It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Calendar Girl (1947) – Musical #578

Studio:
Republic Pictures

Director:
Allan Dwan

Starring:
Jane Frazee, William Marshall, James Ellison, Gail Patrick, Irene Rich, Kenny Baker, Victor McLaglen, Janet Martin, Gus Schilling, Franklin Pangborn

Plot:
Set in 1900, pals Johnny Bennett (Marshall) and Steve Adams (Ellison) leave their comfortable lives in Boston to try to make it in Greenwich Village as artists. Johnny wants to write songs and Steve is an artist. They land at a performer boarding house run by Lulu Varden (Rich). Both Johnny and Steve fall for dancer and singer Patricia O’Neill (Frazee) lives in the boarding house with her firefighter father (McLaglen), who doesn’t approve of her performing aspirations. Patricia prefers for Steve, who happens to have a girl (Patrick) back in Boston. Patricia also poses for Steve for a sensual painting that is used on the 1901 calendar.

Trivia:
• Last feature film of Kenny Baker
• The film was re-released in 1951 with the new title “Star Dust and Sweet Music.”
• William Marshall’s singing voice was dubbed by David Street.

William Marshall, James Ellison and Irene Rich

Notable Songs:
• “New York is a Nice Place to Visit” performed by William Marshall (dubbed by David Street), Jane Frazee, James Ellison, and Irene Rich
• “At the Fireman’s Ball” performed by Kenny Baker, Janet Martin, William Marshall (dubbed by David Street) and Jane Frazee
• “Calendar Girl” performed by Kenny Baker

Jane Frazee and Victor McLaglen

My review:
“Calendar Girl” (1947) is a light 90 minutes film that is pleasant, but forgettable. But more than anything, it’s an interesting study of what happens when a once successful career is either in a slump or begins to decline.

Produced by the low budget film studio, Republic, the prints available (via DVD, streaming on Amazon Prime) are such poor quality that it almost looks like watching early, live television, with low quality sound and image.

But the pedigree of the cast is impressive and it made me think, “This was produced by Republic?” Here’s what I mean:
– For starters, the film is directed by Allan Dwan, who started directing films in 1911. While Dwan directed both film shorts and feature films in the silent era, but in the 1930s he was trusted to direct 20th Century Fox’s top star, Shirley Temple. Dwan directed Temple in films like “Heidi” and “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” He also directed the lavish film, “Suez” (1938).

James Ellison and Gail Patrick

– The wonderful actress Gail Patrick has a small role in the film and it was one of her last feature film performances. Before this small role in a low budget film, Patrick starred in films like “My Man Godfrey” and “Stage Door.” Patrick retired from acting in films not long after this and later produced the “Perry Mason Show.”
– This was the last feature film of actor, singer Kenny Baker. Baker started appearing in films in the mid-1930s and was the original dopey tenor character on Jack Benny’s radio show (later replaced by Dennis Day). Baker retired from performing shortly after this. As an aside, I always felt like Baker was a poor man’s Dick Powell, and Powell’s musical career was nearly complete by this time as well. Perhaps a correlation?
– The wonderful actress Irene Rich had a career that dated back to 1918. This was one of her final film roles as well.
– And lastly there was Victor McLaglen, who was in major films before and after this film, such as “Gunga Din,” “The Quiet Man” and “The Informer.”

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Jane Frazee, William Marshall and James Ellison, who are capable actors but no match for the actors listed above. Most of them were old standbys in other low budget films.

The film is set in 1900 at a boarding house filled with hopeful performers and artists. Johnny Bennett (Marshall) and Steve Adams (Ellison) both make the leap from Boston to Greenwich Village to follow their dreams as artists — Johnny a songwriter and Steve a painter. Steve is engaged to wealthy Olivia Radford (Patrick), who doesn’t understand this new life he’s leading in Greenwich Village. The two land in a boarding house run by Lulu Varden (Rich), where a singer, dancer Patricia (Frazee) lives with her firefighter father (McLageln). Patricia’s father doesn’t approve of his daughter wanting to be a performer, or that Steve is painting her (an image that is later used in a calendar).

Along the way, several songs are performed like by Kenny Baker (who plays a lyricist who can rhyme any word), Jane Frazie and Janet Martin. As director Allan Dwan’s biographer noted, the songs are beautiful but instantly forgettable, and his biographer is unfortunately right. I found myself smiling during some of the fun and/or humorous numbers. But as I write this the day after watching this film, I couldn’t tell you how any of the songs sound at this point. at this point.

The film is largely pleasant, but it did feel like Gail Patrick and Irene Rich were giving the best performances. There were moments where I felt like Kenny Baker’s once-fresh tenor singing voice was wavering. Jane Frazee is always lovely, but sadly always was cast in low budget musicals like this one.

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