Tag Archives: Ray Bolger

Musical Monday: April in Paris (1952)

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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.

april in parisThis week’s musical:
April in Paris (1952) – Musical #129

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
David Butler

Starring:
Doris Day, Ray Bolger, Claude Dauphin, Eve Miller, George Givot, Paul Harvey, Herbert Farjeon, Wilson Millar, Raymond Largay, John Alvin

Plot:
S. “Sam” Winthrop Putnam (Bolger) is a by-the-book State Department diplomat. He plays by the rules and doesn’t believe in mistakes. However, even Sam isn’t above making an error. His mistake? Inviting chorus girl Ethel “Dynamite” Jackson (Day) to a Paris arts festival instead of actress Ethel Barrymore. Sam visits Ethel in New York City to break the bad news, as her friends are throwing her a bon voyage party as she leaves for France. As Sam tries to undo his mistake, his superior, Secretary Robert Sherman (Harvey), think that maybe having a chorus girl at the arts festival isn’t a bad idea after all, and could be great public relations.

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Musical Monday: Sweethearts (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 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
“Sweethearts” (1938)– Musical #292

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Starring:
Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Reginald Gardiner, Florence Rice, Mischa Auer, Herman Bing, George Barbier, Fay Holden, Allyn Joslyn, Lucille Watson, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, Terry Kilburn, Olin Howland, Douglas McPhail, Betty Jaynes, Irving Bacon (uncredited)

Plot:
Husband and wife Broadway stars Gwen Marlowe and Ernest Lane (MacDonald and Eddy) have been happily married for six years and are in their sixth year of performing Victor Herbert’s operetta “Sweethearts.” They are exhausted due to constant singing obligations and decide to go to Hollywood. Their Broadway producer (Morgan) and his staff hatch a plan to drive the couple apart and keep them from going to Hollywood.

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Musical Monday: Four Jacks and a Jill (1942)

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

173625-four-jacks-and-a-jill-0-230-0-345-cropThis week’s musical:
“Four Jacks and a Jill” (1942) – Musical #197

Studio:
RKO

Director:
Jack Hively

Starring:
Ray Bolger, Anne Shirley, June Havoc, Dezi Arnez, Eddie Foy Jr, Jack Durant, Fritz Feld, Henry Daniell, Marie Windsor (uncredited), Grady Sutton (uncredited)

Plot:
Homeless Karanina “Nina” Novak (Shirley) is taken in by Nifty Sullivan (Bolger) and his four band-mates. Nina helps the band secure a job at a cafe with her singing and saying she is friends with a king she met in England. Taxi driver Steve Satro (Arnez) appears pretending to be the king, because they look similar, and breaks into the romance that’s forming between Nina and Nifty.

Ann Shirley and Dezi Arnez in "Four Jacks and a Jill."

Ann Shirley and Dezi Arnez in “Four Jacks and a Jill.”

Trivia:
-Anne Shirley’s singing was dubbed by Martha Mears.
-Remake of “Street Girl” (1929) and That Girl from Paris (1936).

Notable Songs:
-“I’m in Good Shape” performed by Ray Bolger
-“Karanina” performed by Anne Shirley, dubbed by Martha Mears
-“Boogie Woogie Conga” performed by the chorus
-“I Haven’t a Thing to Wear” performed by June Havoc
-“Wherever You Go” performed by Anne Shirley, dubbed by Martha Mears

Ray Bolger listening to a symphony and stealing the tunes to adapt as swing music.

Ray Bolger listening to a symphony and stealing the tunes to adapt as swing music.

My review:
The title “Four Jacks and a Jill” sounds fun and promising. But unfortunately, the film doesn’t live up to the title, and all I can say is I’m glad this is only a little over an hour.
The main high point in the film are some interesting tap dance numbers by Ray Bolger and the jaunty tune “Boogie Woogie Conga,” but those two things alone can’t save this movie.
While I love Anne Shirley, especially in her 1930s films, “Four Jacks and a Jill” is simply annoying and thankfully brief.

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