The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Fantastic!

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This is a delightful glimpse of New York show business in the early 20th century. The story is appropriately corny and satisfyingly well acted, offering some charming songs and dances with some of the best performers in the 1950s, and a virtuoso turn by an old vaudevillian (James Barton) doing the kind of work we don't see onstage (or in movies) anymore. Barton's touching "drunk" dance in the bar, and his hilarious eccentric skating number at the end of the film show us a vivid picture of the kind of performing that was expected in the best days of vaudeville. The plot is predictable, but Gordon McCrae, June Haver, and Gene Nelson are a pleasure to behold, and Debbie Reynolds' debut gives a hint of what we could have expected from her. Also, it's as good as S.Z. Sakall ever was, and that's saying a lot. Watch it to experience a wave of nostalgia like none you've ever known.

Pleasant, light headed nonsense still has its pleasures. Chief among them is Gordon MacRae singing beautifully and so handsome. He really should have been at MGM with the Freed unit to take advantage of his gifts, Warners never had the quality productions his talent deserved. Even though made on loan-out to Warners this was made at the height of 20th Century Fox's big push to make June Haver the new Betty Grable. June had a pleasing way about her, sang and danced adequately but didn't have the punch of Grable nor the vulnerability or flesh impact of the girl who would replace her within a couple of years, Marilyn Monroe. She's serviceable in the lead but not memorable.Debbie Reynolds in her first featured part is pert and bursting with her special brand of energy. Her role is small but even with that she registers on screen in a way Haver never does. A good illustration of star quality and the lack of it in one film. Gene Nelson stands out in the dance department although he is made to look ridiculous in some awful costumes but his footwork compensates. The rest of the cast all perform well and the film is loaded with color but it's all a bunch of malarkey.

My title is a quote from 'Cuddles' Sakal, who is showing his Irish coworker Dennis O'Grady(James Barton) his prized Hungarian sausages(wurst). For once, this inimitable old fuss body Hungarian refugee plays a Hungarian, and appears periodically throughout the film as a background character, mostly fruitlessly attempting to inject a bit of humor. Dennis is the father of 3 marriageable, or nearly so, girls, played by June Haver, Marcia Jones and 17 y.0. Debbie Reynolds. The latter is barely recognizable, as June's tag along younger sister, in her first Hollywood speaking role, giving no hint of her potential, realized a few years later in "Singing in the Rain" : still very much a work in progress even then.Papa O'Grady, along with Sakal's character, are driver/conductors for horse-drawn trolleys in NYC. He used to be a vaudeville performer, until his wife partner, Rosie O'Grady, died. He claims she died from overwork as an entertainer and hence forbids his daughters to think about becoming a musical entertainer. Problem is Patricia(June) obviously has such an ambition and has to sneak her forays into the theater distinct. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Katie is secretly married to a returning soldier from the Spanish -American War, whom she soon tells she is pregnant. Pat happens to encounter Tony Pastor(Gordon MacRae), owner of a vaudeville theater, who invites her to become a singer/dancer, while strongly hinting a romantic interest in her. Problem is he has to improvise a story about who he is and what he does to pass the severe criteria of Papa O'Grady, in a comedic scene. After tentatively approving him, papa suggests a possible union with eldest daughter Katie, rather than Pat, unaware that she is married and pregnant! After he finds out the truth about Katie and Pat, he disowns them. But , he finds he is miserable without his daughter's company and cooking. Tony and Pat have a falling out over Pat's concern about her father vs. her commitment to Tony's show. Tony also insults her dancing partner, played by Gene Nelson, who consequently announces his intention to soon quit the show. Everyone is mad at each other at this point. But, as this is Christmas season, they gradually make amends , and even papa is invited to take part in the long winter-themed finale.This was the second and last pairing of June and Gordon, as well as June and dancer(primarily) Gene Nelson. Gordon and Gene were contract players for Warners, whereas June was on loan from Fox. June is her usual smiling effervescent self, when given the opportunity, and Gordon's singing was quite impressive for the limited material provided. June's acting was also good, while Gordon's tended to be a bit wooden. He had a more extensive presence than in his first pairing with June, which was also his first Hollywood musical.... Gene got his new Hollywood start as June's dance partner in "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now". In the present film, he got much more dance time, he and June making a great -looking dance team, as well as performing several of their own dances. He and Gordon would be rushed into a series of musicals, mostly with Warners' up and coming musical star Doris Day. The first; "Tea for Two", also costarring Sakal, was released later that year, and is generally regarded as more entertaining than the two films in which Gordon and June costarred. For one thing, several well recognized standards were included, instead of the less memorable songs provided in this film. Also, Gene's mostly solo dances were more innovative and exciting to watch. Except for her last Fox musical with Dan Dailey, June was typically cast with one or two other female musical talents, with or without musically -talented male stars, as was the pattern for most Fox musicals of the late '30s through early '50s. This is in contrast to her two Warners' films, where she was the sole female musical star, cast with distinct singing and dancing male stars.The comedic highlight of this film is provided by an unheralded man & woman comedic acrobatic routine: very Charlie Chaplin-like. Otherwise, the humor mostly relates to Papa O'Grady's unraveling relationships with his daughters. James Barton(papa) was an old time vaudevillian, as he plays here. He also played a similar character in the Betty Grable film "Wabash Avenue", also released in '50. He probably gets as much (too much!) screen time as June in this film, certainly more than leading men Gordon and Gene. We could have done without his drunk period, over his daughter's disobedient romantic shenanigans. Jane Darwell("Grapes of Wrath") fruitlessly tries to provide a bit of humor as neighbor Mrs. Murphy, heckling papa.Gordon's character's name: Tony Pastor, is the namesake of the generally recognized founder of the vaudeville show format. However, the real Tony was in his 60s at the turn of the century. We might imagine this Tony to be his son.Should not be confused with the prior Fox musical "Sweet Rosie O'Grady", starring Betty Grable. Is currently available as an on-demand printed DVD.

A pleasure to see such a great team as Gordon McRae and June Haver on the big screen together. Debbie Reynolds, as her little sister, added a delightful touch (her first speaking role, I believe). June and Debbie's Irish Dad, Barton McLane, did a great nostalgic song and dance ("My Own True Love And I") that would break any Irish person's heart. Gordon played the part of Tony Pastor in his own bright inimitable way. His singing was particularly terrific. Always liked the man. No one else I can think of sang the gay nineties songs as well as he. June and Gene Nelson's (whom I can usually do without) presentation of the title song "The Daughter Of Rosie O'Grady", was a gem, and added much to the show. You came out of the theater humming this tune. Any time the movie appears on TV, I will try very hard not to miss it. It is a 'feel good about the world' musical and one of the great "escape" pieces of it's day. In my opinion, no MGM musical (including "Singing In The Rain") can make it take a back seat. My lord, how I envied that man (Gordon). He could fall off a shelf and come up singing right on the beat. Strangely enough, I cannot remember S.Z. Sakall's part in the movie; although he appears on the credits. When I track down the video (and I will track it down) I'll come back and update this. Of course, he was a street car conductor.