeannie and Bill from two different worlds, but it sometimes feels like the movie is, too. "Nowhere Boy" and "The Girl Next Door Ballet" stick out like sore thumbs in the otherwise relatively realistic plot and low-key songs. "Nowhere Boy" in particular has no relation to anything and seems to have been dropped in from some darker story. Day and Cara Williams are basically around to be the best friend second couple and for Day to pour his Irish tenor into a few ballads and don't add a whole lot to the movie.

The Big Finale: Unique comedy-musical isn't the most necessary movie in the world, but it is a charming enough way to pass and hour and a half with your own dad on Father's Day if you love 50's musicals or sitcoms.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD
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