1h 38min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 9 September 1948 | Color
Director: Richard Whorf
Stars: George Brent, Jane Powell, Lauritz Melchior, Xavier Cugat.
Nick Castle ... choreographer
Watched online; blurry. Try a different copy next time.
Per Soundtracks, 14 songs performed, including opera (Melchior), JP's style, and Latin (Cugat). Not sure what NC would have choreographed.
JP (b. '29) is still a teenager, playing 16 here. She ditches school (missing finals), stows away on the luxury liner her father captains, and manages to sing with LM and with XC, and guide her widowed father's lovelife toward the woman who "rescues" JP from having to scrub floors during the voyage. Said benefactress also buys her some swell gowns for the nightlife aboard, and JP starts to look more her own age. Complicating the romance plot is a soprano, feuding with LM, but chasing GB (JP's father).
It's pleasant, and deserves to be seen in a better print. The song choices for LM were so-so; I've seen more enjoyable from him. The first song of the film also serves as the final song, where LM & JP duet.
MGM, dir. Whorf; 6+
