Sally
Warner Bros. / First National, 1929, Color, 103 minutes, ***
Released December, 1929

Rare treat of a musical with legendary Marilyn Miller reprising her role in the original stage production. Features some of Jerome Kern's greatest work, though some of his songs were replaced with new tunes by Al Dubin and Joe Burke. Critics generally find fault with the film, saying it was a "tired" story and that it was not true to the original stage play. But, those of us who weren't around in the 1920s may find it a fascinating chance to see one of the legendary stars of the stage singing the music of Jerome Kern from one of his bigger hits. The only problem is, it is hard to find! Watch for it on TCM.

Producer: none credited
Director: John Francis Dillon
Screenplay: Waldemar Young (based on the stage musical by Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern)
Choreography: Larry Ceballos
Music Director: Leo F. Forbstein
Song Score: Jerome Kern; Al Dubin and Joe Burke
Art Director: Jack Okey
Costume Design: Edward Stevenson
Cinematography: Dev Jenninngs, C. Edgar Schoenbaum
Film Editing: LeRoy Stone

Awards: Academy Award nomination for Best Interior Decoration

Cast: Marilyn Miller [Sally], Alexander Gray [Blair Farrell], Joe E. Brown [Connie], T. Roy Barnes [Otis Hooper], Pert Kelton [Rosie], Ford Sterling ["Pops" Shendorff], Maude Turner Gordon [Mrs. Ten Brock], E. J. Ratcliffe [John Farquar], Jack Duffy [The Old Roue], Nora Lane [Marcia], Albertina Rasch Ballet

Musical Program: [0:11] unidentified instrumental (danced by Chorus Girls); [0:21] Look for the Silver Lining (Alexander Gray and Marilyn Miller); [0:27] Sally (Alexander Gray and Mens Chorus); [0:31] Look for the Silver Lining (sung and danced by Marilyn Miller and Joe E. Brown); [0:37] If I'm Dreaming, Don't Wake Me Up Too Soon (Alexander Gray and Marilyn Miller); [0:44] unidentified instrumental (danced by unidentified "rubber-legged" male dancer); [0:53] All I Want to Do Do Do Is Dance (sung and danced by Marilyn Miller); [1:03] Wild Rose (sung and danced by Marilyn Miller and Mens Chorus in color segment); [1:11] If I'm Dreaming, Don't Wake Me Up Too Soon (reprised by Alexander Gray and Marilyn Miller); [1:18] Walking Off Those Balkan Blues (instrumental number danced by Marilyn Miller); [1:25] Ziegfeld Girls parade (production number: Marilyn Miller dances, Chorus sings unidentified song)

Sally, Irene and Mary
20th Century-Fox, 1938, B/W, 86 minutes
Released March, 1938

Sally, Irene and Mary (Alice Faye, Joan Davis and Marjorie Weaver) are Broadway hopefuls that work as manicurists in Oscar's (Barnett Parker) shop. After climbing their way up via nightclubs, they finally get the money to put together their own show on a boat that has been converted to a floating restaurant. Of course, love complicates everything along the way...

Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Associate Producer: Gene Markey
Director: William A. Seiter
Screenplay: Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen
(from a play by Edward Dowling and Cyrus Wood)
Musical Director: Arthur Lange
Song Score: Walter Bullock and Harold Spina
Choreography: Nick Castle, Geneva Sawyer
Art Direction: Bernard Herzbrun, Rudolph Sternad
Set Decoration: Thomas Little
Costume Design: Gwen Wakeling
Sound: Roger Heman Sr., Arthur von Kirbach
Cinematography: J. Peverell Marley
Film Editing: Walter Thompson

Cast: Alice Faye [Sally Day], Tony Martin [Tommy Randall], Fred Allen [Gabriel (Gabby) Green], Jimmy Durante [Jefferson Twitchell], Joan Davis [Irene Keene], Gregory Ratoff [Baron Zorka], Marjorie Weaver [Mary Stevens], Louise Hovick (aka Gypsy Rose Lee) [Joyce Taylor], Barnett Parker [Oscar], Mary Treen [Miss Barkow], J. Edward Bromberg [Pawnbroker], Eddie Collins [Captain], Andrew Tombes [Judge], Charles Wilson [Cafe Manager], The Brian Sisters [Themselves], Raymond Scott Quintet [Themselves]

Musical Program: Got My Mind on Music (Alice Faye); Sweet as a Song (Tony Martin); Minuet in Jazz (danced by Alice Faye with the Raymond Scott Quintet) [Alice's dance portion cut in recent prints]; Half Moon on the Hudson (Alice Faye and Tony Martin) [cut in more recent prints]; I Could Use a Dream (Tony Martin); This Is Where I Came In (Alice Faye); Who Stole the Jam? (Alice Faye, Joan Davis and the Brian Sisters); Help Wanted: Male (Joan Davis); Hot Potata (Jimmy Durante); Think Twice (Alice Fay) [outtake]

Romantic drama combines with humor, starpower combines with lavish spectacle and the walls come tumbling down! This Academy Award winning extravaganza's street-splitting, brick-cascading, fire-raging recreation of the cataclysmic earthquake remains "one of the greatest action sequences in the history of the cinema, rivalling the chariot race in both Ben Hurs" (Adrian Turner, Time Out Film Guide).

Clark Gable plays rakish Barbary Coast kingpin Blackie Norton. Jeanette MacDonald portrays a singer torn by her love for Blackie and her need to succeed among the operagoing elite. Earning the first of nine career Best Actor Oscar nominations, Spencer Tracy is a priest who supplements spiritual advice with a mean right hook. He urges Blackie to change. But if love and religion can't reform Blackie, Mother Natur will.   [from back of DVD case]

This is one of those rare musicals that is loaded with music from one end to the other and has a good story to go along with it. It's the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (as portrayed by MGM, which means it's mostly fiction). Technically, it's not a musical, but it sure has a lot of music in it! Jeanette MacDonald is at her best, and this legendary film should not be missed by anyone who enjoys classic films - musical or otherwise. I mean, what a cast! Gable, Tracy and MacDonald! The spectacular earthquake scene rivals special effects of today.

It's interesting to note that MGM made a point of hiring many down-and-out actors and crew who had not been able to make the transition from silent films to "talkies," and many of them can be seen in the film here and there. Also, famed director D. W. Griffith helped direct the film.

The film begins with the statement: "San Francisco - guardian of the Golden Gate - stands today a queen among sea-ports - industrious, mature, respectable. But perhaps she dreams of the queen and city she was -- splendid and sensuous, vulgar and magnificent - that perished suddenly with a cry still heard in the hearts of those who knew her, at exactly Five-thirteen A. M. April 18, 1906." The Story begins in San Francisco on New Years Eve: December 31, 1905.

Produced by: John Emerson and Bernard H. Hyman
Director: W.S. Van Dyke II and D. W. Griffith
Screen Play by: Anita Loos
From the Story by: Robert E. Hopkins
Musical Direction: Herbert Stothart
Song: "San Franciso" by Gus Kahn, Bronislau Kaper, Walter Jurmann
Song: "Would You" by Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed
Musical Score: Edward Ward
Dances Staged by: Val Raset
Opreatic Sequences Staged by: William von Wymetal
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Associates: Arnold Gillespie, Harry McAfee, Edwin B. Willis
Gowns by: Adrian
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Special Effects: James Basevi and A. Arnold Gillespie
Photographed by: Oliver T. Marsh
Montage Sequences: John Hoffman
Film Editor: Tom Held

Awards: Academy Award for Best Sound Recording; Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Spencer Tracy), Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Assistant Director (Joseph Newman)

Cast: Clark Gable [Blackie Norton], Jeanette MacDonald [Mary Blake], Spencer Tracy [Father Tim Mullin], Jack Holt [Jack Burley], Jessie Ralph [Mrs. Maisie Burley], Ted Healy [Mat], Shirley Ross [Trixie], Margaret Irving [Della Bailey], Harold Huber ["Babe"], Edgar Kennedy [Sheriff], Al Shean [Professor], Kenneth Harlan ["Chick"], Roger Imhof ["Alaska"], Charles Judels [Tony], Russell Simpson ["Red" Kelly], Bert Roach [Freddy Duane], Warren B. Hymer [Hazeltine], Additional Cast: William Ricciardi [Baldini], Frank Mayo [Dealer], Tandy MacKenzie [Faust], Tudor Williams [Mephistopheles], Spec O'Donnell [Man Praying], Bob McKenzie [Messenger], Adrienne d'Ambricourt [Mme. Albani], Nigel de Brulier [Old Man], Mae Digges, Nyas Berry [Dancers], John Kelly [Kelly], James Farley [Charlie], Pat O'Malley, Otho Wright [Firemen], Gertrude Astor [Drunk's Girl], Tom Dugan [Drunk], Vince Barnett [Drunk], Belle Mitchell [Mary's Maid], Fred M. Fagan [Waiter], W. J. O'Brien [Waiter], James Brewster, Samuel Glasser, John Pearson [Stooges], Jason Robards Sr. [Father], William "Billy" Newell [Man in Breadline], James Macklin [Young Man], Tom McGuire [Bartender], Wilbur Mack [Bartender], Harry Myers [Reveler], Edward Hearn [Parishioner], Henry Roquemore [Drinker], G. Pat Collins [Bartender], Harry Strang [Soldier], Vernon Dent [Fat Man], Irving Bacon [Picnicker], Orrin Burke [Pompous Man], David Thursby [Man], John "Skins" Miller [Man on Stretcher], Helen Shipman [Bit], George Guhl [Bit Man], Edward Earle [Bit Man], Maude Allen [Elderly Woman], Jack Baxley [Kinko], Carl Stockdale [Salvation Army Man], Anthony Jowitt [Society Man], Jane Barnes [Girl], Richard Carle, Oscar Apfel, Frank Sheridan, Ralph Lewis [Members of Founders' Club], Chester Gan [Jowl Lee], Jack Kennedy [Mike], Cy Kendall [Headwaiter], Don Rowan [Coast Type], Sherry Hall [Well-Wisher], Ben Taggart [Cop], Dennis O'Keefe [New Year's Celebrant], Charles Sullivan [Fire Spectator], Beatrice Roberts [Forrestal Guest], Bruce Mitchell [Heckler], Sidney Bracey [Burley's Butler], Tommy Bupp [Bill], Sam Ash [Orchestra Leader], Bud Geary [Man Restraining Blackie after Quake], George Magrill [Marine]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture: includes "San Francisco;" [0:03] Auld Lang Syne / (There'll Be) A Hot Time in the Old Town (Tonight) / Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here (played in background by Orchestra, wild partying in the streets); [0:06] Happy New Year (excerpt sung and danced by Shirley Ross and Chorus Girls); [0:07] Noontime (?) (excerpt sung by Ted Healy, interrupted by flying tomatoes); [0:09] After the Ball (part of background score); [0:10] Love Me and the World Is Mine (a few bars sung by Jeannette MacDonald, demonstrating her singing ability for Blackie); [0:18] San Francisco (ballad version sung by Jeanette MacDonald; Blackie wants her to rag it, so she speeds up the tempo a bit); [0:22] A Heart That's Free (sung by Jeanette MacDonald); [0:29] The Holy City (sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Boys Choir); [0:25] San Francisco (sung by Shirley Ross, Jeanette McDonald and Chorus at political rally); [0:39] Would You (instrumental arrangement played by Orchestra, danced by Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald); [0:42] Would You (sung by Jeanette MacDonald); [0:56] opera excerpt^* (sung by Jeanette MacDonald); [1:00] montage of opera sequences^* (sung by Jeanette MacDonald and accompanists); [1:07] Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-Der-E (played by Orchestra at The Paradise); [1:21] Sempre Libera (sung by Jeanette MacDonald); [1:23] Would You (played by Orchestra in background during dialogue); [1:24] At a Georgia Camp Meeting (played by Orchestra, danced by Minstrels at the Chickens Ball); [1:27] The Philippine Dance (sung by The Golden Gate Trio at the Chickens Ball); [1:29] San Francisco (belted by Jeanette MacDonald and Audience at the Chickens Ball - rousing number!); [1:34] The Earthquake begins [1:50] Nearer My God To Thee (sung by Jeanette MacDonald and Chorus at a camp set up on a hill safely away from the burning city); [1:54] Battle Hymn of the Republic (Jeanette MacDonald and Chorus as the survivors march back to town after the fire burns itself out)

^*Opera Segments include: Jewel Song (and other excerpts from the opera FAUST); Sempre Libera (from the opera LA TRAVIATA); Me voilà toute seule; Air des bijoux (The Jewel Song); Soldiers' Chorus"; Il se fait tard; Anges Purs

Saturday Night Fever
Paramount, 1977, Color, 118 minutes, ***
Released December, 1977

Tony is an uneducated Brooklyn teenager. The highlight of his week is going to the local disco, where he is the king of the dancefloor. Tony meets Stephanie at the disco and they agree to dance together in a competition. Stephanie resists Tony's attempts to romance her, as she aspires to greater things; she is moving across the river to Manhattan. Gradually, Tony also becomes disillusioned with the life he is leading and he and Stephanie decide to help one another to start afresh.

Producer: Robert Stigwood
Associate Producer: Milt Felsen
Executive Producer: Kevin McCormick
Directed by: John Badham
Screenplay: Norman Wexler
Original Music by: Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb (Bee Gees)
Dance Numbers Designed and Staged by: Lester Wilson
Production Design by: Charles Bailey
Set Decoration by: George Detitta
Costume Design by: Patrizia Von Brandenstein
Makeup Artist: Henriquez
Hair Designer: Joe Tubens
Sound: John Caper Jr., Michael Colgan
Cinematography: Ralf D. Bode
Film Editing by: David Rawlins

Cast: John Travolta [Tony Manero], Karen Lynn Gorney [Stephanie Mangano], Barry Miller [Bobby C.], Joseph Cali [Joey], Paul Pape [Double J.], Donna Pescow [Annette], Bruce Ornstein [Gus], Julie Bovasso [Flo Manero], Martin Shakar [Frank Manero, Jr.], Sam J. Coppola [Dan Fusco], Nina Hansen [Grandmother], Lisa Peluso [Linda Manero], Denny Dillon [Doreen], Bert Michaels [Pete], Robert Costanza [Paint Store Customer], Robert Weil [Becker], Shelly Batt [Girl in Disco], Fran Drescher [Connie], Donald Gantry [Jay Langhart], Murray Moston [Haberdashery Salesman], William Andrews [Detective], Ann Travolta [Pizza Girl], Helen Travolta [Lady in Paint Store], Ellen March [Bartender], Monti Rock III [The Deejay], Val Bisoglio [Frank Manero, Sr.]

Musical Program: "Stayin' Alive" (performed by Bee Gees); "Night Fever" (performed by Bee Gees); "A Fifth of Beethoven" (adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony) (Walter Murphy); "Disco Inferno" (performed by The Trammps); "Salsation" (performed by David Shire); "If I Can't Have You" (performed by Yvonne Elliman); "Boogie Shoes" (performed by KC and The Sunshine Band); "Manhattan Skyline" (performed by David Shire); "More Than a Woman" (performed by Tavares, later performed by Bee Gees); "You Should Be Dancing" (performed by Bee Gees); "Night on Disco Mountain" (based on "Night On Bald Mountain" written by Modest Mussorgsky, performed by David Shire); "Open Sesame" (performed by Kool and The Gang); "K-Jee" (performed by M. F. S. B.); "How Deep Is Your Love" (performed by Bee Gees); "Dr. Disco" (performed by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots); "Disco Duck" (performed by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots); "Barracuda Hangout" (performed by David Shire); "Calypso Breakdown" (performed by Ralph MacDonald); "Jive Talkin'" (performed by Bee Gees); "Lowdown" (performed by Toto)

Say It with Songs
Warner Bros. / Vitaphone, 1929, B/W, 95 minutes
Released August, 1929

Behind bars... but still belting out a song! In Say It with Songs (1929), fate rolls snake eyes for dice-playing family man Joe Lane (Jolson). He does time for manslaughter, then returns home where new heartaches await. Through them all, Joe relies on his gift of song to express his pain and ultimate triumph.

Produced by: Darryl Francis Zanuck
Directed by: Lloyd Bacon
Screen Play by: Harvey Gates
Dialogue by: Joseph Jackson
Based on a story by Darryl F. Zanuck
Vitaphone Orchestra Conducted by: Louis Silvers
Sound: George Groves
Photography: Lee Garmes
Film Editing: Owen Marks

Cast: Al Jolson [Joe Lane], Davey Lee [Little Pal], Marian Nixon [Katherine], Holmes Herbert [Dr. Robert Merrill], Kenneth Thompson [Arthur Phillips], Fred Kohler [Fred, Joe's Cellmate], Frank Campeau [Officer], John Bowers [Dr. Byrnes], Additional Cast: Ernest Hilliard [Radio Station Employee], Arthur Hoyt [Mr. Jones], Claude Payton [Judge]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture [0:00] Interesting clips of shows on an early radio station, including a number for short excerpts of various songs; [0:27] Used to You (sung and whistled by Al Jolson); [0:32] Little Pal (sung by Al Jolson); [0:35] I'm in Seventh Heaven (sung by Al Jolson); [0:43] Why Can't You (sung by Al Jolson); [0:47] Why Can't You (reprised by Al Jolson); [0:56] Mem'ries of One Sweet Kiss (sung by Al Jolson); [1:00] Little Pal (sung by Al Jolson); [1:19] Little Pal (sung by Al Jolson on record player); [1:23] I'm in Seventh Heaven (sung by Al Jolson); Some sources indicate the following songs are in this film. They are not in the print used to make the laserdisk: Back in Your Own Backyard (sung by Al Jolson); I'm Ka-razy for You (sung by Al Jolson);

Scared Stiff
Paramount, 1953, B/W, 108 minutes
Released April, 1953

Bob Hope had done it before in the 1940's The Ghost Breakers. But in 1953, it was Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' turn to make a spooktacle of themselves. They were scared silly in Scared Stiff, the sixth screen version of a Broadway hit originally penned by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard. Of course, what mattered most to audiences was not the time-honored storyline but the all-new spin it was given by the stars' special blend of songs and comic mayhem. Laugh-happy moviegoers made Scared Stiff one of the year's top box-office hits.

Film noir queen Lizabeth Scott costars, portraying the heiress who leads the lads to her Caribbean castle. And, in her last film, Carmen Miranda joins the fun for several musical numbers.  [from back of VHS sleeve]

Produced by: Hal B. Wallis
Directed by: George Marshall
Assistant Director: C. C. Coleman, Jr.
Screenplay by: Herbert Baker and Walter DeLeon
Additional Dialogue by: Ed Simmons and Norman Lear
Based on a Play by: Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard ("Ghost Breakers")
Music Direction: Joseph J. Lilley
Music Score: Leith Stevens
New Songs by: Mack David and Jerry Livingston
Musical Numbers Staged by: Billy Daniel
Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Franz Bachelin
Set Decoration: Sam Comer and Ross Dowd
Costumes: Edith Head
Makeup Supervision: Wally Westmore
Sound Recording by: Hugo Grenzbach and Walter Oberst
Director of Photography: Ernest Laszlo
Special Photographic Effects: Gordon Jennings and Paul Lerpae
Process Photography: Farciot Edouart
Editorial Supervision: Warren Low

Cast: Dean Martin [Larry Todd], Jerry Lewis [Myron Myron Mertz], Lizabeth Scott [Mary Carroll], Carmen Miranda [Carmelita Castina], George Dolenz [Mr. Cortega], Dorothy Malone [Rosie], William Ching [Tony Warren], Paul Marion [Carriso Twins dual role], Jack Lambert [Zombie], Tom Powers [Police Lieutenant], Tony Barr [Trigger], Leonard Strong [Shorty], Henry Brandon [Pierre], Hugh Sanders [Cop on Pier], Frank Fontaine [Drunk], Chester Conklin [Spaghetti Victim], Percy Helton [Hotel Guest at murder site], Bess Flowers [Nightclub Extra], Bob Hope [Himself], Bing Crosby [Himself]

Musical Program: [0:04] I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine (sung by Dean Martin, sung and danced by Chorus Girls); [0:07] You Hit the Spot (sung by Dean Martin); [0:12] What Have You Done for Me Lately? (sung by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis); [0:53] San Domingo (sung by Carmen Miranda and Band); [0:55] The Bongo Bingo (sung and danced by Carmen Miranda, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis); [1:00] When Someone Wonderful Thinks You're Wonderful (sung by Dean Martin); [1:12] Mama, Yo Quiero (sung by Jerry Lewis impersonating Carmen Miranda); [1:14] The Enchilada Man (production number sung and danced by Dorothy Malone, Dean Martin, Carmen Miranda, Jerry Lewis and Chorus)

Scrooge
Waterbury Films / National General (UK), 1970, Color, 118 minutes, ***½
Released November, 1970

The spirit of Christmas becomes a musical celebration of life in this rousing adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved family classic, "A Christmas Carol."

Mean-spirited and stingy, Ebeneezer Scrooge (Albert Finney) has a sour face and "humbug" for anyone who crosses his path. But on this Christmas Eve, he will learn the horrible fate that awaits him if he continues his miserly ways. One by one, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take the startled Ebeneezer on an incredible journey through time - showing him in one magical night what takes most people a lifetime to learn.

Filled with eleven joyous songs and a supporting cast that includes Sir Alec Guinness, Dame Edith Evans and Kenneth More, this delightful tale is sure to enrich the lives of young and old alike for many more generations.   [from back of VHS sleeve]

Produced by: Robert H. Solo
Associate Producer: David W. Orton
Executive Producer: Leslie Bricusse
Production Manager: Ed Harper
Directed by: Ronald Neame
Assistant Director: Ted Sturgis
Screenplay by: Leslie Bricusse
Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Production Design: Terry Marsh
Music Conducted and Supervised by: Ian Fraser
Associate Musical Supervisor: Herbert W. Spencer
Music and Lyrics by: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Sequences Staged by: Paddy Stone
Production Design: Terry Marsh
Art Director: Bob Cartwright
Set Dresser: Pamela Cornell
Costume Designer: Margaret Furse
Makeup: George Frost
Hair Stylist: Bobbie Smith
Sound Supervisor: John Cox
Director of Photography: Oswald Morris
Special Effects: Wally Veevers
Special Effects Cameraman: Jack Mills
Filmed in Panavision, Colour by Humphries London
Prints by Technicolor
Film Editor: Peter Weatherley

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song Score, Best Song ("Thank You Very Much"), Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Best Costume Design

Cast: Albert Finney [Ebenezer Scrooge], Alec Guinness [Jacob Marley's Ghost], Edith Evans [Ghost of Christmas Past], Kenneth More [Ghost of Christmas Present], Paddy Stone [Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come], Laurence Naismith [Fezziwig], Michael Medwin [Nephew], David Collings [Bob Cratchit], Anton Rodgers [Tom Jenkins], Suzanne Neve [Isabel], Frances Cuka [Mrs. Cratchit], Derek Francis, Roy Kinnear [Portly Gentlemen], Mary Peach [Nephew's Wife], Kay Walsh [Mrs. Fezziwig], Gordon Jackson [Nephew's Friend], Richard Beaumont [Tiny Tim], Karen Scargill [Kathy Cratchit], Geoffrey Bayldon [Toyshop Owner], Molly Weir, Helena Gloag [Women Debtors], Reg Lever [Punch and Judy Man], Keith Marsh [Well Wisher], Marianne Stone [Party Guest]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra); [0:04] A Christmas Carol (sung by Chorus behind titles); [0:06] Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (excerpts sung by Urchin Carolers); [0:15] Christmas Children (sung by David Collings, Richard Beaumont and Karen Scargill); [0:21] I Hate People (sung by Albert Finney); [0:25] Farver Chris'mas (sung by Urchins); [0:38] See the Phantoms (sung by Alec Guiness with Choir); [0:44] A Christmas Carol (sung by Children); [0:48] December the 25th (sung and danced by Laurence Naismith and Ensemble); [0:52] You...You... (sung by Albert Finney); [0:53] Happiness (sung by Suzanne Neve); [0:56] You...You... (continued by Albert Finney); [0:59] You...You... (continued by Albert Finney); [1:05] I Like Life (sung by Kenneth More); [1:13] The Beautiful Day (sung by Richard Beaumont); [1:18] The Minister's Cat (parlor game sung and danced by party guests); [1:21] Happiness (sung by Albert Finney, sung by Suzanne Neve in background); [1:26] For He's a Jolly Good Fellow (sung by Crowd); [1:27] Thank You Very Much (sung by Anton Rogers, Albert Finney and Chorus); [1:31] The Beautiful Day (reprised by Richard Beaumont in background); [1:40] I'll Begin Again (sung by Albert Finney); [1:45] I Like Life (sung by Albert Finney); [1:48] Farver Chris'mas (reprised by Albert Finney and Urchins); [1:51] Thank You Very Much (sung and danced by Anton Rogers, Albert Finney and Chorus); [1:56] A Christmas Carol (reprised by Chorus at end of film); [1:56] Exit Music

Second Chorus
Paramount, 1940, B/W, 84 minutes, ***
Premiere release December, 1940
General release January, 1941

Trumpet-playing college students Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith vie for a place in Artie Shaw's band and the attentions of Paulette Goddard in this breezy musical that features such tunes as "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life?," "Poor Mr. Chisholm" and "I'm Yours."

NOTE: This film is apparently in the public domain. All VHS and DVDs available are mastered from prints; no studio-mastered VHS or DVD has been issued (to my knowledge).

Produced by: Boris Morros
Associate Producer: Robert Stillman
Production Manager: Joe Nadel
Directed by: H. C. Potter
Assistant Director: Edward Montagne
Associate Director: Frank Cavett
Screen Play by: Elaine Ryan and Ian McLellan Hunter
Contribution to Screen Play by: Johnny Mercer
Original Story by: Frank Cavett
Music by: Artie Shaw
Lyrics: Johnny Mercer
Associate Musical Director: Eddie Paul
Songs: "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life" (by) Artie Shaw; "Poor Mr. Chisholm" (by) Bernard Hanighen; "Dig It" (by) Hal Borne
Dance Director: Hermes Pan
Art Director: Boris Levin
Set Dresser: Howard Bristol
Wardrobe: Helen Taylor
Sound Recorder: William Wilmarth
Director of Photography: Theodor Sparkuhl
Film Editor: Jack Dennis
Assistant: Fred Feitshans

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Score (Artie Shaw) and Best Song ("Love of My Life", Johnny Mercer and Artie Shaw)

Cast: Fred Astaire [Danny O'Neill], Paulette Goddard [Ellen Miller], Artie Shaw [Artie Shaw], Charles Butterworth [Mr. Chisholm], Burgess Meredith [Hank Taylor], Frank Melton [Stu], Jimmy Conlin [Mr. Dunn], Don Brodie [Clerk], Marjorie Kane [Secretary], Joan Barclay [Receptionist], Willa Pearl Curtis [Scrubwoman], Additional Cast: Adia Kuznetzoff [Boris], Michael Visaroff [Sergai], Joseph Marievsky [Ivan], Billy Benedict [Ticket Taker], Ben Hall [Western Union Boy], Artie Shaw and His Band [Themselves]

Muscial Program: [0:00] unidentified instrumental number (played by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra behind titles); [0:01] Sugar (instrumental by Danny O'Neill's Perennials, Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith on Trumpet [onscreen]); [0:11] Everything's Jumping (instrumental played by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra); [0:14] Dig It (sung by Fred Astaire, danced by Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard); [0:22] Sweet Sue (instrumental played by Danny O'Neill's Perennials, Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith on Trumpet [onscreen]); [0:33] Love of My Life (sung by Fred Astaire accompanied by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra offscreen); [0:39] I'm Yours (instrumental played by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, Fred Astaire [onscreen] playing bad notes scribbled in by Burgess Meredith); [0:41] Double Mellow (instrumental by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, Burgess Meredith on trumpet [onscreen]); [0:45] The New Moon Is Shining (played by Russian band with Fred Astaire [onscreen], danced by Fred Astaire); [0:47] Love of My Life (played by Russian band, sung by Fred Astaire partially with non-sensical lyrics); [0:50] Beautiful Dreamer (sung by Charles Butterworth, Paulette Goddard on piano [onscreen], Charles Butterworth on mandolin [onscreen]); [0:57] Poor Mr. Chisholm (sung by Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith, Fred Astaire at the piano [onscreen]); [1:02] Hoe Down the Bayou (played by Fred Astaire on piano [onscreen], with commentary by Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith); [1:06] Poor Mr. Chisholm (reprised by Fred Astaire); [1:09] Concerto for Clarinet (instrumental played by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra); [1:18] Hoe Down the Bayou (played by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra conducted by Fred Astaire, danced by Fred Astaire); [1:23] Love of My Life (reprised by Fred Astaire, instrumental reprise under end-credits)

Second Fiddle
(aka Irving Berlin's Second Fiddle)
20th Century-Fox, 1939, B/W, 86 minutes, ***½
Released June, 1939

Minnesota schoolteacher Sonja Henie is tapped for Hollywood stardom by studio press agent Tyrone Power. Power creates a staged romance between Henie and co-star Rudy Vallee, but when she learns the love letters she's been receiving are fake, she heads back home with true admirer Power following her. The Irving Berlin score includes "Back to Back" and "I Poured My Heart Into Song.

This is a great film. Sonja gets some wonderful skating scenes, and it's a fun story spoofing the trouble MGM had in finding the female lead for "Gone with the Wind." In this case, the lead goes to Sonja, who is a school marm from a small town in Minnesota - you know, a real hick. But she learns Hollywood politics as fast as she learns her lines and soon becomes someone to reckon with! Lots of fun with Sonja, Ty Power, Rudey Vallee and the incomparable Edna May Oliver!

Produced by: Darryl F. Zanuck
Associate Producer: Gene Markey
Directed by: Sidney Lanfield
Screen Play by: Harry Tugend
Based on a Story by: George Bradshaw
Lyrics and Music by: Irving Berlin
Musical Director: Louis Silvers
Skating Ensembles Staged by: Harry Losee
Art Direction: Richard Day, Hans Peters
Set Decorations: Thomas Little
Costumes: Royer
Sound: W. D. Flick, Roger Heman
Director of Photography: Leon Shamroy
Film Editor: Robert L. Simpson

Awards: Nominated for Best Song Academy Award ("I Poured My Heart Into a Song")

Cast: Sonja Henie [Trudi Hovland], Tyrone Power [Jimmy Sutton], Rudy Vallee [Roger Maxwell], Edna May Oliver [Aunt Phoebe], Mary Healy [Jean Varick], Lyle Talbot [Willie Hogger], Alan Dinehart [George "Whit" Whitney], Minna Gombell [Jenny], Stewart Reburn [Skating Partner], Spencer Charters [Joe Clayton], Charles Lane [Voice of Chief], The Brian Sisters [Specialty], John Hiestand [Announcer], George Chandler [Taxi Driver], Irving Bacon [Justice of the Peace], Maurice Cass [Justice of the Peace], The King Sisters [Specialty]

Musical Program: [0:05] An Old Fashioned Tune Always Is New (sung by Rudy Vallee and Girls Chorus); [0:11] The Song of the Metronome (sung by the Brian Sisters and Childrens Chorus); [0:18] The Song of the Metronome (instrumental arrangement skated by Sonja Henie and Children); [0:33] Back to Back (sung by Mary Healy, danced by mixed Chorus and nightclub patrons, including Rudy Vallee with Sonja Henie and Ty Power with Edna May Oliver); [0:49] When Winter Comes (instrumental portion skated by Sonja Henie and Stewart Reburn on a beautiful black-and-white set; final chorus sung by Rudy Vallee); [0:54] I Poured My Heart Into a Song (sung by Tyrone Power as he composes the song); [0:57] I Poured My Heart Into a Song (instrumental arrangement danced by Rudy Valle and Sonja Henie, then sung by Rudy Vallee); [1:03] I'm Sorry for Myself (sung by Mary Healy, unidentified male quintet, the King Sisters and Chorus); [1:13] I Poured My Heart Into a Song (instrumental arrangement skated by Sonja Henie)

For more information see:


Sonja Henie Snapshot
Visit this Class Act Sister Site!

Walter Mitty, a daydreaming accountant with an overprotective mother, likes to imagine himself as a hero experiencing great adventures. His dream becomes true when he accidently meets a mysterious woman who hands him a little black book. According to her it contains the locations of the Dutch crown jewels hidden since World War II. Soon Mitty finds himself in the middle of a confusing conspiracy and has to admit that being a hero in real life isn't that easy.

Produced by: Samuel Goldwyn
Directed by: Norman Z. McLeod
Screen Play by: Ken Englund and Everett Freeman
From a story by James Thurber
Words and Music for "Symphony for Unstrung Tongue" and "Anatole of Paris" by Sylvia Fine
Music: David Raksin
Musical Direction: Emil Newman
Art Direction: George Jenkins, Perry Ferguson
Set Decorations: Casey Roberts
Costume Designer: Sharaff
Makeup: Robert Stephanoff
Hair Stylist: Marie Clark
Sound Recorder: Fred Lau
Director of Photography: Lee Garmes
Special Effects: John Tulton
In Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Mitchell Kovaleski
Film Editor: Monica Collingwood

Cast: Danny Kaye [Walter Mitty], Virginia Mayo [Rosalind van Hoorn], Boris Karloff [Dr. Hollingshead], Fay Bainter [Mrs. Mitty], Ann Rutherford [Gertrude Griswald], Thurston Hall [Bruce Pierce], Gordon Jones [Tubby Wadsworth], Florence Bates [Mrs. Griswald], Konstantin Shayne [Peter van Hoorn], Reginald Denny [Colonel], Henry Corden [Hendrick], Doris Lloyd [Mrs. Follinsbee], Fritz Feld [Anatole], Frank Reicher [Maasdam], Milton Parsons [Butler], The Goldwyn Girls [Models], Additional Cast: Mary Forbes [Mrs. Pierce], Helen Jerome Eddy [Lingerie Saleswoman], Bess Flowers [Illustrator]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:21] Symphony for Unstrung Tongue (The Little Fiddle) (performed by Danny Kaye and Orchestra); [1:11] Anatole of Paris (performed by Danny Kaye); "Beautiful Dreamer" is a theme in the background score.

Sensations
(aka "Sensations of 1945"; title reel reads "Sensations")
Astor Pictures / United Artists, 1944, B/W, 86 minutes, **½
Released June, 1944

Campy musical stars Eleanor Powell, Dennis O'Keefe, C. Aubrey Smith, W. C. Fields, Cab Calloway, Sophie Tucker and Eugene Pallette. Loaded with specialty numbers; contains the now-famous number where Eleanor tap-dances her way inside a giant pinball machine.

Eleanor Powell dreams up a publicity stunt for her nightclub act and ends up a partner in a publicity firm that specializes in sensationalistic publicity stunts. The film is a revue tied together with a light-weight plot, similar to Golddiggers, Broadway Melody and other of their ilk.

The circus acts are fun - especially the tightwire walker. And the music is GREAT! But other than that there isn't really much of interest in this last feature for Eleanor Powell. She made a guest appearance in Duchess of Idaho (1950), but this was her last starring role. She did keep busy with nightclub work, however, for many years.

This one is driving me crazy... trying to identify all the musical numbers and performers!

Produced and Directed by: Andrew Stone
Associate Producer: James Nasser
Production Manager: Carley Harriman
Assistant Director: Henry Kesler
Screen Play: Dorothy Bennett
Original Story: Frederick Jackson
Musical Direction: Mahlon Merrick
Ten Original Songs: Music by Al Sherman, Lyrics by Harry Tobias
Dances and Choreography: David Lichine
Associate Choreographer: Charles O'Curran
Art Direction: Charles Odds
Interior Decorator: Maurice Yates
Costume Design: Eleanor Behm
Make-up: Ted Larsen
Hairdresser: Scotty Rackin
Sound Technician: William Lynch
Directors of Photography: Peverell Marley, John Mescall
Film Editor: James E. Smith

Awards: Academy Award nomination for Best Score (Musical)

Cast: Eleanor Powell [Ginny Walker], Dennis O'Keefe [Junior Crane], C. Aubrey Smith [Dan Lindsay], Eugene Pallette [Gus Crane], Mimi Forsythe [Julia Westcott], Lyle Talbot [Randall], Hubert Castle [The Great Gustafson], Richard Hageman [Pendergast], Marie Blake [Miss Grear], Stanley Andrews [Mr. Collins], Joe Devlin [Silas Hawkins], George Humbert [Martinelli], Anthony Warde [Moroni], Ruth Lee [Mrs. Gustafson], Louise Currie [English Girl], Betty Wells [Girl in Penny Arcade], Bert Roach [Photographer], Grandon Rhodes [Doctor], Earle Hodgins [Detective], Constance Purdy [Mme. Angostina], W. C. Fields, Sophie Tucker, Dorothy Donegan, The Christianis, The Pallenberg Bears [Novelty Act], Cab Calloway and His Band, Woody Herman and His Orchestra, David Lichine, Wendell Niles, Gene Rodgers, The Les Paul Three, The Flying Copelands, Mel Hall, The Johnson Brothers, Willie Pratt [Guests]

Program: [0:00] Overture [0:02] unidentified instrumental (danced by Eleanor Powell and unidientified male dancer); [0:16] unidentified instrumental (played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra); [0:19] Circus in the Sky (sung and danced by Chorus Girls with gymnastics, juggling and other acts... a complete miniature circus); [0:30] The Great Gustafson walks a tight wire across the Royal Gorge in Colorado -- great F/X!; [0:38] Cab Calloway segment: We the Cats Shall Hep You (performed by Cab Calloway and His Band); [0:41] Mister Hepster's Dictionary (Cab Calloway and His Band); [0:44] Blanche Calloway (?) lady playing piano joined by a man... classical music seguing into swing - part of the Cab Calloway segment; jitterbuggers blocking traffic in Times Square cuz show is being broadcast on the big screen; it's great music!; [0:51] Penny Arcade Segment: No, Never (sung by Betty Wells and Les Paul); [0:56] Spin Little Pin Ball (sung by Woody Herman with His Orchestra, danced by Eleanor Powell as a pin ball in a giant pinball machine); [1:02] W. C. Fields skit with Louise Currie (a rather sad performance for his final film appearance before his death in 1946); [1:06] You Can't Sew a Button on a Heart (performed by Sophie Tucher); [1:11] Mammy o' Mine (sung by Sophie Tucker); [1:15] Divine Lady (instrumental played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra; danced by Eleanor Powell and Chorus; loads of girls doing cartwheels and splits; Eleanor Powell dances with a horse); [1:24] Sensations (sung by Chorus, danced by Eleanor Powell)

Serenade
Warner Bros., 1956, Color, 121 minutes
Released March, 1956

"Don't let anything sidetrack you," the impresario (Vincent Price) tells his new discovery. The young tenor (Mario Lanza) doesn't know it but he's already careening off the tracks. He's fallen for a socialite (Joan Fontaine) who uses men like pawns in her game of love.

A rising opera star's life is as turbulent as the on-stage roles he plays in this emotion-swept musical drama based on a James M. Cain novel and filmed almost entirely in Mexico. As the young vocalist who emerges from the obscurity of the vineyards, Lanza impressively hoists the lead role onto his wide shoulders. In a dazzling display of the power that made him a sensation of the musical screen, the renowned tenor sings "Ave Maria," excerpts from "La Bohéme," "Don Giovanni," "Otello" and "Il Trovatore," plus other selections from a long songlist, including "Serenade" and "My Destiny," written for the film by Nicholas Brodszky and Sammy Cahn. Bravo, Mario!   [from back of VHS sleeve]

Producer: Henry Blanke
Director: Anthony Mann
Screenplay: Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and John Twist
(based on the novel by James M. Cain)
Song Score: Nicholas Brodszky and Sammy Cahn
Art Direction: Edward Carrere
Set Decoration: William Wallace
Costume Design: Howard Shoup
Cinematography: J. Peverell Marley
Film Editing: William H. Ziegler

Cast: Mario Lanza [Damon Vincenti], Joan Fontaine [Kendall Hale], Sarita Montiel [Juana Montes], Vincent Price [Charles Winthrop], Joseph Calleia [Maestro Marcatello], Harry Bellaver [Monte], Vince Edwards [Marco Roselli], Silvio Minciotti [Lardelli], Frank Puglia [Manuel], Edward Platt [Carter], Frank Yaconelli [Giuseppe], Mario Siletti [Sanroma], Maria Serrano [Rosa], Eduardo Noriega [Felipe], Jean Fenn [Soprano], Joseph Vitale [Baritone], Victor Romito [Bass], Norma Zimmer [Mimi in "La Bohème"], Licia Albanese [Desdemona in "Otello"], Francis Barnes [Iago in "Otello"], Lillian Molieri [Tosca in "Tosca"], Laura Mason [Fedora in "Fedora"], Richard Cable [Shepherd Boy in "L'Arlesiana"], Richard Lert [Conductor in "L'Arlesiana"], Jose Govea [Paco], Antonio Triana [Man in the Bull], Nick Mora [Luigi the Waiter], Joe DeAngelo, William Fox, Jack Santoro [Busboys], Mickey Golden [Cabdriver], Elizabeth Flournoy [Elevator Operator], Creighton Hale [Assistant Stage Manager], Martha Acker [American Woman], Jose Torvay [Mariachi Leader], Don Turner [Bus Driver], Johnstone White [Hughes, the Butler], Ralph Volkie [Cop], Vincent Padula [Pagnil], Stephen Bekassy [Hanson], Leo Mostovoy [Chief], Martin Garralaga [Romero], Perk Lazello, April Stride, Diane Gump [Party Guests]

Musical Program: Serenade (Mario Lanza); My Destiny (Mario Lanza); Torna a Sorrento (Mario Lanza); Nessun dorma (from the opera TURANDOT, sung by Mario Lanza); Ave Maria (Mario Lanza); Italian Tenor Aria (from the opera DER ROSENKAVALIER, sung by Mario Lanza); Lamento di Federico (from the opera L'ARLESIANA, sung by Mario Lanza); Amor ti vieta (from the opera FEDORA, sung by Mario Lanza); Il mio tesoro (from the opera DON GIOVANNI, sung by Mario Lanza); La Danza (Mario Lanza); Di quella pira (from the opera IL TROVATORE, sung by Mario Lanza); O Paradiso, sorti de l'onde (from the opera L'AFRICAINE, sung by Mario Lanza); O soave fanciulla (from the opera LA BOHÉME, sung by Mario Lanza and Jean Fenn); Dio ti giocondi (from the opera OTELLO, sung by Mario Lanza and Licia Albanese)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(aka Sergeant Pepper's)
Geria / Universal, 1978, Color, 111 minutes, ***
Released July, 1978

Legend has it that during World War I, enemies would lay down their arms each time Sgt. Pepper and His Lonely Hearts Club Band played. It was later discovered that Sgt. Pepper's musical instruments had the power to make dreams come true.

Twenty years later, Sgt. Pepper's grandson carries on the tradition of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. But as the band gains fame, they also gain enemies.

Patricia Birch choreographed and Michael Schultz directed this musical wonder that features several rock groups and many surprise stars such as Donald Pleasence, Steve Martin and George Burns along with a super score consisting of many magical Beatles' hits by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
[from back of VHS sleeve]

Produced by: Robert Stigwood
Associate Producer: Bill Oakes
Executive Producer: Dee Anthony
Executive in Charge of Production: Roger M. Rothstein
Directed by: Michael Schultz
Assistant Director: L. Andrew Stone
Written by: Henry Edwards
Music and Lyrics by: John Lennon and Paul McCartney
"Here Comes the Sun" Music and Lyric by George Harrison
Stage Production Conceived and Adapted by: Robin Wagner and Tom O'Horgan
Music Arranged and Directored by: George Martin
Production Designer: Brian Eatwell
Choreography by: Patricia Birch
Associate Choreographer: Harry Naughton
Set Decorator: Marvin March
Costume Design: May Routh
Make-up Artist: Ben Nye II
Hair Stylist: Kathy Blondell
Director of Photography: Owen Roizman
Special Effects: Phil Cory
Filmed in Panavision, Color by Technicolor
Edited by: Christopher Holmes

Cast: Peter Frampton [Billy Shears], Barry Gibb [Mark Henderson], Robin Gibb [Dave Henderson], Maurice Gibb [Bob Henderson], Frankie Howerd [Mean Mr. Mustard], Paul Nicholas [Dougie Shears], Donald Pleasence [B. D. Brockhurst], Introducing Sandy Farina [Strawberry Fields], Dianne Steinberg [Lucy], Steve Martin [Dr. Maxwell Edison], Aerosmith [Future Villain], Alice Cooper [Father Sun], Earth, Wind and Fire [Benefit Performers], Billy Preston [Sgt. Pepper], Stargard [The Diamonds], George Burns [Mr. Kite / Narrator], Carel Struycken [The Brute], Patti Jerome [Saralinda Shears], Max Showalter [Ernest Shears], John Wheeler [Mr. Fields], Jay W. MacIntosh [Mrs. Fields], Eleanor Zee [Mrs. Henderson], Scott Manners [Young Sgt. Pepper], Stanley Coles, Stanley Sheldon, Bob Mayo [Young Lonely Hearts Club Band], Woodrow Chambliss [Old Sgt. Pepper], Hank Worden, Morgan Farley, Delos V. Smith [Old Lonely Hearts Club Band], Pat Cranshaw [Western Union Messenger], Teri Lynn Wood [Bonnie], Tracy Justrich [Tippy], Anna Rodzianko, Rose Aragon [The Computerettes], Peter Allen, Keith Allison, George Benson, Elvin Bishop, Stephen Bishop, Jack Bruce, Keith Carradine, Carol Channing, Charlotte, Sharon and Ula, Jim Dandy, Sarah Dash, Rick Derringer, Barbara Dickson, Donovan, Randy Edelman, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliciano, Leif Garrett, Geraldine Granger, Adrian Gurvitz, Billy Harper, Eddie Harris, Heart, Nona Hendryx, Barry Humphries, Etta James, Dr. John, Bruce Johnston, Joe Lala, D. C. LaRue, Joe Leb, Marcy Levy, Mark Lindsay, Nils Lofgren, Jackie Lomax, John Mayall, Curtis Mayfield, Cousin Bruce Morrow, Peter Noone, Alan O'Day, Lee Oskar, The Paley Brothers, Robert Palmer, Wilson Pickett, Anita Pointer, Bonnie Raitt, Helen Reddy, Minnie Riperton, Chita Rivera, Johnny Rivers, Monte Rock III, Danielle Rowe, Sha-Na-Na, Del Shannon, Joe Simon, Seals & Croft, Connie Stevens, Al Stewart, John Stewart, Tina Turner, Frankie Valli, Gwen Verdon, Diane Vincent, Grover Washington, Jr., Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Winter, Wolfman Jack, Bobby Womack, Alan White, Lenny White, Margaret Whiting, Gary Wright [Our Guests at Heartland]

Musical Program: [0:00] Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (played by Marching Band); [0:05] Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (sung by Bee Gees and Paul Nicholas); [0:07] With a Little Help from My Friends (sung by Peter Frampton and Bee Gees); [0:10] Fixing a Hole (sung by George Burns); [0:12] Getting Better (sung by Peter Frampton and Bee Gees); [0:16] Here Comes the Sun (sung by Sandy Farina); [0:20] I Want You (She's So Heavy) (sung by Bee Gees, Dianne Steinberg, Paul Nicholas, Donald Pleasance and Stargard); [0:30] Good Morning, Good Morning (sung by Paul Nicholas, Peter Frampton and Bee Gees); [0:32] Nowhere Man (sung by Bee Gees); [0:34] Polythene Pam (sung by Bee Gees); [0:35] She Came in through the Bathroom Window (sung by Peter Frampton and Bee Gees); [0:37] Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) (sung by Peter Frampton and Bee Gees); [0:39] Mean Mr. Mustard (sung by Frankie Howerd); [0:43] She's Leaving Home (sung by Bee Gees, Jay MacIntosh and John Wheeler); [0:47] Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (sung by Dianne Steinberg and Stargard); [0:51] Oh Darling (sung by Robin Gibb); [0:55] Maxwell's Silver Hammer (sung by Steve Martin); [1:01] Because (sung by Alice Cooper and Bee Gees); [1:05] Strawberry Fields Forever (sung by Sandy Farina); [1:09] Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (sung by Maurice Gibb, Peter Frampton, Bee Gees and George Burns); [1:13] You Never Give Me Your Money (sung by Paul Nicholas and Dianne Steinberg); [1:16] Got to Get You into My Life (sung by Earth, Wind & Fire); [1:22] When I'm 64 (sung by Frankie Howerd and Sandy Farina); [1:25] Come Together (sung by Aerosmith); [1:30] Golden Slumbers (sung by Peter Frampton); [1:32] Carry That Weight (sung by Bee Gees); [1:34] The Long and Winding Road (sung by Peter Frampton); [1:37] A Day in the Life (sung by Barry Gibb and Bee Gees); [1:41] Get Back (sung and danced by Billy Preston); [1:44] Finale: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (sung by the Guests of Heartland); [1:46] She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Sgt. Pepper's Heart Club Band [sung by The Beatles behind end credits]

Jane Powell and Howard Keel are exuberant as the rapturous Oregon frontier newlyweds singing love songs by Johnny Mercer and Gene De Paul from Adolph Deutsch's Academy Award-winning score. The rollicking M-G-M musical, directed by Stanley Donen, garnered four additional Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

When Milly (Powell) discovers that her bridal cottage is also home to Adam's (Keel) six strapping backwoods bachelor brothers, she gives them a crash course in romancing and grooming and dispatches them to town to find wives. The adventure really begins when they court six beautiful girls. Stephen Vincent Benet's wry tale "The Sobbin' Women" inspired the rip-roaring screen version by Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley.

New York City Ballet star Jacques d'Amboise, West Side Story's Russ Tamblyn, and principal dancers from Broadway and Hollywood sparkle in the vigorous choreography of famed Michael Kidd (Guys and Dolls and Broadway's "Can-Can").
[from back of VHS sleeve]

Really fun movie with some fantastic music and dancing! The Barn-raising Ballet is one of the best dance numbers ever filmed! Though it was a "back-lot production," this was MGM's biggest hit of 1954.

The Couples are: Howard Keel and Jane Powell [Adam and Milly], Jeff Richards and Julie Newmeyer [Benjamin and Dorcas], Matt Mattox and Ruta Kilmonis [Caleb and Ruth], Marc Platt and Norma Doggett [Daniel and Martha], Jacques D'Amboise and Virginia Gibson [Ephraim and Liza], Tommy Rall and Betty Carr [Frank and Sarah], Russ Tamblyn and Nancy Kilgas [Gideon and Alice]

Setting: Oregon Territory, 1890.

Produced by: Jack Cummings
Directed by: Stanley Donen
Assistant Director: Ridgeway Callow
Screen Play by: Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley
Based on the Story "The Sobbin' Women" by Stephen Vincent Benet
Musical Direction: Adolph Deutsch
Musical Supervision: Saul Chaplin
Lyrics by: Johnny Mercer
Music by: Gene DePaul
Orchestrations: Alexander Courage, Conrad Salinger and Leo Arnaud
Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by: Michael Kidd
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis, Hugh Hunt
Costumes Designed by: Walter Plunkett
Hair Styles by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: William Tuttle
Recording Supervisor: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography: George Folsey
Special Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe
Filmed in CinemaScope, Color by Ansco
Color Consultant: Alvord Eiseman
Film Editor: Ralph E. Winters

Awards: Academy Award for Best Score, Musical (Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin). Academy Award Nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Dorothy Kingsley), Best Color Cinematography (George Folsey) and Best Film Editing (Ralph E. Winters)

Ranked 21 in the AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals

Cast: Howard Keel [Adam Pontipee], Jane Powell [Milly], Jeff Richards [Benjamin Pontipee], Julie Newmeyer [Newmar] [Dorcas], Russ Tamblyn [Gideon Pontipee], Nancy Kilgas [Alice], Tommy Rall [Frank Pontipee], Betty Carr [Sarah], Marc Platt [Daniel Pontipee], Virginia Gibson [Liza], Matt Mattox [Caleb Pontipee], Ruta Kilmonis (aka Ruta Lee) [Ruth], Jacques d'Amboise [Ephraim Pontipee], Norma Doggett [Martha], Ian Wolfe [Rev. Elcott], Howard Petrie [Pete Perkins], Earl Barton [Harry], Dante DiPaolo [Matt], Kelly Brown [Carl], Matt Moore [Ruth's Uncle], Dick Rich [Dorcas' Father], Marjorie Wood [Mrs. Bixby], Russell Simpson [Mr. Bixby], Additional Cast: Anna Q. Nilsson [Mrs. Elcott], Larry Blake [Drunk], Lois Hall [Girl], Jarma Lewis [Lem's Girlfriend], Walter Beaver [Lem], Sheila James [Dorcas' Sister]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:04] Bless Your Beautiful Hide (sung by Howard Keel); [0:13] Wonderful, Wonderful Day (sung by Jane Powell); [0:26] When You're in Love (sung by Jane Powell); [0:34] Goin' Co'tin' (sung and danced by Jane Powell, Tommy Rall, Russ Tamblyn, Marc Platt, Matt Mattox, Jacques D'Amboise, Jeff Richards, Howard Hudson, Gene Lanham and Robert Wacker); [0:40] Barn Dance (instrumental, danced by principles and ensemble); [0:55] When You're in Love (reprised by Howard Keel); [0:57] Lament (Lonesome Polecat) (sung and danced by Matt Mattox, Tommy Rall, Russ Tamblyn, Marc Platt, Jacques D'Amboise, Jeff Richards and the MGM Studio Chorus); [1:03] Sobbin' Women (sung by Howard Keel, Tommy Rall, Russ Tamblyn, Matt Mattox, Marc Platt, Jeff Richards, Jacques D'Amboise [onscreen] with C. Parlato, Robert Wacker, Gene Lanham and M. Spergel, Alan Davies [offscreen]); [1:23] June Bride (sung and danced by Virginia Gibson, Julie Newmeyer, Nancy Kilgas, Betty Carr, Ruta Kilmonis and Norma Doggett [onscreen], Virginia Gibson, Barbara Ames, Betty Allan, Betty Noyes, Marie Vernon and Norma Zimmer [offscreen]); [1:27] Spring, Spring, Spring (sung by Tommy Rall, Betty Carr, Jeff Richards, Julie Newmeyer, Marc Platt, Norma Doggett, Matt Mattox, Ruta Kilmonis, Jacques D'Amboise, Virginia Gibson, Russ Tamblyn and Nancy Kilgas [onscreen]; Howard Keel, Tommy Rall, Russ Tamblyn, Matt Mattox, Alan Davies, C. Parlato, Robert Wacker, Gene Lanham, M. Spergel, Bill Lee, Virginia Gibson, Barbara Ames, Betty Allan, Betty Noyes, Marie Vernon and Norma Zimmer [offscreen]); [1:41] Bless Your Beautiful Hide (instrumental arrangement played by Orchestra at end of movie and behind end credits)