1h 44min | Comedy, Drama, Musical | September 1952
Director: Elliott Nugent
Stars: Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, Ethel Barrymore, Natalie Wood.
Helen Tamiris ... choreographer
Julie Newmar is credited as a chorine, the very tall one in green, who hand-dances behind BC before kicking up high in the opening Bahia number, and with a whirligig in the Guadalupe number; her 2nd of 31 film credits, as she was in She's Working Her Way Through College ('52).
This the 2nd of 3 film credits for this choreographer; very rare to see a woman at the helm, and we get plenty of good ensemble dancing here, as we did in Up in Central Park ('48, Universal).
JW (and the dancers) wear some terrific gowns/costumes onstage.
This story has heart, with BC trying to connect with his teenage kids. They live in the lap of luxury, but with little parenting. Yet neither really acts out too badly.
JW plays a very well-adjusted B'way star, a good love-match for BC and his kids.
10 songs performed per the Soundtrack. Paramount doesn't understand about labeling the 16 chapters so you can find songs on the menu:
- ch1. I'll Si-Si Ya in Bahia, Performed by Bing Crosby, danced by ensemble; twice a plane flies overhead onstage (rear projection, backdrop, model?)
- ch3. He's Just Crazy for Me, Performed by Jane Wyman
- ch4. Call Me Tonight, Partially sung by Robert Arthur, Performed by Bing Crosby
- ch5. Checkin' My Heart, Performed by Jane Wyman, strange triptych mirror sequence (chroma key, but it's onstage, with 3 extra images of JW)
- ch7. Zing a Little Zong, Performed by Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, and chorus at party
- ch10. The Live Oak Tree, Performed by Bing Crosby and schoolgirls
- ch11. The Maiden of Guadalupe, Performed by Jane Wyman and story danced by ensemble & 3 specialty dancers; the floor where JW is singing changes throughout the number: 3 segments painted as the story (in the song) progresses.
- ch13. On the 10:10 (From Ten-Ten-Tennessee), Performed by Bing Crosby and Ben Lessy
- ch15. Just for You, Performed by Bing Crosby
- ch16. reprises of Bahia by BC & quintet, Zing by BC & JW
- ch??. Zin Zin Zin, Sung by Flo Sandon's
Paramount, dir. Nugent; 7+
