Good News

It doesn't have the splashy over-the-top production numbers typical of other Technicolor MGM Musicals, but "Good News" is still one of my favorites from that period. Star June Allyson also considered this to be one of her personal favorites, and it surely shows in her vibrant performance as a student working her way through college. Note: Allyson was 30 years old when she made this film, and costar Peter Lawford was 24. Her perkiness and youthful zest makes the whole thing totally believable...or at least acceptable!



The plot is pretty simple: student librarian Connie Lane (Allyson) falls for Tait College's football star Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford) after giving him a lesson in French. A gold-digging vamp, Pat McClellan (Patricia Marshall), sticks her hooks in Marlowe when she mistakenly believes he comes from a wealthy family. Who ends up with Marlowe? Do you even need to ask? Department of Irony: Lawford spoke fluent French but Allyson did not, so he had to teach her how to teach him to speak French for their introductory scene, which you can see here:



As Allyson recalled: "No one made any effort to change Peter Lawford's British accent to American. For that matter, my French accent was atrocious and his was superb - he spent hours teaching me how to teach him French."



Originally, "Good News" was to be a blockbuster musical starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, but instead, the popular duo filmed "Strike Up the Band" (1940). By the time "Good News" appeared on the MGM production list, Garland's popularity precluded her from being in a lesser vehicle such as this. Fortunately, June Allyson was on hand to play Connie. Her natural performance and chemistry with Lawford make the film a total joy to discover. Choreographer Chuck Walters earned "Good News" as his first directorial assignment; he did such a great job that he was given "Easter Parade" with Garland and Astaire as a follow-up. MGM contract player Gloria DeHaven was unhappy about the roles being given to her, and thus refused to play the part of Pat McClellan, which led to a brief studio suspension. Irony of ironies is that had she taken this role, it most likely would have helped her career. Instead, her next film was the forgotten "Summer Holiday" with Mickey Rooney.



Lawford's singing leaves a bit to be desired (especially when compared to costar Mel Tormé's), but his dancing in the finale is top-notch, thanks to hours and hours of practice. When his former dance teacher saw the film, she exclaimed, "Anybody who could teach that boy to sing and dance in time has got to be a genius." You can see the fruits of Lawford's labor in the energy-filled finale, "The Varsity Drag." Are your toes still tapping?

See more vintage Hollywood Move & TV star photos on my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Summer Stock Swan Song

Judy Garland's unintentional final film at MGM was "Summer Stock." Released in 1950, this light and frothy barnyard musical was definitely a step back as far as prestige goes for MGM's #1 musical star. Designed as a movie that could be easily filmed without taxing its troubled star too much, great pains were taken to make sure that the experience would be as pleasant as possible. Mickey Rooney was originally slated to be the romantic interest, but his star had already begun to descend while Judy's was still on the upswing, so Gene Kelly was hired instead.



Fighting an addiction to the pills she had grown accustomed to taking to help her lose weight, sleep, and then wakeup, Judy's body was physically exhausted. Throw in a troubled marriage, and the poor girl should have been on vacation, not filming a movie with strenuous dance routines.

Although the finished film is wonderful and still a treat to watch, Judy's fluctuating health is noticeable as her weight goes through a number of changes from scene to scene. At some points, she has some of the healthy weight that she'd picked up while resting and nursing herself back to normal.



In the "Get Happy" number, filmed as an afterthought when the rest of the movie was already in the can, Judy is extremely trim, making audiences wonder if this scene had been recycled from an earlier movie.



Judy's final publicity still sitting with the studio produced these two images; although looking slim and trim, she also seems to have lost a bit of the sparkle that she was known for. Filming back-to-back blockbuster musicals had taken its toll, and Judy was ready for a vacation.



Instead of a vacation, Judy was rushed into replacing a pregnant June Allyson in "Royal Wedding." Finally, her body gave out. Worn to exhaustion, the studio put her on suspension and in the end, depending upon who you believe, she was either fired or let out of her contract at her own request.



Her leaving of the studio may have been sad, but boy what an exit. The "Get Happy" number from "Summer Stock" is about as good as they get. Here is an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Judy wearing the tuxedo jacket ensemble that she sported in that scene.



See more Judy Garland photos on my Judy Garland web page.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Lovely Lina Lamont

This movie borders on perfection; can you imagine anything better than the songs, dancing, acting, and writing of this MGM musical gem? Debbie Reynolds sparkled as Kathy Selden, the vivacious up-and-coming actress who had to supplement her income by popping out of cakes at parties.

Gene Kelly was tailor-made for the role of Don Lockwood, the silent-screen matinee idol just a little too infatuated with his fame.



And Jean Hagen...she literally walked away with the picture in her star turn as Lina Lamont, the impossibly glamorous actress with the voice of a shrew...and a personality to match.



It takes the advent of talking pictures and the love of Gene Kelly’s character to knock down Lina and give sweetheart Debbie Reynolds the break of a lifetime.



The irony of the movie? The Kathy Selden character dubs Lina Lamont’s speaking and singing voice so that the studio won’t lose money on Lina’s first talking picture. However, another actress (Betty Noyes) dubbed the singing vocals for Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen’s actual voice was used for the speaking parts that Kathy was supposedly dubbing! The difference in Noyes’ and Reynold’s singing voice is glaring, as are the speaking voices of Hagen and Reynolds. Definitely a “huh?” moment for this otherwise perfect movie.

For the Major, here’s a closeup of the sign near Monstro at Disneyland from yesterday’s post; not very helpful (or readable), but it’s here nonetheless:



See more Classic Hollywood Movie & TV photos at my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: The Wizard of Oz

It’s definitely one of my favorite movies; the ethereal glow of Technicolor, the memorable music, the terrifying witch, and the pitch-perfect performance of Judy Garland who anchors the entire film. Each time it has been released on home video, I have been right there with my wallet: from bootleg, to VHS, to DVD, to Ultra-Resolution DVD, and most recently in High Definition on Blu-ray. The screen captures look amazing; plenty of film grain, bright colors, and razor-sharp detail (maybe just a bit too sharp...especially when it comes to the hairs on Margaret Hamilton’s chin!).





In the original book by L. Frank Baum, Dorothy’s shoes were silver; today, the original ruby-version manufactured for MGM back in 1938 can fetch close to $1 million. Would they have caused as much of a collecting furor if they had stayed silver? Even reproductions can fetch $500-$1000 each. And just where the heck would you wear them?!?





How many have marveled over the transition from sepia to technicolor when the movie goes from Kansas to Oz? Whether it was a creative or cost-cutting decision, it is still magical. The colors of Munchkinland leap off the screen even more because our eyes have been conditioned to the drab pallette of Kansas beforehand. Judy’s facial expression says it all:



Judy Garland is such perfection in this movie that not only is it hard to imagine anyone else in the role (even adorable Shirley Temple), but hard to imagine her as a blond Dorothy. That’s right; as this early publicity photo shows, Judy Garland was originally dolled up with a big slab of makeup and curly blond locks. Famous Hollywood Director George Cukor (assigned to the project for a very short time) left a lasting legacy on this 1939 classic by demanding that Judy have her plastic face removed so that she would be the one real element in the film—and boy was that a fantastic judgment call. Almost makes up for him screwing up Marilyn Monroe’s unfinished film “Something’s Got To Give.” Almost.





A few other things changed along the way as well; one was the original casting of Buddy Ebsen as the Tinman. Breathing in the aluminum dust used in his makeup caused Ebsen to have to spend time recovering in an iron lung, giving Jack Haley the opportunity to take over the role and join Garland, Bolger, and Lahr in cinema immortality. Here’s one of the scenes Ebsen filmed before getting ill:



This elaborate musical number featured in the photograph below occurred after the Witch is killed and our favorite quartet triumphantly returns to the Emerald City. The movie was already too long, and this reprise of “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” was trimmed. A 1949 theatrical trailer actually has a brief clip (with sound) showcasing this segment.



See more “The Wizard of Oz” photos at my main website.