Coming up next we have 1949's "Look For The Silver Lining", a fictionalized biopic of the life of Marilyn Miller, who was one of the most popular Broadway stars of the 1920s and 1930s.
The film's cast includes June Haver, Ray Bolger, Gordon MacRae, Charles Ruggles, Rosemary DeCamp, Lee Wilde, Lynn Wilde, Dick Simmons, S.Z. Sakall, Walter Catlett, and Will Rogers Jr.
Broadway star Marilyn Miller is getting ready for a new show. During rehearsals, she is taken ill and rushes off to her dressing room to rest.
As she rests, she is reminded of her beginnings in show business and how she came to be one of the top Broadway stars.
As a teenage girl, young Marilyn Miller is sent by her grandmother to join her parents and elder sisters, who are touring in vaudeville.
There, she makes the acquaintance of dancing star Jack Donahue, who performs with Marilyn backstage for the theater company during their Christmas party.
When her family becomes ill and must be quarantined, Jack gives Marilyn her big break. And she's a hit.
The two of them go on to work together very successfully. Jack keeps an eye on Marilyn's career and makes sure she's constantly moving upwards.
Marilyn becomes a star in her own right. She eventually meets singer/dancer Frank Carter. The two sing a duet entitled "Time On My Hands".
While they initially do not like each other, they eventually fall in love and begin a whirlwind romance.
Frank starts a new tradition for Marilyn. With every new show's opening, he sends her an elephant for luck. She comes to count on these gifts very much.
Eventually, they get married. Frank gets Marilyn to accept the role of Sally in Florenz Zigfield's production of the same name. He's particularly impressed by the song "Look For The Silver Lining", and he sings it for Marilyn.
On opening night, Frank sends a message saying he will be late. His traditional gift of an elephant for luck arrives broken.
Marilyn pieces it back together and resolves to go on, hoping that Frank will make it before the end of the show.
During the show, Marilyn sings "Look For The Silver Lining". The audience is enraptured by the performance and gives her a great ovation at the show's conclusion.
At the show's end, Marilyn returns to her dressing room to find sad news awaiting her. While trying to make it to the theater, Frank was killed in an automobile accident. As time goes by, Marilyn throws herself into work.
Eventually, love finds its way into Marilyn's life again. However, ill health is causing her great difficulty.
Back in the present, Marilyn confides in her old friend Jack Donahue that the doctor has advised her to give up everything and lead a quiet life if she wants to enjoy an sense of normalcy with her health. This just simply isn't an option for her.
Finding that the show must go on, Marilyn goes on stage and dazzles the audience once again.
As the show ends, Marilyn sings, "So always look for the silver lining, and try to find the sunny side of life."
Cast rundown:
June Haver...........................................Marilyn Miller
Ray Bolger............................................Jack Donahue
Gordon MacRae....................................Frank Carter
Charles Ruggles....................................Pop Miller
Rosemary DeCamp................................Mama Miller
The Wilde Sisters..................................Claire Miller/Ruth Miller
Dick Simmons.......................................Henry Doran
Walter Catlett........................................Himself
Will Rogers Jr........................................Will Rogers
And that's it for Look For The Silver Lining. Marilyn Miller had a tragically short life. Her health suffered because of severe sinus infections. Complications from an operation on her nasal passages caused her death at the age of thirty-seven in 1936. An estimated 2500 people came to St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in New York on the day of her funeral. She was buried next to her first husband in a mausoleum she had constructed at Woodlawn Cemetery, in the Bronx.
In the United States, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. So today, I thought we'd take a look at a Thanksgiving-themed film. 1953's "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" is the sequel to "On Moonlight Bay" and tells the continuing story of Marjorie, Bill, and the Winfield family as they live their lives in small-town America.
The film's cast includes Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Billy Gray, Mary Wickes, Russell Arms, Maria Palmer, Howard Wendell, Geraldine Wall, and PeeWee Flannery.
Right away we are re-introduced to the Winfield family, one of whom is the youngest child Wesley. He's currently obsessed with being a private investigator (Fearless Flanagan, Badge 79). He also keeps a watch over Gregory, a turkey who is eventually supposed to end up as Thanksgiving dinner.
Housekeeper Stella is the one who tells of each member of the family. At the end of her introductions, she says, "Oh, you're probably wondering who I am.Well, don't be so nosy."
The Winfields are all excited. Their daughter Marjorie's boyfriend Bill is coming home from the war.
Bill is happy to be coming home, too. On the train, he and his fellow servicemen sing "My Hometown Is A One Horse Town".
When Bill arrives at the Winfield house, he greets an excited Marjorie, who began trying on a wedding dress the minute she heard that Bill was on the way.
Bill and Marjorie head off to a town dance, and their romance picks up right where they left off. They sing "Your Eyes Have Told Me So" as they move around the dancefloor.
Meanwhile, Wesley is having trouble keeping control of Gregory. "For the last time," says Mr. Winfield, "that turkey does not belong in the house!" Wesley replies, "Well, if he's good
enough to be on the table, he's good enough to walk around it."
After the dance the other night, Bill and Marjorie had a little misunderstanding. So, Marjorie decides to make Bill jealous by singing with Wesley's music teacher. "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee" does its job and stings Bill into action. He and Marjorie are back together before the song is through.
Preparations for Thanksgiving dinner are in full swing. Bill and Marjorie take a break from helping so they can sing "Ain't We Got Fun".
Mr. Winfield steps into the kitchen and looks at the turkey cooking in the oven. "Looks good," he says. "When will it be ready?" Stella gives him a sarcastic look and quickly closes the oven door. "I don't know. I never cooked one with the door open before," she says.
Through some fast thinking on Wesley's part, Gregory the turkey gets a reprieve and isn't cooked up for dinner. Naturally, Mr. Winfield isn't happy about being deceived.
After dinner, Bill and Marjorie sing the title song together. Afterwards, Marjorie says, "You know, I think we have more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving than anybody." To which Bill replies, "Yeah. Except Gregory."
After all the Thanksgiving festivities are over, Mr. Winfield goes over to visit actress Renee LaRue at her hotel to discuss a play that his bank is sponsoring. He reads the script, but isn't particularly happy with one piece of dialogue. He takes it home to give it some more consideration.
Unfortunately, the paper is found by Wesley who shows it to Marjorie. Out of context, it looks like their father is cheating on their mother with Miss LaRue! Soon the whole town gets in on the scandalous gossip.
Marjorie and Stella sympathize with Mrs. Winfield, who doesn't suspect a thing.
Bill and Marjorie continue to see each other. However, the "situation" with her father and Miss LaRue has Marjorie a bit skittish about the institution of marriage.
At home, Marjorie and Wesley fuss over Mrs. Winfield, because they feel badly about the "games" their father is playing with Miss LaRue. Mrs. Winfield tells her husband that they are treating her like a queen. "You are a queen! And that's straight from the king," says Mr. Winfield. Stella shoots him a look and blurts out, "Henry the Eighth!"
While all this is going on, Marjorie participates in a sketch for a show in town. She sings an energetic "King Chanticleer", to much applause from the crowd.
In case you were worried about the Winfield marriage or whether Bill and Marjorie would really get together, don't despair. Everything works out in the end.
And that's it for By The Light Of The Silvery Moon. Doris Day always mentioned this film as one of her favorites of her own films. Doris was 30 years old when she played 18-year-old Marjorie. Gordon MacRae was 31 years old when he played 20-year-old Bill.
So Happy Early Thanksgiving! Stayed tuned tomorrow for another Thanksgiving post.
