Screen Chronology: 1950 to 1954

Screen Chronology: 1950 to 1954
compiled by John Kenrick

**** - Sensational

*** - Good entertainment

** - Beats a finger in the eye

* - You'd rather mow a lawn

(NO stars) - Run for your life

1950

Annie Get Your Gun ** - Handsome production and Howard Keel sounds great, but Betty Hutton tries too hard as the country sharpshooter who finds fame and romance in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
Blues Busters (not seen)
Cinderella **** - Disney's classic animated version, as magical as anyone could ask for. Okay songs and lush visuals throughout.
Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, The ** - June Haver and Gordon MacRae sing favorites of the early 1900s – okay but uninspired.
Duchess of Idaho, The (not seen)
Grounds for Marriage ** - Limited laughs as opera diva Kathryn Grayson battles ex-husband Van Johnson.
Hit Parade of 1951 (not seen)
I'll Get By * - June Haver stars in another tired "songwriter in love" flick.
Let's Dance ** - Even Fred Astaire is not able to make up for another annoying performance by Betty Hutton.
Mr. Music (not seen)
My Blue Heaven ** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey re-team as radio celebrities looking to adopt a child – some fun moments.
Nancy Goes to Rio ** - Ann Southern and Jane Powell play a mother and daughter competing for the same role and the same man. So-so.
Pagan Love Song ** - Esther Williams splashes about in Tahiti with Howard Keel.
Pretty Girl, The (not seen)
Riding High (not seen)
Summer Stock *** - Gene Kelly's theatre troupe puts on a show at Judy Garland's farm, and both stars dazzle. Garland's last MGM film.
Tea for Two ** - A so-so remake of No, No, Nanette starring Doris Day.
There's a Girl in My Heart (not seen)
Three Little Words ** - Fred Astaire and Red Skelton are charming as songwriters Kalmar and Ruby, but the clichéd plot keeps getting in the way.

Toast of New Orleans *** - Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson sing their hearts out in this light audience pleaser.
Two Weeks with Love *** - Jane Powell is delicious in this tale of an American teenager coming of age in the early 1900s.
Wabash Avenue *** - Victor Mature competes with Phil Harris for Betty Grable in this enjoyable remake of Coney Island.
West Point Story, The ** - James Cagney and Doris Day brighten this uneven tuner about a Broadway director putting on a show at a military academy.
When You're Smiling (not seen)
Young Man With a Horn *** - Kirk Douglas (as jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke) puts professional success ahead of his love for Doris Day. Strong script & great music.

1951

Alice in Wonderland *** - Some brilliant moments, but Disney's take on Lewis Carroll's classic children's story has its dull patches.
An American in Paris **** - One of the finest musicals ever made. Gene Kelly is an ex GI turned artist wooing Parisian shop girl Leslie Caron, all set to vintage Gershwin tunes. The final ballet is not to be missed.
Call Me Mister ** - Soldier Dan Dailey pursues angry girlfriend Betty Grable around occupied Japan – fun score, uneven film.

Casa Manana (not seen)

Comin' Round the Mountain (not seen)

Disc Jockey (not seen)

Excuse My Dust ** - Some laughs as Red Skelton invents a car.

Great Caruso, The *** - Opera buffs will enjoy Mario Lanza as the opera legend, singing arias galore.
Golden Girl ** - Mitzi Gaynor as a Civil War entertainer – okay, but not required viewing.
Here Comes the Groom (not seen)
Honeychile (not seen)
Jack and the Beanstalk ** - Abbott and Costello revamp the fairy tale.
Lullaby of Broadway ** - Doris Day as an actress returning to Broadway. Gene Nelson co-stars. Fun moments.
Medium, The ** - Uneven adaptation of Menotti's Broadway opera.
Meet Me After the Show * - Betty Grable's weakest show biz musical, strictly for her die-hard fans.
Mr. Imperium * - Heir to throne puts duty before love in this lame Student Prince rip-off. A rare chance to catch Ezio Pinza on film.
My Blue Heaven ** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey as a show biz desperate to adopt. Pleasant but unremarkable.
Of Men and Music (not seen)
On Moonlight Bay *** - Period songs & charm abound as Gordon MacRae woos tomboy Doris Day in the early 1900s.
On the Riviera *** - Danny Kaye is brilliant playing both a French soldier and a look-alike entertainer.
Painting the Clouds with Sunshine * - Las Vegas showgirls seek rich husbands – yaaawn.
Purple Heart Diary (not seen)
Rich, Young and Pretty ** - Jane Powell frolics in Paris.
Rhythm Inn (not seen)
Royal Wedding **** - Great fun, with Fred Astaire and Jane Powell as a brother-sister theatre team finding love in London. Super numbers include Astaire's dance on the ceiling, and his ingenious pas de deux with a hat rack.
Sailor Beware ** - Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis join the Navy, with predictably chaotic results. Funny scenes – one of their less annoying efforts.
Show Boat *** - Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel make this color remake worth seeing, but some things (like Ava Gardner as Julie? Yikes!) are jarring – no match for the 1936 version.
Starlift * - Oh really? Even a truckload of stellar cameos cannot lift this brain-dead GI love story.
Strip, The (not seen)
Sunny Side of the Street * - Dull Frankie Lane vehicle.
Texas Carnival ** - Weak Esther Williams swim fest.
Two Tickets to Broadway ** - Dull tale of performers trying to get onto a TV show helped by some fun musical sequences.

1952

Aaron Slick from Punkin' Crick (NO stars) - Dinah Shore as a farm widow ripe for the picking – as bad as its title. If this doesn't cure your insomnia, nothing will.
About Face * - Gordon MacRae in a dull military cadet buddy flick.
April In Paris (not seen)
Because You're Mine ** - Few pleasures as opera star Mario Lanza is drafted and finds romance on an Army base – with an officers daughter, of course.
Belle of New York, The ** - Fred Astaire and Vera Ellen in an uninspired vehicle loosely based on an 1890s stage hit.
Bloodhounds of Broadway (not seen)
Everything I Have Is Yours (not seen)
Hans Christian Andersen *** - Silly plot, but Danny Kaye is endearing in the title role. Some grand Frank Loesser songs help immeasurably.
I Dream of Jeanie (not seen)
I'll See You In My Dreams (not seen)
Jumping Jacks (not seen)
Just for You *** - Underrated fun as businessman Bing Crosby romances Jane Wyman and re-discovers the joy of living. Worth catching.
Lovely to Look At *** - Kathryn Grayson stars in a pleasant remake of Roberta, with some fine Jerome Kern tunes.
Meet Danny Wilson ** - Frank Sinatra plays a nightclub singer contending with a troublesome club owner. Your call.
Meet Me At the Fair (not seen)
Merry Widow, The ** - Lavish production values are the chief attraction as a miscast Lana Turner stars in this weak remake of Lehr's classic operetta.
Million Dollar Mermaid (not seen)
Rainbow Round My Shoulder (not seen)
She's Back On Broadway (not seen)
She's Working Her Way Through College ** - Burlesque stripper Virginia Mayo pursues college education, with an assist from professor Ronald Reagan – slim pickings.
Singin' in the Rain **** - Gene Kelly is a silent film star learning to live with sound, with an assist from Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. Hollywood's all-time best musical comedy!
Skirts Ahoy! ** - Esther Williams and stellar supporting cast help this waterlogged tale of military ladies.
Somebody Loves Me (not seen)
Son Of Paleface (not seen)
Stars and Stripes Forever ** - Clifton Webb is a bit wooden as march-master John Phillip Sousa. Formulaic plot twists thrown in.
Where's Charley? (not seen)
With a Song in My Heart *** - Susan Hayward stars in this tear-stained bio of singer Jane Frohman, with the real Frohman dubbing vocals for a truckload of great songs.

1953

All Ashore (not seen)
Band Wagon, The **** - Fred Astaire headlines this glorious backstage look at the birth of a Broadway musical. One of MGM's best – do not miss this one!
By the Light of the Silvery Moon ** - Doris Day and Gordon MacRae sing more period hits in this so-so sequel to On Moonlight Bay.
Caddy, The ** - Martin & Lewis as golfers aiming for show biz fame. Hit song: "That's Amore."
Calamity Jane *** - Doris Day is at her best as a cowgirl out to capture Howard Keel's heart. Good score & lots of laughs.
Call Me Madam **** - Ethel Merman re-creates her stage triumph, and packs a wallop. Great Berlin score & fine supporting cast -- a joy for musical buffs.
Crusin' Down the River (not seen)
Dangerous When Wet *** - Esther Williams swims the English Channel and romances Fernando Lamas – one of Esther's better splash-a-thons.
Desert Song, The ** - Gordon MacRae and Kathryn Grayson star in Hollywood's third lackluster version of Romberg's romantic operetta.
Down Among the Sheltering Palms * - Cheezy rip-off of South Pacific, ironically features Mitzi Gaynor (who later starred in long-delayed screen version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein original).
Easy to Love ** - If you like Esther Williams, this may be your dish. She splashes about with Van Johnson and Tony Martin.
Eddie Cantor Story, The (NO stars) - Offensively bad. Farmer Takes a Wife, The * - Betty Grable seeks romance on the Erie Canal, and sinks.
5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., The *** - Dr. Seuss's only musical is bizarre but worth catching – some amazing visuals along the way.
Affairs of Dobie Gillis, The *** - Enjoyable college romance starring Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van.
Eddie Cantor Story, The * - Great songs can't save this offensive bio pic.
Farmer Takes a Wife, The (not seen)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes *** - Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell star as gold diggers who know that "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." Don't miss the gymnasium sequence – still one of the gayest numbers ever filmed.
Give a Girl a Break ** - So-so backstage musical takes off when Gower Champion and Bob Fosse dance together – a must see moment.
Here Come the Girls (not seen)
I-Don't-Care Girl, The ** - Mitzi Gaynor stars as vaudeville great Eva Tanguay. Great star, lousy script, good songs -- your call.
I Love Melvin ** - Donald O'Connor wants to make Debbie Reynolds a magazine cover girl – harmless but uninspired.
Jazz Singer, The ** - Like the original wasn't bad enough? Danny Thomas stars in a sudsy reworking of the early talkie.
Kiss Me Kate **** - Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson are great, but Ann Miller darn near steals this excellent adaptation of Cole Porter's stage hit. If you can ever see this in the original 3D version, do!
Let's Do It Again ** - Divorcees Jane Wyman and Ray Milland try to ruin each other's love lives – dull musical version of The Awful Truth.
Lili **** - Leslie Caron is a naive girl who finds new life and romance performing with a circus puppet show. Enchanting semi-musical, includes hit song "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo."
Main Street to Broadway ** - Meager backstage musical offers a parade of Broadway legends in cameos, including Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Meet Me at the Fair ** - Dan Dailey song and dance vehicle – not his best.
Miss Sadie Thompson *** - Rita Hayworth and Jose Ferrer star in this effective musical remake of Somerset Maugham's Rain.
Peter Pan **** - Disney's animated version of Barrie's classic is an underrated winner, with Hans Conried providing the perfect voice for Captain Hook.
Road to Bali (not seen)
Scared Stiff (not seen)
Small Town Girl ** - So-so love story is stolen by supporting players Ann Miller and Bobby Van in some knockout production numbers.
So This Is Love: The Grace Moore Story * - Kathryn Grayson stars in this weak bio of the operatic diva who triumphed in Hollywood.
Sombrero * - A few decent musical moments cannot save this cheesy love story set in Mexico.
Stars Are Singing, The ** - Rosemary Clooney sings some of her greatest hits. Weak plot, but cast includes opera legend Lauritz Melchior.
Stooge, The * - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in arguably their weakest vehicle.
Those Redheads From Seattle (not seen)
Three Sailors And a Girl (not seen)
Tonight We Sing (not seen)
Torch Song ** - Joan Crawford lip synchs her songs in this camp classic about a stage star obsessed with success. Includes the most embarrassing MGM production number of all time -- "Two Faced Woman."
Walking My Baby Back Home (not seen)

1954

Athena ** - Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds play sisters seeking romance in this mediocre vehicle.
Brigadoon ** - Uninspired version of Lerner & Loewe's stage hit about a mysterious town in the Scottish highlands. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse star.

Carmen Jones *** - Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte and Pearl Bailey sizzle in Oscar Hammerstein II's update of Bizet's opera.
Casanova's Big Night ** - Bob Hope as a nobody pretending to be the famous lover in this lavish film.
Deep in My Heart *** - Jose Ferrer stars in a bio of Broadway composer Sigmund Romberg; the silly plot is redeemed by a parade of all-star musical numbers.
French Line, The * - Meager Jane Russell vehicle set on an ocean liner -- tacky attempt to follow up on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Glen Miller Story, The **** - Jimmy Stewart stars in this affectionate bio of the big band leader -- loaded with vintage swing era hits, and June Allyson at her best.
Living It Up (not seen)
Lucky Me ** - Doris Day and Phil Silvers cannot resuscitate this lifeless backstager.
New Faces ** - The hit Broadway revue makes for a weak film, but theatre buffs will enjoy seeing Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde and others.
Red Garters (not seen)
Rhapsody (not seen)
Rose Marie ** - Bert Lahr steals this otherwise blah remake of the classic Friml operetta about a Canadian Mountie finding love in the wilderness.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers **** - One of the all-time great Hollywood musicals has Jane Powell contending with mountaineer husband Howard Keel and his wife-seeking pack of hunky brothers. Great songs, amazing dance sequences.
So This Is Paris ** - Gene Nelson is the only reason to catch this tale of sailors on leave in France.
Star Is Born, A **** - Judy Garland gives the greatest performance of her career as a singer finding musical stardom in Hollywood – a magnificent film!
Student Prince, The ** - Genial but uninspired version of Romberg's Broadway hit. Best (and worst) feature – Mario Lanza'a glorious singing voice stuck in Edmund Purdom's mouth.
There's No Business Like Show Business *** - Dan Dailey and Ethel Merman try to keep their show biz family together as son Donald O'Connor pursues curvaceous Marilyn Monroe in this Irving Berlin songfest.
Top Banana ** - Phil Silvers Broadway hit about burlesque comics. Filmed cheaply on stage, it is more a curiosity than an entertainment.
White Christmas **** - Easy going fun abounds as show biz pals Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye romance singing sisters Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. Highlights include great Irving Berlin songs and some fine dance numbers.
Young at Heart *** - Frank Sinatra woos Doris Day as Ethel Barrymore watches – you may be surprised how enjoyable this one is.