The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950)

Growing up I was huge fan of the TV show My Three Sons which aired on various networks in the 1960 & early 70's. Fred MacMurray was the stoic rock of Gibraltar Widower of three boys with the help of his house servant Uncles. I caught a Lucy Desi Comedy hour featuring the MacMurray's Fred and his lovely blonde wife June. June Haver MacMurray was a Movie Actress in her day as a triple threat, Singing, Dancing and Acting. I caught this movie totally by accident on TCM and it's a typical 1950's period piece musical from Warner Brothers. Our movie takes place in turn of the century Manhattan. Vaudeville was the main and affordable means of entertainment for the masses at that time. To further explain what Vaudeville was; a variety of entertainment filled with unrelated vignettes with a mixture of song. dance, magic and comedy acts. Vaudeville theaters sprung up all over the country like Starbuck's franchises of today. Streetcar conductor Dennis O'Grady (James Barton)a widower with Three daughters is a traditionalist with a strict code of rules for his Lassies to abide by. Meet only Irish men with a college education and most importantly don't bring home any Show Business performers.You see Dennis O'Grady was also a showman in his day with an act featuring wife Rosie. But his dear departed Wife Rosie died from the strain of show business and that's where he puts the blame never to return or even patronize the theater. The eldest of the three lovelies Kate tells her two younger sisters that she just eloped to an Irish Policeman Sean McClory (James Moore)Meanwhile an incident involving a forgotten Lunch-pale by Father O'Grady causes the two Sisters Patricia (June Haver) and a very young Maureen (Debbie Reynolds)in tow as they pass the (forbidden zone) passing the theater. A man who's wearing a hobo's costume makes a conversation with Patricia as he asked for a crust of bread. Pat panics and gives her Father's lunch to the bum. Unbeknownst to Pat that bum was the owner of the theater and he wasn't interested in food but more importantly wanted to make her acquaintance. That owner is the leading man in this story Tony Pastor (Gordon MacRae). After mistaken identities Pat and Gordon hit it off from the start as Patricia was always fascinated by the stage. Patricia would even put on her late Mother's costumes to the disdain of her Father. The Movie is really about silly traditions and mistaken information. One character of reason throughout the story is the chubby European knockwurst carrying S.Z. Sakall known as Cuddles plays Dennis O'Grady's best friend and co- worker. You know Cuddles from the movie Casablanca as Bogie's Cafe manager. One more player of noteworthy mention is dancer Gene Nelson who plays Doug Martin who is a headliner dancer for owner Pastor.. Patricia enters amateur contest as a singer but Doug comes to the rescue and saves her act and Patricia joins Tony Pastor's theater company as a regular. Doug and Patricia practice feverishly as Tony's jealousy brews watching the two bond as an act. Meanwhile Father O'Grady learns that his daughter is pregnant as the Doctor leaves his flat assuming it's Patricia with the showman Pastor responsible. To add to the confusion older married sister Kate is Pregnant with twins on the way but Father doesn't know she's married to Officer McClory. What does a Father do? Go to the tavern and get stewed and then disown the lot of them. As bad as it sounds it makes for a light hearten musical/story. Great movie to watch at Christmas or St. Patrick's Day.

Puttin' on a show has been one of the major success plots for Hollywood musicals starting with the iconic 1933 42ND STREET. In this version James Barton plays a New York City turn of the twentieth century horse drawn trolley driver who prefers his three daughters played by Debbie Reynolds, June Haver and a relatively unknown performer as the eldest sister to avoid bringing up past memories of their late mom's vaudeville act with their dad, James Barton. Fantastic performances by Gordon Macrae, Cuddles, Gene Nelson and James Barton add to the star studded cast which shines as a major positive of the film. The songs from old vaudeville days charm those who recall or wish to delve into the now forgotten genre but is the reason I give this film merely a nine in case some potential viewers have no interest in this type of music. Its memories of Old New York provide some of the most glorious aspects of the film which warms the heart after some typical romantic comedy setbacks.

Another musical teaming up Cuddles Sakal with Gene Nelson and Gordon MacRae. However, Tea for Two, was far better. Why? Sakal was given much funnier lines in the latter film and of course it had Doris Day, Eve Arden and Billy De Wolfe giving fine support.In this 1950 film, MacRae and Nelson are reduced to actual supporting roles. The major role has got to be the Irish father, whose strict code of ethical behavior becomes the forefront of this rather childish film.The movie, taking place after the Spanish-American War ended, is rather silly at times. Daddy doesn't know for a year that his daughter has married the typical Irish policeman and is about to have twins, or is it triplets?The singing and dancing are rather benign here. There is really no catchy tune here. June Haver gives her all but the script really does everyone in.As was the case with 'Tea,' you don't know who the girl will wind up with until the very end. Apparently, we needed a tea for the Rosie O'Grady clan.

When GORDON MacRAE and JUNE HAVER are kicking up their heels in song and dance or GENE NELSON is demonstrating his talent as a hoofer, THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY comes alive as musical entertainment of the fluffiest kind. But not too much plot-wise differentiates this one from a strong of Hollywood musicals with a backstage plot. Indeed the wisp of a plot is just about forgettable once the film is over.Despite this, there's a good performance from JAMES BARTON, as the father of three girls (June, Debbie Reynolds and Marcia Mae Jones), an Irisman who doesn't want his girls to have anything to do with show business. Of course, the irony is that daughter June is such a natural talent that it would be criminal neglect to keep her away from a stage door and prevent her from performing.JUNE HAVER demonstrates a talent for song and dance that has rarely been shown to such advantage in even some of her better known films (as, for example, the Marilyn Miller role in LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING). She keeps up with GENE NELSON step for step with professional poise and ease and has a pleasant way with a song, too. She retired from films much too soon once she married Fred MacMurray.Some old-fashioned tunes get nice treatments from the cast and David Butler's direction keeps things moving at a fairly good pace. A little too much time is given to the fumbling shenanigans of S.Z. SAKALL in one of his stereotyped roles as a Warner contract player.Passes the time pleasantly although it's strictly a routine backstage musical, the kind done a zillion times during the '40s and '50s.