Radio City Revels
RKO, 1938, B/W, 88 minutes, ***
Released February, 1938

Jack Oakie and Milton Berle are down-and-out songwriters. Out of desperation they have started a mail-order songwriting school in an attempt to make enough money to survive. When pupil Bob Burns shows up, they discover that he can only dream up melodies when he's asleep - and they are good! So, Oakie and Berle get a contract to write a song score, and try to compose the score by jotting down notes when Burns is sleeping. Features a young Ann Miller in her fourth film.

Producer: Edward Kaufman
Director: Ben Stoloff
Screenplay: Eddie Davis, Matt Brooks, Anthony Veiller and Mortimer Offner
Music Director: Victor Baravalle
Music: Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel
Choreography: Hermes Pan
Art Direction: Van Nest Polglase
Special Effects: Vernon L. Walker and Douglas Travers
Set Decoration: Darrell Silvera
Gowns: Edward Stevenson
Sound: Earl A. Wolcott
Special Effects: Douglas Travers, Vernon L. Walker
Cinematography: J. Roy Hunt, Jack MacKenzie
Film Editing: Arthur Roberts

Cast: Bob Burns [Lester Robin], Jack Oakie [Harry Miller], Kenny Baker [Kenny Baker], Ann Miller [Billie Shaw], Victor Moore [Paul Plummer], Milton Berle [Teddy Jordan], Helen Broderick [Gertie Shaw], Buster West [Squenchy], Melissa Mason [Lisa], Richard Lane [Crane], Marilyn Vernon [Delia Robin], Don Wilson [Announcer], Jane Froman [Herself, Vocalist with Hal Kemp], Hal Kemp and his Orchestra [Themselves]

Musical Program: [0:01] I'm Takin' a Shine to You (Kenny Baker with Hal Kemp and His Orchestra); [0:05] You're the Apple of My Eye You Little Peach (Victor Moore, then Jack Oakie); [0:12] Swingin' in the Corn (production number: sung and danced by Bob Burns and Ensemble); [0:34] Take a Tip from the Tulip (Bob Burns; then Jack Oakie, Ann Miller and Kenny Baker; then Jane Froman with Hal Kemp and His Orchestra); [0:45] Goodnight Angel (Kenny Baker); [1:09] (There's a) New Moon Over the Old Mill (unidentified female quartet joined by Kenny Baker); [1:20] Speak Your Heart (sung by Jane Froman with Hal Kemp and His Orchestra, danced by Ann Miller and Chorus)

Rainbow
Ten Four Productions / NBC-TV, 1978, Color, 97 minutes, ***
First aired November 6, 1978

Made-for-TV movie biopic of Judy Garland, covering four years of her life from about 1935 through 1938. It is based on the biography "Rainbow" by Christopher Finch. It is a controversial film among Judy Garland fans. Many fans feel that Andrea McArdle did not portray Judy well, and that she cannot sing as well as Judy did at that age (but, then, who can?). And some fans point out that the film is not factually accurate.

All that aside, I think it's an enjoyable film, and it has some great music in it. I like Andrea McArdle, and the film has some good moments. There are some subtleties that are easily missed. I particularly like the Gumm Sisters renditions of "Stay on the Right Side Sister" and "Judy", and Andrea's rendition of "Dinah." I definitely think the film is worth watching!

Produced by: Peter Dunne
Associate Producer: Bob Birnbaum
Executive Producers: Greg Strangis, William Hogan
Directed by: Jackie Cooper
Assistant Director: Daisy Gerber
Based on the Book Rainbow: The stormy life of Judy Garland by Christopher Finch
Teleplay by: John McGreevey
Original Music by: Charles Fox
Executive in Charge of Music: Lewis Perles
Music Supervisor: Sheldon Russell
Vocal Consultant: Buddy Pepper
Art Director: Bill Ross
Set Decorator: Ira Bates
Costumers: Marilyn Matthews, Tony Faso
Make-Up: Tom Miller
Hair Stylist: Christine George
Director of Photography: Howard Schwartz
Photographic Effects: Howard A. Anderson Co.
Color by Movielab
Film Editor: Jerry Dronsky

Cast: Andrea McArdle [Judy Garland], Piper Laurie [Ethel Gumm], Don Murray [Frank Gumm], Nicholas Pryor [Wil Gilmore], Michael Parks [Roger Edens], Rue McClanahan [Ida Koverman], Martin Balsam [Louis B. Mayer], Donna Pescow [Jimmy Gumm], Erin Donovan [Janey Gumm], Philip Sterling [Arthur Freed], Peggy Walton [Laura Gilmore], Moosie Drier [Mickey Rooney], Ben Frank [Agent], Johnny Doran [Jackie Cooper]

Musical Program: [0:00] Jingle Bells (sung by unidentified small girl portraying Judy at age 2½); [0:01] I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Andrea McArdle); [0:05] Stay on the Right Side Sister (Andrea McArdle, Donna Pescow and Erin Donovan as the Gumm Sisters); [0:08] I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) (sung by Don Murray as he tucks Judy into bed); [0:13] Puttin' on the Ritz (Andrea McArdle, Donna Pescow and Erin Donovan as the Gumm Sisters); [0:19] I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Andrea McArdle); [0:25] Stormy Weather (Andrea McArdle); [0:31] Judy (Andrea McArdle, Donna Pescow and Erin Donovan as the Gumm Sisters); [0:35] Studio audition sequence: Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (sung by Andrea McArdle to various bored studio executives); [0:40] Dinah (Andrea McArdle); [0:43] Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (sung by Andrea McArdle at audition for Ida Koverman, Arthur Freed, Roger Edens and Louis B. Mayer); [0:51] I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) (Andrea McArdle); [0:54] You Can't Have Everything (excerpt sung by Andrea McArdle); [1:02] Broadway Rhythm (excerpt sung by Andrea McArdle); [1:10] Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You) (Andrea McArdle at Clark Gable's birthday party); [1:17] Bill (excerpt sung off-screen by Andrea McArdle); [1:32] Over the Rainbow (Andrea McArdle)

Rainbow on the River
(aka It Happened in New Orleans)
Principal Productions / RKO, 1936, B/W, 83 minutes, ***
Released December, 1936

Bobby Breen and May Robson star in a song-filled tale of a young orphan boy and the ex-slave caring for him in the post-Civil War South, until the child goes to live with a wealthy grandmother in New York. With Louise Beavers, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.

The film opens with the statement: "In the years following the Civil War, the South lies vanquished. The clank of sword and cannon's roar have faded into the silence of time, yet in the hearts of the people bitter memories of the conflict are still alive..." Old New Orleans in 1873

Producer: Sol Lesser
Associate Producer: Edward Gross
Director: Kurt Neumann
Assistant Director: George Sherman
Writers: Harry Chandlee, Earle Snell and William Hurlbut
Adapted from the Novel "Toinette's Philip" by Mrs. C.V. Jamison
Additional dialogue by Clarence Marks
Musical Setting Conceived and Directed by Hugo Riesenfeld
Associate: Abe Meyer
Songs: "Rainbow on the River" by Louis Alter and Paul F. Webster
"Flower Song" by Hugo Riesenfeld and Selma Hautzik
"Waitin' for the Sun to Rise" by Karl Hajos and Arthur Swanstrom
Art Director: Harry Oliver
Associate Art Directors: Lewis J. Rachmil and Earl Wooden
Costume Supervisor: Albert Diano
Sound Engineer: Hal Burbaugh
Cinematography: Charles Schoenbaum
Film Editor: Robert Crandall

Cast: Bobby Breen [Philip], May Robson [Mrs. Ainsworth], Charles Butterworth [Barrett], Alan Mowbray [Ralph Layton], Benita Hume [Julia Layton], Henry O'Neill [Father Josef], Louise Beavers [Toinette], Marilyn Knowlden [Lucille Layton], Lillian Yarbo [Seline], Stymie Beard [Lilybell Jones], Edward Anderson [Doctor], Hall Johnson Singers, Additional Cast (not included in end credits): Betty Blythe [Flower Buyer], Theresa Maxwell Conover [Mrs. Logan], Lew Kelly [Cabman], Lillian Harmer [Superintendent]

Musical Program: [0:01] Flower Song (sung by Bobby Breen); [0:08] unidentified hymn: Mother of Mothers, Thy Children beseech thee... (sung by Bobby Breen accompanied by Henry O'Neill on the organ onscreen); [0:11] Ring de Banjo (sung by Louise Beavers and Bobby Breen, banjo played onscreen by Louise Beavers); [0:16] Waitin' for the Sun to Rise (sung by Bobby Breen with the Hall Johnson Singers); [0:33] Holy, Holy, Holy (Lord God Almighty) (sung by Bobby Breen and Choir in church processional); [0:34] Ave Maria (Schubert version, sung by Bobby Breen with Choir); [0:48] Flower Song (reprised by Bobby Breen); [0:51] De Camptown Races (excerpt sung by Bobby Breen with a little help from Charles Butterworth); [0:54] Dixie (a few bars picked out on piano by Bobby Breen onscreen); [0:57] Old Folks at Home (sung by Bobby Breen with the Hall Johnson Singers); [1:00] Flower Song (reprised by Bobby Breen); [1:03] Rainbow on the River (sung by Bobby Breen); [1:16] Rainbow on the River (reprised by Bobby Breen and the Hall Johnson Singers)

Reaching for the Moon
Feature Productions / United Artists, 1930, B/W, 67 minutes, ***
Premiere release December, 1930
General release February, 1931
This edit released by Artcinema Associates, 1937

Depression-influenced comedy stars Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as a financier whose setbacks are driving him to drink much to the consternation of valet Edward Everett Horton. Witty comedy (which began as an Irving Berlin musical until all but one song was excised) co-stars Bebe Daniels and includes a Berlin score and an early performance by Bing Crosby.

A very funny movie, though it takes a rather sobering turn when the stock market crashes. Fairbanks is broke, but he bounces back quickly. Douglas Fairbanks is a scream, and E. E. Horton is always fun!

Presented by: Joseph M. Schenck
Written and Directed by: Edmund Goulding
Based on a story... with music by Irving Berlin
Additional Dialogue: Elsie Janis
Assistant Director: Lonnie D'Orsa
Musical Direction: Alfred Newman
Settings: William Cameron Menzies
Decorations: Julia Heron
Fashions: David Cox
Recording Supervisor: Theodore Reed
Recording: Oscar Lagerstrom
Photography: Ray June and Robert Planck
Editors: Lloyd Nosler and Hal C. Kern

Cast: Douglas Fairbanks [Larry Day], Bebe Daniels [Vivan Benton], Edward Everett Horton [Rogers, the Valet], Claud Allister [Sir Horace Partington Chelmsford], Jack Mulhall [Jimmy Carrington], Walter Walker [James Benton], June MacCloy [Kitty], Helen Jerome Eddy [Day's Secretary], Bing Crosby [Himself]

Musical Program: Reaching for the Moon (trimmed from shorter prints); [0:44] When the Folks Up High Do the Mean Low-Down (sung by Bing Crosby and Bebe Daniels, danced by ship passengers)

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
20th Century-Fox, 1938, B/W, 80 minutes, ***
Released March, 1938

Apparently 20th Century-Fox bought this property for its title only, as it bears little resemblance to the Mary Pickford film (1917) or the Marian Nixon film (1932). All that aside, it's an enjoyable entry from America's favorite little moppet.

When orphaned Rebecca's (Shirley Temple) uncle Henry Kipper (William Demarest) fails to launch Rebecca as a child radio star, he takes her to live with her aunt (Helen Westley) on Sunnybrook farm. And who should live next door but radio producer Anthony Kent (Randolph Scott)? Of course, Kent finds a way to get Rebecca on the air, but when Kipper hears the program he wants Rebecca back, and a family feud erupts!

Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Associate Producer: Raymond Griffith
Directed by: Allan Dwan
Assistant Director: Aaron Rosenberg
Screen Play by: Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger
(suggested by the Kate Douglas Wiggin story)
Music and Lyrics by: Mack Gordon, Harry Revel, Lew Pollack, Sidney D. Mitchell, Sam Pokrass, Jack Yellen, Raymond Scott
Dances Staged by: Nick Castle and Geneva Sawyer
Musical Direction: Arthur Lange
Art Direction: Bernard Herzbrun, Hans Peters
Set Decoration: Thomas Little
Costumes: Gwen Wakeling
Sound: George Leverett, Roger Heman
Photography: Arthur Miller
Film Editor: Allen McNeil

Cast: Shirley Temple [Rebecca Winstead], Randolph Scott [Anthony Kent], Jack Haley [Orville Smithers], Gloria Stuart [Gwen Warren], Phyllis Brooks [Lola Lee], Helen Westley [Aunt Miranda Wilkins], Slim Summerville [Homer Busby], Bill Robinson [Aloysius], J. Edward Bromberg [Dr. Hill], Alan Dinehart [Purvis], Raymond Scott and his Quintet [Themselves], Dixie Dunbar [Receptionist], Paul Hurst [Mug], William Demarest [Henry Kipper], Ruth Gillette [Melba], Paul Harvey [Cyrus Bartlett], Clarence Wilson [Jake Singer], Sam Hayes, Gary Breckner, Carroll Nye [Radio Announcers], Franklin Pangborn [Hamilton Montmarcy], William Wagner [Rev. Turner], Eily Malyon [Mrs. Turner], Mary McCarty [Florabelle]

Musical Program: [0:01] Happy Ending (Phyllis Brooks); [0:06] You've Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby (various girls at audition); [0:07] An Old Straw Hat (Shirley Temple at audition); [0:23] An Old Straw Hat (sung by Shirley Temple, dancing a couple steps with Bill Robinson); [0:29] An Old Straw Hat (Shirley Temple at Tony Kent's house); [0:38] Crackly Grain Flakes (unidentified quartet); [0:42] Alone with You (Phyllis Brooks and Jack Haley); [0:49] Come and Get Your Happiness (Shirley Temple and Girls Chorus); [0:55] Au Revoir (includes medley of: On the Good Ship Lollipop / When I'm with You / Animal Crackers in My Soup / Oh My Goodness) (Shirley Temple); [1:16] Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (sung by Shirley Temple with Raymond Scott Quintet, danced by Shirley Temple, Bill Robinson and Mens Chorus)


Shirley leads the chorus in
"Come and Get Your Happiness"
(original photo ©1938 20th Century-Fox)

Reckless
MGM, 1935, B/W, 96 minutes
Released April, 1935

In this snappy romantic drama spiced with musical numbers, Jean Harlow performs a change-of-pace role as a Broadway actress whose effect on men leads to jealousy, scandal and even murder. William Powell, Franchot Tone, May Robson, Ted Healy and Rosalind Russell star. Songs include "Ev'rything's Been Done Before" and the title tune.

Producer: David O. Selznick
Director: Victor Fleming
Screenplay: P.J. Wolfson
(based on the story "A Woman Called Cheap" by David O. Selznick)
Music Director: Victor Baravalle
Song Score: various
Choreography: Chester Hale and Carl Randall
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons
Gowns: Adrian
Cinematography: George Folsey
Film Editing: Margaret Booth

Cast: Jean Harlow [Mona Leslie], William Powell [Ned Riley], Franchot Tone [Bob Harrison], May Robson [Granny], Ted Healy [Smiley], Nat Pendleton [Blossom], Robert Light [Paul Mercer], Mickey Rooney [Eddie], Rosalind Russell [Josephine], Henry Stephenson [Harrison], Louise Henry [Louise], James Ellison [Dale Every], Leon Waycoff (aka Leon Ames) [Ralph Watson], Man Mountain Dean [Himself], Farina [Gold Dust], Allan Jones [Allan], Nina Mae McKinney [Herself], Hans Steinke [Wrestler], Ernie Haynes [Wrestler], Robert Andrews [Mona's Baby], Jeanie Gunn [Little Girl Singer], Virginia Verrill [singing voice of Jean Harlow]

Musical Program: Reckless (Virginia Verrill dubbing for Jean Harlow); Asi se Besa (instrumental); Everything's Been Done Before (sung by Allan Jones); Hear What My Heart Is Saying (sung by Virginia Verrill dubbing for Jean Harlow)

Red Garters
Paramount, 1954, Color, 91 minutes, ***½
Released March, 1954

Rosemary Clooney, Jack Carson, Guy Mitchell, Pat Crowley and Gene Barry star in this high-spirited, highly stylized musical / comedy that pokes gentle fun at Western movies. A cowboy rides into a frontier town to catch his brother's killer, but also finds romance along the way. Songs include "A Dime and a Dollar," "Good Intentions," "Man and Woman."

Produced by: Pat Duggan
Directed by: George Marshall
Assistant Director: John Coonan
Written by: Michael Fessier
Music Direction and Vocal Adaptations by: Joseph J. Lilley
Music and Lyrics by: Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Choreography by: Nick Castle
Art Direction: Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson
Set Decoration: Sam Comer and Ray Moyer
Women's Costumes: Edith Head
Men's Costumes: Yvonne Wood
Makeup Supervision: Wally Westmore
Sound Recording by: Gene Merritt, John Cope
Director of Photography: Arthur E. Arling
Special Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Consultant: Richard Mueller
Edited by: Arthur Schmidt

Cast: Rosemary Clooney [Calaveras Kate], Jack Carson [Jason Carberry], Guy Mitchell [Reb Randall], Pat Crowley [Susana Martinez De La Cruz], Joanne Gilbert [Sheila Winthrop], Gene Barry [Rafael Moreno], Cass Daley [Minnie Redwing], Frank Faylen [Billy Buckett], Reginald Owen [Judge Winthrop], Buddy Ebsen [Ginger Pete], Richard Hale [Dr. J. Pott Troy]

Musical Program: [0:00] Red Garters (excerpt sung by Rosemary Clooney and Chorus Girls before titles, instrumental arrangement played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:02] A Dime and a Dollar (sung by Guy Mitchell); [0:07] The Robin Randall Song (sung by Ensemble); [0:14] Man and Woman (sung by Rosemary Clooney and Guy Mitchell); [0:25] Lady Killer (sung and danced by Rosemary Clooney and Chorus); [0:32] A Dime and a Dollar (continued by Guy Mitchell); [0:39] Red Garters (sung and danced by Rosemary Clooney and Chorus Girls); [0:46] A Dime and a Dollar (continued by Guy Mitchell); [0:49] Good Intentions (sung by Rosemary Clooney); [0:51] Vaquero! (sung and danced by Chorus); [1:00] Bad News (sung by Rosemary Clooney); [1:02] unidentified instrumental (played by Orchestra, danced by Buddy Ebsen and Chorus Girls); [1:05] Brave Man (sung by Rosemary Clooney); [1:11] Meet a Happy Guy (sung by Guy Mitchell, danced by Mitchell and Pat Crowley); [1:14] This Is Greater Than I Thought (sung and danced by Joanne Gilbert); [1:29] Finale (reprisal of all major songs by principals)

Red Riding Hood
(aka Cannon Movie Tales: Red Riding Hood)
Golan-Globus / Cannon, 1989, Color, 81 minutes, ***

See list of all Cannon Movie Tales

The high-spirited daughter of the village lord and her mother have been living in the forest for seven years near her wise grandmother. They wait for her father to come home, meanwhile, her literally heartless uncle rules. He sells his soul for the aid of an enchanted wolf who turns himself human in order to spy. As the tyranical lord begins to see his niece as a threat, he sends the wolf to deal with her.

An interesting -- and different -- interpretation of the classic fairy tale. The music is nice, but somewhat forgettable, though the number "Never Talk to Strangers" is very nicely performed by Amelia Shankley and Rocco Sisto.

Produced by: Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus
Associate Producer: Patricia Ruben
Executive Producer: Itzik Kol
Director: Adam Brooks
Screenplay by: Carole Lucia Satrina
inspired by the classic fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm
Music by: Stephen Lawrence
Lyrics by: Michael Korie
Production Designer: Marek Dobrowolski
Art Director: Miki Zhahar
Set Decoration: Yuda Ako
Costume Designer: Meira Steinmatz
Directors of Photography: Danny Shneuer, Hilik Ne'eman
Editor: David Tour

Cast: Amelia Shankley [Linet], Isabella Rossellini [Lady Jean], Craig T. Nelson [Godfrey / Percival], Rocco Sisto [Dagger], Helen Elazary [Nanny Bess], Linda Kaye [Badger Kate], Amnon Meskin [Peter], Julian Joy-Chagrin [Allen Owen], Haim Zehavy [1st Guard], Stuart Kingston, Danny Segev, Arie Moscuna [Villagers], Igor Borisov [Bartender], Barbara Allen [Lady in Castle]

Musical Program: [0:06] Lost in the Woods (sung by Amelia Shankley); [0:19] Good at Being Bad (sung by Rocco Sisto); [0:24] You Won't Be Here in the Morning (sung by Isabella Rossellini); [0:38] Green in the Blue (sung and danced by Julian Chagrin and Villagers); [0:44] You Won't Be Here in the Morning (reprised by Craig T. Nelson); [0:46] Man Without a Heart (sung by Craig T. Nelson); [0:58] Never Talk to Strangers (sung and danced by Rocco Sisto and Amelia Shankley); [1:17] Lost in the Woods (Amelia Shankley); [1:19] Never Talk to Strangers (sung by Rocco Sisto and Amelia Shankley behind end credits)

The Red Shoes
Eagle-Lion Films, 1948, Color, 134 minutes
Released September, 1948 (UK)
Released October, 1948 (USA)

A glorious Technicolor epic that influenced generations of filmmakers, artists, and aspiring ballerinas, The Red Shoes intricately weaves backstage life with the thrill of performance. A young ballerina (Moira Shearer) is torn between two forces: the composer who loves her (Marius Goring), and the impresario determined to fashion her into a great dancer (Anton Walbrook).

Producer: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Assistant Producer: George R. Busby
Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Screenplay: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, additional dialogue by Keith Winter and Marius Goring
(based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen)
Original Music: Brian Easdale, Kenny Baker
Production Design: Hein Heckroth
Choreography: Robert Helpmann (The Ballet of The Red Shoes), Léonide Massine (The Shoemaker)
Art Direction: Arthur Lawson
Costumes: Carven, Dorothy Edwards, Hein Heckroth
Cinematography: Jack Cardiff
Editor: Reginald Mills

Cast: Anton Walbrook [Boris Lermontov], Marius Goring [Julian Craster], Moira Shearer [Victoria Page], Robert Helpmann [Ivan Boleslawsky], Leonide Massine [Grischa Ljubov], Albert Bassermann [Sergei Ratov], Ludmilla Tchérina [Irina Boronskaja], Esmond Knight [Livingstone "Livy" Montagne], Jean Short [Terry Tyler], Gordon Littmann [Ike Tanner], Julia Lang [Weirdie, A Balletomane], Bill Shine [Beardie, Weirdie's Companion], Austin Trevor [Professor Andrew Palmer], Eric Berry [Dimitri], Irene Browne [Lady Neston], Jerry Verno [George, the Stagedoor Keeper], Derek Elphinstone [Lord Peter Oldham], Madame Rambert [Herself], Joy Rawlins [Gladys, Vicky's friend], Marcel Poncin [M. Boudin], Michel Bazalgette [M. Rideaut], Yvonne Andre [Vicky's Dresser], Hay Petrie [Boisson], Hilda Gaunt [Accompianist], Alan Carter, Joan Harris [Solo Dancers], Joan Sheldon, Paula Dunning, Brian Ashbridge, Denis Carey, Lynne Dorval, Helen France, Robert Dorning, Eddie Gaillard, Paul Hammond, Tommy Linden, Trisha Linova, Guy Massey, John Regan, Peggy Sager, Ruth Sendler [Dancers]

Musical Program: Ballet of The Red Shoes (Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart.); Dance music (Performed by Ted Heath's Kenny Baker Swing Group); Aria (Sung by Margherita Grandi); Act 2 Coda (Allegro vivace) from ballet Swan Lake

Rhapsody in Blue
(The Story of George Gershwin)
Warner Bros., 1945, B/W, 139 minutes, ***
Released September, 1945

Good biopic of George Gershwin, loaded with Gershwin music from end to end! Critics often bemoan its (relatively minor) innacuracies, but just remember it's not a documentary - it's a musical! Enjoy the music! Appearances by Al Jolson, Paul Whiteman, Oscar Levant and Hazel Scott.

Produced by: Jesse L. Lasky
Directed by: Irving Rapper
Original Story by: Sonya Levien
Screen Play by: Howard Koch and Elliot Paul
Musical Director: Leo F. Forbstein
Musical Score: George Gershwin
Music and Lyrics by: George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Orchestral Arrangements by: Ray Heindorf
Orchestral Arrangements of "Rhapsody in Blue" by Ferde Grofe
"Rhapsody in Blue" Orchestra Conducted by Paul Whiteman
Piano Solo Recordings by: Oscar Levant
Additional Piano Solo Recordings: Ray Turner
"135th Street Blues" Lyrics by Buddy De Sylva
"Swanee" Lyrics by Irving Caesar
"Yankee Doodle Blues" Lyrics by Irving Caesar and B. G. DeSylva
Music Adapted by: Max Steiner
Vocal Arrangements by: Dudley Chambers
Dance Numbers Created and Directed by: LeRoy Prinz
Art Directors: John Hughes and Anton Grot
Set Decorations: Fred M. MacLean
Gowns by: Milo Anderson
Makeup Artist: Perc Westmore
Sound by: David Forrest and Stanley Jones
Director of Photography: Merritt Gerstad and Ernest Haller, Sol Polito
Special Effects by: Roy Davidson, Willard Van Enger
Montages by: James Leicester
Film Editor: Folmer Blangsted

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Score (Musical) and Best Sound Recording

Cast: Robert Alda [George Gershwin], Joan Leslie [Julie Adams], Alexis Smith [Christine Gilbert], Charles Coburn [Max Dreyfus], Julie Bishop [Lee Gershwin], Albert Basserman [Professor Frank], Morris Carnovsky [Poppa Gershwin], Rosemary DeCamp [Momma Gershwin], Oscar Levant [Himself], Paul Whiteman [Himself], Al Jolson [Himself], George White [Himself], Hazel Scott [Herself], Anne Brown [Bess], Herbert Rudley [Ira Gershwin], John B. Hughes [Himself], Mickey Roth [George Gershwin as a Boy], Darryl Hickman [Ira Gershwin as a Boy], Charles Halton [Mr. Kast], Andrew Tombes [Mr. Million], Gregory Golubeff [Mr. Katzman], Walter Soderling [Mr. Muscatel], Eddie Marr [Buddy De Sylva], Theodore von Eltz [Foley], Bill Kennedy [Herbert Stone], Oscar Lorraine [Ravel], Johnny Downs [Dancer], Ernest Golm [Otto Kahn], Martin Noble [Jascha Heifetz], Hugo Kirchhoffer [Walter Damrosch], Will Wright [Rachmaninoff], Additional Cast: Tom Patricola [Himself], Robert Shayne [Christine's Escort], Ivan Lebedeff [Guest in Nightclub], George Riley [Comic], Virginia Sale [Cashier], Yola D'Avril [Prima Donna], Claire DuBrey [Receptionist], Christian Rub [Swedish Janitor], Odette Myrtil [Mme. De Breteuil], Jay Novello [Orchestra Leader], Robert Johnson [Sport], William Gillespie [Porgy], Mark Stevens [Singer], Louanne Hogan [singing voice of Joan Leslie]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture: "Rhapsody in Blue" / "Embraceable You" / "I Got Rhythm" (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:14] Smiles (sung by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Joan Leslie); [0:15] Swanee (sung by Robert Alda and Louanne Hogan dubbing for Joan Leslie); [0:26] Swanee (danced by Chorus, sung and whistled by Al Jolson); [0:34] 'S Wonderful (sung by Chorus, danced by Joan Leslie and Chorus); [0:38] Somebody Loves Me (sung and danced by Joan Leslie and Johnny Downs, Louanne Hogan dubbing for Joan Leslie); [0:43] (I'll Build a) Stairway to Paradise / Oh Lady Be Good (medley / montage, sung by Chorus, danced by Joan Leslie and Chorus); [0:44] Blue Monday Blues (aka "135th Street") (sung and danced by Chorus); [0:56] Rhapsody in Blue (played by Orchestra conducted by Paul Whiteman with Ray Turner dubbing for Robert Alda at the piano); [1:10] The Man I Love (played and sung in French and English by Hazel Scott); [1:12] Fascinating Rhythm / I Got Rhythm (played and sung by Hazel Scott); [1:15] Yankee Doodle Blues (sung by Hazel Scott); [1:25] Gershwin Medley (piano duet played by Oscar Levant and Ray Turner dubbing for Robert Alda); [1:26] Bidin' My Time (sung by party guests); [1:29] Embraceable You (sung by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Joan Leslie); [1:38] An American in Paris (excerpt played by Orchestra in background); [1:46] Cuban Overture (exerpt played by Orchestra); [1:48] Mine (sung by Robert Alda and Oscar Levant); [1:53] Delishious (sung by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Joan Leslie); [1:57] Summertime (from "Porgy and Bess", sung and danced by Anne Brown and Chorus); [2:01] Concerto in F (excerpt played by Orchestra); [2:12] Love Walked In (sung by Mark Stevens [?]); [2:14] Concerto in F (excerpt played by Orchestra with Oscar Levant at the piano); [2:18] Rhapsody in Blue (excerpt played by Orchestra with Oscar Levant at the piano); [1:21] Medley of Gershwin tunes played by Orchestra behind end credits; Many other bits and pieces of Gershwin and non-Gershwin tunes scattered throughout the film

Rhythm on the Range
Paramount, 1936, B/W, 88 minutes, ***
Released July, 1936

America's favorite crooner, Bing Crosby, lassoes up love and laughter as big as the great outdoors when he stars as Jeff Larrabee, a champion rodeo rider heading back West after performing in New York. On the train ride home he discovers a runaway heiress hiding out in his boxcar. Seems gorgeous Doris Halloway (Frances Farmer) is fed up with big city wolves and hankers for romance with a real-life cowboy.

This sweet, swingin' tale is loaded with down-home humor, range-rousing songs (including "I'm an Old Cowhand" from newcomer Johnny Mercer) and many memorable firsts including a peek at the yet unknown Roy Rogers (seen strumming his guitar in the band) and the screen debut of Martha Raye. So saddle up and sit back for a story that will keep your toes tapping on the happy trails ahead.  [from back of DVD case]

Adolph Zukor Presents
Produced by: Benjamin Glazer
Directed by: Norman Taurog
Screen Play by: John C. Moffitt and Sidney Salkow, Walter DeLeon and Francis Martin
Based on a Story by Mervin J. Houser
Musical Direction: Boris Morros
Lyrics and Music by: Leo Robin, Sam Coslow, Frederick Hollander, Richard A. Whiting, Ralph Rainger
"Empty Saddles" by Billy Hill and J. Keirn Brennan
"I'm an Old Cowhand From the Rio Grande" lyrics and music by Johnny Mercer
Art Direction by: Hans Dreier and Robert Usher
Interior Decorations by: A. E. Freudeman
Costumes Designed by: Edith Head
Sound Recording: Gene Merritt and Don Johnson
Photographed by: Karl Struss
Edited by: Ellsworth Hoagland

Cast: Bing Crosby [Jeff Larrabee], Frances Farmer [Doris Halloway], Bob Burns [Buck], Martha Raye [Emma], Samuel S. Hinds [Robert Halloway], Warren Hymer [Big Brain], Lucille Webster Gleason [Penelope Ryland], George E. Stone [Shorty], James Burke [Wabash], Martha Sleeper [Constance Hyde], Clem Bevans [Gila Bend, Cowboy], Leonid Kinskey [Mischa, Cowboy], Charles Williams [Gopher, Cowboy], Beau Baldwin, 50th ["Cuddles," the bull], Additional Cast: Emmett Vogan [Clerk], Dennis O'Keefe [Heckler], Duke York [Officer], James Blaine [Conductor], Herbert Ashley [Brakeman], James "Slim" Thompson [Porter], Jim Toney [Oil Station Proprietor], Syd Saylor [Gus], Sam McDaniel [Porter], Harry C. Bradley [Minister], Charles Arnt [Steward], Oscar Smith [Waiter], Bob McKenzie [Farmer], Heinie Conklin [Driver], Frank Dawson [Butler], Otto Yamaoka [Chinese Houseboy], Irving Bacon [Announcer], Eddy Waller [Field Judge], Sons of the Pioneers [Themselves], Louis Prima [Himself]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (includes segment of "I'm an Old Cowhand From the Rio Grande," played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:16] Empty Saddles (sung by Bing Crosby at rodeo, partly accompanied by off-screen Chorus); [0:33] Roundup Lullaby (sung by Bing Crosby); [0:52] I Can't Escape from You (sung by Bing Crosby); [1:11] (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini) (sung by Martha Raye); [1:15] Drink It Down (sung by Leonid Kinskey and Ensemble, joined by Bing Crosby); [1:18] I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande) (sung by Bing Crosby and Martha Raye and Ensemble with The Sons of the Pioneers); [1:22] Wing Ding (played by The Sons of the Pioneers, including Leonard Slye who was later to become known as Roy Rogers)

Rhythm on the River
Paramount, 1940, B/W, 94 minutes, ***
Released August, 1940

Bing Crosby and Mary Martin make a delightful discovery in this tuneful tale of star-crossed melodymakers who step out from the shadows in the hopes of making it big.

Basil Rathbone plays Oliver Courtney, a well-known composer of hit songs who is very much in demand by the folks who produce musical shows. But beneath the gloss of a well-polished performance lies the truth about Oliver's talent - it's the work of ghostwriters! Bob Summers (Crosby) writes the tunes and Cherry Lane (Martin) writes the lyrics, only neither knows the other exists and both believe they are collaborating with Oliver. When the two meet at a musical retreat, they discover they have a lot more in common than they ever imagined and decide they'd like to go out on their own together. But the road to fame is rough and they wind up needing help from the one person who has the least interest in making their names known to the world of music - Oliver. Rhythm on the River is full of life, laughter and love. Songs include "Only Forever," "Ain't It a Shame About Mame," "Moon Over Madison Square" and "That's for Me."   [from back of DVD case]

Produced by: William LeBaron
Directed by: Victor Schertzinger
Screen Play by: Dwight Taylor
Based on a Story by: Billy Wilder and Jacques Thery
Musical Direction: Victor Young
Musical Adviser: Arthur Franklin
Songs: Lyrics by Johnny Burke, Music by James V. Monaco
"I Don't Want to Cry Any More" by Victor Schertzinger
Songs Arranged and Conducted by: John Scott Trotter
Art Direction: Hans Dreier, Ernst Fegté
Costumes: Edith Head
Sound Recording: Earl Hayman, Richard Olson
Director of Photography: Ted Tetzlaff
Editor: Hugh Bennett

Awards: Academy Award nomination for Best Song ("Only Forever")

Cast: Bing Crosby [Bob Summers], Mary Martin [Cherry Lane], Basil Rathbone [Oliver Courtney], Oscar Levant [Starbuck], Oscar Shaw [Charlie Goodrich], Charley Grapewin [Uncle Caleb], Lillian Cornell [Millie Starling], William Frawley [Westlake], Jeanne Cagney [Country Cousin], Helen Bertram [Aunt Delia], John Scott Trotter [Orchestra Leader], Ken Carpenter [Teddy Gardner, Announcer], Charles Lane [Bernard Schwartz], Harry Barris [Bass Player], Wingy Manone and His Band, Additional Cast: Phyllis Kennedy [Patsy Flick], Wingy Manone [Woody], Brandon Hurst [Bates], Pierre Watkin [Uncle], Billy Benedict [Elevator Boy], Christian Rub [Pawnbroker]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:01] Conga (played by small orchestra, danced by party guests); [0:04] What Would Shakespeare Have Said (sung by Bing Crosby with Oscar Levant at the piano); [0:05] What Would Shakespeare Have Said (sung by Lillian Cornell); [0:20] That's for Me (sung by Mary Martin with Oscar Levant at the piano); [0:24] Tiger Rag (excerpt played by Wingy Manone and His Band); [0:42] Only Forever (sung by Bing Crosby); [0:45] That's for Me (excerpt sung by Bing Crosby); [0:52] When the Moon Comes Over Madison Square (The Love Lament of a Western Gent) (sung by Bing Crosby); [1:02] Rhythm on the River (played by Wingy Manone and His Band, sung by Bing Crosby); [1:08] Ain't It a Shame About Mame (sung by Mary Martin with Wingy Manone and His Band); [1:16] I Don't Want to Cry Any More (sung by Mary Martin); [1:32] Only Forever (sung by Mary Martin and Bing Crosby with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra)

Rich, Young and Pretty
MGM, 1951, Color, 95 minutes, ***
Released July, 1951

Elizabeth Rogers (Jane Powell) is rich, young and very, very pretty!! She's rich because she lives with her Texan tycoon father (Wendell Corey), who has been estranged from his wife since Elizabeth was a baby. A business trip takes daddy to Paris, and Elizabeth goes along, only to fall in love with Andre Milan (Vic Damone) and to discover that the nightclub singer she so admires (Danielle Darrieux) is her mother! Song-filled comedy features several numbers by Darrieux and Lamas. Other musical highlights include "Wonder Why," "We Never Talk Much" and "How Do You Like Your Eggs in the Morning."

Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: Norman Taurog
Screen Play by: Dorothy Cooper and Sidney Sheldon
Story by: Dorothy Cooper
Musical Direction: David Rose
Musical Score: David Rose
Songs: Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, Music by Nickolaus Brodszky
Musical Numbers Staged by: Nick Castle
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Arthur Lonergan
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Jack D. Moore
Women's Costumes: Helen Rose
Hair Styles Designed by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: William Tuttle
Recording Supervisor: Douglas Shearer
Special Effects: Warren Newcombe
Montage Sequence by: Peter Ballbusch
Director of Photography: Robert Planck
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Consultants: Henri Jaffa, James Gooch
Film Editor: Gene Ruggiero

Awards: Nominated for Best Song Academy Award ("Wonder Why")

Cast: Jane Powell [Elizabeth Rogers], Danielle Darrieux [Marie Devarone], Wendell Corey [Jim Stauton Rogers], Vic Damone [Andre Milan], Fernando Lamas [Paul Sarnac], Marcel Dalio [Claude Duval], Una Merkel [Glynnie], Richard Anderson [Bob Lennart], Jean Murat [Henri Milan], Duci de Kerekjarto [Gypsy Leader], Hans Conried [Jean, the Maitre D'], George Tatar & Katrin Tatar [Hungarian Dancers], Monique Chantal [Maid], Bess Flowers [Extra at Le Parisien], The Four Freshmen [Four Musicians]

Musical Program: [0:06] Paris (sung by Jane Powell with a little help from Wendell Corey); [0:10] Hungarian Rhapsody (danced by George and Katrin Tatar); [0:12] Deep in the Heart of Texas / Mademoiselle from Armentieres (played by string quartet, sung by Wendell Corey, Jane Powell and Ensemble); [0:16] L'Amour Toujours (Tonight for Sure) (sung and danced by Danielle Darrieux and Mens Chorus); [0:22] There's Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie (sung by Danielle Darrieux); [0:31] Wonder Why (sung by Vic Damone); [0:36] I Can See You (sung by Jane Powell and Vic Damone); [0:43] Paris (sung by Fernando Lamas); [0:45] We Never Talk Much (We Just Sit Around) (sung by Danielle Darrieux and Fernando Lamas); [0:51] Wonder Why (sung by Vic Damone and Jane Powell while dancing); [1:00] We Never Talk Much (We Just Sit Around) (sung by Jane Powell and Vic Damone); [1:05] Dark Is the Night (C'est fini) (sung by Danielle Darrieux); [1:14] The Old Piano Roll Blues (sung by Jane Powell, Vic Damone and Fernando Lamas); [1:17] How Do You Like Your Eggs in the Morning? (sung by Vic Damone and Jane Powell with The Four Freshmen); [1:33] Paris (reprised by Danielle Darrieux and Company)

Riding High
(aka Frank Capra's Riding High)
Paramount, 1950, B/W, 112 minutes, ***½
Released April, 1950

Broadway Bill? "He's the mostest horse we ever did have!" says his handler. He's a lot of movie, too. So much that in 1950, Frank Capra teamed with stars Bing Crosby and Coleen Gray for Riding High, a lively remake of Capra's 1934 gem, Broadway Bill.

Der Bingle's fondness for the racetrack is evident throughout this story of a man who abandons the mansion for the stable. And the songs attest to the film's unbridled spirit. There's no need for an address, three square meals a day or luck when you can stay "Someplace on Anywhere Road," bake a "Sunshine Cake" or bet the nest egg on "What the Horse Told Me." Many of the 1934 stars reprise their roles here, and Oliver Hardy (minus sidekick Stan Laurel) has a memorable bit as a railbird desperate for a winner.  [from back of DVD case]

Produced and Directed by: Frank Capra
Assistant Director: Arthur Black
Screenplay by: Robert Riskin
Additional Dialogue by: Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose
Based on a story by Mark Hellinger ("Broadway Bill")
Vocal Arrangements: Joseph J. Lilley
Music Associate: Troy Sanders
Music Direction: Victor Young
New Songs: Lyrics by Johnny Burke, Music by James Van Heusen
Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Walter Tyler
Set Decoration: Emile Kuri
Costumes: Edith Head
Makeup Supervision: Wally Westmore
Sound Recording: Hugo Grenzbach and John Cope
Directors of Photography: George Barnes, Ernest Laszlo
Process Photography: Farciot Edouart
Edited by: William Hornbeck

Cast: Bing Crosby [Dan Brooks], Coleen Gray [Alice Higgins], Charles Bickford [J. L. Higgins], Frances Gifford [Margaret Higgins], William Demarest [Happy], Raymond Walburn [Prof. Pettigrew], James Gleason [Racing Secretary], Ward Bond [Lee], Clarence Muse [Whitey], Percy Kilbride [Pop Jones], Harry Davenport [Johnson], Margaret Hamilton [Edna], Paul Harvey [Whitehall], Douglass Dumbrille [Eddie Howard], Gene Lockhart [J. P. Chase], Marjorie Hoshelle [Mathilda Early], Rand Brooks [Henry Early], Willard Waterman [Arthur Winslow], Marjorie Lord [Mary Winslow], Irving Bacon [Hamburger Man], Joe Frisco [Himself]
Frankie Darro [Jockey Williams], Charles Lane [Erickson], Dub Taylor [Joe], Additional Cast: Max Baer [Bertie], Oliver Hardy [Horse Player]

Musical Program: [0:00] Camptown Races (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:07] (We've Got A) Sure Thing (excerpt sung by Bing Crosby); [0:21] Someplace on Anywhere Road (sung by Bing Crosby and Clarence Muse); [0:38] The Whiffenpoof Song (sung by Bing Crosby, Raymond Walburn, William Demarest and club patrons); [0:54] Sunshine Cake (sung by Bing Crosby, Clarence Muse and Coleen Gray - cute number!); [1:19] The Horse Told Me (sung by Bing Crosby and Ensemble); [1:31] Camptown Races (Bing Crosby, Clarence Muse, Coleen Gray and Chorus)

Rio Rita
MGM, 1942, B/W, 91 minutes, ***
Released April, 1942

Bud and Lou uncover a Nazi plot to brainwash the American people with secret radios disguised as apples. Better than average crazy antics by Abbott & Costello. Musical highlights include several numbers sung by lovely Kathryn Grayson (in her third feature film) and the beautiful Brazilian Dance.

Produced by: Pandro S. Berman
Directed by: S. Sylvan Simon
Screen Play by: Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman
Special Material for Abbott and Costello by: John Grant
Musical Direction: Herbert Stothart
Songs: "Rio Rita," "The Ranger's Song" by Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy;
"Long Before You Came Along" by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen
Vocals and Orchestration: Murray Cutter, Leo Arnaud, Paul Marquardt
Choreography: Bobby Connolly, Vincente Minnelli and David Robel
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Associate: Eddie Imazu
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Gowns by: Kalloch
Men's Wardrobe by: Gile Steele
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Special Effects: Warren Newcombe
Director of Photography: George Folsey
Film Editor: Ben Lewis

Cast: Bud Abbott [Doc], Lou Costello [Wishy], Kathryn Grayson [Rita Winslow], John Carroll [Ricardo Montera], Patricia Dane [Lucille Brunswick], Tom Conway [Maurice Craindall], Peter Whitney [Jake], Arthur Space [Trask], Joan Valerie [Dotty], Dick Rich [Gus], Barry Nelson [Harry Gantley], Eva Puig [Marianna], Mitchell Lewis [Julio], Eros Volusia [Dancer], Julian Rivero [Mexican Gentleman], Douglass Newland [Control Man], Lee Murray [Little Mexican], Inez Cooper [Pulque], Frank Perry [Chef]

Musical Program: [0:17] Long Before You Came Along (sung by Kathryn Grayson and John Carroll); [0:21] The Ranger's Song (sung by Kathryn Grayson, John Carroll and Chorus); [0:47] Rio Rita (sung by John Carroll); [0:54] Brazilian Dance (instrumental danced by Eros Volusia and Ensemble); [1:04] Ombres Légères ("Shadow Song" from the opera DINORAH, sung by Kathryn Grayson)

River of No Return
20th Century-Fox, 1954, Color, 91 minutes, ***
Released April, 1954

The title river unites a farmer recently released from prison, his young son, and an ambitious saloon singer. In order to survive, each must be purged of anger, and each must learn to understand and care for the others.

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II DVD Box Set (shown right) contains this film and Don't Bother to Knock, Let's Make Love, Monkey Business and Niagara.

Marilyn Monroe Special Anniversary Collection DVD Box Set (shown right) contains this film and Seven Year Itch, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Niagara, Let's Make Love and Marilyn: The Final Days.

Produced by: Stanley Rubin
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Screenplay: Frank Fenton (from a story by Louis Lantz)
Music: Cyril J. Mockridge
Musical Direction: Lionel Newman
Director of Photography: Joseph La Shelle
Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, Addison Hehr
Set Decorations: Walter M. Scott, Chester Bayhi
Special Photographic Effects: Ray Kellogg
Film Editor: Louis Loeffler
Wardrobe Direction: Charles LeMaire
Costumes Designed by: Travilla
Vocal Direction: Ken Darby
Songs: Lyrics by Ken Darby, Music by Lionel Newman
Orchestration: Edward B. Powell
Choreography: Jack Cole
Makeup Artist: Ben Nye
Sound: Bernard Freericks, Roger Heman
Assistant Director: Paul Helmick
Technical Color Consultant: Leonard Doss
Cinemascope Lenses By: Bausch & Lomb

Cast: Robert Mitchum [Matt Calder], Marilyn Monroe [Kay Weston], Rory Calhoun [Harry Weston, Gambler], Tommy Rettig [Mark Calder], Murvyn Vye [Dave Colby, Prospector], Douglas Spencer [Sam Benson, Prospector], Paul Newlan [Prospector], Arthur Shields [Minister at Tent City], Don Beddoe [Ben, Council City Shopkeeper], Edmund Cobb [Town Barber], Ralph Sanford [Bartender], Fred Aldrich, Harry Wilson [Barflies at Camp Saloon], Harry Seymour [Piano Player], Geneva Gray, Ann McCrea [Dance Hall Girls], Barbara Nichols [Blonde Dancer], Jarma Lewis [Saloon Dancer], Fay Morley [Dancer], John Cliff [Leering Man], John Doucette [Man in Saloon], Jack Mather [Dealer at Card Table], Ed Hinton [Gambler], Will Wright [Trader], John Veitch, Hal Baylor, Mitchell Lawrence, Larry Chance [Young Punks]

Musical Program: [0:01] River of No Return (sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Chorus behind titles); [0:05] One Silver Dollar (sung by Marilyn Monroe in tent city saloon); [0:11] I'm Gonna File My Claim (sung by Marilyn Monroe in tent city saloon); [0:26] Down in the Meadow (sung by Marilyn Monroe at Matt Calder's cabin); [0:40] Down in the Meadow (reprised by Marilyn Monroe at camp site); [1:27] The River of No Return (sung by Marilyn Monroe and Men's Chorus in saloon at Council City); [1:30] The River of No Return (finale reprise sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Chorus)

Road to Bali
Paramount, 1952, Color, 90 minutes, ***
Released November, 1952

This episode of the "Road" series finds Hope and Crosby working as Vaudevilians in Australia. The local men run them both out of town for chasing their daughters. Desparate, they get work as divers on a small island where Dorothy Lamour lives. Lots of cameos, including Jane Russell, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. This was the only "Road" episode filmed in color.

Produced by: Harry Tugend
Directed by: Hal Walker
Assistant Director: John Coonan
Screenplay by: Frank Butler, Hal Kanter and William Morrow
Story by: Frank Butler and Harry Tugend
Music Direction: Joseph J. Lilley
New Songs: Lyrics by Johnny Burke, music by James Van Heusen
Musical Numbers Staged by: Charles O'Curran
Special Orchestral Arrangements: Van Cleave
Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Joseph MacMillan Johnson
Set Decoration: Sam Comer and Ross Dowd
Costumes: Edith Head
Makeup Supervision: Wally Westmore
Sound Recording by: Gene Merritt and John Cope
Director of Photography: George Barnes
Special Photographic Effects: Gordon Jennings and Paul Lerpae
Process Photography: Farciot Edouart
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Consultant: Monroe W. Burbank
Edited by: Archie Marshek

Cast: Bob Hope [Harold Gridley], Bing Crosby [George Cochran], Dorothy Lamour [Lalah], Murvyn Vye [Ken Arok], Peter Coe [Gung], Ralph Moody [Bhoma Da], Leon Askin [Ramayana], Jack Claus [Specialty Dancer], Dean Martin [Himself], Jerry Lewis [Himself], Jane Russell [Herself], Bob Crosby [Himelf], Katharine Hepburn [Herself], Humphrey Bogart [Himself], Bernie Gozier [Bo Kassar], Herman Cantor [Priest], Shela Fritz, Ethel K. Reiman, Irene K. Silva [Chief's Wives], Mylee Haulani [Beautiful Girl in Basket], Kukhie Kuhns [Fat Woman in Basket], Kuka Tuitama, Al Kikume, Charles Mauu, Satini Puailoa [Warriors], Michael Ansara [Guard], Larry Chance [Attendant], Bunny Lewbel [Lalah at age 7], Patricia Dane [Handmaiden], Sue Casey, Patti McKaye, Judy Landon, Leslie Charles, Jean Corbett, Betty Onge [Handmaidens], Roy Gordon [Eunice's Father], Harry Cording [Verna's Father], Carolyn Jones [Eunice], Jan Kayne [Verna], Allan Nixon [Eunice's Brother], Douglas Yorke [Verna's Brother], Luukia Luana, Raymond Lee [Boys], Mary Kanae [Old Crone], Bismark Auelua, Bhogwan Singh, Chanan Singh Sohi, Jerry Groves [Lower Priests], Richard Keene [Conductor], Donald Lawton [Employment Agency Clerk]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture with singing credits played by Orchestra, sung by Chorus behind titles); [0:02] Chicago Style (sung and danced by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby); [0:14] Moonflowers (sung by Dorothy Lamour with Chorus); [0:22] Hoot Mon (sung and danced by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in Scottish Kilts); [0:45] To See You (sung by Bing Crosby); [1:00] The Merry-Go-Runaround (sung by Bob Hope, joined by Bing Crosby and Doroth Lamour); [1:06] Moonflowers (reprised by Dorothy Lamour); There are a number of Bali native dances, which may have been accompanied by Chorale for Brass, Piano and Bongo (instrumental by Stan Kenton and Pete Rugolo).