Song lyrics to Little Drops of Rain, sung by Judy Garland in Gay Purr-ee – lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, music by Harold Arlen
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The Horse Won’t Talk
Song lyrics to The Horse Won’t Talk, performed by Paul Frees in the musical Gay Purr-ee – lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, music by Harold Arlen
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Gay Purr-ee
Gay Purr-ee (1962) starring Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Paul Frees
Gay Purr-ee is often remembered as the animated cartoon with the voice of Judy Garland …. But it’s quite frankly a lot more than that. It takes a simple story: The farm girl who runs away to the big city in search of happiness, only to find that she was truly happy back home after all. And tells it in the setting of a musical, with the main characters all being cats.
Room Service
Room Service (1938) starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx), Lucille Ball, Ann Miller
I’ve long heard negative things about Room Service starring the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, and Harpo. However, after viewing the movie for myself, I don’t think that they’re deserved. Granted, it’s not of the same quality as Duck Soup, but it’s still very funny in its’ own right. That’s not to say that there aren’t negative things to say. The pace seems slow compared to typical Marx Brothers fare. The movie starts slowly. On the other hand, the ending of the movie is the normal zaniness that we’ve come to expect, and it plays well.
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Sorrowful Jones
Sorrowful Jones (1949), starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
Synopsis
New York bookie Sorrowful Jones takes a bet on Dreamy Joe from rotten gambler Orville Smith who leaves his young daughter, Martha, behind as collateral. When Orville overhears the horserace is fixed, he is killed by one of gangster Big Steve goons …
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Miss Grant Takes Richmond [Lucille Ball]
Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) starring Lucille Ball, William Holden, James Gleason
Miss Grant Takes Richmond begins at a secretarial school. The grave-looking Charles Lane is overseeing his class, including Ellen Grant, played by the lovely Lucille Ball. Most of the class is performing well, but not Lucille Ball’s character. She demonstrates this to the audience in a battle with an old-style typewriter — and losing. It’s a quiet slapstick routine, and sets her character for the audience. Effectively, she’s playing her Lucy Ricardo character from I Love Lucy (before she met Ricky). Hard working, diligent, intelligent, but accident prone — and cooking up a scheme to “help” other people.
At home that evening, she’s practicing her typing, in hopes of graduating from secretarial school the next day. She’s living with her aunt and uncle — the uncle is a Judge, and someone highly respected in the community. Likewise, her boyfriend is assistant District Attorney.
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Stage Door
Stage Door (1937) starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Eve Arden
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Yours, Mine and Ours
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), starring Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson, Tom Bosley
I can honestly say that Yours, Mine and Ours is one of my family’s favorite movies. It’s a wonderful story, about the merging of two large families. The Beardsley family of ten children, with the widowed father played by Henry Fonda. And the North family of eight children, with the widowed mother played by Lucille Ball). First comes the courtship of the father and mother… Awkwardly, clumsily, with the very understandable resentment of the children who don’t want their deceased parents ‘replaced’. This leads to “An alcoholic Pearl Harbor” that gives Lucille Ball an opportunity to play the drunk. It’s reminiscent of the classic Vitameatavegamin episode of her classic I Love Lucy series. Ending with the dramatic revelation that she’s fallen in love again.
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The Big Broadcast of 1938
The Big Broadcast of 1938, starring W. C. Fields, Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, Dorothy Lamour, Ben Blue
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Bachelor in Paradise
Bachelor in Paradise (1961), starring Bob Hope, Lana Turner
I have to admit, I recently enjoyed Bachelor in Paradise on TCM, and found myself enjoying it very much. Bob Hope plays Adam J. Niles, author of a series of books detailing the romantic life of the bachelor in a variety of foreign locales. As the movie begins, he’s working on his latest volume in Italy. When he’s unexpectedly brought home, to deal with the issue of back taxes to the IRS.
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