YEAR: 1951
It was the year the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting the number of terms a president may serve, was ratified. Color television was introduced. In an effort to introduce rhythm and blues to a broader white audience, which was hesitant to embrace "black music," disc jockey Alan Freed uses the term "rock 'n' roll" to describe R&B. Author J.D. Salinger wrote the iconic book,
The Catcher In The Rye. These three romance movies were released, have since become three of my favorite romance movies of the 50's and may potentially become the movie you watch with your sweetie on Valentine's Day 2010.
An American In Paris. Jerry Mulligan, a struggling American painter in Paris, is "discovered" by an influential heiress with an interest in more than Jerry's art. Jerry in turn falls for Lise, a young French girl already engaged to a cabaret singer. Jerry jokes, sings and dances with his best friend, an acerbic would-be concert pianist, while romantic complications abound. This movies stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron (who, in her younger years, I'm told I look like). This was Leslie Caron's first movie.
Interesting facts: Cyd Charisse discovered that she was pregnant during pre-production and was replaced by Leslie Caron. This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1993. There was a break in production after 1 November 1950, at which point Gene Kelly began rehearsing the ballet choreography. By the time production for that final sequence resumed on 6 December, Vincente Minnelli had finished directing another film - Father's Little Dividend. The 17-minute dance sequence at the end took a month to film. It cost half a million dollars. Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron while vacationing in Paris where he saw her perform in a ballet. Leslie Caron had suffered from malnutrition during WWII and was not used to the rigorous schedule of filming a movie. Because she would tire so easily, she was only able to work every other day. A major reason Gene Kelly suggested Leslie Caron as the female lead was because he felt this movie needed a "real" French girl playing Lise, not just an American actress playing one. No words are spoken during the last 20 minutes and 25 seconds of the film.
Father's Little Dividend. A sequel to Father of the Bride. Stanley Banks is finally recovering from his daughter's wedding when he learns she is going to have a baby. He is strongly opposed at first, and disputes arise between maternal and paternal grandparents. Stanley Banks also has trouble having to come to grips with the fact that he will soon be a granddad. The original Father of the Bride stars are reunited.
Interesting facts: This is one of a handful of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of the 1950-1951 period whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in Public Domain; for this reason this title is now offered, often in very inferior copies, at bargain prices, by numerous VHS and DVD distributors who do not normally handle copyrighted or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material. The film was shot in 22 days.
Show Boat. The "Cotton Blossom", owned by the Hawk family, is the show boat where everyone comes for great musical entertainment down south. Julie Laverne and her husband are the stars of the show. After, a snitch on board calls the local police that Julie (who's half- African-American) is married to a whiteman, they are forced to leave the show boat. The reason being, that down south interracial marriages are forbidden. Magnolia Hawk, Captain Andy Hawks daughter, becomes the new show boat attraction and her leading man is Gaylord Ravenal, a gambler. The two instantly fall in love, and marry, without Parthy Hawks approval. Magnolia and Gaylord leave the, "Cotton Blossom", for a whirl wind honeymoon and being to live in a Pl: fantasy world. Magnolia soon faces reality quickly, that gambling means more to Gaylord than anything else. Magnolia confront Gaylord and after he gambles away their fortune he leaves her - not knowing she is pregnant. Magnolia is left penniless and pregnant, and is left to fend for herself, and make a new start. Stars include Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, and Howard Keel.
Interesting facts: Although Annette Warren dubbed Ava Gardner's singing voice in the movie, Ms. Gardner herself sang her two songs on the MGM soundtrack album. The Breen Censorship Office tried to raise an objection against the use of the "miscegenation sequence" in this film version of the show, but they were unable to do so because the 1936 film version had already used it and thus set a precedent. The original choice for the role of Julie was Judy Garland, but she had since ended her contract with MGM, the idea of casting Garland was dropped. Both Lena Horne and Dinah Shore were next in line until the role finally went to Ava Gardner. This was the first film shown on a television network in 1972. It made its network television debut on "NBC Monday Night at the Movies", on the night of January 3 of that year. (No films were shown on January 1 or January 2nd because of the football.) Even though the character of "Magnolia" is supposed to look up to "Julie" in an older-sister type of relationship, in reality, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner were born in the same year.
YEAR: 1951
An American In Paris. Jerry Mulligan, a struggling American painter in Paris, is "discovered" by an influential heiress with an interest in more than Jerry's art. Jerry in turn falls for Lise, a young French girl already engaged to a cabaret singer. Jerry jokes, sings and dances with his best friend, an acerbic would-be concert pianist, while romantic complications abound. This movies stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron (who, in her younger years, I'm told I look like). This was Leslie Caron's first movie. Interesting facts: Cyd Charisse discovered that she was pregnant during pre-production and was replaced by Leslie Caron. This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1993. There was a break in production after 1 November 1950, at which point Gene Kelly began rehearsing the ballet choreography. By the time production for that final sequence resumed on 6 December, Vincente Minnelli had finished directing another film - Father's Little Dividend. The 17-minute dance sequence at the end took a month to film. It cost half a million dollars. Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron while vacationing in Paris where he saw her perform in a ballet. Leslie Caron had suffered from malnutrition during WWII and was not used to the rigorous schedule of filming a movie. Because she would tire so easily, she was only able to work every other day. A major reason Gene Kelly suggested Leslie Caron as the female lead was because he felt this movie needed a "real" French girl playing Lise, not just an American actress playing one. No words are spoken during the last 20 minutes and 25 seconds of the film.
Father's Little Dividend. A sequel to Father of the Bride. Stanley Banks is finally recovering from his daughter's wedding when he learns she is going to have a baby. He is strongly opposed at first, and disputes arise between maternal and paternal grandparents. Stanley Banks also has trouble having to come to grips with the fact that he will soon be a granddad. The original Father of the Bride stars are reunited. Interesting facts: This is one of a handful of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of the 1950-1951 period whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in Public Domain; for this reason this title is now offered, often in very inferior copies, at bargain prices, by numerous VHS and DVD distributors who do not normally handle copyrighted or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material. The film was shot in 22 days.
Show Boat. The "Cotton Blossom", owned by the Hawk family, is the show boat where everyone comes for great musical entertainment down south. Julie Laverne and her husband are the stars of the show. After, a snitch on board calls the local police that Julie (who's half- African-American) is married to a whiteman, they are forced to leave the show boat. The reason being, that down south interracial marriages are forbidden. Magnolia Hawk, Captain Andy Hawks daughter, becomes the new show boat attraction and her leading man is Gaylord Ravenal, a gambler. The two instantly fall in love, and marry, without Parthy Hawks approval. Magnolia and Gaylord leave the, "Cotton Blossom", for a whirl wind honeymoon and being to live in a Pl: fantasy world. Magnolia soon faces reality quickly, that gambling means more to Gaylord than anything else. Magnolia confront Gaylord and after he gambles away their fortune he leaves her - not knowing she is pregnant. Magnolia is left penniless and pregnant, and is left to fend for herself, and make a new start. Stars include Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, and Howard Keel. Interesting facts: Although Annette Warren dubbed Ava Gardner's singing voice in the movie, Ms. Gardner herself sang her two songs on the MGM soundtrack album. The Breen Censorship Office tried to raise an objection against the use of the "miscegenation sequence" in this film version of the show, but they were unable to do so because the 1936 film version had already used it and thus set a precedent. The original choice for the role of Julie was Judy Garland, but she had since ended her contract with MGM, the idea of casting Garland was dropped. Both Lena Horne and Dinah Shore were next in line until the role finally went to Ava Gardner. This was the first film shown on a television network in 1972. It made its network television debut on "NBC Monday Night at the Movies", on the night of January 3 of that year. (No films were shown on January 1 or January 2nd because of the football.) Even though the character of "Magnolia" is supposed to look up to "Julie" in an older-sister type of relationship, in reality, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner were born in the same year.
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