OH YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL

US, 1949, 93 minutes, Colour.
June Haver, S.Z. Sakall, Mark Stevens, Charlotte Greenwood.
Directed by John M.Stahl.

Oh You Beautiful Doll is one of the many films of the late '40s and early '50s about musical composers (Three Little Words, I'll Get By, etc.). The film is a star vehicle for June Haver. It also offers S.Z. Sakall in his typical bumbling role - rather unexpectedly in the form of a composer of Tin Pan Alley songs. Mark Stevens is the hero. Charlotte Greenwood, rather subdued, is Sakall's wife. There are some popular ballads of the period. Pleasantly done. The direction is by John M. Stahl, director of a number of atmospheric thrillers at 20th Century Fox in the '40s.

1. Pleasing musical? Tin Pan Alley? The migrants to the US and their musical traditions?

2. 20th Century Fox colour photography, production values, staging of songs and dances, music? The musical score, the ballads, the title song, `Peg O' My Heart'?

3. The screenplay: contrived, pleasant, humorous, romantic? The flashback framework and the story about Freddy Fisher? The plausibility of the plot - and Freddy Fisher as an opera composer from Austria?

4. Larry Kelly, his singing of the songs, the encounter with Fisher, the music, the friendship with Doris? Marie and her singing? His hustling, the publishers? Using the melodies for popular songs? With Marie, with Doris? In love? The concert and Steiner conducting, the happy ending?

5. Fisher, his own name, his background, the opera, with his peers, the incident with the ring and his anger, poverty? Love for his wife and her support? Doris? Larry and his hustling? The tunes, his reluctance? His feeling of failure? His running away, Steiner and the concert, the happy ending?

6. Doris, the daughter, musical, attracted to Larry, giving him the music, her jealousy of Marie? The kiss? Her father, helping him out, playing at the performance, the happy ending?

7. Marie, the singing of the popular songs, the enthusiasm for the projects? The music publisher, tone deaf, his publishing the music?

8. Steiner, the European musicians, the operatic traditions, Strauss? The difficulty of being in America? Theatrical traditions? The emergence of Tin Pan Alley and the popularity of music? Steiner and his return, concern about his friend, offering to conduct the concert?

9. The popularity of this type of musical in the '40s and '50s? The tribute to the Tin Pan Alley composers?