Coming up next is 1951's "On Moonlight Bay", a film about life in a small town in Indiana. A tomboyish girl blossoms into womanhood when she meets a local boy and their romance blooms. Her kid brother likes to be a pest and throw a wrench into their relationship, but it seems that the onset World War I will be the couple's biggest test.
The film's cast includes Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Jack Smith, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Mary Wickes, Billy Gray, Ellen Corby, and Esther Dale.
The Winfield family has recently moved into a large house in a nicer neighborhood.
George Winfield, a banker, is the only member of the family thrilled about it. His wife, Alice, isn't particularly happy. "It's too big! There are too many rooms! Nothing fits!" says an exasperated Alice. "Now, Alice, that's no tone of voice for the fortunate wife of the man who just bought this mansion!" comes George's reply.
Their grown, tomboyish daughter Marjorie isn't exactly thrilled about the move to the upscale neighborhood, either. She'd much rather being playing baseball, her obsession.
And son Wesley complains that the dog Max is unhappy as well because he hasn't been able to find any rats to chase (which makes me shudder to think what their last house was like!).
Housekeeper Stella is upset, too. "I'm tellin' ya, it must be thirty feet from the
stove to the cupboard.I'm being paid to be a cook not a
cross-country runner," she says in an exasperated voice.
Once Marjorie meets her charming, handsome neighbor Bill, she is only too happy to shed her baseball pants for a dress. When they go out on a date, George and Alice can't believe the transformation in their daughter.
After a bit of a rocky start to their date, Marjorie and Bill get along swimmingly. Bill even shows Marjorie how to dance the latest two-step on Moonlight Bay.
Bill and Marjorie "Cuddle Up A Little Closer" on the Winfield front porch. Wesley hides under the porch and serenades the couple with his own version of the song. The two pay him back by stamping on the floorboards. Dust fills the space occupied by Wesley and he dissolves into a coughing fit.
It turns out that Wesley is quite the troublemaker. Realizing he doesn't have a school assignment, he swipes an unsigned love letter written by Marjorie and writes his name to it. His teacher is furious with him. Wesley explains that things are tough at home, because his father is an alcoholic drunk who beats the ladies. Miss Stevens sympathizes with Wesley.
Meanwhile, Bill has a rival for Marjorie's affections. Musician Hubert comes calling to sing duets with her. They sing "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Love Ya". Of course, it doesn't take long for Wesley to send Hubert packing.
Marjorie begins taking dance lessons so that she can attend a town dance with Bill. However, she gets into a snowball fight with some neighborhood kids and ends up breaking her ankle.
Wesley is part of the town Christmas program. "There's something almost spiritual about him," says Alice as she helps him with his costume. Stella cracks, "Somehow I think he'd look more natural with horns and a tail."
On his way to meet Marjorie, Bill runs into Wesley's teacher, Miss Stevens. She fills him in on George Winfield's "true" nature. He storms over to the Winfield house.
He finds Marjorie with her leg in a cast (something she never told him about), making it seem as though all of Miss Steven's stories about how George beats the ladies true.
Bill hurls accusations at a sleeping George, calling him a drunken beast. He sniffs the air and gets a whiff of some rubbing alcohol that Stella had been using to massage into Marjorie's leg. "Why this place wreaks with alcohol!" he exclaims. When Marjorie tries to tell him it's just rubbing alcohol, Bill says, "How low can a man sink?" before tossing the bottle into the fireplace and causing a huge explosion.
He even "sobers" George up by dumping a pitcher of water on him while he's sleeping. George eventually finds out that Wesley made up these stories, and he's furious.
As time goes by, the Winfields attend Bill's graduation from the University of Indiana. There it is revealed that the entire class has enlisted in the army and is headed off to join World War I. Marjorie is beside herself and leaves the ceremony hurriedly.
Back at home, George's Aunt Martha comes to visit. She reminds George of all the horrible things he did when he was a boy, and George comes around and forgives Wesley for just acting like a normal boy.
Marjorie and Bill patch things up between them and sing "Till We Meet Again". The two want to get married, but agree to wait until Bill gets home from war.
And that's it for "On Moonlight Bay". Uncharacteristically for the time, the instant popularity of this film caused the studio to immediately begin filming its sequel "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon". All the main characters returned. The film takes place in the fictional town of Milburn, Indiana.
Here you can listen to Doris Day sing the title song, "On Moonlight Bay".
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