Although color would not become the standard for all movies (except for a few BW for artistic purposes) until the mid-1960s, Hollywood musicals were a general exception. By 1950, the major studios were making most musicals in full color. As this 1950 Warner Brothers film shows, the brilliant colors of costumes especially added to the glamor and appeal of the song and dance of musicals.
"The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" is a very good musical that is a combination of review and play. It's setting is the review format with numbers produced for the stage within the story. But, a couple of numbers happen also within the story. And, it has a very good plot. This also is one of the best films ever made about vaudeville and that has examples of the types of acts that played on the vaudeville stages of the late 19th and earth 20th centuries.
The core of this film is set around a vaudeville theater in New York, Tony Pastor's. There was a real Tony Pastor who was known for cleaning up the risqué nature of variety shows of the mid-19th century, to make them appealing to women as well. He became known as the king or dean of vaudeville. His theater changed locations three times, and was called Tony Pastors Opera House. MacRae's Pastor talks about his theater and profession as the "variety" stage. At the film's end he says his shows are for families. And so they were and are.
While singing and dancing acts were the usual headliners and core that theaters operated with, a variety show on any given night or place would include just that - a variety of types of acts. Indeed, the term, "act," was what those in the vaudeville circuit used to describe the various talent or entertainment skits and performances. Most shows would include one or more acrobatic acts and one or more comedy routines. Then, there may be animal acts, magicians, and any number of things one might see in carnivals - knife throwing, snake charming, etc.
Only those vaudeville theaters in larger populated areas might have their own chorus lines for performances and working with singers and dancers. The latter, of course, were called hoofers, and the former sometimes were called crooners - if they were male.
Well, this film has a decent plot with a splendid portrayal of the vaudeville stage in a local setting in New York. The cast are all fantastic. Gordon MacRae and June Haver have the male leads. Gene Nelson (that "other" Gene of dance fame) is in the top supporting role as Doug Martin, and he gives his usual dazzling dance performances.
It's Debbie Reynolds' first credited film in a very good comedy role, but sans any singing or dancing. Two top supporting actors of the day lead the rest of a very good cast. S. Z. Sakall plays Miklos Teretzky, and Jane Darwell is Mrs. Murphy. James Barton, who performed on the vaudeville circuit in the early 20th century, plays Dennis O'Grady - the father of Haver's Patricia ("The Daughter), Reynold's Maureen, and Marcia Mae Jones' Katie O'Grady.
While the music and dancing are superb, the comedy is very good as well. This is a period film, set in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The movie opens with troops returning to New York in a parade, while Dennis O'Grady and Miklos Teretzky take their lunch break from operating their horse-drawn trolley cars.
Besides the song, dance and comedy entertainment, this film has a nice educational aspect in its portrayal of that time in history. Here are some favorite lines.
Patricia O'Grady, "Isn't it wonderful? Now there are so many men in New York, even papa won't be able to keep them away from us."
Miklos Teretzky, "Your daughters met some sliders and they got you r lunch. This could be happening. Dennis O'Grady, Aw, suspicion - nothin' but suspicion." Miklos, "As sure as my name is Miklos Teretzky - when daughters forget their father, one answer only then - M-A-N, man. In Budapest is learned in kindergarten."
Patricia O'Grady, "We'll go right by Tony Pastor's." Maureen O'Grady, "Papa says never to. We'd be contaminated." Patricia, "Oh, he doesn't know the meaning of that word any more than you do. Come on. Let's get good and contaminated."
Tony Pastor, dressed as a down-and-out guy in the theater alley, "Oh, how I wish I had my life to live over." Patricia O'Grady, "I should think once would be enough."
Ed Powers (Pat Flaherty, uncredited), "How are you, Dennis?" Dennis O'Grady, "About how long would it take a man to drink himself to death?" Ed Powers, "With our whisky, just a matter of minutes."
Dennis O'Grady, "There's enough starch in this shirt to make it bullet proof."
"The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" is a very good musical that is a combination of review and play. It's setting is the review format with numbers produced for the stage within the story. But, a couple of numbers happen also within the story. And, it has a very good plot. This also is one of the best films ever made about vaudeville and that has examples of the types of acts that played on the vaudeville stages of the late 19th and earth 20th centuries.
The core of this film is set around a vaudeville theater in New York, Tony Pastor's. There was a real Tony Pastor who was known for cleaning up the risqué nature of variety shows of the mid-19th century, to make them appealing to women as well. He became known as the king or dean of vaudeville. His theater changed locations three times, and was called Tony Pastors Opera House. MacRae's Pastor talks about his theater and profession as the "variety" stage. At the film's end he says his shows are for families. And so they were and are.
While singing and dancing acts were the usual headliners and core that theaters operated with, a variety show on any given night or place would include just that - a variety of types of acts. Indeed, the term, "act," was what those in the vaudeville circuit used to describe the various talent or entertainment skits and performances. Most shows would include one or more acrobatic acts and one or more comedy routines. Then, there may be animal acts, magicians, and any number of things one might see in carnivals - knife throwing, snake charming, etc.
Only those vaudeville theaters in larger populated areas might have their own chorus lines for performances and working with singers and dancers. The latter, of course, were called hoofers, and the former sometimes were called crooners - if they were male.
Well, this film has a decent plot with a splendid portrayal of the vaudeville stage in a local setting in New York. The cast are all fantastic. Gordon MacRae and June Haver have the male leads. Gene Nelson (that "other" Gene of dance fame) is in the top supporting role as Doug Martin, and he gives his usual dazzling dance performances.
It's Debbie Reynolds' first credited film in a very good comedy role, but sans any singing or dancing. Two top supporting actors of the day lead the rest of a very good cast. S. Z. Sakall plays Miklos Teretzky, and Jane Darwell is Mrs. Murphy. James Barton, who performed on the vaudeville circuit in the early 20th century, plays Dennis O'Grady - the father of Haver's Patricia ("The Daughter), Reynold's Maureen, and Marcia Mae Jones' Katie O'Grady.
While the music and dancing are superb, the comedy is very good as well. This is a period film, set in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The movie opens with troops returning to New York in a parade, while Dennis O'Grady and Miklos Teretzky take their lunch break from operating their horse-drawn trolley cars.
Besides the song, dance and comedy entertainment, this film has a nice educational aspect in its portrayal of that time in history. Here are some favorite lines.
Patricia O'Grady, "Isn't it wonderful? Now there are so many men in New York, even papa won't be able to keep them away from us."
Miklos Teretzky, "Your daughters met some sliders and they got you r lunch. This could be happening. Dennis O'Grady, Aw, suspicion - nothin' but suspicion." Miklos, "As sure as my name is Miklos Teretzky - when daughters forget their father, one answer only then - M-A-N, man. In Budapest is learned in kindergarten."
Patricia O'Grady, "We'll go right by Tony Pastor's." Maureen O'Grady, "Papa says never to. We'd be contaminated." Patricia, "Oh, he doesn't know the meaning of that word any more than you do. Come on. Let's get good and contaminated."
Tony Pastor, dressed as a down-and-out guy in the theater alley, "Oh, how I wish I had my life to live over." Patricia O'Grady, "I should think once would be enough."
Ed Powers (Pat Flaherty, uncredited), "How are you, Dennis?" Dennis O'Grady, "About how long would it take a man to drink himself to death?" Ed Powers, "With our whisky, just a matter of minutes."
Dennis O'Grady, "There's enough starch in this shirt to make it bullet proof."