By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

It is not often that a follow-up is every bit as good and actually on the same level as its predecessor, but 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon', a follow-up to the immensely charming and warm-hearted 'On Moonlight Bay', manages it.Both are among Doris Day's best musical films and in the top end of her filmography. Anybody who is a fan of Day and Gordon McRae (have always loved Day and consider McRae immensely talented) will get huge pleasure from both and will find it difficult to decide which is better. Like 'On Moonlight Bay', the story in 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' is very slight. Again, like 'On Moonlight Bay' it doesn't feel that big a problem with everything else executed so well.Visually, 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' captivates. The Technicolor styling is superb and rich in colour, the production design is lavish and leaves a warm and cosy feeling from head to toe.The songs are terrific and the treatment of these standards truly enchant. Standouts are the title song, "Be My Little Baby Bumble-Bee" and "If You Were the Only Girl in the World".'By the Light of the Silvery Moon's' writing is witty and warm-hearted and few will mind the slightness of the story with it warming the heart so much, being so consistently entertaining and making one feel so cosy and relaxed with its innocence. The ice skating sequence epitomises all this.Day sings beautifully and has such an endearing and fresh approach to her acting, while McRae is a dashing presence with his warm baritone voice being one of the best and most beautiful on film. Their chemistry once again is irresistible and a huge part of the film's appeal.Leon Ames has the memorability factor, Rosemary DeCamp is a sympathetic presence, Billy Gray makes a potentially annoying character appealing and Russell Arms charms as a nerd. Mary Wickes' sharp-tongued but well meaning housekeeper is particularly fun.Overall, a musical delight. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this when it first came out and left the movie theater singing one of the songs! In fact it was nostalgic even back when it was made and that was intended. It's the story of yet another generation even farther back. The music is wonderful, of course, and Booth Tarkington's characters got the royal treatment from Doris Day and Gordon McRae. This was a sequel to "On Moonlight Bay", for me a heavy-handed job by Roy Del Ruth that sinks rather than floats. The casting in the film is perfect! This is the sort of musical where the music just "happens". There are no drum rolls or tell-tale cadences to inform the audience they're into something "important". How refreshing to see one of them again.Curtis Stotlar

If I have to make a choice between all the movies Doris Day has made, I cannot make that choice. She is my favorite and that is because of my mother. We used to sing several songs in the kitchen doing the dishes, or making food. Lots of my friends who are the same age as me, don't have that feeling with the movies of Doris Day. But when I see those movies, it is making me relaxed, happy or sad sometimes. Most of all I like the way she is singing the songs with such a emotion, you cannot find in every singer. I wish I could sing that way or dance like in Calamity Jane. Unfortunately they don't make that kind of movies anymore, but we have the most of those movies on DVD bought her in The Netherlands. Great singers, great actors, love it

I have seen this film along with On Moonlight Bay many times on TV, not when they originally came out in the cinema, I wasn't a big fan of musicals then and I can't say I'm a big fan of Doris Day, but these two films are so uplifting and fun they are excellent to watch. It's something to do with the balance of light drama/comedy to songs, the songs don't intrude and seem to help the plot along. If I had to choose, it would probably be this film out of the two because of the great feel good factor with everyone enjoying themselves at the end out at the pond. My favourite scene is right at the end when Leon Ames seems to be the only one who hasn't got a clue what's going on, and says to his wife ..."and what did you think.... and she's just as puzzled as he his and the music comes up.........