1940 was a watershed year for Fox musical comedies. Shirley Temple films: the staple of their mid-Depression era musical comedies, no longer wowed audiences as they had a few years earlier. She was growing into a teenager, and the Depression crisis was rapidly changing into a world war crisis. Fox needed new musical stars to compete with MGM musicals. In 1940, they acquired several, in Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, and John Payne who, in addition to holdovers Alice Faye, Don Ameche, and Sonja Henie, would carry their musicals through the war years. They also acquired talented tunesmith Harry Warren: a refuge from the disbanded Warner Busby Berkeley-choreographed dance spectaculars of the mid-30s. Warren would replace Harry Revel as Mack Gordon's chief collaborator in composing songs for Fox during the war years. I believe the present film is the first musical this team composed for. Fox also acquired two very talented veteran vaudeville, Broadway, and film-trained character actors with musical talent in Jack Oakie and Charlotte Greenwood, who would become rather prominent in a number of these '40s musicals. Here, they have their most prominent roles, teaming with Shirley, in her last Fox film, to form a vaudevillian family, who then decide they've had enough of the suitcase and train berth lifestyle, opting for an anticipated quite retirement on a farm, near Stonefield, which appears to be in Vermont, with all the emphasis on Republicans(Vermont was one of only 2 states not to vote for FDR in the '36 election), the stony hilly farm land, and Oakie's comment about reopening the slate and granite mines. But, of course, their arrival turns the town into a virtual war zone, with the conservative Republican town folk being put off by these aggressive, brash, Democratic city slickers, out to convert them into being the same. In addition, they discover how much they miss their stage performances.
As usual, Shirley is cast as an orphan, arriving as a baby in a basket at the conclusion of a stage performance by Jack and Charlotte(the Ballantines): a 'gift' from her dying mother, a good friend of this couple. They provide loving and stable parents through Shirley's childhood, incorporating her into their acts. Thus, the conflict drama is centered on the cultural conflict between this family and the leading residents of Stonefield.
Shirley's farewell-to-show business speech, at the end of the "Fifth Avenue" vaudevillian song and dance number, could be taken as a farewell speech for her entire film career at Fox. From this perspective, it should have come at the end of the film. However, the screenplay demanded that it happen rather early. Incidentally, from her comments, it's clear this was a 'prologue' performance: a common institution in film theaters at this time, in which a short live stage performance preceded the film showing. The prior Warner's musical "Footlight Parade" dramatizes the inception of this institution: most popular during The Depression years. Incidentally, the song for this performance is quite memorable. To help cheer themselves up, they would repeat their performance in their farmhouse parlor, in everyday clothes, instead of the top hats and tales of their stage performance. 'Baby Burlesque' film shorts, in which Shirley often participated, were one alternative to live prologues during the 1932-33 period
Shirley's last musical performance, which she shared with her 2 costars, was a tap dance to a spirited 'Tra La La La": quite a catchy tune, the lyrics of which summed up the messages of most of her films. a sampling of the lyrics: "so wear a smile, sing a little while it's raining, and through the clouds, every little star will shine". Incidentally, Betty Grable and Dan Dailey would again sing this when they were feeling down, in "Mother Wore Tights": another Fox musical about a vaudevillian family. Each of the 3 stars got to do their solo dance as part of this act. Heavy-set Jack looked rather awkward in his vigorous hoofing. Charlotte finally did her signature sideways high kick, which can also be seen in several other Fox musicals, including "Down Argentine Way", released the same year.
In another Warren-Gordon tune: "I Wouldn't Take a Million", first Jack, and later Shirley, express their love for each other, with the lyrics being slightly altered, as appropriate.
Believe it or not, Kathleen Howard, who played the shrewish leader of the opposition(Hester Appleby) to the Ballantine's attempt to modernize the community, was an opera singer in her younger days.
The drama of the last section, which has the Ballantines in their car, leaving this hopelessly hostile community, is quite contrived. As they drive off, a hurricane hits this town! When they get stuck in the mud, just outside of town, they encounter a bunch of kids, seemingly lost, then see a house up on a hill and herd them up there. It happens to be Mrs. Appleby's house! She invites all in, then Jack goes looking for a missing boy, whom he eventually finds. So, the Ballantines are now local heroes, deserving of a measure of respect, and a grudging license to put on vaudeville-styled performances, as they reconsider their decision to leave.
Handsome George Montgomery is a secondary character, seemingly the only real friend the Ballantines have in this town, as the editor of the Democratic party newspaper(how can he survive here??), inconveniently romancing Mrs. Appleby's niece. He would be the leading man in several future Fox musicals.
As usual, Shirley is cast as an orphan, arriving as a baby in a basket at the conclusion of a stage performance by Jack and Charlotte(the Ballantines): a 'gift' from her dying mother, a good friend of this couple. They provide loving and stable parents through Shirley's childhood, incorporating her into their acts. Thus, the conflict drama is centered on the cultural conflict between this family and the leading residents of Stonefield.
Shirley's farewell-to-show business speech, at the end of the "Fifth Avenue" vaudevillian song and dance number, could be taken as a farewell speech for her entire film career at Fox. From this perspective, it should have come at the end of the film. However, the screenplay demanded that it happen rather early. Incidentally, from her comments, it's clear this was a 'prologue' performance: a common institution in film theaters at this time, in which a short live stage performance preceded the film showing. The prior Warner's musical "Footlight Parade" dramatizes the inception of this institution: most popular during The Depression years. Incidentally, the song for this performance is quite memorable. To help cheer themselves up, they would repeat their performance in their farmhouse parlor, in everyday clothes, instead of the top hats and tales of their stage performance. 'Baby Burlesque' film shorts, in which Shirley often participated, were one alternative to live prologues during the 1932-33 period
Shirley's last musical performance, which she shared with her 2 costars, was a tap dance to a spirited 'Tra La La La": quite a catchy tune, the lyrics of which summed up the messages of most of her films. a sampling of the lyrics: "so wear a smile, sing a little while it's raining, and through the clouds, every little star will shine". Incidentally, Betty Grable and Dan Dailey would again sing this when they were feeling down, in "Mother Wore Tights": another Fox musical about a vaudevillian family. Each of the 3 stars got to do their solo dance as part of this act. Heavy-set Jack looked rather awkward in his vigorous hoofing. Charlotte finally did her signature sideways high kick, which can also be seen in several other Fox musicals, including "Down Argentine Way", released the same year.
In another Warren-Gordon tune: "I Wouldn't Take a Million", first Jack, and later Shirley, express their love for each other, with the lyrics being slightly altered, as appropriate.
Believe it or not, Kathleen Howard, who played the shrewish leader of the opposition(Hester Appleby) to the Ballantine's attempt to modernize the community, was an opera singer in her younger days.
The drama of the last section, which has the Ballantines in their car, leaving this hopelessly hostile community, is quite contrived. As they drive off, a hurricane hits this town! When they get stuck in the mud, just outside of town, they encounter a bunch of kids, seemingly lost, then see a house up on a hill and herd them up there. It happens to be Mrs. Appleby's house! She invites all in, then Jack goes looking for a missing boy, whom he eventually finds. So, the Ballantines are now local heroes, deserving of a measure of respect, and a grudging license to put on vaudeville-styled performances, as they reconsider their decision to leave.
Handsome George Montgomery is a secondary character, seemingly the only real friend the Ballantines have in this town, as the editor of the Democratic party newspaper(how can he survive here??), inconveniently romancing Mrs. Appleby's niece. He would be the leading man in several future Fox musicals.