Delight
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
weezeralfalfa
Certainly reminds me of MGM.s prior "Meet Me in St. Louis" in general structure, although I like this better, primarily because of the presence of 12y.o. scene stealer Billy Gray, in his first significant Hollywood film. The official leads: Doris Day and Gordon McRae, were 2 of the top film singers of the time. Although a number of songs are rendered, including the title song, music isn't the primary forte of this film. Rather, comedy and nostalgia are. Leon Ames reprises his role of father of the family, established in "Meet Me in St. Louis", while the quintessential small town mother of films: Rosemary Decamp is the mother of the Winfield family. Billy Gray is a treasure as the bratty little brother of (supposedly)18y.o. Doris. Gordon is the new boy next door(the Winfields having recently moved in), who immediately strikes up a troubled romantic relationship with Doris. They are on again , off again, beaus throughout the film, and through the sequel film: "By the Light of the Silvery Moon". Poor Jack Smith, as Hubert Wakely, is Doris's steady wannabe boyfriend, favored by father Ames, but not by Doris. She tries to tolerate him, after all he is a good piano player and decent singer. However, she being a tomboy, he bores her with his nerdy, high class, persona. Nonetheless, he never gives up hope. ......Doris begins the film as a baseball fanatic, wearing pants and a baseball cap around. But, after she meets Gordon, she changes into a gorgeous pink dress for an outing, and dons makeup. We see a similar transformation from an ultratomboy to a dress-wearing belle in the later "Calamity Jane", except that this transformation occurs late in that film vs. early in this film.....Mary Wickes plays her usual role as the family maid and cook. She has the misfortune of having her tray of china, silver pots and goodies knocked out of her hands 4 times by a swinging kitchen door: twice by Gray and twice by Ames. .....Ellen Corby has the misfortune of being Gray's schoolteacher, he being the class dunce and sleeper.......Esther Dale plays the elderly Aunt Martha, who makes the sage observation that "No man believes in marriage until a woman traps him into it.", in defense of Gordon's statement that he doesn't believe in marriage. Rosemary later agrees. She also gives Gray several 12th birthday presents, including a Swiss army knife, and a big sling shot that used to belong to father Winfield. He eventually makes mischief with both, as Aunt Martha expected. I don't want to spoil any more details. Just, see it if you can. Presently, it comes in a DVD packet with it's sequel: "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", which most people think is just as good. All of the principle players are retained in this sequel, except for John Smith, whose character is renamed as Chester, and played by Russell Arms. Doris and Gordon went on to make several other films together, as well, including "Tea for Two".
kenjha
This musical comedy focuses on the trials and tribulations of a family in a small Indiana town in early 20th century. There isn't much singing. There are only a few short songs that are not bad but not particularly memorable either. In fact, there isn't much of a plot either. It's episodic, playing like a sitcom without a laugh track. This was the third of five films in which Day and MacRae co-starred. They were both around thirty at the time - too old to be believable as teenagers. Ames does a variation of his role in "Meet Me in St. Louis," the classic that this one seems to be patterned after. Wikes is funny as the housekeeper. It's a light and inoffensive little film.
JoshuaLieder-1
Its not often I give a film 10 of out of 10 but Doris Day movies consistently rate that high for me. If you are in a depressed or foul mood, her smiles, her singing, and the cast members around her always can lift you to another place. This is much like a Technicolor Judy Garland film in a lot of ways, with homespun family values and courting. At first, I had a problem with the leads, who seemed too old, playing teenagers. The actors grow on you, especially Doris. The actor playing her annoying kid brother is terrific. The parents are well portrayed and protective. The housekeeper is a wiley classic. Even the family dog gets in the act in several scenes. I recommend the film heartily especially if you want to smile and sing along. Doris Day is and has always been a national treasure. I am very glad I got a chance to spend the afternoon with her in this film.
writers_reign
Without checking out reviews of the time it's pure speculation whether this blatant rip-off of Meet Me In St Louis went undetected. It's possible that critics and/or viewers weren't so analytical back then but against that is the fact that less than a decade had passed before the Musical Queen of the Warner lot went up against the ex (just) Musical Queen of MGM. There are clues a plenty; both were based on well-loved reminiscences masquerading as short stories - by Sally Benson and Booth Tarkington respectively; both featured charming (but with a touch of the 'cutes') American families; both were set in the Mid-West, Missouri and Indiana respectively; both featured Leon Ames as Banker patriarch; in both stories the girl of the family falls for the Boy Next Door (who, this time around has relocated to the Boy Across The Street); both families boasted an outspoken maid in the respective shapes of Marjorie Main and Mary Wickes plus a youngest member (Margaret O'Brien, Billy Gray) whose tall stories result in misunderstandings that lead to physical assault. Both even have snowmen for God's sake. In most cases the actors stand up well to their counterparts though Rosemary de Camp in the Mary Astor mother role would perhaps not have been as effective as Astor at playing 'bad' as Astor did in The Maltese Falcon. Mary Wickes has far more warmth and appeal than Marjorie Main, Gordon McCrae could sing better than Tom Drake and Gray had a slight edge on O'Brien. What the latter lacks is Minnelli's eye for color and decor and a score by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, relying heavily on tried-and-true numbers from the period (1917 against the 1903 of St Louis). Seen today it's highly watchable and competently done but overall I feel that Meet Me In St Louis would come off best in say another fifty years from now.
