Monday, March 12, 2018

A Song for Miss Julie (1945), 5+

A Broadway writing team visits the granddaughter and great-great-granddaughters of a songwriter for his life story. An old diary holds interesting stories, but granny is protective of the family reputation. New romance complicates things.
1h 9min | Music, Romance | 19 February 1945
Director: William Rowland
Stars: Shirley Ross, Barton Hepburn, Jane Farrar.
Larry Ceballos ... choreographer

Watched online; bad dark fuzzy print.

Lillian Randolph (1898–1980) plays the maid. Her face is familiar, but not her name.

4 songs in the Soundtracks with no performers lists; all Lyrics by Marla Shelton, Music by Del Cleveland.

2 ballet dancers listed in the onscreen credits as themselves: Alicia Markova, Anton Dolin. We get the first ballet at ~22.5, a fantasy sequence as the writer describes how the song should be staged. Unfortunate camera use: just one wide shot for the entire sequence.

~43 SR sings in Bayou production number; more from the male ballet dancer (I assume).

~62 The Bayou Call reprise with much more dancing by a duo (the ballet dancers?).

I wouldn't mind seeing a good print of this for the dance numbers. 

Republic, dir. Rowland; 5+