Musical Monday: Sing Me a Love Song (1936)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

sing me a long songThis week’s musical:
Sing Me a Love Song – Musical #714

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
Ray Enright

Starring:
James Melton, Patricia Ellis, Hugh Herbert, Zasu Pitts, Allen Jenkins, Nat Pendleton, Walter Catlett (uncredited), Granville Bates (uncredited), Hobart Cavanaugh (uncredited)

Plot:
Jerry Haines (Melton) is the heir to department store. Instead of taking an executive role, he wants to start in a regular job and work incognito so he can better get to know the store. Meanwhile, he romances Jean Martin (Ellis) in the music department and is constantly in trouble with the manager (Catlett).

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Sweet and Low-Down (1944)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

sweet and low downThis week’s musical:
Sweet and Low-Down (1944) – Musical #713

Studio:
20th Century Fox

Director:
Archie Mayo

Starring:
Benny Goodman (as himself), Linda Darnell, Jack Oakie, Lynn Bari, James Cardwell, Dickie Moore, Allyn Joslyn, John Campbell, Roy Benson, Buddy Swan (uncreated), Gloria Talbot (uncredited), Terry Moore (uncredited), Mae Marsh (uncredited), Beverly Hudson (uncredited), Dorothy Vaughan (uncredited)
Themselves: Morey Feld, Jess Stacy and Sid Weiss

Plot:
Benny Goodman (himself) and his band are performing in his hometown, when a child convinces him — by stealing his clarinet — to come listen to his trombone-playing brother, Johnny Birch (Cardwell). Goodman invites Birch to join his band, but Birch’s hot temper sometimes hinders his success. Goodman’s singer Pat Stirling (Bari) takes a liking to Birch, as does socialite Trudy Wilson (Darnell). Though Trudy meets Johnny under dubious settings — posing as a 14-year-old girl while she’s taking her nephew (Moore) to a military school prom.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Rose Marie (1954)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

rose marie2This week’s musical:
Rose Marie (1954) – Musical #349

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
Mervyn LeRoy

Starring:
Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Fernando Lamas, Bert Lahr, Ray Collins, Marjorie Main, Joan Taylor, Chief Yowlachie, Thurl Ravenscroft (uncredited)

Plot:
Rose Marie (Blyth) is living in the Canadian wilderness after her father dies. Mountie Sergeant Mike Malone (Keel) seeks out Rose Marie and takes her into his care, as she was left in his responsibility. After viewing her as a kid, Sergeant Malone realizes she’s not a child and falls in love with her. Then, Rose Marie meets trapper Jim Duvall (Lamas), and Rose Marie falls in love with him.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Holiday in Havana (1949)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Holiday in Havana (1949) – Musical #712

holiday in havana

Studio:
Columbia Pictures

Director:
Jean Yarbrough

Starring:
Desi Arnaz, Mary Hatcher, Ann Doran, Steven Geray, Sig Arno, Ray Walker, Minerva Urecal, Nacho Galindo

Plot:
When the night club’s singer quits and follows his girlfriend, a bus boy who wants has dreams of leading his own band, Carlos (Arnaz), gets his chance to perform. The band hopes for a woman to sing and dance with them, and popular singer Lolita (Hatcher) is recommended. However, after a misunderstanding with Lolita, Carlos turns it down, believing that she is rude. However, Lolita (under the name Dolores) does perform with the band and the two fall in love.

Continue reading →

Watching 1939: Nancy Drew – Trouble Shooter (1939)

Posted on by

In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
Nancy Drew … Trouble Shooter (1939)

Release date:
June 17, 1939

Cast:
Bonita Granville, John Litel, Frankie Thomas, Aldrich Bowker, Charlotte Wynters, Renie Riano, Edgar Edwards, Willie Best, Roger Imhof, Erville Alderson

nancy drew

Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
William Clemens

Plot:
When Matt Brandon (Bowker) is accused of murder, he calls on his friend lawyer Carson Drew (Litel) for help. To keep his daughter Nancy Drew (Granville) from meddling, Carson disguises their trip to help Brandon as a vacation. But Nancy soon figures it out and is on the case with her friend Ted Nickerson (Thomas). Against the backdrop of figuring out who really committed murder, Carson Drew also has a romance with Brandon’s neighbor, Edna Gregory (Wynters).

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Viva Las Vegas – Musical #340

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
George Sidney

Starring:
Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest, Nicky Blair

Plot:
Lucky Jackson (Presley) is a down-on-his-luck race car driver who is making ends meet as a singing waiter in Las Vegas. All the while, he has hopes to compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Meanwhile, he meets swim instructor Rusty (Ann-Margret) and the two fall in love.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Fireball 500 (1966)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

fireball 500

This week’s musical:
Fireball 500 – Musical #710

Studio:
American International Pictures

Director:
William Asher

Starring:
Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Annette Funicello, Chill Wills, Julie Parrish, Harvey Lembeck, Sandy Reed, Michael Nader, Mary Hughes, Salli Sachse, Patti Chandler, Luree Holmes, Linda Brent

Plot:
Stock car racer Dave Owens (Avalon) travels from California to North Carolina to compete in stock car racing. His racing rival in the south is Leander Fox (Fabian). Dave gets mixed up in moonshine running — along with Leander — after meeting Martha (Parrish), who convinces Dave to run moonshine for her. The law catches up with Dave and says if he doesn’t play ball, his racing career will be jeopardized.

Continue reading →

Chad & Jeremy summers

Posted on by

It was the summer of 2002. And it’s one of those summers that lives in your memory with a golden glow. For some reason, it was a summer so many things changed and I went from a 13-year-old seventh grade kid to a grown up soon-to-be-eighth-grader 13-year-old (at least in my mind).

It was the summer I traded in my glasses for contact lenses, I stayed up too late reading with a flashlight, sewed pillows, watched TVLand … and it was the summer I discovered Chad & Jeremy. And ever since then, I’ve associated that British singing duo with summer.

That spring, the 1960s TV show “Batman,” starring Adam West and Burt Ward, started airing on TVLand and I became a big fan. I watched as often as I could; keeping a list of Robin’s “Holy” mentions as he said them. It was while watching “Batman” that I discovered Chad & Jeremy playing themselves in the season 2 episodes “That Cat’s Meow” and “The Bat’s Kow Tow.” Chad & Jeremy are staying at the Stately Wayne Manor and are at risk of having their voices stolen by Catwoman (played by Julie Newmar). On the episode Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde sing “Teenage Failure” and “Distant Shores,” and hearing those two songs had me sold.*

96eb3e0eefc854bf398daf816faeb472

Chad & Jeremy on “Batman”

Days later, I did what any 13 year old in 2002 did when they loved a song. I had my parents drive me to Best Buy and I bought The Very Best of Chad & Jeremy. And my family soon got tired of hearing “The Very Best of Chad & Jeremy.” I’d have them listen whenever we went out in the car – whether it was a long car trip or on the way to church.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Easy to Love (1953)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

Easy to LoveThis week’s musical:
Easy to Love (1953) – Musical #108

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
Charles Walters

Starring:
Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Tony Martin, Carroll Baker, John Bromfield, Edna Skinner, King Donovan, Paul Bryar, Benny Rubin (uncredited),
Cameo: Cyd Charisse

Plot:
Ray Lloyd (Johnson) manages the Cypress Gardens resort, filled the water skiing and swimming shows, and beautiful girls in bathing suits and evening gowns. He has decided to remain successful, he must remain single and unmarried. One of his swimming performers Julie Hallerton (Williams) — while she feels overworked — is also in love with Ray. When she thinks Ray is inviting her on a fun trip to New York City, she finds it is all work, until she meets singing star Barry Gordon (Martin). While Barry sweeps Julie off her feet, Ray isn’t too sure he likes it.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Waikiki Wedding (1937)

Posted on by

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 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

waikiki weddingThis week’s musical:
Waikiki Wedding (1937) – Musical #709

Studio:
Paramount Pictures Studios

Director:
Frank Tuttle

Starring:
Bing Crosby, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, George Barbier, Leif Erickson, Grady Sutton, Granville Bates, Anthony Quinn, Mitchell Lewis, Emma Dunn (uncredited)

Plot:
Tony Marvin (Crosby) is viewed as a genius by his boss (Barbier) at the Imperial Pineapple Company when he has the idea for the Miss Pineapple Princess contest, where the winner wins a trip to Hawaii. The only problem is that the winner, Georgia Smith (Ross), finds Hawaii dull as she is given tours by a group of businessmen. Tony creates an adventure so Georgia will speak favorably of Hawaii in a syndicated article. Along the way, they fall in love.

Continue reading →