Musical Monday: Bring Your Smile Along (1955)

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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:
Bring Your Smile Along (1955) – Musical #780

Studio:
Columbia Pictures

Director:
Blake Edwards

Starring:
Frankie Laine, Keefe Brasselle, Constance Towers, Lucy Marlow, William Leslie, Mario Siletti, Ruth Warren, Jack Albertson, Barrie Chase (uncredited)

Plot:
New England high school teacher Nancy Willow (Towers) wants to try her hand at becoming a lyricist and goes to New York City for three months to see if she can succeed. While staying at the same boarding house, she meets composer Marty Adams (Brasselle) and singer Jerry Dennis (Laine) who are looking for a lyricist. She overhears their music, jots down a lyric and forms a friendship with them and they write a few songs together. However, their working relationship is hindered when Marty falls for Nancy, who has a boyfriend (Leslie) back home at the high school where she works.

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Musical Monday: Nearly Eighteen (1943)

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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.

nearly eighteenThis week’s musical:
Nearly Eighteen (1943) – Musical #779

Studio:
Monogram Pictures

Director:
Arthur Dreifuss

Starring:
Gale Storm, Rick Vallin, William Henry, Luis Alberni, Ralph Hodges, Jerry Rush, George O’Hanlon, Bebe Fox, Robert Homans, Sarah Edwards, Kenneth Harlan, Donald Kerr

Plot:
Jane Stanton (Storm) can’t get a singing job at a nightclub, because she’s not yet 18 years old. When she witnesses a raid on bookie Tony Morgan (Vallin) during her job search, Tony refers her to a renowned singing and dancing school to get her out of the way. The problem is … at 17, Jane is too old for the school so dresses up as 14-year-old Janie so she can try to break into show business. The problem is, the school’s headmaster Jack Leonard (Henry) thinks Janie has a great singing future – how long can she keep up the ruse?

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Musical Monday: Top Hat (1935)

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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:
Top Hat (1935) – Musical #99

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
Mark Sandrich

Starring:
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick, Lucille Ball (uncredited), Dennis O’Keefe (uncredited)

Plot:
Jerry Travers (Astaire) is a dancer preparing for a show in England with his producer, Horace Hardwick (Horton). While in England, Horace invites Jerry to Venice, where his wife Madge (Broderick) is staying. Horace and Madge want Jerry to meet their friend, Dale Tremont (Rogers). Unbeknownst to them, Jerry and Dale have already met and are smitten, but Dale mistakenly thinks that Jerry is Horace — believing that she’s in love with a married man.

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Musical Monday: High Society (1956)

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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.

high society5This week’s musical:
High Society (1956) – Musical #111

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
Charles Walters

Starring:
Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Celeste Holm, Louis Armstrong, John Lund, Louis Calhern, Sidney Blackmer, Margalo Gillmore, Lydia Reed, Gordon Richards, Richard Garrick
Louis Armstrong’s band: Edmond Hall, James Young, Arvell Shaw, Billy Kyle, Barrett Deems

Plot:
Days before the wedding of socialite Tracy Lord (Kelly) and George Kittredge (Lund), Tracy’s ex-husband C. K. Dexter-Haven (Crosby) returns back to Newport, Rhode Island, to host a jazz festival. While Tracy is annoyed that her ex-husband is around, matters are complicated further when a reporter Mike Connor (Sinatra) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Holm) arrive from SPY Magazine to cover the wedding.

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Musical Monday: You’re Never Too Young (1955)

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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:
You’re Never Too Young (1955) – Musical #778

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
Norman Taurog

Starring:
Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Diana Lynn, Nina Foch, Raymond Burr, Mitzi McCall, Veda Ann Borg, Margery Maude, Romo Vincent, Nancy Kulp, Milton Frome, James Burke (uncredited), Hans Conreid (uncredited), Bess Flowers (uncredited), Whitey Haupt (uncredited)

Plot:
Following a jewel robbery, thief Noonan (Burr) slips a diamond into the pocket of unsuspecting Bob Miles (Martin) and then on to barber apprentice Wilbur Hoolick (Lewis). When Wilbur has an encounter with Noonan, thinking he’s a jealous husband, he heads out of town to stay out of trouble.

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Musical Monday: Oklahoma! (1955)

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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.

oklahomaThis week’s musical:
Oklahoma (1955) – Musical #67

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
Fred Zinnemann

Starring:
Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, Charlotte Greenwood, Eddie Albert, James Whitmore, Rod Steiger, Barbara Lawrence, Jay C. Flippen, Roy Barcroft, James Mitchell, Bambi Linn, Marc Platt, Russell Simpson (uncredited)

Plot:
The story is set in the early 1900s before Oklahoma became a state. Curly (MacRae) is a happy-go-lucky rancher who is in love with Laurey (Jones), who returns the feelings but refuses to show it. Jud (Steiger) is the farmhand on Laurey and her Aunt Eller’s (Greenwood) farm, and he also lusts after Laurey. To make Curly jealous, Laurey agrees to attend a party at the Skidmore Ranch with Judy, but quickly realizes it’s a dangerous mistake. In a secondary romantic plot, Will Parker (Nelson) returns to town from a rodeo, prepared to marry his girlfriend Ado Annie (Graham). However, Ado Annie has recently filled out and is enjoying the attentions of various men, including a peddler, Ali Hackim (Albert). In addition to all of this, there is tension between farmers — who want land for farming — and ranchers — who take issue with fences closing off the land.

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Musical Monday: Moonlight and Cactus (1944)

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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:
Moonlight and Cactus (1944) – Musical #778

Studio:
Universal Pictures

Director:
Edward F. Cline

Starring:
Themselves: Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Laverne Andrews
The cast: Leo Carrillo, Elyse Knox, Tom Seidel, Shemp Howard, Eddie Quillan, Murray Alper, Tom Kennedy, Frank Lackteen, Minerva Urecal, Jacqueline deWitt, Mary O’Brien, Mady Correll
Performers: Chitita Tovar, Lollita Tovar, Mitchell Ayres Orchestra

Plot:
When the Merchant Marines go on leave, Tom Garrison (Seidel) invites everyone to his ranch in San Diego. While the group is willing to go, they are disappointed knowing there won’t be any women on the ranch. Much to everyone’s surprise — including Tom — his ranch is filled with women who are working the farm while the men are fighting overseas. The workers are female students from the local agricultural students, and while Tom automatically assumes they are ruining his business, he finds that they have doubled his business, led by the foreman, Louise Ferguson (Knox). The only problem is that someone has been stealing their cattle, and Louise hires Pasqualito Luigi (Carrillo).

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Musical Monday: Sing, Cowboy, Sing (1937)

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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 cowboyThis week’s musical:
Sing, Cowboy, Sing (1937) – Musical #779

Studio:
Grand National Pictures

Director:
Robert N. Bradbury

Starring:
Tex Ritter, White Flash, Louise Stanley, Al St. John, Charles King, Karl Hackett, Robert McKenzie, Horace Murphy, Snub Pollard, Hank Worden, Chick Hannan, Milburn Morante, Oscar Gahan, Jack C. Smith (uncredited)
Performers: the Texas Tornadoes

Plot:
George Summers (Smith) and his daughter Madge (Stanley) are ambushed by a gang as they hauling freight wagons. Summers is killed, and the whole event is witness by Tex Archer (Ritter) and his pal Duke Evans (St. John) who are passing by. The mob who killed Summers were hired by a competing freight company, run by Kalmus (Hackett). When Kalmus and his gang realize that Tex likely witnessed the murder, they work to frame Tex and Duke for the killing.

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Musical Monday: Song of Nevada (1944)

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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:
Song of Nevada (1944) – Musical #777

song of nevada2

Studio:
Republic Pictures

Director:
Joseph Kane

Starring:
Roy Rogers, Trigger, Dale Evans, Thurston Hall, John Eldridge, Mary Lee, Lloyd Corrigan, Forrest Taylor, George Meeker, Emmett Vogan, LeRoy Mason, Bob Nolan, Si Jenks (uncredited), Ruth Roman (uncredited)
Themselves: Sons of the Pioneers

Plot:
Wealthy John Barrabee (Hall) is discouraged that his daughter Jennie (Evans) has “left the prairie for Park Avenue,” especially now that she’s engaged to snooty Rollo Bingham (Eldridge). Barrabee leaves New York City to head back out west to Nevada. During the flight, the plane makes an emergency landing and Barrabee wanders off, meeting Roy Rogers (himself) and his friends. He’s having such a good time with Roy, that Barrabee misses his flight which crashes; leading the newspapers and Jennie to believe that he’s dead. As soon as his death is announced Rollo begins liquidating Barrabee’s estate. Barrabee and Roy hatch a plan to keep Jennie out west where she belongs.

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Musical Monday: Rawhide (1938)

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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.

rawhide2This week’s musical:
Rawhide (1938) – Musical #776

Studio:
Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Director:
Ray Taylor

Starring:
Smith Ballew, Lou Gehrig (as himself), Evalyn Knapp, Arthur Loft, Cy Kendall, Dick Curtis, Si Jenks

Plot:
Lou Gehrig (as himself) decides to retire from baseball and moves out west to work a ranch with his sister, Peggy (Knapp). When Gehrig arrives, he finds that all the local businesses in town and the ranchers are being strong armed into joining an organization where all the goods are run through one businessman. Gehrig refuses and lawyer Larry Kimball (Ballew) to smash the syndicate.

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