Screen Chronology: 1945 to 1949
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
1945
- A Song For Miss Julie
- Anchors Aweigh *** - Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra dance and sing up a
genial storm as sailors on leave. Don't miss Kelly's dance with Jerry the animated mouse.
- Belle of the Yukon ** - Randolph Scott and Gypsy Rose Lee trudge about the Klondike.
- Billy Rose's Diamond Horshoe ** - Betty Grable falls for
medical student Dick Haymes, with Billy Gaxton wasted as the guy who
loses the girl
- Blonde from Brooklyn
- Blonde Ransom
- Bring on the Girls ** - A young millionaire joins the navy to
escape gold-digging women . Highlight: Spike Jones and his wacky band.
- Delightfully Dangerous ** - Jane Powell finds out her sister
is a stripper – jeepers!
- Diamond Horseshoe ** - Betty Grable and pop singer Dick
Haymes find romance in the legendary NY nightspot – good numbers, lifeless story.
- Dixie Jamboree
- Doll Face ** - Vivian Blaine moves from burlesque to Broadway
while falling for Perry Como.
- Dolly Sisters, The *** - Betty Grable and June Haver in
pleasant bio of the famous vaudeville team. Highlight: "I Can't Begin to Tell You."
- Duffy's Tavern
- Eadie Was a Lady
- Earl Carroll Vanities ** - Meager attempt to bring Carroll's
saucy stage revues to the screen.
- Easy to Look At
- Gay Senorita, The
- George White's Scandals of 1945 ** - Jack Haley has good
moments in this creaky backstage yarn.
- Her Lucky Night ** - The Andrews Sisters as Manhattan night
club singers.
- Here Come the Blondes
- Hitchhike to Happiness
- Honeymoon Ahead
- I Love a Bandleader
- I'll Tell the World
- Incendiary Blonde *** - Betty Hutton as 1920s
celebrity Texas Guinan. Period songs make up for the sanitized
story.
- Let's Go Steady
- Mexicana
- Naughty Nineties, The ** - Abbott & Costello on a show
boat. Old tunes and old routines.
- Nob Hill
- On Stage Everybody * - Lackluster behind the scenes look at a
fictional radio variety show.
- Out of This World ** - Genial Eddie Bracken becomes a popular
crooner – vocals dubbed by Bing Crosby.
- Pan-Americana ** - Reporters travel through South America,
stumbling across various RKO contact performers along the way. Less than thrilling.
- Patrick the Great
- Penthouse Rhythm
- Radio Stars on Parade
- Rhapsody in Blue *** - Robert Alda stars in a highly
fictionalized bio of George Gershwin. Great songs, plus turns by Al Jolson and Oscar Levant.
- Rockin' in the Rockies * - The Three Stooges run a ranch.
Strictly for fans.
- See My Lawyer
- Senorita From the West
- Shady Lady
- Sing Your Way Home * - Jack Haley shepherds teenagers home to
US after WW II. Waterlogged nonsense.
- Song of the Sarong
- State Fair **** - Farm family
finds love and blue ribbons at the Iowa State Fair in this
all-American winner. Rodgers &
Hammerstein's superb score includes "It Might as Well Be
Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing."
- Stork Club, The ** - Betty Hutton works hat check in the
legendary nightclub. A promising idea that goes nowhere.
- Sunbonnet Sue ** - Gale Storm works in her father's
Bowery saloon.
- Swing Out, Sister
- Tell It To a Star
- That Night With You
- That's the Spirit * - Ghost returns to apologize
to his wife. Too silly to bear.
- Three Caballeros, The **** - Animated winner from
Disney has Donald Duck traveling everywhere from Mexico to the inner
reaches of the imagination.
- Thrill of Romance, The
- Tonight and Every Night *** - Rita Hayworth goes on with the
show in war-torn Britain.
- Under Western Skies (not seen)
- Where Do We Go from Here? *** - Fred MacMurray travels back
across American history, with an ambitious Kurt Weill-Ira
Gershwin score.
- Wonder Man *** - Great special effects and Danny Kaye playing
twins make this worth catching.
- Yolanda and the Thief ** - Fred Astaire tries to convince
convent girl Lucille Bremer that he's her guardian angel. This one has
its fans, but I'm not one of them.
1946
- Bamboo Blonde, The
- Blue Skies *** - Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby battle for the same girl, set to some great
Irving Berlin tunes. A blatant rehash of the Holiday Inn (1942)
formula, but the stars make it great fun.
- Centennial Summer ** - Sisters seek romance in 1876
Philadelphia, set to an unremarkable Jerome Kern score. Weak rip off
of Meet Me in St. Louis.
- Cinderella Jones
- Cross My Heart
- Cuban Pete
- Do You Love Me ** - Dick Haymes as a bandleader in love.
- Doll Face
- Earl Carroll Sketchbook
- Easy to Wed ** - When playgirl Esther Williams sues a newspaper
for libel, the paper hires playboy Van Johnson to compromise her.
Colorful but unexciting formula entertainment.
- Freddie Steps Out
- Harvey Girls, The *** - Judy Garland heads a team of
waitresses trying to bring civilization to the Wild West. Fun numbers
like "On the Atchison Topeka" help immensely.
- High School Hero
- Hit the Hay
- Holiday in Mexico
- If I'm Lucky ** - Harry James and his big band get mixed up
with politics. Pretty dull, even with Carmen Miranda on hand.
- It's Great To Be Young
- Jolson Story, The **** - Larry Parks does some swell lip
synching in this fictionalized but
delightful bio, energized by Jolson's renditions of his hits.
- Junior Prom
- Kid From Brooklyn, The
- Make Mine Music *** - Ten animated Disney shorts, some better
than others. Best bits include "Peter and the Wolf" and an
operatic whale.
- Margie
- Meet Me On Broadway
- Night and Day ** - Cary Grant as Cole Porter? Ignore the
fictitious plot and enjoy the songs. Highlight: Mary Martin as herself.
- No Leave, No Love
- People Are Funny
- Road to Utopia *** - Hope & Crosby in top form.
- Sing While You Dance
- Singin' in the Corn * - Judy Canova in the desert.
"Corn" is no match for "Rain."
- Slightly Scandalous
- Song of the South *** - Unhappy child finds solace in an old
man's fables. Politically incorrect but entertaining.
- Susie Steps Out
- Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
- Swing Parade of 1946
- Talk About a Lady
- Tars and Spars ** - A Coast Guard camp show boasts young Sid
Caesar and a rare film
appearance by stage star Alfred Drake.
- Three Little Girls in Blue *** - Predictable but fun tale of three
sisters in search of rich husbands helped by a good score and solid
cast.
- Thrill of Brazil, The ** - Minor romantic shenanigans in
South America.
- Till the Clouds Roll By *** - Highly fictionalized screen bio of
Jerome Kern packed with great songs and cameo performances by top MGM stars.
- Time, the Place and the Girl, The * - Dull backstage tale.
- Two Sisters from Boston *** - Kathryn Grayson and June
Allyson go to work in Jimmy Durante's Bowery saloon. A triumph of
MGM style.
- Ziegfeld Follies *** - MGM's grandest all-star revue,
with enough dazzling bits to offset the few squeakers. Astaire &
Kelly's duet is priceless, as is Garland's
"Interview."
1947
- Beat the Band
- Boy! What a Girl *** - Great fun as producers struggle to win backing for
an all-black musical. Some super
jitterbug routines.
- Calendar Girl
- Carnegie Hall *** - Tale of an aspiring pianist
is an excuse to tort out some of the greatest classical musicians of
the 1940s in rare screen appearances.
- Carnival in Costa Rica * - Dick Haymes and Vera Ellen on a
honeymoon trip to boredom.
- Cigarette Girl
- Copacabana ** - Even the combo of Carmen Miranda and Groucho
Marx as her agent can't breathe life into this dud.
- Down to Earth ** - Rita Hayworth as the Goddess of Dance
comes to earth to help a troubled Broadway musical – pity she
couldn't fix this
film.
- Fabulous Dorseys, The * - Even Dorsey fans will have trouble
stomaching this syrupy bio of Tom & James.
- Fiesta * - Esther Williams takes an ill-advised trip south of
the border with Ricardo Montalban.
- Fun and Fancy Free *** - Mickey Mouse in Disney's charming animated take on
Jack and the Beanstalk. Second section
on Bongo is less memorable.
- Glamour Girl
- Good News *** - June Allyson and Peter Lawford in a breezy
remake of the classic college musical. Great songs and top-notch dance sequences.
- I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now ** - Songwriter finds love in
the 1890s. Fun period tunes are the only signs of life.
- I'll Be Yours
- It Happened in Brooklyn ** - Frank Sinatra woos and loses
Kathryn Grayson as Jimmy Durante cheers him on. Best moment: "The Song's Gotta
Come From the Heart."
- Ladies Man
- Linda Be Good
- Little Miss Broadway
- Living In a Big Way
- Love and Learn
- Mother Wore Tights *** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey in
one of their better backstage love stories. Colorful production, great
score.
- My Wild Irish Rose
- New Orleans ** - Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong and other
greats make
this a priceless visual record of vintage jazz performances.
- Northwest Outpost ** - Nelson Eddy's last film is a tired
Yukon operetta by Friml.
- Perils of Pauline *** - Betty Hutton as silent movie queen
Pearl White. Some funny moments and a Frank Loesser score.
- Sarge Goes to College
- Shocking Miss Pilgrim, The ** - Betty Grable as an 1870s
business woman. Boring but somewhat redeemed by several lesser
Gershwin songs.
- Something in the Wind ** - Deanna Durbin as
a singing disc jockey.
- Song of Sheherezade
- That's My Gal
- This Time for Keeps ** - Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante,
Xavier Cugat and lots of water.
- Two Blondes and a Redhead
- Unfinished Dance, The ** - Margaret O'Brien as an orphan who
worships ballerina Cyd Charisse. Unpleasantly teary.
- Variety Girl
- Wake Up and Dream
- Welcome Stranger
1948
- A Date with Judy *** - Jane Powell sings "It's a Most
Unusual Day" in a genial family film. Wallace Beery's dance with
Carmen Miranda is a hoot.
- A Song is Born
- April Showers
- Are You With It
- Big City
- Campus Honeymoon
- Campus Sleuth
- Casbah *** - Unlikely fun with Tony Martin as a thief in old
Algiers. Harold Arlen tunes are an asset.
- Countess of Monte Cristo, The
- Easter Parade **** - Fred Astaire and Judy Garland as
vaudeville dance team, with great songs by Irving Berlin. Anne Miller
dazzles, and Jules Munshin's salad routine is a hoot.
- Emperor Waltz, The *** - Bing Crosby sells record players and
tangles with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. Pleasant, lavishly
produced silliness.
- Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
- Give My Regards to Broadway ** - A family vaudeville act
comes to the end of the line. Despite Dan Dailey and Charles
Winninger, this is no winner.
- I Surrender Dear
- If You Knew Susie
- Isn't It Romantic?
- Kissing Bandit, The * - Frank Sinatra as a singing
Zorro? Hopeless embarrassment, save for a dazzling
dance routine by Cyd Charisse.
- Ladies of the Chorus
- Lulu Belle
- Luxury Liner
- Manhattan Angel
- Mary Lou
- Melody Time
- On An Island With You
- One Sunday Afternoon ** - Dennis Morgan as a dentist
wondering if he married the right girl. You'll know you're
watching the wrong movie.
- One Touch of Venus* - Most of Kurt Weill's stage score is cut
and Ava Gardner's singing is dubbed -- what else do I need to tell you?
- Pirate, The *** - Judy Garland thinks acrobat Gene Kelly
is a bloodthirsty pirate. Arch style and sub-par Porter score
keep this from being all it might have been, but you'll never forget
Kelly in black hot pants.
- Road to Rio ** - Hope & Crosby on another journey.
- Romance On the High Seas
- So Dear to My Heart *** - Unlikely Disney tuner about a
boy and his sheep works thanks to a good cast and charming score.
- Song Is Born, A ** - Scholars research jazz. Danny Kaye
provides laughs, while Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and
more provide the music.
- Summer Holiday ** - Mickey Rooney stars in handsome but
mediocre musical version of Eugene O'Neill's Ah Wilderness.
- That Lady in Ermine ** - Doug Fairbanks Jr. conquers princess
Betty Grable's little kingdom. Director Ernst Lubitsch died during filming.
- Three Daring Daughters ** - Jeanette MacDonald is a divorced
editor whose daughters rebel when she announces plans to remarry.
- Two Guys From Texas
- Up In Central Park - Deanna Durbin in Romberg's stage hit.
- When My Baby Smiles at Me ** - Betty Grable and Dan Dailey go
from burlesque to Broadway, with the usual misunderstandings. So-so.
- Words and Music ** - Screen bio of Rodgers & Hart bears
little similarity to their real lives, but there are great musical
numbers aplenty. Includes Rooney & Garland's last screen duet,
"I Wish I Were in Love Again."
- You Were Meant for Me ** - Jeanne Crain marries a band leader.
1949
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
Court ** - Bing Crosby stars, but this is no match for the Rodgers & Hart
stage version.
- Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The *** - Wind in the
Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow paired in animated
Disney double feature. Bing Cosby voices the latter delightfully.
- Always Leave Them Laughing
- Barkleys of Broadway, The *** - Fred Astaire reunites with
Ginger Rogers in this tale of a fictional show biz couple. Okay story
enlivened by some enjoyable musical numbers.
- Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend, The
- Dancing in the Dark ** - William Powell learns the unknown
performer he has discovered is his daughter.
- Holiday in Havana
- In the Good Old Summertime *** - Judy Garland and Van Johnson
as battling coworkers who don't know they are pen pals. Great period songs,
handsome production, and Liza Minnelli makes her debut in the final shot.
- Inspector General, The *** - Danny Kaye hilarious as a phony
diplomat.
- It's a Great Feeling
- Jolson Sings Again *** - Okay sequel energized by Jolson's
super vocals.
- Ladies of the Chorus * - Marilyn Monroe as a burlesque
dancer. Luckily, she went on to far better things.
- Look For the Silver Lining ** - June Haver stars in weak bio
of stage legend Marilyn Miller. Ray Bolger's amazing dance solo steals
the film.
- Make Believe Ballroom
- Make Mine Laughs
- My Dream Is Yours ** - Doris Day becomes a radio star and
even hangs out with Bugs Bunny.
- Neptune's Daughter *** - Esther Williams is a bathing suit
designer in one of her better vehicles. The score includes "Baby, It's Cold Outside."
- Oh, You Beautiful Doll ** - June Haver in clichéd romance circa
1900.
- On the Town *** - Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin
as sailors on leave in New York. Breezy fun, great dancing.
- Red, Hot and Blue ** - Betty Hutton seeks stardom -- no relation to Broadway hit of the same
name.
- Slightly French
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game *** - Gene Kelly and Frank
Sinatra as vaudevillian baseball stars, with Esther Williams as their
new team owner. Fun numbers, directed by Busby Berkeley.
- That Midnight Kiss ** - Mario Lanza woos Kathryn Grayson.
Lavish production and some pretty high notes, but oh, that plot!
- Top O' The Morning
- Yes Sir, That's My Baby
- You're My Everything ** - Dan Dailey and Ann Baxter become
movie stars in old Hollywood. Slow going.
The Other Film Chronologies:
