TCM Summer Under the Stars 2020: Recap, Review, Rejoice! Good post, Rick! The Sherman Brothers, who wrote the film's music, wanted Rex Harrison for the lead role,[11][12] but Disney insisted on Fred MacMurray. Howard Erskine and Joseph Hayes produced the play, and Guthrie McClintock was to direct,[8] but he left the production before opening night. Any comments considered inappropriate or not relevant may be rejected at the editor's discretion. After the box-office success of Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music, the first of which he had produced, the film's original producer Bill Walsh decided to make the film into a musical. That winter, Cordy comes back to her parents' home and tells them that she is engaged. [19] The soundtrack is currently available on iTunes. The song "Fortuosity" is the last song on Disney's Happiest Songs Lp which was sold at Gulf gas stations which also supplied Disney mags. Gone with the Wind: Who Will Play Scarlett O'Hara? And the look was indeed quite lovely. The screenplay is by A. J. Carothers and based on the play that was based on the book My Philadelphia Father by Cordelia Drexel Biddle, the daughter of Anthony Biddle. The movie's length, period, cost, even its eccentric central figure indicate Disney was trying for another Mary Poppins. If you feel this "fair use" violates your copyright of an image, please e-mail us at. With Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, Gladys Cooper. Page, I had to jump in -- don't judge any musical by "Hello Dolly." The tension reaches a climax when Cordy learns that Angie has abandoned his plans for Detroit, and is instead taking his place in the family business, following his mother's wishes. The next morning, Mr. Biddle comes to bail Angie out. :). It is an over-decorated, over-fluffed, over-sentimentalized endeavor to pretend the lace-curtain millionaires are—or were—every bit as folksy as the old prize-fighters and the Irish brawlers in the saloon. During a rousing song-and-dance sequence, John tries to convince Angie to go back to Cordy. Maybe if it was split up like the epics of today. Their two sons, Tony and Livingston (Paul Petersen and Eddie Hodges, respectively) are headed off to boarding school, never to be seen in the film again. The Cafe uses images to enhance its criticism and comments on classic films. However, Angie is stubborn and thinks of other ways to deal with his problems, among other things saying that he wants to join the Foreign Legion. The movie was highly promoted but it appeared too mature so I,at the time, avoided it, & to this day have not seen the whole thing even though I own the dvd disc. "[27], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 50% based on six reviews, with an average rating of 5.65/10. He does not want to give up his little girl. Cordy, however, believes her father talked Angie into it, so to prove his sincerity, amid the cheering of the cell mates, Angie throws Cordy over his shoulder and carries her out of the jail house to start their new life together. Fortuosity was a good number. Toto, I agree about the title--Fred looks positively unhappy through a large portion of the film. He was so popular on stage, and very talented.I enjoyed this look-back at a movie I haven't seen for more years than I will admit to! Based on feedback from our readers, we have eliminated anonymous comments. (The short version of the film ends at this point.) Christenberrys, Sr. and Jr., Form Company--Katz Musical First Project [13] In order to satisfy requests from Radio City Music Hall, the site of the film's New York premiere, the studio cut 20 minutes from the film after the premiere. At a social dance hosted by her aunt and uncle, Cordy meets Angier Buchanan Duke (John Davidson, in his film debut) and they fall in love. By LOUIS CALTA. [17], The original cast soundtrack was released on Buena Vista Records in stereo (STER-5001) and mono (BV-5001) versions. As a musical entirely I simply feel it marks the end of an Era as Walt himself died during production. If there is not really anybody to root against (except maybe Geraldine Page as the tart-tongued Mrs. Duke), there are too many people to root for, and each of them is pursuing his own story-line. The adults will wonder how John Davidson could have possibly been cast in such an innocent and naive role when he looks at least 25 years old. [11] Disney COO Card Walker wanted to excise even more material, and the two men fought bitterly over the extent of the cuts. When leaving comments at the Cafe, please focus on the contents of the post. However, Disney reassigned him to Blackbeard's Ghost, replacing him with Bill Anderson. For its general release, the film was again edited down to almost two hours. Java, the costumes and photography are both impressive in THM. It desperately needs her magic umbrella to lift MacMurray and the whole project off the ground. According to the Shermans, Disney overheard them singing the song and misheard the phrase as "S.O.B. In the early 1960s, Walt Disney acquired the rights to the play, but he had no intent of making it into a musical at first. Small world, isn't it? The song "Detroit" contains the lyric "F.O.B. The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. : (Happy New Year, Rick and to all of you here at Classic Film & TV Cafe.Page. Behind the final credits, a car with two people (apparently Cordie and Angie) is seen driving toward a city skyline (apparently Detroit) dominated by factories spewing smoke to blacken the sky over the city. Both families are instantly in a tremendous state of upheaval. In 1955, Cordelia co-wrote a biography about her father, which was adapted as a play starring Walter Pidgeon… He tells Angie he has to forget about his own dreams and accept his place in the family business. The Shermans corrected Disney and the three laughed about it. Send comments to [email protected]. A Pair of Poirots: Suchet and Ustinov Discover "Ev... Lightness and Darkness: The Two Sides to Hitchcock... Fred MacMurray and Alligators Can't Save "The Happ... CMBA 2020 FALL BLOGATHON, POLITICS ON FILM: What Every Woman Knows, 1934, Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" at 80: Dreamers and Doers, A Supreme Court of Classic Movie Characters, The Unshakeables: The Bionic Woman Saves the World, Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers, British Pathe: Model Racing Cars ( 1956 ), MUSIC BREAK: BING CROSBY - SAY IT ISN'T SO, How Joan Harrison Became a Film Producer in 1940s Hollywood, Silents are Golden: A Closer Look At – Nosferatu (1922), Spider Baby, or the Maddest Story Ever Told. The long version, presented on home video for the first time, was in 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen, but the short version was 1.33:1.[23]. PIDGEON TO STAR IN CRICHTON PLAY: Film Actor Will Return Here in 'The Happiest Millionaire' After 21-Year Absence A Change of Plans Th… "[24], Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "... adults will find the plot thin and the characters one-dimensional. It's too bad that Tommy Steele really didn't fit well into movies, or perhaps it was just that musicals were gone with the wind. Come into the Cafe and join in the conversation! Plus, we liked any musical and our parents would allow us to watch almost anything by Disney, so...Also, John Davidson and Steele are gorgeous. Wouldn't you fear a father-in … His wife, Cordelia (Greer Garson), stands quietly by, accepting his eccentricities with a sense of pride and class. GENERAL AND SON TO PRODUCE PLAYS: C.W. [14] Lesley Ann Warren, whom Disney had seen in the 1965 CBS television production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, made her screen debut in the film. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. Mr. Biddle takes a liking to him immediately. It was Pidgeon's first appearance on Broadway in 21 years, and MGM obtained film rights in exchange for permitting him to appear in the play. "Choices to Make 'Millionaire' Fans Happy", "Screen: Thin Blue Blood: Music Hall Is Offering 'Happiest Millionaire' 'An Uncommon Thief, "The Happiest Millionaire movie review (1967)", The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Happiest_Millionaire&oldid=984210508, Films about the United States Marine Corps, Films produced by Bill Anderson (producer), Wikipedia articles that may have off-topic sections from October 2020, All articles that may have off-topic sections, Articles with self-published sources from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "It Won't Be Long 'Til Christmas" (Roadshow version only), This page was last edited on 18 October 2020, at 21:07. Well,As and adult I can't sit through musicals either but that's my own problem. But I did think John and Lesley Ann had a sweet duet at the dance, which reminded me a lot of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" sung by the Prince (Stuart Damon) to "Cinderella" (Lesley Ann again). ", then scolded them for using such language in a Disney movie. Anchor Bay Entertainment released separate DVDs of both the long and short versions on July 20, 1999. The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. By LOUIS CALTA. Soon the Biddles and the Dukes are making arrangements for a very grand wedding. Directed by Norman Tokar. Encore Podcast: The Rise and Fall of "Dragnet", Silver Screen Modes by Christian Esquevin, Quarantine special: Soft drink ads to lift your spirits, adventures of sherlock holmes (tv series), gift ideas for classic film and tv lovers, one and only genuine original family band, quackster fortune has a cousin in the bronx, san francisco international film festival. By Yum Pum Pum I've never liked & I think Leslie is trying to fill in Haley's shoes. OCT. 24 BOW SET FOR 'LARK' HERE: Longacre Theatre Is Chosen for Bloomgarden Offering -Producer Casting 'Diary' A happy and unbelievably lucky young Irish immigrant, John Lawless, lands a job as the butler of an unconventional millionaire, Biddle. Rick, I had forgotten all about John Davidson--he was so cute! The film had its origins in the 1955 book My Philadelphia Father by Cordelia Biddle, as told to Kyle Crichton. The screenplay is by A. J. Carothers and based on the play that was based on the book My Philadelphia Father by Cordelia Drexel Biddle, the daughter of Anthony Biddle. But that just happened recently. A second cast recording with studio singers and orchestrations by Tutti Camarata appeared on Disneyland Records in stereo (STER-1303) and mono (DQ-1303).[18]. By CLEVELAND AMORY. [28], This article is about the film. Lots of kids will find little to hold their interest except the alligators. For the general release, the film was shortened even further to 118 minutes. Yep, there were good things in it, but it was not good. Rick,Interesting footnote on the Duke family. The Classic Film and TV Cafe is a blog devoted to classic movies and television series, ranging from the silent film era to the 1980s. To make matters worse, their families' elaborate planning for the "social event of the season" (it is by now the spring of 1917), makes both Cordy and Angie feel pushed aside.