Follow the Fleet
Follow the Fleet (1936) starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard
Follow the Fleet, a musical romantic comedy starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard
Follow the Fleet
Billy Rose’s Jumbo
Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962), starring Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye, Dean Jagger
Synopsis of Billy Rose’s Jumbo
In Billy Rose’s Jumbo, Pop and Kitty Wonder are the owners of the Wonder Circus. Because of Pop’s gambling addiction, they’re constantly in debt, with creditors very close to foreclosing on them. Their main attraction is Jumbo the Elephant. Their competitor, John Noble, wants Jumbo and to take their show. Out of nowhere, a mysterious new wire walker named Sam Rawlins joins. Kitty is taken with him, but what they don’t know is that he is Noble’s son.
Review of Billy Rose’s Jumbo
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Tea for Two
Tea for Two (1950) starring Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Eve Arden, Billy De Wolfe, S.Z “Cuddles” Sakall
Synopsis of Tea for Two
An aspiring actress takes a bet that she can answer “no” to every question for 24 hours. If she can, she’ll win the opportunity to finance and star in her own Broadway musical. Based on the 1920’s stage play and film, “No, No, Nanette”. The score features songs by George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Al Dubin and Harry Warren.
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It Happened in Brooklyn
It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, Jimmy Durante, Gloria Grahame
Synopsis of It Happened in Brooklyn
“Everybody is miserable in Brooklyn!” declares Anne Fielding, a pretty music teacher. It may start out that way, but Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Jimmy Durante, and Peter Lawford bring plenty of music, romance, and laughter to New York’s most colorful borough. Anne (Grayson) has to teach music because her opera career started off on the wrong note. Army private Dannie Miller (Sinatra) is too shy to let anyone hear him sing. Jamie, an English duke’s grandson (Lawford), is too stuffy to fit in. And Nick, the janitor (Durante), has never known love. But they all discover anything is possible if they believe in each other and the spirit of Brooklyn.
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For Me and My Gal
For Me and My Gal (1942), starring Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, George Murphy
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Easter Parade
Easter Parade (1948), starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Ann Miller
Synopsis of Easter Parade
On the day before Easter in 1911, Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) is crushed when his dancing partner and girlfriend (Ann Miller) refuses to start a new contract with him. To prove that he doesn’t need Nadine, Don acquires a new, innocent protegee named Hannah Brown (Judy Garland). He vows to make her a star in time for next year’s Easter Parade.
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Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies (1945) starring William Powell, Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Lena Horne, Kathryn Grayson and many more
Ziegfeld Follies is an attempt at recreating the spectacle of Flo Ziegfeld’s famous Broadway shows … And so the film is a series of unrelated musical and comedy routines. They’re unconnected except by the narration of the ghostly Flo Ziegfeld (played by William Powell) as he sits back in Heaven, thinking of the spectacles that he could create with then-current stars. The various acts include:
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Neptune’s Daughter
Neptune’s Daughter (1949) starring Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban, Red Skelton, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn
Neptune’s Daughter is a laugh out loud funny romantic musical comedy, which I enjoyed immensely. Although the movie stars the beautiful (and aquatic) Esther Williams and the dashing Ricardo Montalban (one of my favorite actors), the movie comes to life when Red Skelton is onscreen.
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Till the Clouds Roll By
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) starring Robert Walker, Van Heflin, Paul Langton, Dorothy Patrick
A fictionalized biography of composer Jerome Kern, that begins with a short version of his famous Show Boat musical, with much of his life told in flashback, including his partnership with Oscar Hammerstein. It’s historical accuracy is poor, but Till the Clouds Roll By makes up for it with numerous musical numbers by the great singers of the day.
Till the Clouds Roll By
