Screen Chronology: 1955 to 1959
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

1955

• Ain't Misbehavin' ** - Piper Laurie seeks love among the upper classes.
• Artists and Models ** - Cartoonist Dean Martin takes his inspiration from the wild dreams of Jerry Lewis, with humorous results.
• Bring Your Smile Along * - Early Blake Edwards feature.
• Carolina Cannonball * - Judy Canova stars in this moronic story of espionage in the sticks.
• Daddy Long Legs ** - Man about town Fred Astaire falls in love with his  ward, Leslie Caron. A few good dance numbers, but weak overall.
• Fresh From Paris * - Tacky nightclub musical, wastes some talented people.
• Gentlemen Marry Brunettes * - Rudy Vallee escorts Lillian Russell and Jeanne Craig around 1950s Paris in a moronic sequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Score of recycled hits can't enliven this tasteless, witless waste.
• Girl Rush, The (not seen)
• Glass Slipper, The *** - Leslie Caron stars in a lavish, pleasant revision of Cinderella.
• Guys and Dolls *** - The Broadway hit about gamblers and their ladies entertains despite Marlon Brando being painfully miscast as Sky Masterson. Frank Loesser's score is still wondrous.
• Hit the Deck ** - Mediocre naval musical with good cast and a fine Vincent Youman's score.
• Interrupted Melody *** - Eleanor Parker is dubbed but effective in this solid bio of Australian opera diva Marjorie Lawrence.
• It's Always Fair Weather *** - Underrated gem! Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd as war buddies facing the challenge of peacetime civilian life. Some great numbers, especially an ash can tap sequence.
• Jupiter's Darling (not seen)
• Kismet ** - Howard Keel sings impressively, but cartoonish acting plagues this a weak adaptation of Forrest & Wright's Broadway hit.
• Lady and the Tramp **** - Disney's animated classic about a suburban cocker spaniel in love with a street mutt. Fun score and an unforgettable spaghetti dinner make this a joy.
• Love Me or Leave Me *** - Solid entertainment with Doris Day as singer Ruth Etting, and James Cagney as her controlling gangster husband.
• My Sister Eileen *** - Betty Garrett stars in a fun musical version of the same story that inspired the stage hit Wonderful Town.
• Oklahoma! **** - Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones star in this excellent version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's landmark stage hit.
• Paris Follies of 1956 (not seen)
• Pete Kelly's Blues (not seen)
• Second Greatest Sex, The * - Boring musical version of Lysistrata reset in the old West.
• Seven Little Foys, The ** - So-so movie about legendary vaudeville family act, made memorable by a brilliant tabletop dance duet by Bob Hope and James Cagney.
• Sincerely Yours * - Liberace as a heterosexual piano virtuoso who loses his hearing? Oy! Hard core Liberace will enjoy the musical sequences.
• So This Is Paris * - Weak rip-off of On the Town.
• Song Of My Heart * - Tchaikovsky bio pic has almost no connection to reality.
• Three for the Show ** - Betty Grable and the Champions offer some good dance numbers, but overall a tedious tale of a supposedly dead husband turning up alive.
• Young At Heart ** - Doris Day marries songwriter Frank Sinatra, but two great stars & a hit title tune can't resurrect this tired screenplay.

1956

• Anything Goes ** - Bing Crosby, Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O'Connor star, but all that's left of Cole Porter's classic musical are a few poorly presented songs.
• Benny Goodman Story, The (not seen)
• Best Things in Life Are Free, The *** - Gordon MacRae stars in this fun bio of songwriters De Sylva, Henderson & Brown.
• Bundle of Joy ** - Debbie Reynolds adopts a baby, then tries to date Eddie Fischer – just as silly as it sounds.
• Carousel *** - Somewhat stodgy version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's stage hit still entertains – Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones star.
• Cha-Cha-Cha-Boom (NO stars) - Carrumba!
• Court Jester, The *** - Danny Kaye dazzles in this medieval musical comedy – all fun, but the "vessel with the pestle" routine is a comedy classic.
• Don't Knock the Rock ** - Rock n' roll stars Bill Haley and Little Richard are the only reason to sit through this yawner.
• Eddie Duchin Story, The ** - Tyrone Power as famous pianist – good music, but this is strictly for those in search of a tear jerker.
• High Society *** - Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and some swell Cole Porter songs make this musical version of The Philadelphia Story a treat. Do not miss Bing's super "Now You Has Jazz" with Louis Armstrong.
• Hollywood Or Bust (not seen)
• Invitation To The Dance ** - Gene Kelly's tribute to serious dance has moments of magic, but gets bogged down.
• King and I, The **** - Rodgers & Hammerstein's stage hit about a British tutor at the royal court of Siam gets a classy big screen adaptation, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.
• Love Me Tender ** - Elvis Presley made his screen debut in this turgid tale of brothers competing for the same girl during the Civil War.
• Meet Me in Las Vegas (not seen)
• Opposite Sex, The *** - MGM's amusing musical version of The Women has all star cast, but can't quite match the grand bitchiness of the original.
• Rock Around the Clock * - Bill Haley's band seeks fame in New York – preserves some vintage rock performances, but otherwise dull.
• Rock, Rock, Rock * - Chuck Berry and other early rock stars sing in this cheap teen flick.
• Serenade (not seen)
• Shake, Rattle and Rock * - Fats Domino in yet another weak teen rock flick.
• Vagabond King, The ** - Miscast leading man ruins this half-hearted but colorful remake of the Friml operetta.
• You Can't Run Away From It * - Yes you can! Unnecessary musical remake of It Happened One Night fails despite stars Jack Lemmon and June Allyson.

1957

• April Love (not seen)
• Beau James ** - Bob Hope is miscast as New York's infamous mayor Jimmy Walker. Songs are peripheral but numerous.
• Bop Girl (NO stars) - Calypso musical – change channels immediately!
• Calypso Joe (NO stars) - Ditto.
• Funny Face **** - Photographer Fred Astaire turns Audrey Hepburn into a star model in Paris. Wonderful comedy with vintage Gershwin songs.
• Girl Can't Help It, The (not seen)
• Girl Most Likely, The *** - Lots of fun as Jane Powell chooses between three beaus.
• Helen Morgan Story, The * - Ann Blythe fatally miscast as the legendary saloon singer.
• Jailhouse Rock *** - Elvis Presley rocks his way from prison to stardom in one of his best musicals.
• Jamboree ** - Minor love story features a parade of rock and hillbilly stars singing their specialties.
• Les Girls *** - This underrated Cole Porter musical has Gene Kelly as a nightclub performer who trifles with all three of his female back-up singers. Weak score, fun screenplay.
• Loving You ** - Elvis Presley rocks his way from gas station attendant to stardom in what was already becoming a familiar formula.
• Pajama Game, The **** - Doris Day and John Raitt star in top-notch adaptation of the Broadway hit about labor-management issues in a pajama factory. Great score, and Bob Fosse's ingenious choreography still amazes.
• Pal Joey ** - Frank Sinatra stars as a smarmy nightclub entertainer in this blah adaptation of the Rodgers & Hart stage hit.
• Rock Baby, Rock It * - Real Texas rockers give some period interest to a lousy film.
• Rockabilly Baby (not seen)
• Silk Stockings *** - Cole Porter's witty musical version of Ninotchka offers Cyd Charisse as a Soviet diplomat romanced in Paris by Fred Astaire.
• Ten Thousand Bedrooms *- Dean Martin as a voracious hotel manager. This bomb almost killed his post-Jerry Lewis career.
• This Could Be The Night (not seen)

1958

• Country Music Holiday (not seen)
• Damn Yankees **** - Delightful (if slightly stagy) version of the Broadway hit about a baseball fan who sells his soul to Satan to help his team to victory. Gwen Verdon delightful, and shares a fun mambo with hubby Bob Fosse.
• Gigi **** - Collette's tale of a fledgling courtesan who finds romance in Paris circa 1900 is a masterpiece, with superb Lerner & Loewe score. Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier head a magical cast.
• Girl Most Likely, The (not seen)
• Go, Johnny, Go! * - A kid finds rock stardom – poor plot but real rockers like Chuck Berry are on hand singing their hits.
• Hot Rod Gang (NO stars) - Moronic racing tale.
• King Creole ** - Elvis Presley as nightclub singer dealing with the New Orleans underworld.
• Joker Is Wild, The (not seen)
• Let's Rock * - Let's not. Pop singer Julius LaRosa refuses to switch over to rock n' roll.
• Loving You ** - Country boy Elvis Presley rises to fame -- fun for his fans.
• Mardi Gras ** - Pat Boone is a cadet who wins a date with a movie star. Cute moments.
• Merry Andrew ** - Danny Kaye as a British scholar in love with a circus performer – not his funniest, but some good bits.
• Rock-A-Bye-Baby (not seen)
• Senior Prom * - Lots of star cameos, but a dud is a dud.
• Seven Hills of Rome, The (not seen)
• Sing Boy Sing (not seen)
• South Pacific *** - Rodgers & Hammerstein's stage hit is still great stuff, and Mitzi Gaynor is terrific as an American military nurse finding love on a tropic island. Marred by director Josh Logan's misguided use of distracting color filters, and far too many of the singers are dubbed. Still superior to the ghastly 2001 TV version.
• St. Louis Blues (not seen)
• tom thumb *** - Delightful tale of tiny child who gets into fantastic adventures, a treat for the tots.

1959

• Born Reckless * - A rodeo musical? Yee-haw.
• Five Pennies, The ** - Danny Kaye as jazz trumpeter Red Nichols. Best moments in this so-so bio are Kaye's duets with Louis Armstrong.
• For the First Time ** - Mario Lanza plays an opera singer in his last film - not his best.
• Gene Krupa Story, The (not seen)
• Hey Boy! Hey Girl! * - Louis Prima and Keely Smith star as pop singers; otherwise, nothing to recommend in this one.
• Hound Dog Man (not seen)
• Juke Box Rhythm (NO stars) - Another bad vehicle for several 50s rock and pop singers.
• Li'l Abner *** - Fun version of the Broadway musical based on Al Capp's popular comic strip. Stubby Kaye steals it all as Marryin' Sam.
• Never Steal Anything Small ** - James Cagney as a racketeer dockworker out to grab control of his union. A bizarre idea for a musical – few pleasures.
• Porgy and Bess ** - Most of the singing is dubbed in this awkward adaptation of the Gershwin folk opera. Pearl Bailey and Sammy Davis Jr. offer the only real signs of life.
• Say One for Me * - Bing Crosby is a theatre district priest out to help showgirl Debbie Reynolds. Talented cast can't overcome one-dimensional script and forgettable score. Very disappointing.
• Sleeping Beauty **** - Disney's visually ravishing animated classic has a great Tchaikovsky-inspired score.