I just won the DVD of The Girl Next Door as part of a gift box raffle from a party. Not a film I was particularly acquainted with it was fascinating to watch this partly animated film from 20th Century Fox.
Only two things lack in making this a classic. Had The Girl Next Door been done at Disney, Warner Brothers or MGM the studios that had the most acclaim for their animation The Girl Next Door might be better known. Also the score from Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon was lacking in anything other than serviceable songs for the plot. Hardly anything as memorable as what you would get in some of Disney's animated features.
June Haver has the title role, she's an acclaimed musical star who has taken possession of a house in Scarsdale, then as now a place with a reputation for easy suburban living. During a party she's interrupted by the noise and antics from next door and finds out it's a bachelor pad for Dan Dailey and his son Billy Gray.
Gray's perfectly happy as things are as he hasn't reached puberty yet to appreciate what females have to offer. But Dailey sure becomes interested and that's driving a wedge between him and his son.
The animation comes in with Dailey who makes a living by being a comic strip artist. His is a family script based on the doings he and his son have in real life. About a quarter of the film is in animation.
The animated sequences fit nicely into the story and Dailey and Haver are likable performers. Also featured are second leads Dennis Day and Cara Williams from Haver's musical comedy world and also note the performance of Clinton Sundberg as a snooty butler, a part he has down as good as Arthur Treacher.
The Girl Next Door is nice family entertainment and I wish it were better known.
Only two things lack in making this a classic. Had The Girl Next Door been done at Disney, Warner Brothers or MGM the studios that had the most acclaim for their animation The Girl Next Door might be better known. Also the score from Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon was lacking in anything other than serviceable songs for the plot. Hardly anything as memorable as what you would get in some of Disney's animated features.
June Haver has the title role, she's an acclaimed musical star who has taken possession of a house in Scarsdale, then as now a place with a reputation for easy suburban living. During a party she's interrupted by the noise and antics from next door and finds out it's a bachelor pad for Dan Dailey and his son Billy Gray.
Gray's perfectly happy as things are as he hasn't reached puberty yet to appreciate what females have to offer. But Dailey sure becomes interested and that's driving a wedge between him and his son.
The animation comes in with Dailey who makes a living by being a comic strip artist. His is a family script based on the doings he and his son have in real life. About a quarter of the film is in animation.
The animated sequences fit nicely into the story and Dailey and Haver are likable performers. Also featured are second leads Dennis Day and Cara Williams from Haver's musical comedy world and also note the performance of Clinton Sundberg as a snooty butler, a part he has down as good as Arthur Treacher.
The Girl Next Door is nice family entertainment and I wish it were better known.