1h 30min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 10 November 1950 | Color
Director: Roy Rowland
Stars: Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Louis Calhern, Ann Harding, Phyllis Kirk, Carleton Carpenter, Debbie Reynolds, Clinton Sundberg.
Busby Berkeley ... choreographer
Alex Romero ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043081/
Could have been in the Tap! appendix for Carleton Carpenter and Debbie Reynolds.
Could have been in the Tap! appendix for Carleton Carpenter and Debbie Reynolds.
Songs performed (28 chapters with menu):
ch2. A Heart That's Free, Performed by Jane Powell during the opening scene
ch6. That's How I Need You, Performed by Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter, and three boys while at the player piano
ch7. The Oceana Roll, Performed by Jane Powell and chorus
ch10. Aba Daba Honeymoon, Performed by Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter and chorus
ch12. By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Performed by Louis Calhern, Ann Harding, Ricardo Montalban, Phyllis Kirk, Jane Powell and chorus while boating on the lake
ch22. My Beautiful Lady, Performed by chorus during Patti's dream sequence
ch23. My Hero, Performed by Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban and chorus during Patti's dream sequence
ch24. Row, Row, Row, Performed by Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter at the talent show
ch26. A media luz, Danced by Jane Powell and Ricardo Montalban in the final tango dance sequence
A semi-interesting tale of the tyranny of social mores, this centered around clothing as a symbol of passage. Both boys wearing knickers and girls wearing long dresses, but especially corsets are the focus. JP can't join the post-18 crowd because if a young man dances with her, he'll know she's not wearing a corset.
Since I'm not a fan of coming-of-age tales, this doesn't thrill me. And the music is old-timey, which is a bore. I love to watch RM dance, but this is just social dancing, so not "worthwhile". And what's described in the Soundtracks as a tango is very tame and waltzy. So this is a big "meh" from me.
MGM, dir. Rowland; 6