Anchors Aweigh *** - Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra dance and sing up a
genial storm as sailors on leave. Don't miss Kelly's dance with Jerry the animated mouse.
Belle of the Yukon ** - Randolph Scott and Gypsy Rose Lee trudge about the Klondike.
Billy Rose's Diamond Horshoe ** - Betty Grable falls for
medical student Dick Haymes, with Billy Gaxton wasted as the guy who
loses the girl
Blonde from Brooklyn
Blonde Ransom
Bring on the Girls ** - A young millionaire joins the navy to
escape gold-digging women . Highlight: Spike Jones and his wacky band.
Delightfully Dangerous ** - Jane Powell finds out her sister
is a stripper – jeepers!
Diamond Horseshoe ** - Betty Grable and pop singer Dick
Haymes find romance in the legendary NY nightspot – good numbers, lifeless story.
Dixie Jamboree
Doll Face ** - Vivian Blaine moves from burlesque to Broadway
while falling for Perry Como.
Dolly Sisters, The *** - Betty Grable and June Haver in
pleasant bio of the famous vaudeville team. Highlight: "I Can't Begin to Tell You."
Duffy's Tavern
Eadie Was a Lady
Earl Carroll Vanities ** - Meager attempt to bring Carroll's
saucy stage revues to the screen.
Easy to Look At
Gay Senorita, The
George White's Scandals of 1945 ** - Jack Haley has good
moments in this creaky backstage yarn.
Her Lucky Night ** - The Andrews Sisters as Manhattan night
club singers.
Here Come the Blondes
Hitchhike to Happiness
Honeymoon Ahead
I Love a Bandleader
I'll Tell the World
Incendiary Blonde *** - Betty Hutton as 1920s
celebrity Texas Guinan. Period songs make up for the sanitized
story.
Let's Go Steady
Mexicana
Naughty Nineties, The ** - Abbott & Costello on a show
boat. Old tunes and old routines.
Nob Hill
On Stage Everybody * - Lackluster behind the scenes look at a
fictional radio variety show.
Out of This World ** - Genial Eddie Bracken becomes a popular
crooner – vocals dubbed by Bing Crosby.
Pan-Americana ** - Reporters travel through South America,
stumbling across various RKO contact performers along the way. Less than thrilling.
Patrick the Great
Penthouse Rhythm
Radio Stars on Parade
Rhapsody in Blue *** - Robert Alda stars in a highly
fictionalized bio of George Gershwin. Great songs, plus turns by Al Jolson and Oscar Levant.
Rockin' in the Rockies * - The Three Stooges run a ranch.
Strictly for fans.
See My Lawyer
Senorita From the West
Shady Lady
Sing Your Way Home * - Jack Haley shepherds teenagers home to
US after WW II. Waterlogged nonsense.
Song of the Sarong
State Fair **** - Farm family
finds love and blue ribbons at the Iowa State Fair in this
all-American winner. Rodgers &
Hammerstein's superb score includes "It Might as Well Be
Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing."
Stork Club, The ** - Betty Hutton works hat check in the
legendary nightclub. A promising idea that goes nowhere.
Sunbonnet Sue ** - Gale Storm works in her father's
Bowery saloon.
Swing Out, Sister
Tell It To a Star
That Night With You
That's the Spirit * - Ghost returns to apologize
to his wife. Too silly to bear.
Three Caballeros, The **** - Animated winner from
Disney has Donald Duck traveling everywhere from Mexico to the inner
reaches of the imagination.
Thrill of Romance, The
Tonight and Every Night *** - Rita Hayworth goes on with the
show in war-torn Britain.
Under Western Skies (not seen)
Where Do We Go from Here? *** - Fred MacMurray travels back
across American history, with an ambitious Kurt Weill-Ira
Gershwin score.
Wonder Man *** - Great special effects and Danny Kaye playing
twins make this worth catching.
Yolanda and the Thief ** - Fred Astaire tries to convince
convent girl Lucille Bremer that he's her guardian angel. This one has
its fans, but I'm not one of them.
1946
Bamboo Blonde, The
Blue Skies *** - Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby battle for the same girl, set to some great
Irving Berlin tunes. A blatant rehash of the Holiday Inn (1942)
formula, but the stars make it great fun.
Centennial Summer ** - Sisters seek romance in 1876
Philadelphia, set to an unremarkable Jerome Kern score. Weak rip off
of Meet Me in St. Louis.
Cinderella Jones
Cross My Heart
Cuban Pete
Do You Love Me ** - Dick Haymes as a bandleader in love.
Doll Face
Earl Carroll Sketchbook
Easy to Wed ** - When playgirl Esther Williams sues a newspaper
for libel, the paper hires playboy Van Johnson to compromise her.
Colorful but unexciting formula entertainment.
Freddie Steps Out
Harvey Girls, The *** - Judy Garland heads a team of
waitresses trying to bring civilization to the Wild West. Fun numbers
like "On the Atchison Topeka" help immensely.
High School Hero
Hit the Hay
Holiday in Mexico
If I'm Lucky ** - Harry James and his big band get mixed up
with politics. Pretty dull, even with Carmen Miranda on hand.
It's Great To Be Young
Jolson Story, The **** - Larry Parks does some swell lip
synching in this fictionalized but
delightful bio, energized by Jolson's renditions of his hits.
Junior Prom
Kid From Brooklyn, The
Make Mine Music *** - Ten animated Disney shorts, some better
than others. Best bits include "Peter and the Wolf" and an
operatic whale.
Margie
Meet Me On Broadway
Night and Day ** - Cary Grant as Cole Porter? Ignore the
fictitious plot and enjoy the songs. Highlight: Mary Martin as herself.
No Leave, No Love
People Are Funny
Road to Utopia *** - Hope & Crosby in top form.
Sing While You Dance
Singin' in the Corn * - Judy Canova in the desert.
"Corn" is no match for "Rain."
Slightly Scandalous
Song of the South *** - Unhappy child finds solace in an old
man's fables. Politically incorrect but entertaining.
Susie Steps Out
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Swing Parade of 1946
Talk About a Lady
Tars and Spars ** - A Coast Guard camp show boasts young Sid
Caesar and a rare film
appearance by stage star Alfred Drake.
Three Little Girls in Blue *** - Predictable but fun tale of three
sisters in search of rich husbands helped by a good score and solid
cast.
Thrill of Brazil, The ** - Minor romantic shenanigans in
South America.
Till the Clouds Roll By *** - Highly fictionalized screen bio of
Jerome Kern packed with great songs and cameo performances by top MGM stars.
Time, the Place and the Girl, The * - Dull backstage tale.
Two Sisters from Boston *** - Kathryn Grayson and June
Allyson go to work in Jimmy Durante's Bowery saloon. A triumph of
MGM style.
Ziegfeld Follies *** - MGM's grandest all-star revue,
with enough dazzling bits to offset the few squeakers. Astaire &
Kelly's duet is priceless, as is Garland's
"Interview."
1947
Beat the Band
Boy! What a Girl *** - Great fun as producers struggle to win backing for
an all-black musical. Some super
jitterbug routines.
Calendar Girl
Carnegie Hall *** - Tale of an aspiring pianist
is an excuse to tort out some of the greatest classical musicians of
the 1940s in rare screen appearances.
Carnival in Costa Rica * - Dick Haymes and Vera Ellen on a
honeymoon trip to boredom.
Cigarette Girl
Copacabana ** - Even the combo of Carmen Miranda and Groucho
Marx as her agent can't breathe life into this dud.
Down to Earth ** - Rita Hayworth as the Goddess of Dance
comes to earth to help a troubled Broadway musical – pity she
couldn't fix this
film.
Fabulous Dorseys, The * - Even Dorsey fans will have trouble
stomaching this syrupy bio of Tom & James.
Fiesta * - Esther Williams takes an ill-advised trip south of
the border with Ricardo Montalban.
Fun and Fancy Free *** - Mickey Mouse in Disney's charming animated take on
Jack and the Beanstalk. Second section
on Bongo is less memorable.
Glamour Girl
Good News *** - June Allyson and Peter Lawford in a breezy
remake of the classic college musical. Great songs and top-notch dance sequences.
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now ** - Songwriter finds love in
the 1890s. Fun period tunes are the only signs of life.
I'll Be Yours
It Happened in Brooklyn ** - Frank Sinatra woos and loses
Kathryn Grayson as Jimmy Durante cheers him on. Best moment: "The Song's Gotta
Come From the Heart."
Ladies Man
Linda Be Good
Little Miss Broadway
Living In a Big Way
Love and Learn
Mother Wore Tights *** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey in
one of their better backstage love stories. Colorful production, great
score.
My Wild Irish Rose
New Orleans ** - Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong and other
greats make
this a priceless visual record of vintage jazz performances.
Northwest Outpost ** - Nelson Eddy's last film is a tired
Yukon operetta by Friml.
Perils of Pauline *** - Betty Hutton as silent movie queen
Pearl White. Some funny moments and a Frank Loesser score.
Sarge Goes to College
Shocking Miss Pilgrim, The ** - Betty Grable as an 1870s
business woman. Boring but somewhat redeemed by several lesser
Gershwin songs.
Something in the Wind ** - Deanna Durbin as
a singing disc jockey.
Song of Sheherezade
That's My Gal
This Time for Keeps ** - Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante,
Xavier Cugat and lots of water.
Two Blondes and a Redhead
Unfinished Dance, The ** - Margaret O'Brien as an orphan who
worships ballerina Cyd Charisse. Unpleasantly teary.
Variety Girl
Wake Up and Dream
Welcome Stranger
1948
A Date with Judy *** - Jane Powell sings "It's a Most
Unusual Day" in a genial family film. Wallace Beery's dance with
Carmen Miranda is a hoot.
A Song is Born
April Showers
Are You With It
Big City
Campus Honeymoon
Campus Sleuth
Casbah *** - Unlikely fun with Tony Martin as a thief in old
Algiers. Harold Arlen tunes are an asset.
Countess of Monte Cristo, The
Easter Parade **** - Fred Astaire and Judy Garland as
vaudeville dance team, with great songs by Irving Berlin. Anne Miller
dazzles, and Jules Munshin's salad routine is a hoot.
Emperor Waltz, The *** - Bing Crosby sells record players and
tangles with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. Pleasant, lavishly
produced silliness.
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
Give My Regards to Broadway ** - A family vaudeville act
comes to the end of the line. Despite Dan Dailey and Charles
Winninger, this is no winner.
I Surrender Dear
If You Knew Susie
Isn't It Romantic?
Kissing Bandit, The * - Frank Sinatra as a singing
Zorro? Hopeless embarrassment, save for a dazzling
dance routine by Cyd Charisse.
Ladies of the Chorus
Lulu Belle
Luxury Liner
Manhattan Angel
Mary Lou
Melody Time
On An Island With You
One Sunday Afternoon ** - Dennis Morgan as a dentist
wondering if he married the right girl. You'll know you're
watching the wrong movie.
One Touch of Venus* - Most of Kurt Weill's stage score is cut
and Ava Gardner's singing is dubbed -- what else do I need to tell you?
Pirate, The *** - Judy Garland thinks acrobat Gene Kelly
is a bloodthirsty pirate. Arch style and sub-par Porter score
keep this from being all it might have been, but you'll never forget
Kelly in black hot pants.
Road to Rio ** - Hope & Crosby on another journey.
Romance On the High Seas
So Dear to My Heart *** - Unlikely Disney tuner about a
boy and his sheep works thanks to a good cast and charming score.
Song Is Born, A ** - Scholars research jazz. Danny Kaye
provides laughs, while Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and
more provide the music.
Summer Holiday ** - Mickey Rooney stars in handsome but
mediocre musical version of Eugene O'Neill's Ah Wilderness.
That Lady in Ermine ** - Doug Fairbanks Jr. conquers princess
Betty Grable's little kingdom. Director Ernst Lubitsch died during filming.
Three Daring Daughters ** - Jeanette MacDonald is a divorced
editor whose daughters rebel when she announces plans to remarry.
Two Guys From Texas
Up In Central Park - Deanna Durbin in Romberg's stage hit.
When My Baby Smiles at Me ** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey go
from burlesque to Broadway, with the usual misunderstandings. So-so.
Words and Music ** - Screen bio of Rodgers & Hart bears
little similarity to their real lives, but there are great musical
numbers aplenty. Includes Rooney & Garland's last screen duet,
"I Wish I Were in Love Again."
You Were Meant for Me ** - Jeanne Crain marries a band leader.
1949
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
Court ** - Bing Crosby stars, but this is no match for the Rodgers & Hart
stage version.
Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The *** - Wind in the
Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow paired in animated
Disney double feature. Bing Cosby voices the latter delightfully.
Always Leave Them Laughing
Barkleys of Broadway, The *** - Fred Astaire reunites with
Ginger Rogers in this tale of a fictional show biz couple. Okay story
enlivened by some enjoyable musical numbers.
Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend, The
Dancing in the Dark ** - William Powell learns the unknown
performer he has discovered is his daughter.
Holiday in Havana
In the Good Old Summertime *** - Judy Garland and Van Johnson
as battling coworkers who don't know they are pen pals. Great period songs,
handsome production, and Liza Minnelli makes her debut in the final shot.
Inspector General, The *** - Danny Kaye hilarious as a phony
diplomat.
It's a Great Feeling
Jolson Sings Again *** - Okay sequel energized by Jolson's
super vocals.
Ladies of the Chorus * - Marilyn Monroe as a burlesque
dancer. Luckily, she went on to far better things.
Look For the Silver Lining ** - June Haver stars in weak bio
of stage legend Marilyn Miller. Ray Bolger's amazing dance solo steals
the film.
Make Believe Ballroom
Make Mine Laughs
My Dream Is Yours ** - Doris Day becomes a radio star and
even hangs out with Bugs Bunny.
Neptune's Daughter *** - Esther Williams is a bathing suit
designer in one of her better vehicles. The score includes "Baby, It's Cold Outside."
Oh, You Beautiful Doll ** - June Haver in clichéd romance circa
1900.
On the Town *** - Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin
as sailors on leave in New York. Breezy fun, great dancing.
Red, Hot and Blue ** - Betty Hutton seeks stardom -- no relation to Broadway hit of the same
name.
Slightly French
Take Me Out to the Ball Game *** - Gene Kelly and Frank
Sinatra as vaudevillian baseball stars, with Esther Williams as their
new team owner. Fun numbers, directed by Busby Berkeley.
That Midnight Kiss ** - Mario Lanza woos Kathryn Grayson.
Lavish production and some pretty high notes, but oh, that plot!
Top O' The Morning
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
You're My Everything ** - Dan Dailey and Ann Baxter become
movie stars in old Hollywood. Slow going.
