Search Results for: blog show boat 1951

Show Boat (1951)

I’ve been on a bit of a Howard Keel kick lately, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, and no Howard Keel kick would be complete without “Show Boat.” Nollie Hawkes (Kathryn Grayson) lives on a riverboat with her mother and father. They travel up and down the Mississipi River with a full complement of actors and actresses on board. Whenever they come to a town, they put on a show and invite everyone in the town to come. Each season brings a new show, and the townsfolk look forward to the arrival of the showboat. Julie and Bill are the stars … Continue reading →

Fitness Founder Jack LaLanne Dies at Age 96

The founder of our modern fitness movement, Jack LaLanne died this past week at the age of 96. You have to admit, the guy looked good for 96 years old! For more than 70 years, LaLanne taught about the benefits of strength training and eating a healthy diet. What he started decades ago has turned into a multi-million dollar industry. The sad part about it is that despite his beneficial teachings, Americans continue to struggle with weight issues. It was in 1936 that the nation’s first health club opened. At the time it served as a place to not only … Continue reading →

The Kissing Bandit (1949)

“The Kissing Bandit” is a funny spoof on all the old bandito movies that came out of the era of the early West. Frank Sinatra stars as Ricardo, son of the original Kissing Bandit. He didn’t know of his father’s secret identity – he thought his father was an innkeeper in the territory of California. When he writes to the inn and tells Chico, his father’s good friend, that he intends to come to California and run the family business, Chico believes that Ricardo is coming to become the new Kissing Bandit. However, Ricardo has been to hotel management school … Continue reading →

That Midnight Kiss(1949)

“That Midnight Kiss” was the first film ever to star Mario Lanza, and Hollywood immediately fell in love with this shy young man with the golden voice. He plays Johnny Donnetti, truck driver and son of Italian immigrants who run a restaurant. He studied opera for a time, but it never panned out for him, so he spends his time delivering furniture. Kathryn Grayson is Prudence Budell, a young lady who desperately wants to be an opera star. Her grandmother, Abigail Budell (Ethel Barrymore) is a wealthy woman who donates much of her fortune to the arts. She decides to … Continue reading →

Tristi’s Favorite Musicals

I grew up watching musicals. I love Doris Day, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire – in fact, there are very few movie stars from Hollywood’s golden era that I don’t like. There’s just nothing like a man and woman gazing into each other’s eyes and then breaking into song. Some of my all-time favorite musicals are, in no particular order: “Oklahoma!” Who could forget Shirley Jones in her first role as shy and idealistic Laurie, caught up in her feelings for that rascally cowboy, Curly? “Show Boat” took on a tough topic – that of race discrimination – and brought us … Continue reading →

Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

Everyone who was everyone in Hollywood (with the exception of David Niven) made an appearance in “Till the Clouds Roll By,” a look into the life of noted composer, Jerome Kern. Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, June Allyson, and Judy Garland are just a few of the names that grace this show’s playbill. Jerome Kern (Robert Walker) was a young song writer with a dream – he wanted to look out over the city, behold people he’d never met, and know that they were singing his songs. His first go-round didn’t go over so well, and he was encouraged to seek … Continue reading →

Oklahoma! (1955)

It’s a beautiful morning in Oklahoma. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye. At least, that’s what Curly says through song as he’s riding through the fields during the opening credits of this Hammerstein classic. Aunt Eller is a widow woman who lives on a small farm in Oklahoma. Her niece, Laurey, lives with her and helps her out, and they have a hired hand, Jud Fry. They are making due, but it’s hard running a farm with such a small crew. Curly (Gordon MacRae) is a cowboy, and … Continue reading →

Two Sisters from Boston (1946)

I had never heard of this film until I saw it on the shelf at my library, but being a huge Kathryn Grayson fan, I was pleased to make its acquaintance. Kathryn Grayson stars as Abigail Chandler, a young woman who wants to be an opera star. She has left behind her Boston home to study music in New York City, generously aided by her uncle. When the money he sends turns out to be inadequate, she hesitates to ask for more, and instead takes a job singing at The Golden Rooster, a bawdy house of song and dance. When … Continue reading →

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Annie Oakley is a historical figure from the Old West, famous for her shooting abilities which she exhibited while working for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. The movie “Annie Get Your Gun” is loosely based on Annie’s life, her upbringing (or lack of it) and the experiences she had as one of the most well-known females of that era. Betty Hutton stars as Annie, a girl from the backwoods who has been given the charge to raise her younger siblings. She feeds them by shooting wild game and selling the extras to a nearby hotel. Her aim is so good … Continue reading →