Happy Mother's Day! - Three Daring Daughters

MGM, 1948

Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Jose Iturbi, Jane Powell, and Edward Arnold

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate a day devoted to mothers with a movie about a mother and her very devoted offspring. Jeanette MacDonald's last starring role had been in the spy comedy Cairo in 1942. She was last seen in a cameo in Universal's big wartime revue Follow the Boys in 1944. This was intended to be a bit of a comeback for her after she spent time focusing on opera. For Jane Powell, this was her third movie, and her second of five times she'd try to play matchmaker to a single parent. How does the story of a harried mother who marries a concert pianist on a trip, only to discover her daughters want to get her together with her ex-husband, look in a time when divorce and blended families are far more common? Let's begin at the graduation ceremony of older teen Tess Morgan (Powell), who is disappointed when she sees an empty chair in the audience that should be filled by her mother Louise (MacDonald), and find out...

The Story: Louise is late because she fainted at her job as an editor for Modern Design Magazine. Dr. Cannon (Harry Davenport) insists that she takes a vacation alone to help her nerves. She takes a month-long cruise to Cuba. On board, she meets concert pianist Jose Iturbi (Himself), who is playing with the ship's orchestra. They end up falling in love and marrying. Trouble is, Louise told the girls their father was a wonderful man, when he was really a bad father who abandoned his wife and daughters. She didn't want them to feel bad about their father, but her trying to protect them backfires when they go to their father's boss Robert Nelson (Arnold) and ask him to bring their father back so he can re-marry her. They're shocked when she finally admits she married Iturbi and try to drive him away, until they realize just how much in love Louise and her new husband are.

The Song and Dance: This is charmingly low-key for a big MGM musical in the late 40's. It's mostly just MacDonald, the three young ladies, and Iturbi, with Arnold occasionally tossing in blustery reactions as the girls beg him to get their father home or keep him from coming and interrupt his meals. MacDonald is warm and affectionate with the girls, and you can understand why they adore her so much, they try to interfere with her love life. I especially love the sweet scene when the girls call their mother shipboard to serenade her on her birthday. There's some lovely costumes too, with lavish gowns for MacDonald in Cuba and attractive teen and kids' clothing for the girls. 

The Numbers: We open with the young ladies of Miss Drake's School for Girls singing their "Alma Mater" as Tess tries to ask her youngest sister Alix (Elinor Donahue) where their mother is. She finally arrives in time to see Tess perform "Passipied." "The Dickey Bird" is heard three times. The first time has the three girls playing it for their mother, who joins in. The second is in the finale; Iturbi joins in here as well. Tess sings "Flurette" to get Morgan's attention from his meal when the girls first descend on his mansion. 

Iturbi's first solo is "Lieberstraum," which he plays on the ship with an orchestra. He plays "Where There's Love" for Louise the next night. She also briefly performs "You Made Me Love You." His real-life wife Amparo joins him for the "Rumanian Rhapsody In A, Opus 11 No.1" at the big Cuban concert. The girls adorably sing "Happy Birthday" and part of "Dickey Bird" over the phone for their touched and impressed mother. The only chorus number is the brief "Ritual Fire Dance" at the show in Cuba. The dancers sing "Happy Birthday" in Spanish for Louise here, too. 

After Louise and Iturbi return from the cruise, they think he's there to audition Tess. She sings "Juliet's Waltz" from Romeo et Juliet for him. Iturbi conducts the "Allegro Appasinato, Opus 10" with a huge classical orchestra at a concert hall. Louise's second song with Iturbi as she rehearses with him at the concert hall is "Sweethearts."  The girls play "Route 66" at home, claiming Iturbi knows nothing about modern music. Iturbi repeats it and plays it quite well, swing and all. Tess sings "Springtide" with her mother to apologize for driving Iturbi away and calling their father without permission. 

What I Don't Like: The story occasionally edges into something more annoying than cute, especially in the second half. On one hand, what the girls did stepped out of bounds, and the older ones in particular were modern levels of bratty about it. On the other hand, Louise should not have lied about their father, whether she was trying to protect them or not. The complicated story is basically sitcom fluff that would turn up in every other family comedy of the 80's and 90's. Iturbi is no more interesting wooing a woman closer to his own age than he was as the object of Jane Powell's affection in Holiday In Mexico two years before. 

The Big Finale: Just sweet enough to be charming Mother's Day viewing with your own Mom this Sunday.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

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Happy 4th of July! - Meet Me In St. Louis (1959)

CBS, 1959

Starring Jane Powell, Tab Hunter, Patty Duke, and Myrna Loy

Directed by George Schaefer

Music and Lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine and others

We'll stay in the same time period, but jump on a cross-country train from New Hampshire to Missouri to celebrate Independence Day at the St. Louis World Fair. The original Meet Me In St. Louis debuted during World War II, where it was considered a celebration of the American family and everything Americans were fighting for "over there." Over fifteen years later, it was reworked for TV as a major "spectacular" at a time when American family values were considered just as important, even if the country was no longer under threat. How well did they do with this remake of one of the great classic MGM musicals? Let's begin in front of the Smiths' home in St. Louis in 1903 as children sing the title song and find out...

The Story: The biggest news in the Smith household is oldest sister Rose's (Jeanne Crain) beau calling long-distance from New York and the building of the St. Louis World's Fair. Second-oldest sister Esther (Powell) is more interested in admiring handsome boy next door John Truitt (Hunter), who just moved next-door. He's oblivious to her advances until she finally makes her feelings clear during a trolley ride to the under-construction fairgrounds.

Halloween doesn't go nearly as well. Littlest sister Tootie (Duke) runs home crying from the dress-up bonfire because she claims John hit her. Esther dashes over to her house and pounds him, only for Tootie to admit she lied and John was actually trying to keep her and her sister Agnes (Ginger McManus) from the police. 

Esther returns home to worse news. Their father Lon (Walter Pidgeon) intends to move the family to New York after Christmas. This makes the big Christmas ball even more important. Esther is upset when John can't go, until her Grandpa (Ed Wynn) intervenes. It takes a devastated Tootie destroying her snowman family to make Mr. Smith realize that his family is fine where they are...and there's nothing in New York that they don't already have at home.

The Song and Dance: Considering how beloved the original is, this was far better than I expected it to be. Twinkly Ed Wynn and pointed Myrna Loy steals the show as a far more charming Grandpa and slightly more caustic Mrs. Anna Smith. Wynn singing and dancing the title song with a delectably macabre Duke is a sheer delight. Hunter is such a sweet and adorable "boy next door" (especially compared to bland Tom Drake in the original), you have no problems understanding why Esther is crazy about him. (The additional two songs for him help flesh out his character further as well.) The costumes and sets are mostly historically accurate, especially the gowns at that ball later. 

And I still love how realistic all of this feels, even 120 years later. I grew up in a family of mostly women where Dad was frequently out of the loop, you never had less than three people hearing your conversation with your boyfriends (even after cell phones came into regular usage), and Halloween was scary whether you were running around bonfires or just gathering candy. 

The Numbers: We open with the title song first being sung by children playing outside the porch. Esther wistfully sings about "The Boy Next Door" who doesn't notice her. Grandpa and Tootie delightfully pick up the title song from the kids outside, dancing around Tootie's "dying" dolls as Esther and Rose play it inside. "Skip to My Lou" is the big chorus number at Esther and Rose's going away party for their brother Lon (Kelly Brown). Esther sings the genuine early 1900's ballad "Over the Bannister" in an attempt to get a kiss out of John, but he ducks out of it. 

"The Trolley Song" is performed before the trolley leaves, not on it, but it's just as spirited. John is so thrilled to have finally admitted his feelings, he tells Esther what he would do "If You Were the Only Girl In the World." He wonders "When Does This Feeling Go Away?" after a picnic with Esther on the fairgrounds. Thankfully, Walter Pidgeon is a good singer and didn't need to be dubbed for the gentle ballad "You and I," which Alonzo and Anna sing at Halloween after his announcement. Loy isn't a good singer, but she manages her part well enough. 

"After the Ball" and "Auld Lang Syne" are instrumental chorus dance numbers at the Christmas ball. Esther sings a devastating "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with a sobbing Tootie in her arms after the ball...and Powell thought the song was so upsetting, she couldn't bring herself to perform the whole thing for Duke. We end with the entire cast singing the title song as they prepare to head to the World's Fair itself.

Trivia: This was performed live, which explains some of the cast flubs, including Loy missing a line and Powell changing the lyrics to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to make them less upsetting for Duke.

It also isn't the last time Meet Me In St. Louis would be adapted for another medium. A 1966 non-musical pilot featuring Shelley Fabares as Esther didn't make it to a full series. A stage version debuted on Broadway in 1989, but only ran for seven months.

What I Don't Like: Powell herself, for starters. She's cute and sings well enough, but lacks the heart and real feelings Judy Garland brought to this role in 1944. Though they do use most of the original score, they did drop one of my favorite numbers, the adorable (but admittedly extraneous) "Under the Bamboo Tree" cakewalk with Tootie and Esther. And yes, this was live, complete with all the flubs and changes I mentioned above. 

The Big Finale: This also ended up being a surprise. While no replacement for the original, it has enough good points to make it worth a watch for fans of 40's and 50's musicals or anyone in the cast.

Home Media: Currently available on YouTube.

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Cult Flops - Athena

MGM, 1954

Starring Jane Powell, Edward Purdom, Debbie Reynolds, and Vic Damone

Directed by Richard Thorpe

Music by Hugh Martin; Lyrics by Ralph Blaine

We celebrate the upcoming Olympics this week with two musicals revolving around sports, starting with this unique celebration of good health and bodybuilding from the mid-50's. This was originally intended to be a vehicle for Esther Williams, but when she went on maternity leave, the title daughter of a vegetarian bodybuilding coach became a singer for Powell. Damone was another popular singer at the time, and Purdom was being hyped as the next big star at MGM after the success of The Student Prince. How do they all work with the story of a conservative senator who falls for lovely Athena and her fresh-air lifestyle? Let's begin with girls mobbing the studio to see singing idol Johnny Nyle (Damone) and find out...

The Story: While Johnny worries about being sued by his former agent, his lawyer friend Adam Calhorn Shaw (Purdom) worries about the peach trees he just bought. He meets perky Athena Mulvain (Powell) at the nursery, where she gives him advice on how to deal with the trees. She even turns up in his yard to do the mulching herself. Her grandparents and seven sisters are major advocates of healthy lifestyles, including vegetarianism, anti-smoking and drinking, and exercise. They're also proponents of numerology and astrology, which is why Athena immediately claims that the stars have lead her to Adam, and they also direct her sister Minerva (Reynolds) to Johnny.

Adam thinks this is absurd at first. He's already engaged to wealthy and sophisticated Beth Hallston (Linda Christian). He eventually finds himself falling for Athena, even though her grandfather Ulysses (Louis Calhoun) disapproves of the relationship. He wants Athena to marry Ed Perkins (Steve Reeves), the bodybuilder he's preparing for Mr. Universe. Adam invites Athena to a formal dinner, but Beth angers her when she serves vegetables stuffed with meat, while Adam is equally angry when Grandpa complains about him at the Mr. Universe contest and Adam easily knocks Ed out. It would seem that Grandma's right about there being rocky times ahead, but it's Adam who ultimately gives up his career so that "love can change the stars."

The Song and Dance: This is one of the most unusual musicals MGM ever did. For one thing, it's interesting that it advocates health-conscious lifestyles more than two decades before they started to become more common. The only thing strange about how the Mulvains live today would be some of Grandpa's more out-there breeding theories. While she seems a bit out of place, Powell's doing her best as the most determined of the seven sisters, and Calhoun is hilarious as her body-obsessed grandfather. 

Favorite Number: We open at Johnny's TV show, with him singing "The Boy Next Door" on a neighborhood set to an audience of rapt female fans. Athena's "Vocalize" when she's mulching the peach trees later becomes "Harmonize" at the Mulvain family dinner. Johnny first encourages Minvera to "Imagine" a relationship with him at the family's health food store. He reprises it later near the end of the movie. 

Athena insists to her grandmother and sisters that "Love Can Change the Stars," which Johnny also sings later. "Never Felt Better" is the chorus number for Athena, Minerva, the sisters, and the bodybuilders when they make over Adam's home to be more open and plant-friendly. "Venezia" is Johnny's big Italian chorus routine at the night club. Athena sings the aria "Chancun le sait" from the opera The Daughter of the Regiment at the disastrous dinner party. 

Trivia: Purdom had an affair with Christian during filming and later married her, though the union was short-lived.

"The Boy Next Door" is "The Girl Next Door" from Meet Me In St. Louis with the gender changed. 

What I Don't Like: Sometimes, this movie is too weird for its own good. Healthy lifestyles seem like a strange thing to base a major musical around. Real-life health advocate Williams would have made a lot more sense in the title role than the miscast Powell, and her swimming numbers might have given the film a much-needed lift. Purdom isn't any more interesting here without Mario Lanza's vocals than he was in The Student Prince. Richard Thorpe's disinterest in the whole affair is obvious from his pedestrian direction. Damone and Reynolds really don't have much to do beyond their numbers. The plot point with Johnny being sued by his agent is barely mentioned again after the first twenty minutes. Speaking of the numbers, most of them really don't have much to do with the story, and other than "The Girl Next Door," are dull and unmemorable. 

The Big Finale: I do give them credit for trying something different, but this is too weird to be one of the better MGM musicals. For major fans of Powell, Reynolds, Damone, or the big MGM shows of the 40's and 50's only. 

Home Media: The remastered Warner Archives DVD is currently out of print, but the Blu-Ray is available, and it's easily found on streaming.

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Happy Father's Day! - Rich, Young, and Pretty

MGM, 1951

Starring Jane Powell, Wendell Corey, Danielle Darrieux, and Vic Damone

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate a day for dads with this story of a dad, a daughter, and their eventful trip to Paris. Powell specialized in these little-miss-fix-it vehicles at MGM in the mid-late 40's like Luxury Liner and Holiday In Mexico that had her trying to help her father find love while often finding it herself. This would be the last of those movies...but this time, she's grown up enough that the focus is really on her romance with a handsome Frenchman. How does her dad, who has already had a bad marriage with a Frenchwoman, react? Let's begin at the Texas ranch home of Jim Staunton Rogers (Corey) and his daughter Elizabeth (Powell) as they prepare for their Paris trip and find out...

The Story: Jim is in Paris on a business trip, and is taking Elizabeth with him. He's hoping she won't run into the mother she's never met. He told her she's dead, but she's really singer Marie Devarone (Darrieux). They fell for each other in 1927, but Marie decided she was homesick for France and walked out. Marie has moved on and is now dating her co-star, Paul Sarnac (Fernado Lamas). Elizabeth falls for the handsome Frenchman Andre Milan (Damone), and the two claim they'll marry. Marie and Paul encourage their romance, but Jim had been burned by one French lover and doesn't want his daughter to go through the same. 

The Song and Dance: Powell and Darrieux anchor this sweet small-scale musical romance as the young woman who experiences her first real romance in the City of Light. Darrieux had been a star in French films of the 30's and 40's, and she brings that real-life experience to her role as the glamorous singer who just couldn't give up Paris to be a simple Texas farm wife. Look for Hans Conried as a fussy waiter and Una Merkel as Jim's loyal secretary who is supposed to be keeping an eye on Elizabeth.

Favorite Number: We open with father and daughter singing about their trip to "Paris"; Lamas reprises it later in the nightclub. Jim requests that the strolling gypsy band sings "Deep In the Heart of Texas"...which they attempt to do quite charmingly. His daughter joins in to help them out. The ensemble dance routine "Tonight for Sure" has Darrieux waltzing with French partners...before overly enthusiastic American military men try to join in with their too-fast two steps. Darrieux gets the slower ballad "Dark Is the Night" later, when Elizabeth comes to see her sing one last time. She performs the old standard "There's Danger In Your Eyes, Cherie" for Jim in 1927 after he's admitted he's smitten with her.

Powell and Damone get to ladle their instruments into three extensive duets. The sweet "Wonder Why" was nominated for an Oscar. "I Can See You" also wound up being a hit at the time. Darrieux and Lamas initially sing "We Never Talk Much," about the joys of just being together, but it's picked up by Damone and Powell later as they admit their love, to her father's chagrin. They get the lively "The Old Piano Roll Blues" at her father's home. "How'd Ya Like Your Eggs In the Morning" has Damone joining four singing chefs at the club - the vocal group The Four Kingsmen - for a cute novelty number.

Trivia: Darrieux's first American movie since the 1938 film The Rage of Paris. 

What I Don't Like: Everything else is as bland as the film's paint-by-the-numbers title and forgettable songs. First of all, the plot is a little too convoluted. It's very hard to believe that Elizabeth wouldn't have run into some evidence of her mother's existence at some point, like a birth certificate, especially since Marie never changed her name. Second, Corey is abrasive and annoying as Elizabeth's suspicious father, and Damone (who never did become much of an actor) is dull in his first role. While the cast feels quite French, the obvious studio backdrops and sets haven't a drop of French flavor in them. 

The Big Finale: Not Powell's best movie, but worth seeing at least once for some decent numbers if you're a fan of her or Darrieux. 

Home Media: On streaming and DVD, the latter as one of the earliest Warner Archives titles. 

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A Date With Judy

MGM, 1948

Starring Jane Powell, Wallace Beery, Elizabeth Taylor, and Carmen Miranda

Directed by Richard Thorpe

Music and Lyrics by various

With many schools starting to wind down this week or already done for the year, we're going to hang out with California teens from an earlier time. A Date With Judy began life as a popular radio show for teenagers, running from 1941 to 1949 on NBC and ABC. It was such a huge hit with its audience, MGM turned it into a vehicle for many of their own teenage stars. Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Powell were child stars on the verge of growing old enough for more "mature" roles. Taylor, in fact, had already started appearing as a teenager in movies like Life With Father. How do the adventures of a typical teen and her friends and family look today? Let's begin at Judy Foster's (Powell) school, as she and her boyfriend Ogden "Oogie" Pringle (Scotty Beckett) audition for their high school dance, and find out...

The Story: Oogie's older sister Carol (Taylor) isn't impressed with their chirpy song. She's already hired Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra to play at the dance. Judy's getting a tad fed up with both Pringles. Oogie won't take her to the dance, and Carol is interested in Stephan (Robert Stack), the handsome nephew of soda fountain owner Pop (Lloyd Corrigan) whom Judy has her eye on. Judy's so infatuated with Stephan, she tells her parents she intends to marry him. Meanwhile, her father's been spending a lot of time with Brazilian dancer Rosita Cochelles (Miranda), leading his daughter and Carol to believe he's having an affair with her. It's a lot more innocent than they suspect, though...

The Song and Dance: Yes, the story really is that simple. It's pretty easy to tell it's based after a sitcom. It feels more like something that would have happened to the teens on The Donna Reed Show or Father Knows Best a decade later. Powell and Taylor are the ones who really make it work. No matter how silly it gets, Powell in particular keeps it believable as a smart teen in the middle of her first crush on a (slightly) older man. Miranda has a great time too trying to teach Beery the ins and outs of dancing the rhumba; he has just as much fun in one of his last roles. Taylor looks ravishing in her fashionable wide skirts as the older, snobbier teen who competes with Judy for Stephan, yet is loyal enough to help her spy on her dad when she thinks something is going on with him near the end. 

Favorite Number: The big one here is the hit "It's a Most Unusual Day." Powell sings it twice, in the beginning when she and Scotty are auditioning for the dance, and in the finale at her parents' anniversary party. Powell gets two cute songs with her mother Dora (Selena Royale) and her brother Randolph (Jerry Hunter), "Love Is Where You Find It" and "Home Sweet Home." Powell and Beckett claim "I'm Strictly On the Corny Side" when they perform for the unimpressed Stephan and Carol at Judy's house after dinner. Miranda gets two nifty numbers, "Cuanto Le Gusta" during a rehearsal with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, and the more elaborate "Cooking With Gas" at the Foster's party in the end. 

Trivia: A Date With Judy moved to early TV off and on from 1950 through 1953. It was so popular, it inspired other teen sitcoms on radio and TV like Meet Corliss Archer. 

Powell was very jealous that Taylor got to wear more mature clothing and green eyeshadow, something she longed to do in her films. 

Selena Royale replaced Mary Astor as Judy's mother after she became ill and had to drop out. 

What I Don't Like: Did I mention that this is basically a musical sitcom, and in fact, is based after a real radio and early TV show? The plot is pretty much piffle, not far removed from some of the goofier teen comedies on Nickelodeon or The Disney Channel today. Obviously, this isn't for someone looking for a darker take on late 40's teen life. As enjoyable as her numbers are, Miranda is a bit out of place as the South American dancer who shows Beery the delights of doing rhumbas with someone besides his wife. 

The Big Finale: Truly adorable with some really enjoyable numbers if you're a fan of Miranda, Taylor, Powell, teen sitcoms, or the big bold MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming, the former from the Warner Archives.

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Happy Memorial Day! - Hit the Deck (1955)

MGM, 1955

Starring Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Russ Tambyn, and Vic Damone

Directed by Roy Rowland

Music by Vincent Youmans; Lyrics by various 

We honor the Navy this Memorial Day with one of the last big MGM musicals. Hit the Deck was a smash on Broadway in 1927, making instant standards out of the songs "Hallelujah" and "Sometimes I'm Happy." RKO originally filmed it in 1930, but that version has since been lost. MGM bought the rights in 1947, hoping to turn it into another On the Town. Is it as joyous as that film and another version, the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rodgers vehicle Follow the Fleet from 1936, or should it be dumped in the San Francisco harbor? Let's begin with a rousing tribute to the Navy over the credits and find out...

The Story: Chief Boatswain's Mate Bill Clark (Martin) and Officers Rico Ferrari (Damone) and Danny Smith (Tambyn) are delighted to be on shore leave in San Francisco after having spent time in Antarctica and swampland. Bill takes them to see his girlfriend Ginger. Tired of spending six years waiting for him, Ginger tells them she's found someone else and they're through. 

They're not the only ones having romance problems. Danny is worried when he finds out his older sister Susan (Powell) is dating womanizing actor Wendall Craig (Gene Raymond), hoping to get a part in his new show. He and Bill attack Craig when they find him putting the moves on Susan. Rico takes her home, only to fall for her. Craig wants to press charges, but the boys are warned by Rico's widowed mother (Kay Armen) and one of the dancers in his show, Carol Pace (Debbie Reynolds). Meanwhile, the boys try to help Mrs. Ferrari woo florist Mr. Peroni (J. Carrol Naish), and Danny is beginning to develop feelings for Carol. Now the boys have to dodge the shore patrol and Danny's Naval admiral father (Walter Pidgeon), before their love lives and shore leave come to an abrupt end. 

The Song and Dance: Charming romantic comedy with music is filmed in stunning wide Cinemascope, giving them plenty of room for huge numbers. I'm impressed that they kept all but two songs from the original 1927 Broadway show, something most adaptations of older musicals from this era seldom did. The boys may be the ones who are in the spotlight, but it's their lady friends who have the most fun. Jane Powell has a wonderful time getting to be the mature older sibling for a change and Miller's hilarious as the dancer who wishes her beau would see more of her than the sea. Naish and Armen make the most of their side plot as the older couple who are trying to start their lives and their loves over. 

Favorite Number:  We open with a stirring version of "Join the Navy" performed by the sailors over the credits. The boys sing "Hallelujah!" as they try to make a cake for their admiral in Antarctica. Ann Miller and lovely chorus girls in pinks and purples are "Keeping Myself for You" in a telephone-themed number at the theater. Martin takes over the song for the second half. Reynolds joins the sailor chorus in the theater to ask about "A Kiss Among Friends." Powell sings "Sometimes I'm Happy" for Raymond at his apartment to show him what she's capable of. Miller returns for a sizzling "Lady From the Bayou."  The boys and the girls lament 'Why Oh Why?" is love so difficult in two separate versions performed near the beginning and end of the film.  The girls' in particular is very striking, with the last long shot of them together fretting over their men. Martin finally wins Miller over with his version of the standard "More Than You Know."

"Hallelujah!" returns for the big finale at the theater, this time performed by an exuberant Armen. Seldom has the finale of any musical been this joyful or spontaneous, with Miller throwing her hat in the air and tapping her heart out, a few folks running into each other, and no one really much caring. They're all enjoying every noisy, delightful minute, and so's the audience.

My other favorite "number" isn't actually a musical number in the traditional sense. Carol and Danny escape the shore patrol through a horror-themed fun house in an amusement park. They have a ball dancing on moving floors, crawling past mirrors that make them look longer, and frolicking with performers representing Dracula and the Devil. 

Trivia: Both the show and the film are based after the play Shore Leave. Hit the Deck was indeed a hit in New York, running over a year, and went over only slightly less well in England. Outside of a few songs turning up on television in the 1950's, it doesn't seem to have reappeared again after this film. 

What I Don't Like: Wish the rest of the cast had more to do. Though Susan is the catalyst behind the boys' rowdy behavior, neither she nor Reynolds have much chemistry with their supposed on-screen sweethearts. Damone doesn't do much better here than in the more fantastical Kismet a year later, and Martin is stiff as a board. Tambyn could sing, so I have no idea why he was dubbed here. His voice sounds way too mature for the character and the actor. Not only is the story somewhat changed from the original, but it's a load of cotton candy fluff that dissolves completely near the end as all the romances start to get a little too complicated for their own good. 

The Big Finale: The decent numbers alone make this worth a watch during your Memorial Day barbecue if you're a fan of anyone in the cast or the big, splashy Broadway adaptations of the 1950's and 60's. 

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming, the former from the Warner Archives. 

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Holiday In Mexico

MGM, 1946

Starring Jane Powell, Walter Pidgeon, Roddy McDowell, and Ilona Massey

Directed by George Sidney

Music and Lyrics by various

We jump over the border from Southern California to Mexico to celebrate Cinco De Mayo and honor Mexico's independence with this story about a teenager trying to show her father how independent she is. This was Jane Powell's first movie at MGM, and it would set the standard for most of her vehicles through the rest of the decade - teen in exotic location helps her single parent find romance, while looking for love of her own. How well does the formula work south of the border? Let's begin with two animated birds who wonder why the telephone line at the home of Ambassador Jefferey Evans (Pidgeon) is always busy and find out...

The Story: The phone is always tied up because his teenage daughter Christie (Powell) is usually gossiping on it about her father and her friends. He has high hopes that she'll her old friend Stanley Owen (McDowell) as boyfriend material, but she thinks he's too babyish and considers herself to be too busy running her father's household. He shoves her into attending Stanley's sixteenth birthday party; she retaliates by giving Stanley one of his pipes. She's more interested in setting up a party for her father and the French Ambassador (Mikhail Rasuhmny). Yvette, the ambassador's daughter (Helene Stanley), has a crush on her father and begs to come.

Christine gets her own first crush on an older man when she asks pianist Jose Iturbi (himself) to play at the party. She also invites lovely Hungarian singer Countess Toni Karpathy (Massey), not realizing her father once had a relationship with her. The party is a success, other than she's so busy, she forgets to dress herself and misses half of it. She's not happy when her father starts spending more time with Toni and even drags Stanley to a nightclub to spy on them. She's thrilled when Iturbi is so impressed with her ability to run a household, he asks her to sing at his concert. She thinks he loves her, but learns the hard way that not every first romance turns out like we expected.

The Song and Dance: Powell's first vehicle at MGM is a charming confection, beautifully showing off not only her gorgeous soprano, but Massey's as well. McDowell matches her well in one of his earlier roles as the slightly nerdy teen boy who wishes Christine would see him as more than a friend. Pidgeon is far more personable than the men who usually play Powell's fathers in these films; you really do feel his genuine affection for her, and their relationship is lovely and believable. MGM spared no expense on her first production, either, with lavish gowns for the ladies and stunning Technicolor sets.

Favorite Number: We start off with Christine singing "Italian Street Song" over the phone, not knowing it's the French Ambassador listening in. Xavier Cugat, his little dog, and his Orchestra play "Yo Te Amo Much - And That's That" amid swirling dancers in pink and green peasant dresses and tall hats. Massey sings the traditional folk song "Csak Egy Szep Lany" in peasant costume at a nightclub in Pidgeon's first flashback sequence, and she's ravishing enough to make you understand why she fell for her. 

Iturbi's first solo number is the "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor." It's done artfully, with the orchestra and Iturbi reflected in the smooth instrument. He and his real-life wife Amparo perform "Polonaise In A Flat. Opus 53" together for their grandchildren. "I Think of You" is the song Christine sings with Iturbi that causes her to fall for him. They later do "Les filles de Cadiz" together. "Ave Maria" is her number at the concert. For a kid singing with a hundred-piece orchestra in front of a huge audience, she performs beautifully.

Trivia: "Why So Gloomy?" a number Powell sings with a grumpy Asian boy, was filmed but cut. It exists in full and can be found on the "Musical Jukebox" disc with the 2004 That's Entertainment box set.

Powell and McDowell became close friends while making this movie; Powell later said McDowell was one of the only friends she had at MGM at this point. 

One of two movies with Fidel Castro as an extra; he supposedly is in the crowd scenes. 

What I Don't Like: Like most of Powell's vehicles from the late 40's, this is lightweight romantic comedy fluff that doesn't pretend to be anything else. It might be a little more realistic if Powell fell for any musician but Iturbi, who is a rather dull man with no personality beyond his piano playing. He's also old enough to be her grandfather (and has grandchildren), as several characters point out. Not to mention, all the Iturbi and Cugat in the world can't give this more than a drop of real Mexican flavor. It probably could have been set anywhere, swapping out Iturbi and Cugat for other localized orchestras and older musicians, without changing a beat. It's also way too long, with too many numbers that do nothing but pad out the story. 

The Big Finale: Charming way to pass two hours on TCM if you're a fan of Powell, McDowell, Pidgeon, or the MGM musicals of the 1940's. 

Home Media: Currently DVD-only from the Warner Archives.

DVD

A Salute to Jane Powell - Nancy Goes to Rio

MGM, 1950

Starring Jane Powell, Ann Sothern, Carmen Miranda, and Barry Sullivan

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard

Music and Lyrics by various

Powell started at MGM in the mid-40's as their answer to the opera-singing teen sensation Deanna Durbin at Universal. MGM had such high hopes for Powell's stardom, several of her early vehicles were remakes of Durbin's films, including this one. Carmen Miranda, whose florid World War II stardom was on the wane in a less flowery post-war world, also dropped in for this tale of a mother and daughter who love the same man. How does it look today? Let's start backstage at a Broadway theater as major star Frances Elliott (Southern) finishes the run of her latest show and find out...

The Story: Frances and her father Gregory (Louis Calhern) travel to Rio to rehearse lines for a part in a play she hopes to get. Playwright Ricardo Dominngos (Fortunio Bonanova) sees Nancy in a stock company operetta and is so impressed, he offers the part to her. Hoping to surprise her mother and grandfather, she takes a ship to Rio.

On board, she meets the handsome businessman Paul Berten (Sullivan) and his feisty partner Maria Rodrigues (Miranda). Berten overhears her rehearsing lines from the play where her character is pregnant and mistakenly thinks she's pregnant. He proposes to her in order to get an overeager young man off her back, but she takes it for real. After she arrives in Brazil and learns her mother is also after the part, she accepts his proposal...but then Frances falls for him, and he for her.

The Song and Dance: Charming performances and the believable mother-daughter chemistry between Sothern and Powell bump this up over the very similar Powell vehicle from two years before, Luxury Liner. The characters - including well-meaning Nancy herself - are a lot more pleasant, and Miranda's Latin-flavored numbers are a heck of a lot more fun than the operatic songs from the previous film. There's also ravishing Technicolor sets that pop against the many glitter and gossamer New Look gowns.

Favorite Number: We open with Southern and the chorus in enormous bell-skirted ruffled gowns performing the ballad "Time and Time Again" in her closing operetta vehicle. Nancy realizes how badly she envies her mother's success with their lovely duet to "Shine On Harvest Moon." Powell and her boyfriend Scotty (Scotty Beckett) join their youthful operetta cast for the spirited title number. Miranda gets two big numbers, the less elaborate "Yipsee-I-O" on board the ship with several Latin dancers, and the more colorful and elaborate Baiao (Ca-room Pa Pa) at Carnival with dancing clowns, a man covered in umbrellas, and Miranda sporting her trademark huge bright hat. Nancy gets the finale, "Love Is Like This," dancing with the male chorus in a bright pink gown at her show as, in a reverse of the opening, her mother and Paul look on.

Trivia: Remake of 1938 Deanna Durbin film It's a Date.

A second number for Powell, Beckett, and the teens, "Mention My Name In Sheboygan," was cut from the final film and partially survives.

What I Don't Like: The story hasn't dated well in either version.  The way Barry acts with Nancy on the ship seems a wee bit creepy, whether he thinks she's pregnant or not. No wonder she took the proposal seriously. It's really a lightweight excuse to let Powell and Southern sing and Carmen Miranda clown in crazy color with a Latin chorus. 

The Big Finale: Worth checking out for the numbers alone if you're a fan of the three leading ladies or the musicals of the 1940's and 50's. 

Home Media: DVD only from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

A Salute to Jane Powell - Three Sailors and a Girl

Warner Bros, 1953

Starring Jane Powell, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Jack E. Leonard

Directed by Roy Del Ruth

Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

Our weekday entries this week honor Jane Powell, one of the last major stars of the Golden Era of Hollywood, who died last Tuesday at 92. She was known for her small-town-girl-next-door roles in cheery musicals like this one. MGM loaned her to Warners to play a role that seems more suited to Doris Day, that of a slightly more mature belting star who hopes to help her producer get the title sailors to back their play. How well do they pull it off? To find out, we'll begin on the submarine, where sailors Choirboy Jones (MacRae), Twitch (Nelson), and Porky (Leonard) are trying to figure out what to do with Choirboy's wad of cash...

The Story: Fast-talking producer Joe Woods (Sam Levene) and singing hopeful Penny Watson (Powell) convince Jones to sink his and his fellow Navy mates' money into his show. No matter how good Penny is, though, the show is a flop. Its operatic leading man Emilio Rossi (Georges Givot) doesn't understand the comedy and after it dies in Boston, he and the author drop out. Jones is ready to leave, too, but can't bring himself to when all his mates are excited about the money they'll be making. His friends are there for him, though...and so's the entire Marines when they have to drum up more money!

The Song and Dance: Powell gets to show off her slightly grittier side with a lot more dancing than usual and nasal belting (and high-pitched yelling) on "Kiss Me Or I'll Scream." Levene's the other stand-out as the obnoxious producer who thinks his show can't lose...until the stage floor suddenly drops out from under him. Love the energetic and vivacious choreography, too, especially in the first version of "The Lately Song." 

Favorite Number: We open with Nelson, Leonard, and MacRae entertaining their buddies on the submarine with "You're But Oh So Right." Powell does the rowdy "Kiss Me Or I'll Scream" twice, first as a solo audition song for a none-too-pleased banker, then as a full-on girlie chorus routine to convince the Marines to back their show. She and the three sailors dance "The Lately Song" all over the garage where they're rehearsing, making creative use of lifts, tires, and tools. Powell and Leonard make fun of women's tendency to use men as their credit cards in "Show Me a Happy Woman (and I'll Show You a Miserable Man)" from the first flop version of the show. "Home Is Where the Heart Is" is the big finale that brings everyone together onstage in a huge dancing routine, with solos for Nelson and Powell.

Trivia: Look for a very funny cameo by Burt Lancaster as a Marine trying to get into the show towards the end.

The last of six film versions of the 1925 Broadway play The Butter and Egg Man. 

What I Don't Like: That's pretty obvious in the twice-told and derivative story. It's a cross between On the Town and earlier Warners backstagers like 42nd Street. MacRae is a bit too naïve and aw-shucks for a guy who just spent a year in the Navy. Most of the supporting characters, including Veda Ann Borg as a sarcastic secretary, barely register. 

The Big Finale: Cute but ultimately forgettable time-waster if you're a fan of Powell, MacRae, or the musicals of the 1950's or run into it on TCM.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, the former from the Warner Archives. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Small Town Girl

MGM, 1953
Starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, and Bobby Van
Directed by Laszlo Kardos
Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Leo Robin

Summer Stock wasn't the only small-town, country-fied musical MGM made in the 1950's. This one takes us off the farm and onto Main Street, where wealthy New Yorker cynicism clashes with old-fashioned country values. How does this fish-out-of-water story look today? Let's start with Cindy Kimbell (Powell) and her family as they head off to church and find out...

The Story: Church services are disrupted by a car speeding through the tiny town of Duck Creek. Playboy Rick Livingston (Granger) was trying to get back to New York in time for his Broadway star girlfriend Lisa's (Miller) birthday. The town judge (Robert Keith) sentences him to 28 days in jail and community service. He's disdainful of the tiny hamlet and its straightforward residents, until he meets the judge's pretty and talented daughter Cindy. He persuades her to let him go for a night to celebrate his "dear mother's" (Billie Burke) birthday." In the course of the evening, they end up falling for each other. Not only does that scandalize the small town, but it sends local department store owner Mr. Schlemmer (S.K Sakall) into a panic. He wants to push his son Ludwig (Van) into marrying Cindy, but Ludwig has an eye on a career on the stage, not marriage.

The Song and Dance: It's all about the classic numbers here. Van and Miller are having the most fun as the talented kid with stars in his eyes and the me-first star who sees Rick as her ticket to easy street. Powell makes a funny and charming small-town sweetheart, almost making us believe she can be both smart and naive enough to let a jailed man out on a whim, and SK Sakall has a great time as Ludvig's pushy father.

Favorite Number: Powell sings the opening number in church "The Lullaby of the Lord" that's disrupted by Rick's speeding. "My Flaming Heart," the lovely ballad performed by Nat King Cole at a club in New York, was nominated for an Oscar. Ludwig, Cindy, and the girls' chorus spoof old-fashioned small-town courtship in "Fine, Fine, Fine" at the box social. Van dances in a tuxedo for passers-by at his father's store, hoping that Rick will "Take Me to Broadway."

The movie is best-known today for two genuinely nifty numbers. Busby Berkeley created the very original "I've Got to Hear That Beat" for Ann Miller, who taps her way around hands in the floor playing instruments. Listen to the song; every time Miller dances around an instrument, it takes the lead. Van's "Jumping Song" has him so happy he doesn't have to marry Cindy, he hops all over everything and everyone in town.

Trivia: Country star Hank Williams was originally going to play the sheriff, but died before filming began.

What I Don't Like: The country mouse-city mouse story is as old as the hills. The small-town setting feels less real and more like a Hollywood idea of a small country town, with the box socials and local department stores that were just starting to go out of fashion in the suburban 50's. Powell's solo "Small Towns are Smile Towns," sung to show Rick why she loves her home, is corny to the point of being ridiculous. Granger's less charming than smarmy; you almost wish Cindy had just let him rot in jail, no matter who's birthday it is.

The Big Finale: Cliched plot aside, it still deserved a lot better than it got at the box office in 1953. If' you're a fan of Powell, Van, Miller, or the MGM musicals of the 1940's and 50's, you're going to want to slow down for this one.

Home Media: On streaming and DVD, the latter from the Warner Archives.

DVD
Amazon Prime

Royal Wedding

MGM, 1951
Starring Jane Powell, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Sarah Churchill
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Powell came into her first adult role at MGM nearly by accident. She replaced Judy Garland, who was still having personal problems, and Judy replaced June Allyson, who got pregnant and dropped out. Stanley Donen replaced Charles Walters after Walters had trouble with Garland. After all that trouble, how does the story of a brother-sister team who fall in love on a trip to England during the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip, Duke of Ediburgh, look now? Let's start on Broadway with the big number from the show Every Night at Seven and find out...

The Story: Brother and sister dance team Tom and Ellen Bowen go over to London with their show just in time for the big wedding, thanks to their fast-talking agent Irving (Keenan Wynn). On the boat over, Ellen meets handsome but broke Sir John Brinsdale (Lawford), who prefers chasing women to settling down. Ellen falls hard for him, but she has a different beau every week. Meanwhile, her brother has his sights set on lovely chorus girl Anne Ashmond (Churchill), but she's engaged to a man in Chicago. Tom turns to the Irving's veddy British twin brother Edgar (Wynn) to find out more about him...and make sure everything turns out right in time for that big wedding!

The Song and Dance: With Donen at the helm, the emphasis is firmly on the "dance" side of things. The wonderful numbers and charming performances by the four leads are the main reason to catch this now. This was Powell's first adult role, and she runs with it, more than matching Astaire in her acting and her dancing ability. Wynn manages to pull off his unusual dual role as the extremely different set of twins equally well, and Albert Sharpe adds authenticity as Sarah's crusty father, the owner of a local pub.

Favorite Number: "Every Night at Seven" is the title number of Tom and Ellen's show-within-a-show, the whimsical story of a prince who falls for a maid. He and Powell also get my favorite number from this, playing street toughs whose relationship has soured in "How Could You Believe Me When You Said I Loved You When You Knew I'd Been a Liar All My Life?" (Yes, the title is that long.) Powell sings "Open Your Eyes," but their dance winds up being more complicated than they thought when the ocean liner hits a storm and keeps rolling. Powell's big solo is the lovely Oscar-nominated ballad "Too Late Now."

Astaire gets three of his most famous solos here. He dances with a hat rack in a gym in "Sunday Jumps" while waiting for Powell to appear. "You're All the World to Me" has Astaire so thrilled with his feelings for Churchill that he's literally dancing on the ceiling of his hotel room. "I Left My Hat In Haiti" is a more traditional chorus number that has Astaire pursuing a beauty and his chapeau amid the colorful citizens of the Caribbean.

Trivia: The story was inspired by Astaire's relationship with his sister Adele in the 20's and 30's. They really were a popular dancing team who broke up when she married a duke.

So, how did they pull off "All the World to Me?" The room was actually a barrel. The camera and its operator were mounted to an ironing board that could move along with the room.

Sarah Churchill was the daughter of British prime minister Winston Churchill.

What I Don't Like: This is about as fluffy a story as you can get...and ironically, other than the pub and a couple of actors, there's not really much British flavor. It was filmed in its entirety in Hollywood. The emphasis on Princess Elizabeth's wedding also very much dates it to the late 40's-early 50's.

The Big Finale: A charmer with some lovely performances; worth seeing for the delightful musical numbers alone.

Home Media: It's in the public domain, so you can pretty much pick it up anywhere, usually for under 10 dollars.

DVD
Tubi

Luxury Liner (1948)

MGM, 1948
Starring Jane Powell, George Brent, Lauritz Melichor, and Frances Gifford
Directed by Richard Whorf
Music by various

Jane Powell came into MGM in the late 40's as their newest go-to teen star, with an opera-worthy singing voice to boot. After doing A Date With Judy with other up-and-coming MGM teens of the time, she went into the second of three musicals she appeared in where she plays matchmaker to her parent in an exotic location. Is this voyage worth it, or should we end up jumping ship? Let's head to the home of Captain Jeremy Bradford (Brent) as he prepares to see his daughter's spoof operetta melodrama, and find out...

The Story: Polly Bradford (Powell) so desperately wants to join her father on his current voyage to Rio de Janeiro, she stows away on his ship. He first sends her to the galley when she's found out, then has her scrubbing floors when she starts sending messages in the mashed potatoes. Passenger Laura Dene (Gifford) finds her and immediately bawls out the Captain for her treatment. She eventually takes the girl in, which pretty much forces father and daughter to acknowledge each other. Polly eventually befriends her favorite opera singer Olaf Erikson (Melichor) and tries to get Laura back with her ex-fiancee Charles (Richard Derr)...at least until she realizes her father has fallen for Laura.

The Song and Dance: There's some first-rate musical numbers in this ocean-going extravaganza. Melichor is charming, funny, and performs his big opera solos quite well. Marina Koshetz is also funny as Zita Romanka, the opera star who has her sights set on the Captain. The sherbet Technicolor is gorgeous, amplifying the shipboard romance.

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with the cute spoof operetta "Spring Came to Vienna," complete with waltzes, a chorus number, and Powell in a "trouser" (leading man) role. She turns the traditional French song "Alouette" into a big routine for the chefs and cooks in the galley, to the consternation of her father and the guests who want their dinners. Melichor does a sing-a-long version of another traditional song, "Helan Gar," with the audience and the vocal group The Pied Pipers, and a solo "Come Back to Sorrento." Powell joins Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra for "The Peanut Vendor."

What I Don't Like: I'm normally fond of Powell, but Polly comes off as less a hopeful teen than a spoiled brat who constantly lies to her father and everyone else around her and almost ruins his love life. Brent and Gifford are bland and annoying as the reluctant lovers; we don't really believe they'd fall for each other so quickly. The story is obviously goofy fluff designed to show off Powell and Melichor, nothing more. The only other people who sing are The Pied Pipers and Koshetz, who does a weird version of "I've Got You Under My Skin."

The Big Finale: Some people love this one, but I wasn't crazy about it. Only for major fans of Powell and the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's.

Home Media: Currently DVD only via the Warner Archives.

DVD

Deep In My Heart (1954)

MGM, 1954
Starring Jose Ferrer, Merele Oberon, Helen Traubel, and Doe Avedon
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Sigmund Romberg; Lyrics by various

This was the last of the MGM "semi-revues" revolving around a famous composer of earlier in the 20th century. Sigmund Romberg did do pop or jazz-oriented music, but then and now, he's mainly known for the series of lush operettas he wrote from the late 10's through the 1930's. With operettas frequently turning up on early TV, MGM producer Joe Pasternak opted to air his "life story," with many MGM stars who specialized in operetta. How does the story of Romberg and how he went from ragtime to the concert halls look now? We join Romberg (Ferrer) as he looks for a job in a New York cafe and find out...

The Story: "Romy" really wants to write romantic operettas, but his lush music doesn't fly in newly ragtime-crazed America. With the help of Anna Mueller (Traubel), the owner of the restaurant, he composes "The Leg 'O Mutton Rag" and creates a dance sensation. He's hired by the Shuberts, who use his jazzier compositions in a series of nonsensical revues, but what he really wants is to have an operetta on Broadway. Lyricist and playwright Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) helps him whip his Maytime into shape and convinces Ziegfeld (Paul Henried) to give it a chance.

The show is a smash, but its follow-up fails. Romberg and his songwriting partners end up back writing girlie shows for the Shuberts. It's not until he meets the lovely and intelligent Lillian Harris (Doe Avedon) at a mountain resort  and falls for her that he's able to gather the inspiration to write some of the most beloved operettas of the 1920's, including New Moon and The Desert Song.

The Song and Dance: And "song and dance" are the operative words. Once again, the story is really more of a framework to hang elaborate routines based around songs done by the composer. That said, Ferrer does make a charming and energetic Romberg, and Avedon isn't bad as his love interest and eventual wife. Oberon also goes over well as Donnelly, one of the few female songwriters of the early 20th century. The lavish Technicolor production and costumes provide some truly fine eye candy, especially in the first half.

Favorite Number: Traubel and Ferrer lay into the catchy "Leg 'O Mutton Rag" at the cafe shortly after he comes looking for a job. He also gets to join his then-wife Rosemary Clooney for, appropriately, "Mr. and Mrs" in the revue medley. Gene Kelly performs with his brother Fred for the only time on film in the vaudeville beach spoof "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin'." Vic Damone and Jane Powell share two gorgeous duets from Maytime, "Road to Paradise" and "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell perform a pas de deux to "One Alone" that's sexier than anything in the 1953 Desert Song.

The movie does boast some genuinely rare tunes. Ann Miller gets to perform a comedy number from The Desert Song, "It," with a Roaring 20's-clad chorus. Howard Keel leads the male chorus through the rousing "Your Land and My Land" from the Civil War operetta My Maryland.

But the number for the record books is a truly amazing solo for Ferrer. He shows off for Lillian and her mother (Isobel Elsom) by performing all the roles in the Al Jolson vehicle he and his partners are currently working on. He sings three songs, "Goodbye Girls," "Fat, Fat Fatima," and "Jazz-a-Doo" and is such a ball of energy, he really must be seen to be believed.

What I Don't Like: Another biography with absolutely nothing to do with the composer in question. Romberg did come from Hungary, he did write pop songs for the Shuberts' Al Jolson vehicles and fluffy revues, he did hit it big with Maytime, only to return to the Shuberts, and it really was The Student Prince that finally broke him free of the grind and allowed him to stick entirely from operetta. He really did have bad luck on Broadway in the 30's, with a string of flop shows. He did better in Hollywood, writing several standards for film operettas, before making a comeback in New York in the 40's with Up In Central Park.

Almost every character besides Romberg, Donnelly, Lillian, and the big producers are fictional. His writing partners at the resort and Anna are composites of the many people he worked with throughout his career. Romberg married at least once before Lillian, and he was Hungarian, not Viennese. The songs are all out of order and often listed to be from shows other than what's claimed. Frankly, the whole movie is just one big cliche. And as with most MGM musicals of this era, once they get to the 20's, historical accuracy goes out the door. Once we get past the first half-hour or so, it looks like the 50's for the rest of the movie.

The Big Finale: Critics were rough on this one when it came out, but it's actually worn pretty well. Worth seeing for the musical numbers alone if you're a fan of operetta, the stars, or Romberg's work.

Home Media: Easily found in all formats; the Blu Ray and DVD are currently available from the Warner Archives.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

A Salute to Stanley Donen - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

MGM, 1954
Starring Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tambyn, and Julie Newmar
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Saul Chaplin and Gene dePaul; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

We head into more robust territory for the first musical western to appear on this blog. This was not expected to be a hit in 1954. MGM threw all their hopes and finances into their adaptation of the Broadway show Brigadoon, but this is the one that audiences and critics took to, making it one of the biggest hits of the year. It was one of the few musicals my younger brother and very macho stepfather would watch without complaint. Let's head to a small backwoods town in Oregon in 1850 to see just how well this dance-heavy tale works today...

The Story: Adam Pontipee (Keel) rides into town, hoping to marry a good, strong woman who will help him take care of his farm and his six wild younger brothers. He eventually convinces Millie (Powell), a cook at a local tavern, to marry him. She thinks she's creating a new life and isn't thrilled to be saddled with caring for such an uncouth family at first. Millie won't put up with their rudeness and lack of social graces. She finally gets them all cleaned up - even Adam - and teaches them to dance for a big barn raising party in town. The men in town aren't happy with seeing six handsome bachelors who are interested in the only women around and first compete with them, then pick on them. After one attacks Adam, Gideon, the youngest brother (Tambyn), starts a brawl that ends with the girls angry, the townspeople angrier, and no barn.

The boys, however, can't get their ladies out of their heads and threaten to leave. Inspired by a book Millie brought with her about the kidnapped Sabine Women, Adam suggests they abduct the girls and bring them up to the farm to be married. They do just that, causing an avalanche in the pass leading to their farm to keep them from escaping. Millie's horrified. She banishes the boys to the barn. Stung by Millie telling him off, Adam's the one who leaves. He eventually returns in the spring to find that the boys are now in love with the girls, and Millie is pregnant. They now understand why kidnapping the ladies wasn't the best idea...but it's the ladies who have other plans.

The Song and Dance: With Donen and choreographer Michael Kidd in charge, the emphasis here is firmly on the "dance" side of things. Four of the seven brothers and all of the brides but Powell were trained dancers; Russ Tamblyn was an acrobat, hence some of his more death-defying feats on the boards in the Barn Raising Ballet. Powell gets top honors as Millie. She may be a dreamer, but she's also a spitfire who has no qualms about turning the dinner table over on the boys when they eat like pigs or telling Adam off after they kidnap the girls. No wonder she managed to whip the guys into shape so quickly. Also look for Tommy Rall as Frank, the most hot-headed of the brothers, and Julie Newmar as Dorcas, the oldest and boldest of the brides.

If nothing else, I give them credit for the unusual setting. I don't know many westerns that are actually north-westerns (or many musicals that are set in Oregon). Oregon's cold winters even come into play as part of the plot.

Favorite Number: The brothers get at least three awesome ensemble numbers, the most famous of which is "The Barn Raising Ballet." Their face-off against the men in town is one of, if not the most famous, chorus routines in film history, with the guys performing increasingly difficult stunts to show off for their prospective women.

I'm even fonder of "Lonesome Polecat," with the boys doing some wonderful dancing as they chop wood and do other chores. Their spirited "Goin' Courtin'" with Millie, as she teaches them how to dance like gentlemen, is also a lot of fun to watch. Powell also gets the lovely "Wonderful, Wonderful Day" as Adam brings Millie home for the first time. The brides also have a nice ensemble number of their own, "June Bride," and brides and brothers come together for "Spring, Spring, Spring."

Trivia: Special kudos to the costuming department for taking inspiration from the pioneer characters in the film and making the best of their limited budget. The women's dresses in the film were made from antique quilts head costumer Walter Plunkett apparently found at a Salvation Army. Not only are they unique and colorful, but their being made from old quilts is historically-accurate to that time and place, too.

The limited budget is also why most of the movie was filmed on an obvious soundstage. Much of their budget went to the bigger and more heavily publicized Brigadoon. Apparently, the only scene shot in the real outdoors was the escape through the pass with the girls, which was filmed in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Some folks may have noticed that Benjamin, the second-oldest brother in orange, doesn't take part in (or has limited roles in) most of the dances. He was played by Jeff Richards, who was actually a former baseball player. Julie Newmar could dance, but as his partner, ended up off to the side a lot of the time as well.

There was a stage version that debuted in 1978 and eventually made it to Broadway in 1982, where it played only five performances. It did a little bit better in London, and has since become popular with regional theaters. A modernized TV show from 1982 lasted only a season and is best-known for introducing River Phoenix as the youngest brother.

What I Don't Like: Millie is definitely not the only person who has problems with the kidnapping plot nowadays. That the boys are shown to be awkward and not terribly social is only a mild excuse. They're lucky they weren't strung up and probably deserved far worse than Millie's tongue-lashing and the snowballs with rocks in them that the girls pelted them with. A few sexist lyrics here and there don't help. At the very least, it's the girls who, much like Millie, eventually take matters into their own hands.

The Big Finale: Terrific performances, fun songs, and some of the best and most energetic chorus routines ever committed to film more than overcome the occasionally awkward and dated plot. If you're a fan of dance, or have a man in your life who thinks he's too macho for musicals, try this one on him.

Home Media: Alas, the two-disc DVD set is currently out of print, but there is a Warner Archives Blu-Ray, and it can be found on several streaming platforms and in at least two DVD musical collections.

DVD
DVD - 5 Film Collection: Musicals
Blu-Ray
Google Play